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15 December 2025
U.S. Attorney’s Office announces results of “Operation Safe Christmas”Read the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced Monday the results of a fugitive roundup effort jointly handled by federal and state law enforcement agencies.
The operation resulted in 63 arrests of criminal offenders and seized 2.5 pounds of narcotics and $15,000 in U.S. currency. The coordinated effort was executed over seven days by law enforcement officials with the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Illinois, FBI Springfield, Illinois State Police, ATF Chicago and DEA St. Louis.
“The U.S. Marshals led this expansive operation in the field together with FBI and Illinois State Police leadership. Together, federal, state, and local partners arrested 63 fugitives—including the Marshal Service’s arrest of the suspect from the December 5, 2025, Granite City police shooting,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “These results reflect weeks of planning and coordination to remove criminal elements from our streets.”
Arrests spanned over Bond, Effingham, Fayette, Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia.
“The U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, Southern District of Illinois, proudly participated in “Operation Safe Christmas”, an initiative focused on enhancing public safety and apprehending dangerous fugitives. The operation’s success was made possible through the strong collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, whose commitment and cooperation remain essential to these efforts. USMS Regional Fugitive Task Forces play a critical role in locating and apprehending violent offenders and supporting high-profile investigations. During this operation, task force members, alongside the Illinois State Police, and members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Eastern District of Missouri, were instrumental in the investigation and apprehension of the alleged shooter of a Granite City Police Officer. Their determination, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to justice exemplify the mission of the U.S. Marshals Service” said U.S. Marshal David C. Davis.
“Operations like this reflect the strength that comes from close cooperation among law enforcement agencies. By working together, we are able to locate and apprehend individuals who drive violent crime into our communities,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. S. Johnson. “The successful arrests made during this sweep represent FBI Springfield’s continued commitment to crushing violent crime and keeping our neighborhoods safe.”
“Interdepartmental operations are instrumental in keeping our communities safe,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP will continue to partner with local and federal agencies to get violent criminals off the street and to protect the communities we serve.”
“If members of our community are able to sleep a little easier tonight because of the joint effort of law enforcement agencies removing violent criminals from our streets, then I absolutely consider this operation a success,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “No one should be forced to live with the fear these individuals forced upon a community. Let this operation serve as a warning that the combined force of state, local and federal law enforcement agencies is not to be taken lightly.”
The roundup was a joint operation by the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI Springfield Field Office and Illinois State Police with assistance from DEA, Fairview Heights Police Department, Carlyle Police Department, Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, Mt. Vernon Police Department, Bond County Sheriff’s Department, Vandalia Police Department, Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, Danville Police Department, Johnson City Police Department, Saline County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI Atlanta Field Office.
The U.S. Marshals Service Southern District of Illinois Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force consists of participating agencies from the Illinois State Police, Belleville Police Department, Granite City Police Department, Alton Police Department, ATF Chicago, Homeland Security Investigations, Illinois Department of Corrections – Parole, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department.
FBI’s efforts in this operation were also part of larger initiative, Operation Coast to Coast, an operation dedicated to combatting violent crime and narcotic distribution.
Two Huntington Men Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Anthony Jackson, also known as “Snake,” 59, of Huntington, was sentenced to three years of probation with six months of home confinement, for distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and Brian Lee Moore, also known as “Pooter,” 38, of Huntington, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 8, 2025, Jackson and Moore took part in the sale of approximately 3.28 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant located at a 10th Avenue apartment in Huntington. As part of their guilty pleas, Moore admitted that he provided the fentanyl to Jackson and Jackson admitted that he distributed it to the confidential informant.
As part of their guilty pleas, Jackson and Moore each admitted to additional criminal conduct. Jackson admitted that between January 11, 2024, and July 3, 2024, he distributed a total of 78.16 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on eight different occasions. Moore admitted to providing a total of 67.09 grams of fentanyl for six of those transactions.
On August 6, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the 10th Avenue apartment and seized approximately 338.34 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, the fentanyl analogue fluorofentanyl, heroin, and xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer also known as “tranq.” Officers also seized approximately $1,130, a Taurus Model G2C 9mm pistol and a Springfield Model MDM pistol during the search. Jackson and Moore each admitted they were in the apartment during the search. Jackson admitted that he was at the apartment to receive fentanyl to distribute. Moore admitted that he was at the apartment to provide fentanyl for distribution and further admitted that he possessed the seized firearms and cash.
On August 9, 2025, officers executed a search warrant for a safe deposit box at a bank in Huntington and seized approximately $50,000. Moore admitted that he possessed the seized cash and that it was proceeds from drug distributions.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-156.
Three Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl That Led to the Death of a Juvenile FemaleRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Destiny Salazar, 36, and Gabriel Orozco, 36, both of Weld County, Colorado, were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. Salazar was sentenced to 144 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Orozco was sentenced to 168 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.
The facts contained within the plea agreements establish that, from approximately July 2021, up through and including December of that same year, Destiny Salazar and Gabriel Orozco engaged in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl using Facebook, cell phones and various email accounts. Kaleb Hale was one of their customers, with whom they engaged in a series of transactions, one of which occurred on July 24, 2021. After Hale completed two purchases from Orozco and Salazar on that date, he and his 16-year-old girlfriend traveled to a residence in Greeley, Colorado. Hale and his girlfriend crushed one of the pills and both snorted a portion. Hale awoke the next day with severe abdominal distress; his girlfriend died during the night. Her death was the result of fentanyl intoxication.
In a prior proceeding on September 19, 2025, Kaleb Hale, 23, also of Weld County, Colorado, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, to be followed six years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl to a person under 25 years of age.
“Fentanyl has taken the life of another young Coloradan who had her whole life ahead of her,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “This case should be a warning to drug users and dealers alike. Using even the smallest amount of fentanyl can have deadly consequences. Dealing this dangerous drug can put you in federal prison for a very long time.”
“The staggering quantity of fentanyl we have seen flooding our borders has an impact that goes beyond the initial users, the dealers and the suppliers: This epidemic hurts families and communities,” said Marvin Massey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Denver. “The FBI will root out the supply and bring to justice those who traffic illegal drugs.”
Salazar and Orozco were sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John L. Kane.
Hale was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Philip A. Brimmer.The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Weld County Drug Task Force, the Greeley Police Department, the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, and the Brighton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bradley Giles.
CASE NUMBERS: 24-cr-310-JLK; 24-cr-164-PAB
State College Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William S. Welsh, age 30, of State College, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 11, 2025, to 360 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, throughout 2023, Welsh held himself out as a “babysitter” in order to gain access to several nonverbal and/or autistic toddlers. He later admitted to a friend that he possessed child pornography and that he had sexually exploited at least one of the toddlers he babysat.
Following an investigation by law enforcement, a series of search warrants executed on Welsh’s cell phones and computer revealed at least 40 videos of child pornography, including violent rape videos of children under the age of five. The search further revealed 11 sexually explicit photographs of a toddler, taken by Welsh when he was babysitting the toddler on January 15, 2023.
This case was investigated by the State College Police Department, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Silver Spring Man Convicted of Federal CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – After a two-week trial, a federal jury convicted Jason Michael Leidel, 45, of Silver Spring, Maryland, on one count of cyberstalking. Leidel is an active Lieutenant Commander in the Navy.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) – Mid-Atlantic Region; Special Agent in Charge Hanna Porterfield, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) – Washington, D.C. Field Office; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Chief Paul Neudigate, Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on multiple occasions, Leidel sent emails with false allegations to get Victim 1, his ex-wife, fired from her job as a special education teacher at a public school.
Additionally, Leidel sent emails trying to get his ex-wife and their children evicted from their house. He also repeatedly filed false child protective services claims against Victim 1. When Victim 1 started dating someone new, Victim 2, Leidel filed false claims, stating that Victim 2 was abusing children. Then Leidel repeatedly emailed Victim 2’s supervisors with false claims to get him investigated and fired. Leidel harassed Victim 1 and Victim 2 for several years until law enforcement arrested him in connection with this case.
Leidel faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Honorable Lydia Kay Griggsby scheduled sentencing for Thursday, March 12, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, DOT OIG, NCIS, MCPD, and VBPD. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Sarma and Ken Clark, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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San Juan County Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Murder and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Perry Maryboy, 61, of Bluff, Utah, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment, and a term of two years’ supervised release after he admitted to second degree murder.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby, comes after Maryboy was originally convicted by a federal grand jury. Following an appeal reversing his guilty verdict, Maryboy pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree while within Indian Country, and use, carry, and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents and statements made at Maryboy’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Maryboy unlawfully shot and killed another man while within the Navajo Nation on April 13, 2018. Maryboy admitted he was parked on the side of the road, in his truck and using his phone, south of Bluff, Utah, when he was confronted by the victim at his passenger window. An argument ensued and Maryboy exited his truck, retrieved a revolver from the backseat, loaded the revolver, and shot the victim in the back of the head as the victim was leaving. The victim died on scene in front of his common law wife and her 7-year-old child. Maryboy then fled the scene in his truck.
“Our sympathies in this case are with the victim’s family who suffered this horrific tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Mr. Maryboy acted with utter disregard for human life when he shot the victim in front of his family. The impact of this violent crime cannot be undone, but it is our hope that the victim’s family can find some peace with this case now closed.”
“What began as a confrontation escalated into a senseless act of violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. “The consequences of that choice will be carried by the victim’s family and loved ones for years to come. Our community is safer with this offender in prison.”
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency, Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Y. Hirata, Angela M. Reddish-Day, and Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Richardson man sentenced to federal prison for mail theftRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Richardson man has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Sir Darius Lamar Edmondson, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $3,391.31 by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 15, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on October 30, 2023, Edmondson was found in possession of stolen mail.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Morris.
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Recidivist Fraudster Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Federal Supervised Release ViolationsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Daphne woman was sentenced to 93 months in prison for wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and violation of federal supervised release conditions.
According to court documents, Ramie Renee Freeman, 56, submitted fraudulent documents to a car dealership in Daphne to secure financing for the purchase of a vehicle in March 2025. The fraudulent documents included a forged receipt for nonexistent monthly social security benefits and an altered annulment order from the Circuit Court of Knox County, Tennessee, which claimed that Freeman received monthly alimony payments when she did not. Based on these fraudulent representations, which the dealership transmitted via an interstate wire communication, a financing company in Texas approved an automobile loan and Freeman took possession of the vehicle.
Separately, Freeman admitted that between January and May 2025, she falsely held herself out as an attorney and accepted payments from victims purportedly to assist them with an uncontested divorce. In April 2025, Freeman forged the victims’ signatures and mailed bogus divorce paperwork, along with a check drawn on Freeman’s bank account, to the Baldwin County Courthouse in Bay Minette. When the check bounced, a court employee called Freeman, who lied about being a lawyer. The package that Freeman fraudulently mailed contained the victims’ names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security numbers, which the victims had not authorized Freeman to send.
In May 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at Freeman’s apartment in Daphne. There, agents located the vehicle that Freeman fraudulently purchased and documentation regarding Freeman’s frauds. Freeman told agents that she had resumed her fraud schemes because it is difficult for a person convicted of felony frauds to find legitimate work. At the time of her crimes, Freeman was on federal supervised release for prior fraud convictions in the Southern District of Alabama in 2022. Freeman also has prior federal fraud convictions from the District of New Hampshire in 2009 and 2011, as well as multiple fraud convictions in various New Hampshire state courts.
Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Freeman to a total of 93 months in prison, consisting of 57 months for the crimes she committed in 2025, followed by an additional 36 months for violating her supervised release conditions. Upon her release from prison, Freeman will serve a three-year term of supervised release, the first six months of which she must serve at a halfway house. While on supervised release, Freeman will be subject to drug testing and will receive mental health treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Freeman to pay $300 in special assessments and $3,800 in victim restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the Daphne Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and George May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to Second Stint in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Luis Alberto Correa, 34, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to a total of 42 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and to supervised release violations. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our communities safe means keeping firearms out of the hands of violent felons, like this defendant. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners, my office was able to deliver another successful prosecution of an offender who has amply demonstrated that he belongs behind bars rather than free on our streets to threaten our community.”
Court documents reflect that in 2016, the defendant was sentenced to 170 months in federal prison following convictions for drug conspiracy and causing the death of a person through use of a firearm. Following that prison sentence, and while on supervised release under the supervision of the United States Probation Office, in approximately December 2024, the defendant was caught with three firearms and matching bulk ammunition that he had illegally obtained and possessed. He admitted to law enforcement that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to his prior felony conviction. The defendant was also charged with, and later admitted to, violating the terms and conditions of his federal supervised release for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, as well as marijuana.
“The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the opportunity to assist in the investigation that led to the conviction and sentencing of Luis Alberto Correa as part of Operation Take Back America,” said Sheriff Bob Johnson. “This outcome reflects the strong cooperation among our local, state, and federal partners, all committed to removing felony offenders from our streets and keeping our community safe. We thank our agencies and citizens for their continued support as we work together to protect Santa Rosa County.”
Correa was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for the new possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon charge and an additional 18 months to run consecutively for the supervise release violations.
The sentence was the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Prince George’s County Man Indicted on Charges of Sexually Exploiting Minors to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Christopher Alexander Watts, 27, of Mount Rainier, Maryland, charging him with four counts of producing child sexual abuse material.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the indictment, between January and May 2024, Watts persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced four minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Watts exploited the minors for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the sexually explicit conduct.
If convicted, Watts faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, and the Prince George's County Police Department for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke Oki and Megan S. McKoy who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Previously Deported Jamaican National Living in Hartford Pleads Guilty to Passport FraudRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian Wood, Special Agent in Charge, Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office, announced that MARLON DAMIAN WHITE, also known as Damian Marlon White, 47, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to making a false statement in a U.S. passport application.
According to court documents and statements made in court, White was admitted to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in 1995. In subsequent years, he was convicted of various offenses, including a state conviction in New York for assault in the second degree, and a federal conviction in the Southern District of New York for a narcotics distribution offense for which he was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment. After his federal conviction, White lost his status as a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and, in February 2006, was deported to Jamaica.
White returned to the U.S. and, on May 6, 2024, used a false name, false birth date, and false place of birth to apply for a U.S. passport in Hartford. During the application process, White provided a counterfeit birth certificate and driver’s license falsely representing that he was born in and resided in California.
Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for March 10, at which time White faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He has been detained since his arrest on October 9, 2025.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
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.
Port Charlotte Man Indicted for Enticing A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Transferring Obscene Matter to A MinorRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging James Gregory Ford (34, Port Charlotte) with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and transferring obscene matter to a minor. If convicted on all counts, Ford faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment and court records, in October 2025, Ford communicated with a 10-year-old child using a social media application and engaged in sexually explicit conversations. Ford asked the child for sexual images and videos. He also sent a nude image of himself to the child.
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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, along with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pensacola Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Trafficking in Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and HeroinRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jermaine Z. Lewis, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to federal prison for 10 years for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office will continue to use the full force of the law to aggressively prosecute anyone who floods our streets with deadly drugs, as this defendant has come to find out. The Homeland Security Task Force initiative launched by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi is committed to eliminating drug trafficking operations anywhere they are found in the U.S., and the tenacious prosecutors in my office will see to it that the residents of the Northern District of Florida will have the safe, drug-free communities they deserve where they can live, work, and raise a family.”
Court documents reveal that in January and February 2025, the defendant distributed fentanyl on the streets of Pensacola. Law enforcement intercepted a mailed parcel bound for the defendant that contained approximately four pounds of fentanyl pills. With this information, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence in March 2025. Two loaded firearms, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl were seized. Wire transfers receipts of money sent to Mexico were also recovered. The defendant is a previously convicted state court felon.
“This defendant wasn't just selling drugs—he was trafficking lethal fentanyl, stockpiling guns, and sending cartel money south. That ends today,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “When you threaten the safety of Florida families, DEA and our law enforcement partners will meet you at your doorstep and bring your operation to a hard stop."
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Old Saybrook Man Convicted in 2018 of Tax Fraud Offenses Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that DAVID ADAMS, 65, of Old Saybrook, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to nine months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 27, 2018, Adams was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 90 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for failing to pay more than $4.8 million in federal income taxes over the course of more than 20 years. He was released from prison in April 2024. While on supervised release, Adams failed to pay restitution as ordered, and failed to disclose to the U.S. Probation Office his access to a bank account that he used to spend more than $100,000 attending UConn basketball games and other live sporting events, eating at expensive restaurants, going on shopping sprees, and providing money to a friend.
After Adams admitted to the violations, Judge Bolden revoked his supervised release and sentenced him to nine months of imprisonment with no supervised release to follow. Adams is required to report to prison on January 12.
Adams’ criminal history includes two additional federal convictions. In 1986, he was convicted of credit card fraud for submitting more than $588,000 in fraudulent credit card sales drafts through his floral business over a three-month period in 1985. In 1992, he was convicted of failing to file tax returns for the 1984 through 1986 tax years.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan L. Wines.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Device-Making EquipmentRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – An Ohio man pleaded guilty last week to illegally possessing credit card encoding devices.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on the morning of April 28, 2024, Sean Matthew Langston, Jr., 33, of Columbus, Ohio, was arrested in Rankin County following a traffic stop wherein he and his co-defendant, John Carleton Johnson, Jr., were found to be in possession of approximately 322 gift cards, seventeen reencoded instruments containing stolen bank card data, and two magstripe encoding devices. Langston and Johnson could be seen on CCTV footage at various retail stores throughout the Jackson metropolitan area purchasing gift cads with known cloned instruments.
Langston pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession, production, or trafficking in device-making equipment with intent to defraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2026, and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Langston and Johnson on February 20, 2025. Johnson pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, and was sentenced to serve two years in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 on November 3, 2025.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Flowood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Office Manager Abused Employer’s Trust and Stole over $1,800,000 over Ten YearsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile woman employed as a manager by a pair of related Mobile-based companies for about 20 years was sentenced today to a total of 75 months in prison for defrauding her employer of over $1,800,000, from their bank accounts. To accomplish her scheme, she misused a company’s officer’s signature stamp to write herself checks and electronically transferred money to her bank accounts.
According to court documents, the company Controller discovered that Kelley James Williamson, 47, had written unauthorized checks to herself for about $222,000. That triggered an internal investigation which revealed Williamson’s scheme began in early 2014 and continued until November 2024. The internal investigation also revealed a much larger loss. The employer’s lawyer contacted the Secret Service to report her crimes after she confessed to him. The Secret Service, in addition to its protective details work, investigates financial crimes. Its investigation - in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office - uncovered the full expanse of her crimes and losses suffered by the businesses. Before the U.S. Attorney charged Williamson, it seized over $79,000 from Williamson’s bank accounts to preserve it as Williamson had spent lavishly leading up to Mardi Gras 2025 as the queen of a local carnival organization. It also seized her crown, estimated to be worth $2,000 or more, which will be forfeited and sold. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will apply for the funds to be restored to the businesses to offset their losses. The court ordered that Williamson must repay the businesses the remainder of the loss as restitution.
“Financial crimes can and do devastate businesses and the families which own them. Unfortunately, this defendant chose to betray the businesses’ trust they’d placed in her, which is a gut punch to the people who worked side-by-side with her and trusted her all those years,” U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello said. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who victimizes businesses to line their own pockets.”
“Ms. Williamson took advantage of her employer’s trust, stealing more than $1 million from a business here in the Mobile community,” said Resident Agent in Charge Jennifer Nissen, U.S. Secret Service Mobile Resident Office. “The U.S. Secret Service does not tolerate those who exploit our financial systems, and we appreciate our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama as they worked tirelessly to bring the defendant to justice.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Mobile Resident Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex F. Lankford, IV, prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Prison for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to 168 months in prison for receiving videos and images depicting child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Daniel Nilla, 37, of Brick, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with three counts of receipt of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between December 2021 and April 2023, Nilla communicated with at least five minor victims on a multimedia instant messaging application. He knew the victims were minors when he communicated with them. During the communications, Nilla directed the victims to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which Nilla used for his sexual gratification.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Nilla to ten years of supervised release.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation. Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello also thanked special agents of the FBI Kansas City, Kansas Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus, and the City of Edwardsville, Kansas Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Rance Quinn.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Steven Cappetta, Esq.
Newton, Alabama Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – On December 11, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 41-year-old Shawn Patrick Douglas, who was residing in Newton, Alabama at the time of his arrest, to 300 months in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. There is no parole in the federal system.
Court records show that Douglas was previously convicted in 2013 for possession of child sexual abuse material and received a 78-month federal prison sentence. After completing that sentence, Douglas was placed on supervised release for the remainder of his life as well as being required to register as a sex offender.
Despite those conditions, Douglas admits in his plea agreement that, in June of 2023, he engaged in an online chat requesting access to a child sexual abuse material production group. Douglas also admitted that during the online conversation, he sent a link to an account that contained an image of child sexual abuse material and that the image depicted a child under the age of 12 years.
Law enforcement quickly located Douglas after the June 2023 activity, and he was arrested. The United States Probation Office for the Middle District of Alabama filed a petition to revoke his supervised release. A federal grand jury also returned an indictment charging him with distribution of child sexual abuse material. Douglas pleaded guilty to the new charge on September 3, 2025. The 25-year prison sentence includes 23 years for the new offense and an additional two years for the supervised release revocation.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, New Jersey Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz and J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RICKEY SMITH (“SMITH”), age 46, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on December 9, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of forty grams of more of fentanyl. SMITH was sentenced to 71 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in the later part of 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information from the New Orleans Police Department regarding drug distribution activity related to SMITH. Through investigation, it was determined that SMITH distributed over 40 grams of fentanyl from his apartment located within the Eastern District of Louisiana. On November 4, December 3, and December 17, 2024, SMITH sold 3.493 grams, 13.97 grams and 56.6 grams of fentanyl, respectfully, to in individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DAVID LOUIS IV (“LOUIS”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). LOUIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a fine up to $250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to 3 years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2025, the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) was conducting surveillance near Conrad Park, located in the 3400 block of Hamilton Street, in New Orleans, utilizing Real Time Crime Center cameras. This area was specifically selected due to it being an area known for gun violence and narcotics trafficking.
While conducting surveillance, NOPD detectives observed LOUIS and a female associate enter Conrad Park. LOUIS was in possession of a black backpack, positioned on his back. LOUIS removed marijuana from his backpack and began to smoke marijuana while talking with his associate. LOUIS also removed a black pistol from his waistband area.
A silver Nissan Altima, being driven by LOUIS’s girlfriend, and occupied by another adult female, and LOUIS’s children, arrived at the park. LOUIS approached the Altima and engaged in a verbal argument with the vehicle’s occupants. During the argument, LOUIS removed the pistol from his waistband and waived it in the air. NOPD officers, in fully marked units, arrived in response to observing LOUIS in possession of the firearm. Observing the officer’s approaching, LOUIS entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle. While inside the Altima, LOUIS placed his pistol, a Glock, model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an extended magazine, loaded with twenty-two (22) live rounds of ammunition, and his black backpack on the driver’s side floorboard, where the driver was seated. The officers verbally commanded LOUIS exit the vehicle.
During a search of the Nissan Altima, NOPD detectives recovered LOUIS’s pistol and backpack from the driver’s side floorboard. LOUIS’s backpack contained three (3) live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; a magazine containing eleven (11) live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; a clear plastic bag containing marijuana; and a Louisiana identification card in LOUIS’s name.
LOUIS is a convicted felon and is federally prohibited from possessing firearms.
United States District Court Judge Darrell J. Papillion will sentence LOUIS on April 7, 2026.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
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Morris County Company Settles Matter Alleging it Received Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County tour company entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which the company was not eligible, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses.
CIE Tours International Inc. (“CIE Tours”) applied for and received two PPP loans totaling $3,410,300 even though it was ineligible for the loans as an entity owned by the government of Ireland, and because it exceeded the employee size eligibility requirements. CIE Tours then sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loans.
CIE Tours fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement CIE Tours agrees to pay the United States $4,428,985.04. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, Relator is receiving $428,985 as his share in the recovery.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credits the SBA’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance in this matter.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Dauenheimer of the Healthcare Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned US ex rel. TZAC, Inc., v. CIE TOURS INTERNATIONAL, 24-cv-009637 (D.N.J.).
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Counsel for CIE Tours: Reetuparna Dutta, Hodgson Russ, LLP, Buffalo, New York.
Relator’s counsel: David Abrams, Esq., New York, New York.
cie_tours.agreement.pdfMinnesota Residents Charged After Allegedly Trafficking 150 Pounds of Methamphetamine through the District of UtahRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A federal judge remanded two Minnesota residents into federal custody today during their arraignment hearings for alleged drug crimes after law enforcement allegedly seized 150 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in October 2025.
Guy Francis Bloomquist, 66, of Fridley, Minnesota, and Leslie Elisabeth Gordon, 45, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 9, 2025.
According to court documents, on October 19, 2025, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Caravan for a window tint violation on I-15 in Millard County, Utah. After interacting with the occupants of the vehicle, identified as Bloomquist and Gordon, the trooper deployed a narcotic detection K-9, which indicated to the odor of illegal narcotics in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and troopers located and seized 53 packages in plastic wrapping totaling approximately 150 pounds of methamphetamine. Bloomquist and Gordon were placed in custody and taken to the Millard County Jail.
Bloomquist and Gordon are charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. A two-day jury trial is scheduled for February 24, 2026, in courtroom 2B 206 in St. George.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Utah Department of Public Safety, State Bureau of Investigation (DPS-SBI) and the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP).
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeremiah Telmon-Isaiah Hand, also known as “Joey,” 29, of Inkster, Michigan, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 17, 2024, Hand sold approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $180 to a confidential informant near Ritter Park in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Hand admitted to conducting the transaction, to arranging it beforehand, and that co-defendant Madison Grant Sergent was with him during the transaction.
Hand also admitted to additional criminal conduct as part of his guilty plea. On July 22, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hand in Huntington. Hand admitted that he was driving the vehicle, that he possessed $1,465 in proceeds from distributing methamphetamine, and that co-defendant Rakai Travall Hawkins was a passenger in the vehicle.
Hawkins, also known as “G,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on November 3, 2025, to eight years and one month in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Sergent, 27, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
This case is also 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-51.
Mexican national, illegally living in Lamar County, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Lamar County, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Fernando Castaneda-Hernandez, 48, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on October 28, 2025, Castaneda-Hernandez was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported on June 4, 2019.
If convicted, Castaneda-Hernandez faces up to two years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calli Bailey.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican national, illegally living in Denton County, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Denton County, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Ulises Rayo-Flores, 34, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on August 3, 2025, Rayo-Flores was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported on August 14, 2018.
If convicted, Rayo-Flores faces up to two years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Lewisville Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calli Bailey.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican national, illegally living in Collin County, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Collin County, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Juan Carlos Peralta-Aguinaga, 37, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on October 19, 2025, Peralta-Aguinaga was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported on May 1, 2013.
If convicted, Peralta-Aguinaga faces up to two years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and McKinney Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calli Bailey.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 60 Months for Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material from Canada into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Mexican National Sentenced to 60 Months For Transporting
Child Sexual Abuse Material from Canada into the United StatesCONCORD – A Mexican national who illegally crossed into New Hampshire while transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jose Rodriguez-Garcia, 27, previously pleaded guilty to one count of transporting CSAM. Rodriguez-Garcia has been in custody since his arrest in the early morning hours on June 6, 2024. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, Rodriguez-Garcia and another man were observed by U.S. Border Patrol after having apparently just crossed from Canada into New Hampshire over Hall Stream. The men were detained and brought to the Beecher Falls Border Station for processing. At that point, a search of Rodriguez-Garcia’s person and effects yielded several electronic media, including a thumb drive on which depictions of apparent CSAM were found.
U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty imposed the sentence. The Court also ordered $6,000 in restitution.
“The defendant illegally entered the United States by crossing from Canada while travelling with a substantial cache of CSAM that documented the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable children,” said United States Attorney Creegan. “Mr. Rodriguez-Garcia’s CSAM collection was among the few possessions he carried with him into New Hampshire and serves as a reminder of the international market for CSAM.”
“Rodriguez-Garcia held no regard for our laws. He not only crossed into New Hampshire illegally, he carried with him deeply disturbing images of the sexual abuse of children. Today’s sentence is the result of the vigilance of our partners in the Border Patrol and the work of our special agents to ensure that those who bring child exploitation materials into our country are identified, apprehended, and held fully accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations within the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Mexican National Sentenced for Receiving Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Leal Castro, age 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to 97 months in prison for one count of Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Castro will also be required to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On July 30, 2025, Castro pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 14, 2024, Castro knowingly received a visual depiction of a prepubescent minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct through the internet.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Castro will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Member of Asheville Drug Distribution Ring Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Charmaine Vapreece Fair, 32, of Asheville, was sentenced on Thursday, December 11, 2025, to 66 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term, Fair was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to records filed in the case, from 2021 to 2023, Fair was part of a drug conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. Zachery Micah Rice, Fair’s boyfriend and the major supplier, would obtain the drugs from a supplier in Atlanta and then transport them back to Western North Carolina for further distribution through a local network. During one of Rice’s trip, law enforcement stopped and searched Rice’s vehicle, seizing over 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a .40 caliber pistol modified to fully automatic, and more than $32,683 in cash. Investigators later executed search warrants at two stashes house, to include Fair’s apartment, and a storage unit used by Rice, recovering kilogram quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, multiple firearms, including high-capacity magazines, ammunition, digital scales, drug paraphernalia used for drug distribution, and more than $27,470. When interviewed, Fair admitted to picking up money for Rice, admitted that she took drugs to certain people, and she would distribute drugs for Rice. Fair confirmed that she distributed prepackaged and weighed drugs to drug customers who would give Fair cash, which Fair would then deposit the money.
Fair pleaded guilty on June 9, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. She will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
Rice was sentenced last May to more than 28 years in prison. Rice’s drug supplier was Les Corey Peak, a Georgia inmate sentenced in November to 20 years in prison.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, the Asheville Police Department, the Waynesville Police Department, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Meg E. Heap sworn in as Judicial Appointee to continue serving as U.S. Attorney for Southern DistrictRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Margaret E. Heap will continue to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia after her appointment by the U.S. District Court judges of the Southern District. U.S. Attorney Heap took the oath of office Monday, December 15th, in the courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker. The appointment is effective immediately.
The excellent staff in the Southern District of Georgia and our outstanding law enforcement partners continue to work together to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “I am honored to serve alongside these dedicated professionals on behalf of our citizens as we work together to uphold the law and defend access to justice throughout this district.”
Margaret “Meg” Heap was sworn in as the U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, by U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall, on August 18, 2025. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Mrs. Heap as the interim U.S. Attorney effective August 18.
Mrs. Heap served as the Chairman and Vice Chair of Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Paroles. She was appointed to the Board on January 19, 2021, by Governor Brian Kemp. In 1986, Mrs. Heap began her legal career as a Volunteer Coordinator and Victim Advocate with the Chatham County District Attorney’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program. After attending Mercer University Law School, she received her Juris Doctorate in 1992 and went on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, where she prosecuted felonies in the Superior and Juvenile Court.
From 1995-2010, Mrs. Heap served the citizens in the Eastern Judicial Circuit as an Assistant District Attorney and later served two terms as the District Attorney. In 2019, she was named the “District Attorney of the Year” by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia.
As U.S. Attorney, Mrs. Heap is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Georgia, which covers 43 of Georgia’s 159 counties and a population of more than 1.6 million people. The district includes the cities of Savannah, Augusta, Brunswick, Statesboro, Dublin, and Waycross. She leads a team of approximately 70 attorneys and staff prosecuting federal crimes in the district and defending the United States in civil cases in the U.S. District Court.
Medical Software Company Agrees to Pay $500,000 to Resolve Allegations of Causing Medically Unnecessary Breast Cancer Screening ClaimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – PenRad Technologies, Inc. (PenRad), a software company headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., has agreed to pay $529,069 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by causing health care providers to bill Medicare and MassHealth for medically unnecessary breast cancer screenings.
PenRad’s software allowed health care providers to use the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator to assess patients’ breast cancer risk. The Tyrer-Cusick model is a publicly available risk-assessment tool that health care providers use to calculate patients’ risk of developing breast cancer and to make treatment decisions. The risk calculator, which was developed by researchers unaffiliated with PenRad, allows a user the option of either calculating a patient’s risk score by enabling or disabling “competing mortality.” If enabled, competing mortality considers the risk that the patient will die from something other than breast cancer. The Tyrer-Cusick documentation recommended that, in a clinical setting, competing mortality be enabled.
At the time it released its Series 7 software, PenRad was aware that the Tyrer-Cusick documentation recommended enabling competing mortality in clinical settings, and internally, PenRad recommended to employees the enabling of competing mortality. However, if PenRad customers upgraded to Series 7 in subsequent years and added the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator function, PenRad sometimes installed the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator with competing mortality disabled for that customer and did not consistently communicate to its customers when enabling the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator that competing mortality should be enabled. At least one PenRad customer unknowingly using the calculator with competing mortality disabled led to some patients receiving elevated risk scores, which caused those patients to receive medically unnecessary Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs). Healthcare providers billed some of those medically unnecessary MRIs to Medicare and MassHealth.
As part of the settlement, PenRad admitted, acknowledged, and accepted responsibility for the facts supporting the settlement. The settlement credits PenRad for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The relator will receive a portion of today’s settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Community Health Programs, Inc. v. PenRad Technologies, Inc., No. 22-cv-10680-MGM (D. Mass.).
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit, handled the matter, along with Assistant Attorney General Scott Grannemann, Medicaid Fraud Division at the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General.
Medical Biller Charged with Diverting Opioids and Federal Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Benjamin L. Wallace, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a federal grand jury in Wilmington, Delaware, returned an indictment charging Ty Mauldin, 34, of South Dakota, with ordering thousands of opioid pills by stealing the identity of medical professionals with whom he worked. The grand jury also charged Mauldin with health care fraud for causing fraudulent submissions to Medicaid and a private health insurer.
According to court documents, Mauldin worked as a medical biller and credentialer, that is, he helped medical professionals and organizations contract with health insurers, including Medicaid, and helped medical providers bill those insurers for services. Through that business, Mauldin gained access to the professional licensure information for medical professionals. He used that access—and the name and licensure information of medical professionals—to order himself thousands of opioid pills through wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers and prescribe himself opioids. He did that without the approval—or the knowledge—of the medical professionals whose name and licensure information he used.
Mauldin also used his access to his own electronic medical records to falsify his own personal health records. He used those falsified health records, and additional forged medical documents, to present as a cancer patient requiring pain management services. Based on those false representations, he was treated by a pain management doctor and caused his private health insurer to pay for those services. Those services included the installation of an intrathecal pain pump and the prescription of opioids, all done based on Mauldin’s forged medical records.
Mauldin also represented himself as a certified health professional to those with whom he worked. At different times, he falsely represented himself as a licensed nurse. He also obtained a medical assistant certification by fraud. Based on those false representations, Mauldin convinced a Nurse Practitioner to allow him to perform Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy on patients. Mauldin also represented to patients that he was a nurse. Mauldin then submitted false claims to Medicaid for reimbursement for performing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy.
U.S. Attorney Wallace commented, “Ty Mauldin’s actions resulted in the illegal diversion of thousands of doses of opioid medication. And his actions falsely portraying himself as a medical professional undermine the public’s confidence in our health system. My office and our partners will continue to do everything in our power to prevent the illegal diversion of opioids and will pursue to the fullest extent of the law those who pose a public health threat to our communities.”
“Ty Mauldin is a con artist and charlatan who abused privileged information obtained through his job to fuel his drug addiction. But his crimes didn’t end there. Mauldin recklessly masqueraded as a medical professional. His schemes and lies endangered innocent patients. The FBI will rigorously investigate allegations of healthcare fraud and root out criminals seeking to take advantage of our systems and put others in harm’s way,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul.
“We cannot, must not, and will not tolerate healthcare fraud. The crimes and lies that rob the healthcare system prey on taxpayers and pick the pockets of everyone who relies on quality medical care. We will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who defraud our healthcare system. I’m grateful for our federal partners’ leadership on this indictment,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.
Mauldin is charged with thirteen counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, two counts of Health Care Fraud, and seven counts of obtaining drugs by fraud. If Mauldin is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse S. Wenger and William E. LaRosa.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information can be located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-CR-147-JLH.
Manager of Investment Firm Charged with Defrauding Investors in “Pre-IPO” SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher G. Raia, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging GIOVANNI PENNETTA, the manager of Sestante Capital LLC (“Sestante”), a Manhattan-based investment adviser and private equity firm, with securities fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged scheme by PENNETTA to fraudulently induce multiple investment clients to part with millions of dollars in exchange for economic exposure to shares of non-public companies. PENNETTA was arrested on Sunday afternoon at John F. Kennedy International Airport and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
“As alleged, Giovanni Pennetta took advantage of investors by promising access to private, pre-IPO companies he did not control and never had access to,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “American investors deserve honesty in all markets, including the private investment markets. When someone lies to investors and pockets their money instead, this Office and our law enforcement partners will step in to protect investors and the integrity of our markets.”
“Giovanni Pennetta allegedly stole millions of dollars from clients attempting to expand their own businesses with lies about his economic access and influence,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Pennetta allegedly abused his managerial position to attract potential victims before moving their intended investment funds from their wallets to his own. The FBI maintains its unwavering stance against any business managers deceiving others to selfishly enrich themselves.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
PENNETTA is the managing member of Sestante, which is based in Manhattan. Sestante, in turn, is the managing member of, and an investment adviser to, NextGenTech Investments LLC (“NextGenTech”), a private fund that purports to offer investors economic exposure to equity securities through membership interests in series controlled by the fund.
From 2019 through the present, PENNETTA repeatedly misrepresented to victims that he had access to shares of private companies and could offer investment interests in those shares through NextGenTech. When investors transferred money to PENNETTA, however, he accepted the victims’ funds but did not provide them with the investment interests he had promised because, in fact, PENNETTA did not have access to the shares and had intentionally misled investors when he had told them otherwise.
Many of PENNETTA’s misrepresentations centered around his access to shares of Anduril Industries, Inc. (“Anduril”), a private defense technology company. Invoking supposed connections with individuals associated with Anduril, PENNETTA represented to victims that he had access to Anduril shares and offered to sell his victims economic exposure to those shares by having them purchase membership interests in particular series of NextGenTech. In furtherance of this scheme, PENNETTA provided his victims with falsified documents purporting to show his access to Anduril shares and that particular series of NextGenTech offered exposure to Anduril shares.
PENNETTA’s representations were false. In fact, PENNETTA did not have access to Anduril shares, and NextGenTech did not have exposure to Anduril shares. The victims who paid NextGenTech millions of dollars based on PENNETTA’s promises received no economic exposure to Anduril shares whatsoever. Instead, PENNETTA transferred much of the victims’ funds to his personal bank account.
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PENNETTA, 50, of New York, New York and Italy, is charged with securities fraud and wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum and minimum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra N. Rothman and Samuel P. Rothschild are in charge of the prosecution.
Maine Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Maine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sex abuse materials.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Steven W. Freeman, 47, to 20 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Freeman pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025.
According to court records, in July 2024, federal and state law enforcement officers executed search warrants following reports that Freeman had possessed child sexual abuse material. Investigators seized Freeman’s cellular telephone and a forensic examination of that phone revealed hundreds of child sexual abuse images. Freeman has a previous conviction in Sagadahoc County in 2003 for gross sexual assault.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Kenner Woman Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SHAWNA MARTIN (“MARTIN”), age 56, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana, was sentenced on December 8, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. MARTIN was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in the later part of 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information regarding drug distribution activity related to MARTIN. Through an investigation, it was determined that MARTIN distributed over 40 grams of fentanyl pills within the Eastern District of Louisiana. On August 24 and September 6, 2023, MARTIN sold 30.7 grams and 67 grams of fentanyl, respectively, to an individual she believed to be a legitimate buyer. On September 20, 2023, MARTIN possessed with intent to distribute 114.86 grams of fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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Justice Department Reaffirms Veterinary Accreditation Standards and Procedures Are Subject to Antitrust ScrutinyRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in a private lawsuit challenging accreditation standards and procedures employed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The statement of interest explains that professional accreditation societies, like the AVMA, cannot erect anticompetitive hurdles that reduce competition by restricting the number of veterinary providers entering the profession.
“Pets and animals give us so much in life and form the backbone of American food security, but their healthcare needs can add up over time,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Justice Department is committed to supporting pet owners, livestock farmers, and aspiring veterinarians by ensuring that accreditation standards and procedures do not unnecessarily restrict competition in veterinary education and services. Free markets succeed when there is robust competition unhindered by unnecessary restrictions. Veterinarian services are no exception to this rule.”
The rising cost of veterinary services threatens livestock farmers and pet owners’ ability to afford healthcare for their animals. Yet, despite growing population, for decades the United States has had only about 34 accredited veterinary colleges, all solely accredited by the AVMA. In this lawsuit, an accredited veterinary school alleges that the AVMA has effectively reinterpreted its research accreditation standard to require schools to adopt a high-cost research model with an on-site teaching hospital. That policy, the plaintiff alleges, not only jeopardizes its accreditation, but also prevents new veterinary colleges from opening and unreasonably raises the cost of veterinary education.
While taking no position on the plaintiff’s claims, the Justice Department’s statement of interest explains that, when establishing accreditation standards and assessing conformance with them, professional associations must comply with the antitrust laws. Accreditors, which typically consist of interested market participants who develop standards in closed doors, face an inherent conflict of interest when regulating admission into a profession. Their professional and occupational restrictions can unnecessarily impede market entry, increase costs, stymie innovation, and otherwise harm Americans. To safeguard against these anticompetitive practices, the antitrust laws have long scrutinized self-regulation by professional and trade associations and emphasized the importance of procedural safeguards in standards development. As the statement of interest explains, accreditation practices are not exempt from the antitrust laws merely because states require veterinarians to graduate from accredited schools and the AVMA has been recognized as an accreditor under federal law.
The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. These statements are publicly available on the Division’s website.
Jamaican National Sentenced for Long-Running Sweepstakes SchemeRead the Press Release
An extradited Jamaican citizen was sentenced today to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for participating in a long-running scheme to defraud an elderly California woman.
According to court documents, Dwayne Anderson, 36, of Hannover, Jamaica, undertook a scheme to defraud an American woman from 2010 until 2017. Using fake names, Anderson contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes. The defendant persuaded the victim to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the alleged winnings. He also carefully instructed the victim how to make the payments, including having her send money to an individual in South Dakota. In furtherance of the scheme, Anderson repeatedly contacted the victim with additional requests to pay money and falsely told her that her winnings would be forthcoming so long as she paid the requested amounts. In total, the victim paid Anderson over $181,000.
In September 2025, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Anderson was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and was extradited to the United States. At sentencing, Anderson was ordered to pay more than $181,075 in restitution.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ronald A. Parsons Jr. for the District of South Dakota; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The USPIS investigated the case.
Assistant Chief J. Matt Williams and Trial Attorneys Brandon J. Robers and Edward E. Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson for the District of South Dakota prosecuted this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and August 2024 extradition of Anderson. The Department of Justice further acknowledges the assistance of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in this matter.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rodolfo Guardado Palma, a/k/a Rodolfo Guardado-Palma, a/k/a Rodolfo Guardado, age 46, a Salvadoran national unlawfully present in Bryan County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The Indictment alleged that on November 17, 2025, Guardado Palma, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on September 12, 2019, and December 12, 2019.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Guardado Palma will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Houston Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Jugging Robbery of ATM TechnicianRead the Press Release
A Houston, Texas man was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison for his role in the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. A “jugging” robbery is a type of theft where thieves follow a victim as they service or withdraw cash from ATMs or banks and then rob them.
Corey Dashun Holloway, 30, of Houston, Texas pled guilty in September 2025 to the felony charge of interference with commerce by robbery relating to his role in the July 3, 2024, robbery of an ATM technician. Today, United States Senior District Judge David Godbey sentenced him to 87 months in federal prison. Holloway is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case.
Also indicted with Holloway were Houston residents Johnny Juwan Clark, Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg, and Roosevelt Ford Valentine. Court records reflect that Clark, Brandyberg, Holloway, and Roosevelt have been linked to a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team.” HCMT members are known to routinely travel to areas outside of Houston and engage in “jugging” style robberies and other forms of theft.
According to court documents, Holloway admitted that, during the early morning hours of July 3, 2024, he traveled from Houston, Texas to the Dallas metroplex in a rental car with the intent to commit robbery. Holloway further admitted that after arriving in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, he followed an ATM technician to multiple stops as the technician repaired ATMs in Irving, Grand Prairie, Arlington, and ultimately, Midlothian, Texas. At approximately 5:35 p.m. on July 3, 2024, Holloway approached the ATM technician as he was servicing an ATM at a Chase Bank located in Midlothian, Texas. Clark, Holloway, and Valentine were wearing a hoodies and face coverings to disguise their appearance. Clark approached the technician from behind and forced him to the ground. Clark kept his fist to the back of the victim’s head as cannisters containing United States currency were removed from the ATM by Holloway and Valentine. Approximately $260,000 in United States currency was taken during the robbery.
Court records reveal that after the robbery, Holloway and two of his codefendants fled from the Chase Bank in the rental car and met codefendant Tierra Tonisha Brandyberg at an apartment complex near the bank. The stolen money was loaded into a Range Rover and driven back to Houston, Texas. Evidence presented in court showed that, two days after the robbery, a jewelry store in Houston posted a video on social media of Holloway in the store in possession of large quantities of cash and purchasing a diamond Rolex, a diamond necklace and other jewelry, as depicted below:
At the time of the Chase Bank robbery, Holloway was serving a probation sentence in Collin County, Texas for aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity. At today’s sentencing hearing, United States Senior District Judge David Godbey ordered that Holloway’s federal sentence run consecutive to any state sentence imposed in Holloway’s Collin County cases.
Two of Holloway’s codefendants have also been sentenced to terms of imprisonment in federal prison. Codefendant Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg was sentenced to 41 months on November 3, 2025. Codefendant Johnny Clark was sentenced to 96 months on August 4, 2025. On December 2, 2025, codefendant Roosevelt Valentine pled guilty to a total of three “jugging” style robberies that targeted ATM technicians, and he is awaiting sentencing.
The FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case.
Harrisburg Man Convicted of Trafficking Fentanyl and Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shawkon Sharif Jamison, age 30, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a four day jury trial of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, nine counts of distribution of fentanyl, including two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm, before United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, law enforcement made controlled purchases of ecstasy pills from Jamison on multiple occasions between August and September 2023. During the course of the investigation, which continued into December 2023, law enforcement also made a total of seven purchases of fentanyl. During the final purchase Jamison also sold a firearm.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation and the PA Office of Attorney General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Robert Smulktis and Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry After Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 63, a Guatemalan national, made his initial appearance, today, in U.S. federal court in the District of Maryland. Perez Batres is charged with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland.
According to the indictment, Perez Batres, who resided in Beltsville, Maryland, unlawfully reentered the United States after he was removed on three separate occasions – in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010. He did not received consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, as required by law.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Perez Batres faces up to two years in federal prison. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation and indictment were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris, and Trial Attorneys Matthew Thiman and Sean F. Mulryne of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visitjustice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry After Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan national, Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 63, residing in Beltsville, Maryland, made his initial appearance today in U.S. federal court in the District of Maryland and is charged with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
According to the indictment, Perez Batres unlawfully reentered the United States after having been removed on three separate occasions — in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010. He had not received consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, as required by law.
If convicted of illegal reentry, Perez Batres faces a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Thiman and Sean F. Mulryne of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
The investigation and indictment were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Defendants Arrested for Alleged Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Government Plot to Bomb U.S. Companies on New Year’s EveRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Four members of an anti-capitalist and anti-government group that calls for violence against United States officials have been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack two U.S. companies with improvised explosive devices this New Year’s Eve.
The following defendants were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert and are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device:
- Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, a.k.a. “Asiginaak,” of South Los Angeles;
- Zachary Aaron Page, 32, a.k.a. “AK,” of Torrance;
- Dante Gaffield, 24, a.k.a. “Nomad,” of South Los Angeles; and
- Tina Lai, 41, a.k.a. “Kickwhere,” of Glendale.
The defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“Working together, federal and local law enforcement prevented a domestic terrorist attack from occurring this New Year’s Eve in Southern California,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Far-left anti-government extremist groups seeking to destroy the American way of life will never prevail and will always face the full force of the law.”
“The Turtle Island Liberation Front – a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group – was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve. The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.”
“These arrests mark the disruption of a dangerous conspiracy to spread fear and terror across Southern California and the United States on New Year’s Eve, as well as to conduct future attacks targeting federal officers,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This country protects the right to hold extreme views about its past, present, and future, but violence is an unmistakable and enforceable line. The National Security Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who cross that line.”
“The defendants in this case allegedly planned to carry out terrorist attacks by targeting American businesses with explosives on New Year’s Eve, but the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our partners moved quickly to thwart their plot in the planning phase,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The extremist group asked its supporters to organize and be ready but didn’t count on law enforcement being organized and ready to intercept their deadly plans.”
“This case underscores the persistent threat posed by extremist groups and individuals, and the critical importance of continued vigilance by law enforcement to safeguard our communities,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The successful disruption of this plot is a powerful testament to the strength of a unified response, made possible through the close collaboration and tireless efforts of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our allied partner agencies.”
“The successful prevention of this planned attack underscores the critical importance of sustained coordination between federal, state, local, and tribal law-enforcement partners,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. “The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department works closely with the FBI through the Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify, disrupt, and neutralize threats before they can cause harm to the public.”
“I commend the outstanding collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners that prevented a potential act of violence and led to the quick arrest of individuals involved in this plot,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will continue to work closely with our partners to protect our residents, prevent acts intended to cause harm or fear, and safeguard the diversity that makes our county strong, especially during times when families come together to celebrate and reflect.”
“Palm Springs was happy to provide logistical support to the FBI for this anti-terror case,” said Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew G. Mills. “We are appreciative of the men and women of the FBI for their steadfast support of local law enforcement and our mission to keep our communities safe.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Carroll is a member of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a group that, according to its social media page, is dedicated to “liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty” and for the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism.
“Turtle Island” is a term used by some Native Americans to describe the North American continent and the group has promoted anti-capitalist, anti-government sentiment by posting on social media advocating violence against U.S. officials.
In late November 2025, Carroll provided to co-conspirators an eight-page handwritten document titled, “Operation Midnight Sun,” which described a bombing plot. The plan called for backpacks with bombs to be simultaneously detonated at five or more locations targeting two U.S. companies at midnight this New Year’s Eve in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The plan stated that the “ieds” (improvised explosive devices) would be “complex pipe bombs,” included instructions on how to manufacture the bombs, and included guidance to avoid leaving evidence behind that could be traced back to the co-conspirators. As the co-conspirators plotted their attack, Carroll acknowledged what they were planning to do would be “considered a terrorist act.”
Carroll and fellow TILF member Page recruited other co-conspirators to the plot, including Gaffield and Lai. The co-conspirators took numerous steps toward executing the bombing plot, including acquiring bomb-making materials and traveling to a remote location in the Mojave Desert to construct and detonate test bombs on December 12.
While in the desert, the co-conspirators took steps to begin construction of the devices, including unloading the bomb-making materials from their cars and beginning to assemble the materials on a table. They also constructed a tent to keep the bomb materials shaded from the sun, wiped down the interior of one of the pipes used for the bombs, and Carroll discussed grinding a precursor for use in an explosive powder.
FBI agents then intervened and arrested the defendants before they completed assembling a functional bomb.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the unregistered destructive device possession count.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the Palm Springs Police Department. FBI field offices in Boston, Buffalo, and New Orleans are also providing assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello and Amanda B. Elbogen of the National Security Division and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Justice Department Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section.
Four Defendants Arrested for Alleged Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Government Plot to Bomb U.S. Companies on New Year’s EveRead the Press Release
Four members of an anti-capitalist and anti-government group that calls for violence against U.S. officials have been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack two U.S. companies with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) this New Year’s Eve.
“The Turtle Island Liberation Front — a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group — was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve. The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.”
“The charges made public today show the FBI and our partners disrupted a dangerous New Year's Eve plot to simultaneously target two U.S. companies with multiple explosive devices,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The defendants allegedly acquired materials to construct the devices, planned to test them in the Mojave Desert, and used encrypted communications in an attempt to evade detection, but thanks to the FBI and our partners those efforts failed. The FBI is committed to keeping our homeland safe and making sure those who attempt violent acts face justice.”
“These arrests mark the disruption of a dangerous conspiracy to spread fear and terror across Southern California and the United States on New Year’s Eve, as well as to conduct future attacks targeting federal officers. This country protects the right to hold extreme views about its past, present, and future, but violence is an unmistakable and enforceable line,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who cross that line.”
“Working together, federal and local law enforcement prevented a domestic terrorist attack from occurring this New Year’s Eve in Southern California,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Far-left anti-government extremist groups seeking to destroy the American way of life will never prevail and will always face the full force of the law.”
The following defendants were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert and are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device:
- Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, also known as Asiginaak, of South Los Angeles;
- Zachary Aaron Page, 32, also known as AK, of Torrance;
- Dante Gaffield, 24, also known as Nomad, of South Los Angeles; and
- Tina Lai, 41, also known as Kickwhere, of Glendale.
The defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Carroll is a member of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a group that, according to its social media page, is dedicated to “liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty” and for the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism.
“Turtle Island” is a term used by some Native Americans to describe the North American continent, and the group has promoted anti-capitalist, anti-government sentiment by posting on social media advocating violence against U.S. officials.
In late November 2025, Carroll provided to co-conspirators an eight-page handwritten document titled, “Operation Midnight Sun,” which described a bombing plot. The plan called for backpacks with bombs to be simultaneously detonated at five or more locations targeting two U.S. companies at midnight this New Year’s Eve in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The plan stated that the “ieds” (improvised explosive devices) would be “complex pipe bombs,” included instructions on how to manufacture the bombs, and included guidance to avoid leaving evidence behind that could be traced back to the co-conspirators. As the co-conspirators plotted their attack, Carroll acknowledged what they were planning to do would be “considered a terrorist act.”
Carroll and fellow TILF member Page recruited other co-conspirators to the plot, including Gaffield and Lai. The co-conspirators took numerous steps toward executing the bombing plot, including acquiring bomb-making materials and traveling to a remote location in the Mojave Desert to construct and detonate test bombs on December 12.
While in the desert, the co-conspirators took steps to begin construction of the devices, including unloading the bomb-making materials from their cars and beginning to assemble the materials on a table. They also constructed a tent to keep the bomb materials shaded from the sun, wiped down the interior of one of the pipes used for the bombs, and Carroll discussed grinding a precursor for use in an explosive powder.
FBI agents then intervened and arrested the defendants before they completed assembling a functional bomb.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the unregistered destructive device possession count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the Palm Springs Police Department. FBI field offices in Boston, Buffalo, and New Orleans are also providing assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello, Amanda B. Elbogen, and Daniel H. Weiner for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Texas DPS 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
A former Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender was sentenced last Thursday to 18 months in federal prison for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Raymond Lee Trejo, 36, of Abilene, Texas, pled guilty to failure to register as a sex offender in August 2025. He was sentenced last Thursday, December 11, to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to court documents, in 2009, Trejo was convicted of sexual assault of a child against a 14-year-old girl in Taylor County, Texas, and sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. As a result of Trejo’s offense and conviction, he was required to register as a “sex offender” pursuant to the laws of any state where he resided and the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Among those requirements, Trejo had to register his address and other information, with local law enforcement in any county where he resided or was employed. Trejo was informed of his registration requirements when he was released from prison in 2019 and again in 2022 when he was arrested for failure to comply with those requirements for not notifying of a change in employment.
Court records show that, in approximately November 2023, Trejo absconded from Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, where he was living, without notifying appropriate authorities of any change or intended change in his residential or employment status. Law enforcement in Taylor County made efforts to locate Trejo but were unsuccessful. In May 2024, Taylor County issued an arrest warrant for Trejo for failure to register as a sex offender. In December 2024, Trejo was placed on the Texas Department of Public Safety 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list, to aid in locating Trejo. Law enforcement received information that Trejo was living and working in Stilwell, Adair County, Oklahoma. Further investigation revealed that Trejo lived and worked in Stilwell, Oklahoma, since at least September 2024. He did not notify anyone in Taylor County of his change in residence or employment and he made no efforts to properly register as a sex offender in Adair County, Oklahoma.
In March 2025, Trejo was arrested at his place of employment in Stilwell, Oklahoma, and promptly extradited back to Taylor County, Texas. Trejo’s conduct involved his crossing state lines from the State of Texas to the State of Oklahoma, without complying with the sex offender registration requirements of either state. As a result, Trejo’s actions violated the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The United States Marshals Service for the Northern District of Texas (Abilene Division) and the Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee Division) conducted the investigation along with the Abilene Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Stilwell (Oklahoma) Police Department, Adair County (Oklahoma) Sheriff’s Office, and Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case with the assistance of the Taylor County District Attorney’s Office.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
Former Postal Employee Convicted of Mail TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Farmingdale woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to theft of mail by a postal employee.
According to court records, Shannon Littlefield, 29, stole cash and gift cards from greeting cards entrusted to her at the Auburn Post Office. Littlefield worked as a Service and Distribution Clerk at the Auburn Post Office from May 2016 through March 2025. In March 2025, Littlefield was observed on surveillance footage on three different dates removing mail from mail bins and placing it under her clothing. When investigators with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General questioned Littlefield about her conduct, she confessed that she had been stealing mail for approximately eight months. Littlefield admitted that she would open greeting cards and steal cash or gift cards enclosed in the greeting cards.
Littlefield faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of three years. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
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Former National Park Service Employee Sentenced, Ordered to Repay $249,000 Stolen from Camping, Cave FeesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a former employee of the National Park Service to five years of probation and ordered her to repay $249,000 in campsite and tour fees that she stole from 2019 to 2023.
Lisa Figge was a supervisory visitor use assistant at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways at the time. Figge’s job duties included collecting fees for guided tours of Round Spring Cave and collecting cash in envelopes placed in metal drop boxes at campsites known as “Iron Rangers.” From 2019-2023, Figge stole some of the cash and deposited it into her own account.On Aug. 28, 2023, Figge was caught on video counting cash and stealing $1,200. Figge was then spotted stopping at her own bank before traveling to the bank that the Park Service used. In an interview with investigators later that day, Figge admitted stealing money from the cave tour program and the fee collection program, including directly from Iron Rangers. Figge said she altered records and created a false deposit report to hide her crime. Figge told investigators that she did not keep records of how much money she had stolen, but the parties agreed that the amount of provable loss to the Park Service exceeded $200,000.
Figge has already repaid $100,000 of the money.
Figge, 45, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of theft of government property.
"The extent of this theft from the National Park Service is alarming," said Katie Balestra, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General (DOI-OIG). "We are committed to identifying and investigating this type of unlawful behavior that erodes the public’s trust.”
The DOI-OIG investigated the case with the assistance of the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn is prosecuting the case.
Former Correctional Officer Found Guilty of Obstruction of Justice and False Statements After TrialRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – After a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted Jermaine Sturgis, 41, of Laurel, Delaware, for conspiring to obstruct justice and making false statements to a federal officer. Sturgis previously served as a lieutenant correctional officer at the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI), located in Westover, Maryland. Sturgis was found guilty for his role in covering up evidence that a fellow ECI officer unlawfully assaulted an inmate.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty verdict with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the trial testimony, on July 12, 2021, after one of the Sturgis’s junior officers used excessive force against an inmate, Sturgis and multiple officers conspired to delete a video recording that showed the inmate’s injuries. The video also contained other evidence of the officer’s use of force against the inmate. During the investigation, Sturgis also made false statements to state and federal investigators.
Sturgis faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy to obstruct justice count and a maximum of five years for making false statements. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox scheduled sentencing for Thursday, April 9, 2026.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for its assistance. U.S. Attorney Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Criminal Section, who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former Commander and Adjutant of Nonprofit Veteran’s Organization Indicted for Wire Fraud and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – A federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment charging Charles Thomas Abrahamson, 56, of Venice, Florida, with charges of wire fraud and tax fraud, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to the Indictment, between approximately 2017 and 2024, Abrahamson was employed by a nonprofit veteran’s organization with a department in Idaho, and he served in various capacities, including adjutant and commander. In those capacities, Abrahamson had access to and control of the nonprofit’s financial accounts. The Indictment alleges that beginning in approximately 2018 until approximately April 2024, Abrahamson knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the nonprofit and another individual. As alleged in the Indictment, Abrahamson made transfers to his personal financial accounts, payments to his personal credit cards, unauthorized expenses, and ATM withdrawals, from the nonprofit’s financial accounts, all for his own personal use and gain.
As also alleged in the Indictment, Abrahamson filed false tax returns for the years 2020, 2022, and 2023, which falsely stated his total income.
The Indictment contains a forfeiture allegation, which alleges that Abrahamson obtained and controlled at least $1,454,025 in unrecovered forfeitable property from the wire fraud charges.
If convicted, Abrahamson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, and up to three years in prison for tax fraud. He also faces restitution for the losses incurred by the victims of the scheme. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the excellent work of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Sean Mazorol is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Machine Gun Conversion Device, Firearms and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas resident who has prior felony convictions was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release for possession of a machine gun, possession of six firearms, and possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute that methamphetamine to another person. The government recommended a prison sentence of 130 months and five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in April 2023, Harold Wesley Snowten IV, also known as “Insane,” unlawfully possessed six firearms, including a Taurus G2c 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 17-round high-capacity magazine; a MasterPiece Arms Defender 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 30-round high-capacity magazine; a Smith & Wesson 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 16-round high-capacity magazine; a SCCY CPX-2 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 32-round high-capacity magazine, as well as several other magazines. Furthermore, Snowten admitted that in addition to the ammunition found in the firearms and various magazines, he possessed more than 500 other rounds of ammunition. Snowten has prior felony convictions including unlawful possession of cocaine base for sale and felon in possession of a firearm, all in San Diego, California. In addition to the firearm charges, Snowten admitted that he possessed with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Snowten pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, one count of a prohibited person in possession of firearms, and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge John Wester for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, San Francisco Field Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the North Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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