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11 December 2025
Two Massachusetts Men Arrested for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged fentanyl distribution conspiracy, following a series of controlled purchases in Brookline and Boston.
Shaquylle Burden, 31, of Roslindale, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Burden was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Dec. 17, 2025. Co-defendant, Kerry Charlotin, a/k/a “KG,” 36, of Rockland, was also arrested this morning in South Carolina. Charlotin was ordered detained and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Charlotin is currently on federal supervised release for a 2020 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the charging documents, in June 2025, law enforcement began an investigation into the alleged drug trafficking activities conducted by Burden and Charlotin. The investigation allegedly revealed that the defendants were actively selling fentanyl in the greater Boston area. On two separate dates in October and December 2025, Burden and Charlotin allegedly sold or arranged the sale of fentanyl to undercover law enforcement during controlled purchases. It is further alleged that one firearm was found in Burden’s Roslindale residence at the time of his arrest.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia Field Office in South Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Twice-Removed Illegal Alien Charged for Violent Attack on Charlotte’s Light Rail SystemRead the Press Release
A federal criminal complaint was filed in Charlotte today charging an illegal alien with a federal crime in connection with the violent attack on the city’s light rail system.
Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, 33, from Honduras, is charged with one count of illegal reentry by a removed alien and one count of committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system.
“Not only should this defendant have already been in prison — he should not have been in our country to begin with,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This attack is more tragic evidence that soft-on-crime policies and vetting failures put innocent citizens at risk. My prosecutors will deliver swift, comprehensive justice in this case.”
“The people of Charlotte deserve to live in a safe city and this horrific act should never have happened,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As the FBI has illustrated, we will not stand for this type of violence in our communities. Our mission is to keep our communities safe and that is exactly what the men and women of the FBI are working to accomplish each and every day.”
“This defendant is charged with coming back to the United States after being deported not once, but twice, and then stabbing a passenger in the chest on our city’s public transit system,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “Everyone who uses public transportation is the victim of a crime like this, and we will act swiftly to prosecute those who violate our immigration laws and endanger the lives of citizens using public transit to go about their daily lives.”
“Oscar Solorzano-Garcia should not have been on the Charlotte light rail last Friday. In fact, he should not have been in our country. He has a violent criminal history and was deported twice,” said Special Agent in Charge Barnacle James C. Barnacle Jr. of FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. “These two recent attacks on the city’s light rail system make one thing clear. Safety measures on public transportation in our city must be strengthened. People deserve a secure and reliable transit system where they make it to work and back home unharmed.”
“Our strong partnerships with federal and community stakeholders are essential to keeping our city safe,” said Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD). “Federal charges brought against violent offenders send a clear message: if you commit violent crimes, you will be held accountable. Actions have consequences, and we will continue working with our justice partners to ensure offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
According to allegations in the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, on Dec. 5, at approximately 4:49 p.m., CMPD officers received a call for service related to an assault with a deadly weapon that occurred on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte. Responding CMPD officers located the victim in the rear rail car. The victim, identified in court documents as K.D., had sustained serious injuries from a stab wound to his upper left chest and was taken to the hospital.
According to witness statements and surveillance footage, Solorzano-Garcia was a passenger on the train and appeared to be intoxicated. K.D. and Solorzano-Garcia engaged in a verbal altercation, and Solorzano-Garcia pulled out a long knife and stabbed the victim in the chest. Solorzano-Garcia then got off the train and began walking away. Additional CMPD officers responding to the scene located Solorzano-Garcia and took him into custody.
The criminal complaint alleges that Solorzano-Garcia is an alien unlawfully present in the United States. It is further alleged that in 2012, Solorzano-Garcia was arrested by the Union County Police Department in New Jersey and was later convicted of robbery. In July 2016, Solorzano-Garcia was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and he was removed from the United States in March 2018. Nine months later, Solorzano-Garcia was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol. He was convicted of illegal reentry and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. On June 9, 2021, Solorzano-Garcia was removed from the United States out of Alexandria, Louisiana.
If convicted, Solorzano-Garcia faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the charge of violence on a mass transportation system, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the illegal reentry offense. Ultimately, his sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of CMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller for the Western District of North Carolina is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twice-Removed Illegal Alien Charged for Violent Attack on Charlotte’s Light Rail SystemRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte today, charging an illegal alien with a federal crime in connection with the violent attack on the city’s light rail system, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, 33, from Honduras, is charged with one count of illegal reentry by a removed alien and one count of committing an act of violence on a mass transportation system.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Not only should this defendant have already been in prison — he should not have been in our country to begin with,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This attack is more tragic evidence that soft-on-crime policies and vetting failures put innocent citizens at risk. My prosecutors will deliver swift, comprehensive justice in this case.”
“The people of Charlotte deserve to live in a safe city and this horrific act should never have happened,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As the FBI has illustrated, we will not stand for this type of violence in our communities. Our mission is to keep our communities safe and that is exactly what the men and women of the FBI are working to accomplish each and every day.”
“This defendant is charged with coming back to the United States after being deported not once, but twice, and then stabbing a passenger in the chest on our city’s public transit system,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Everyone who uses public transportation is the victim of a crime like this, and we will act swiftly to prosecute those who violate our immigration laws and endanger the lives of citizens using public transit to go about their daily lives.”
“Oscar Solorzano-Garcia should not have been on the Charlotte light rail last Friday. In fact, he should not have been in our country. He has a violent criminal history and was deported twice. These two recent attacks on the city’s light rail system make one thing clear. Safety measures on public transportation in our city must be strengthened. People deserve a secure and reliable transit system where they make it to work and back home unharmed,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Barnacle.
“Our strong partnerships with federal and community stakeholders are essential to keeping our city safe,” said CMPD Chief Estella Patterson. “Federal charges brought against violent offenders send a clear message: if you commit violent crimes, you will be held accountable. Actions have consequences, and we will continue working with our justice partners to ensure offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
According to allegations in the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint:
On December 5, 2025, at approximately 4:49 p.m., officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) received a call for service related to an assault with a deadly weapon that occurred on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte. Responding CMPD officers located the victim in the rear rail car. The victim, identified in court documents as K.D., had sustained serious injuries from a stab wound to his upper left chest and was taken to the hospital.
According to witness statements and surveillance footage, Solorzano-Garcia was a passenger on the train and appeared to be intoxicated. K.D. and Solorzano-Garcia engaged in a verbal altercation, and Solorzano-Garcia pulled out a long knife and stabbed the victim in the chest. Solorzano-Garcia then got off the train and began walking away. Additional CMPD officers responding to the scene located Solorzano-Garcia and took him into custody.
The criminal complaint alleges that Solorzano-Garcia is an alien unlawfully present in the United States. It is further alleged that, in 2012, Solorzano-Garcia was arrested by the Union County Police Department in New Jersey and was later convicted of robbery. In July 2016, Solorzano-Garcia was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and he was removed from the United States in March 2018. Nine months later, Solorzano-Garcia was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol. He was convicted of illegal reentry and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. On June 9, 2021, Solorzano-Garcia was removed from the United States out of Alexandria, Louisiana.
If convicted, Solorzano-Garcia faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to life in prison in prison for the charge of violence on a mass transportation system, and up to 10 years in prison for the illegal reentry offense. Ultimately, his sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The charges against the defendant are allegations and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tangipahoa Parish Woman Guilty of Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KAWAIISHH BROWN, age 52, a resident of Tangipahoa Parish, pled guilty on December 4, 2025 before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to court documents, In January 2024, law enforcement officers learned that Shyheim Pines sold heroin and fentanyl from his residence in Pontchatoula, Louisiana and that his mother sold heroin and fentanyl from her Pontchatoula, Louisiana residence on behalf of Pines.
On March 26, 2024, agents executed search warrants at Pines and BROWN’S residences. At Pines’ residence, agents found a black book sack containing 312.1 grams of methamphetamine, 1.61 grams of cocaine, and 57 grams of a substance containing tramadol, fentanyl and heroin. Also in the book sack with the drugs was a Glock Model 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
At the residence, where BROWN resides, law enforcement seized 57.1 grams of methamphetamine, 5.523 grams of fentanyl, 11.73 grams of cocaine and .995 grams of cocaine base. Also found in the residence were a Ruger LSP .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Radical Firearm Model RF-15 semi-automatic rifle.
BROWN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The case was investigated by the Southeastern Louisiana University Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), which is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hammond Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the 21st Judicial District Court. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Sarver and André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
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St. Michael, North Dakota, Man Indicted for Murder and ManslaughterRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota unsealed an Indictment revealing that a federal grand jury returned a true bill of indictment charging D’Angelo James Hunt, age 26, of St. Michael, North Dakota, with ten federal felonies including murder and manslaughter.
On November 17, 2025, Hunt was charged by criminal complaint with Second Degree Murder of I.H. He waived a detention hearing following his initial appearance and remains in custody.
The Grand Jury then returned a true bill of indictment charging Hunt with nine additional counts. Hunt’s charges are as follows: Three Counts of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner; Two Counts of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangulation; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury; Voluntary Manslaughter; Second Degree Murder within Indian country; Tampering with Evidence; and Use of Fire to Commit a Felony.
The indictment includes six counts of assaults committed by Hunt against J.M.P. as well as one count of voluntary manslaughter against J.M.P. In addition to the second-degree murder of I.H., the indictment charges Hunt with tampering with evidence and use of a fire to commit felony as it relates to the murder.
The Indictment in this case is not evidence of guilt. The Defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.“Today’s unsealing of this Indictment marks an important step toward justice in a case that has weighed heavily on the victims’ families and the Spirit Lake community for more than two years, said United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase. “No indictment can undo their loss, but it affirms our commitment to pursuing accountability with care, diligence, and resolve. Of course, an Indictment is not proof of guilt, and the Defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Violent crime remains one of the highest priorities of this office, and we will continue to devote the resources necessary to hold violent offenders accountable. I want to commend our law-enforcement partners, who have worked tirelessly and followed every lead to move this case forward. The investigation in this case is ongoing, with the goal of bringing a family some measure of closure through the recovery of J.M.P.”
“The charges alleged in this indictment are one more brutal example of violence against indigenous women. Too many women and men face fear and violence on tribal lands,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Through exhaustive investigation and strong collaboration with our tribal, state, and federal partners, the FBI is fully committed to holding violent criminals accountable and protecting safe communities. The indictment of Hunt is the first step in securing much-deserved justice for two victims, their families, and the community.”
“President Trump and Secretary Burgum are committed to bringing forth all available resources to protect tribal communities and deliver justice on behalf of the victims and their families," said Billy Kirkland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. "I appreciate the close collaboration with our law enforcement partners that led to this arrest and prosecution. Together, we may bring closure and peace to families impacted by violence and hold those responsible to account for their actions.”
This case is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Lori H. Conroy and Samantha L. Schmidt, and First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl assigned.
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St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 125 Months in Prison for Sex Trafficking of Runaway TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Thursday sentenced a man to 125 months in prison for convincing a runaway 17-year-old to work as a prostitute.
Rodarius Servick, 51, will be on supervised release for 15 years after his release from prison. Servick met the victim in August of 2024 on a social media application. Servick convinced her to work as a prostitute and lie about her age. He then brought her from Illinois to Missouri and arranged commercial sex acts by managing online ads, setting the price for sex acts and collecting all the money, Servick admitted as part of a guilty plea in September to one count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Law enforcement learned on Sept. 13, 2024, of a runaway juvenile that was being trafficked. Detectives found her picture online, and the St. Louis County Police Department conducted an undercover operation that recovered the girl days later.
The FBI, the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Carolina man sentenced to 33 years in prison for sex trafficking, production of child sexual abuse material, and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A South Carolina man was sentenced yesterday to 33 years in prison following his conviction for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; production of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; transportation with the intent to engage in prostitution; transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in prostitution; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, during July 2024, Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, of Summerville, transported a minor, identified as Jane Doe, from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions. While in Virginia, he sex-trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in Suffolk and Virginia Beach. Jane Doe was 15 years old at the time and had just finished the 8th grade. Banks repeatedly threatened Jane Doe and her family to get her to comply with his demands. He also had her pose for and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM). When she did not want to go back to Virginia to engage in commercial sex, he threatened to have her “floating in a creek.”
“Banks’ treatment of his victim reflects an absolute disregard for humanity,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “No person should be subject to such vile actions. This sentence will help to ensure that Banks cannot inflict similar harm on additional victims.”
On July 31, 2024, while armed with a firearm, Banks took Jane Doe from a residence and brought her to a hotel in Virginia Beach to sex traffic her. He set up multiple commercial sex appointments that night. After they arrived in Virginia Beach, he argued with Jane Doe and strangled her, and she called a family member for help. After receiving information that Jane Doe was missing from Charlotte, the Virginia Beach Police Department quickly located Jane Doe in the parking garage of a hotel. As officers spoke with Jane Doe, Banks walked by and was detained.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and recovered Banks’ loaded handgun from his rental vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Banks cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Police also obtained search warrants for three cellphones that contained CSAM and evidence of sex trafficking.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan M. Montoya and Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C. and the Virginia Beach Police Department investigated this 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-15.
Skiatook Man Indicted for Threatening to Kill Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Skiatook man’s indictment is unsealed after being charged with ten counts related to threatening federal law enforcement officers.
Logan Christopher Murfin, 26, is charged with five counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder Federal Law Enforcement Officers with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate; and five counts of Interstate Communication with a Threat to Injure.
According to court documents, Murfin knowingly posted several threatening and intimidating statements on social media advocating for the assault and murder of federal agents. He stated that federal agents need to be gunned down, shot, and executed. Further, Murfin encouraged people to stay armed and to kill agents when seen because the agents don’t deserve to live.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
*Murfin's indictment was superseded on April 6, 2026. He was charged with five additional counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder Federal Law Enforcement Officers with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate; and five additional counts of Interstate Communication with a Threat to Injure.
In April 2026, Murfin was tried by a federal jury and found guilty of five counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder Federal Law Enforcement Officers with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate; and five counts of Interstate Communication with a Threat to Injure. He was acquitted of the remaining counts.Shelby woman sentenced for attempting to harbor illegal aliensRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Shelby woman who attempted to harbor illegal aliens was sentenced yesterday to 3 months in prison to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Kristin Louise Mitchell, 41, was found guilty at trial of one count of attempted harboring of illegal aliens.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on February 21, 2025, a Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) officer encountered individuals during a traffic stop in Gallatin County. The stop was predicated on the vehicle displaying fictitious plates. The MHP officer cited the driver for the license plate violation and released the vehicle. On February 25, 2025, a Sweetgrass Station Border Patrol Agent ran a registration check on a temporary Montana vehicle tag in Shelby that came back to the same vehicle cited in the February 21 stop.
On March 4, 2025, Border Patrol Agents observed Mitchell driving the same vehicle with two male occupants. Deputies from the Toole County Sheriff’s Office also saw Mitchell driving the car and conducted a traffic stop when the car failed to stop at an intersection. Mitchell was driving and told the deputies the two men with her were political asylees and did not speak English. The deputies contacted Border Patrol for assistance.
A Border Patrol agent responded to the call and recognized Mitchell due to a prior encounter at the northern border. The agent attempted to speak with the two passengers in English and then in Spanish. When the agent asked the men about their citizenship, Mitchell answered for them and claimed they were political asylees from Venezuela. She also referred to one of the individuals as her boyfriend. Neither of the men could produce any documents to verify their status.
The three occupants of the vehicle, including Mitchell, were detained and taken to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station. Record checks on the other passengers revealed their identities as citizens of Venezuela, and neither had a record of being legally admitted into the country. Mitchell is a United States citizen and has two prior convictions for immigration offenses.
Meanwhile, while the traffic stop was ongoing, other Border Patrol officers surveilling Mitchell’s home saw a third man outside the house; this man matched a description of one of the men encountered during the February 21 MHP stop in Gallatin County. He was detained and admitted he had been previously removed from the United States. Border Patrol determined this individual as a citizen of Honduras.
One of the individuals was deposed in April 2025 and testified he was working on a commercial construction site near Bozeman for a man who refused to pay them, leaving him stranded. One of the Venezuelans knew Mitchell and they decided to drive to Shelby to stay with her. En route to Shelby, the men stopped at a Walmart and bought bottles of margaritas. They were stopped in East Helena and the driver was arrested for DUI. Mitchell was contacted and drove from Shelby to East Helena to bail the driver out of jail and collect the car, which was released to her. The three aliens then stayed with Mitchell at her home in Shelby for a few days before they were arrested.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol and Toole County Sheriff’s Office.
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).
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Salisbury Man Charged with Communicating Threats Against President Trump and OthersRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC –United States Attorney Dan Bishop announced that the FBI today arrested Christian Wolfe DANIELS, of Salisbury, on charges of threatening the President and communicating threats using a means of interstate communication.
The criminal complaint against DANIELS alleges two counts of making threats against the President on November 13 and 14, 2025, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 871(a), and one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce on November 17, 2025, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c). If convicted of all counts, DANIELS faces a maximum term of 15 years of imprisonment and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years.
“We’re not going to abide threats against President Trump in the Middle District of North Carolina,” said Bishop. “As soon as I received the details, I insisted we act immediately. I’m grateful to the FBI and AUSA Iverson and for their quick response.”
“It has become far too common for people to make violent threats on social media. Listen closely, you cannot hide behind a keyboard and threaten people’s lives. The FBI will find you. Threats to public officials, their loved ones, a grieving widow, or the President of the United States, are illegal. Political violence in all forms must stop,” said James C. Barnacle Jr, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
DANIELS had an initial appearance today in Winston-Salem. He was detained and will have a detention hearing in Greensboro on December 18, 2025.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Secret Service, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Iverson.
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Romanian Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Nationwide Sleight-of-Hand FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a Romanian national to 24 months in prison for targeting stores across the country with a sleight-of-hand fraud that netted at least $130,000 in money and property.
Suras Rostas, now 22, traveled the country from roughly April 2023 to October 2024, conducting at least 45 fraudulent transactions at Walmart stores in at least 18 different states. After cashiers scanned the merchandise or began processing an electronic money transfer, Rostas counted money into piles that added up to at least the full amount of the transaction and handed the piles one at a time to cashiers. He then took the cash back, gathered it into a pile and slipped bills from the bottom of the stack into his pocket, sometimes with the aid of a confederate who would distract the cashiers. If a cashier tried to recount the cash, Rostas repeated those steps until the cashiers relented and put the cash into their drawers without recounting it. Each transaction cost the retailer hundreds or thousands of dollars. Rostas then regularly returned the merchandise for a full cash refund.
Rostas entered the country illegally in 2023 and immediately started his scheme, Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf said in court. Despite arrests and convictions, “he kept doing it,” Ladendorf told Judge Schelp. Rostas’ case is one of four similar cases being prosecuted here, Ladendorf said, because major retailers losing millions of dollars to similar schemes have reached out for help in dealing with the issue.
Judge Schelp ordered Rostas to repay $135,290 to Walmart. He also ordered Rostas’ sentence to run consecutive to pending cases in Idaho, Arkansas, Florida and St. Louis County, Missouri.
“Frankly, I don’t appreciate your disdain for America and American laws,” Judge Schelp told Rostas during Thursday’s sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
Rostas pleaded guilty in September to two counts of wire fraud.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Arnold Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Rockford Bank Robber Sentenced to More than Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for the robbery of a Chase Bank in Rockford.
BERNARD WANDICK, 33, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the robbery of Chase Bank, 3699 N. Main St. in Rockford. Wandick admitted that on July 17, 2019, he entered Chase Bank wearing a medical mask and brandishing a firearm. Wandick pointed his firearm at several bank employees and demanded money from the tellers behind the counter before fleeing on foot with stolen cash.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 63-month prison sentence during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodora Anderson and Jessica Maveus.
Rock Island Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Rock Island man was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a machine gun.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in February 2025, Juwan Attron Johnson, 28, also known as “Chubbs,” possessed a machine gun conversion device. Machine gun conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm that fires multiple shots with a single pull of the trigger. Machine gun conversion devices are classified as machine guns under federal law and are illegal to possess. Johnson is also prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he is a felon, including a 2017 conviction for voluntary manslaughter.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Johnson will be required to serve a two-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Reward Offered for Information Leading to the Arrest of High-Ranking Member of Los Choneros, a Violent Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
Earlier today, the U.S. State Department’s Narcotics Reward Program (NRP) announced the offering of a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ecuadorian fugitive Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, also known as “Churron,” a leader of Los Choneros, a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) based in Ecuador that is responsible for significant drug trafficking into the United States, firearms trafficking from the United States and acts of extreme violence. Bermúdez Cagua is charged in a superseding indictment in the Eastern District of New York with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution, and use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. The charges were brought by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The superseding indictment was unsealed in June 2025.
In July 2025, co-conspirator José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” a citizen of Ecuador and the principal leader of the Los Choneros organization, was extradited to the Eastern District of New York from Ecuador to face international drug trafficking and firearms charges. Another co-conspirator charged in the superseding indictment, Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, also known as “Topo,” is currently in custody in Ecuador.
“As alleged, Bermúdez Cagua is a top lieutenant within the leadership of Los Choneros, an extremely violent foreign terrorist organization responsible for pumping drugs into the United States, causing harm to our communities, and wreaking havoc in his homeland of Ecuador,” stated United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. “The significant reward being offered by the State Department underscores our resolve to bring Los Choneros’s leadership to justice in a U.S. courthouse and eradicate such organizations.”
“We will use every tool in our arsenal to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,” stated Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are offering a reward of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Bermúdez Cagua.”
“Bermúdez Cagua is a high-ranking narco-terrorist whose actions have fueled the flow of cocaine into the United States and sown chaos in Ecuador,” stated Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terrance Cole. “The DEA is resolute in its mission to turn up the pressure and bring this dangerous individual to justice. Today’s announcements reaffirm our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks, holding those responsible for violence and illicit trade accountable, and protecting communities from the devastating impact of these crimes.”
“ATF remains committed to hold leaders of foreign terrorist organizations accountable for the violence they inflict on our communities”, stated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Deputy Director Rob Cekada. “Bermudez Cagua’s network of criminals saturated our neighborhoods with dangerous drugs and used firearms to protect and expand their criminal enterprise. The substantial reward announced by the Department of State sends an unmistakable message to all narco-terrorists: their days of poisoning our citizens and profiting off the American people are over.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Los Choneros was one of Ecuador’s most violent transnational criminal organizations. Los Choneros operated a vast network responsible for the shipment and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, through Central American and Mexico, to the United States and elsewhere. The defendants directed and ordered acts of violence to achieve the goals of the organization. In September 2025, the U.S. State Department designated Los Choneros as an FTO.
Anyone with information about Bermúdez Cagua’s whereabouts should contact the DEA at [email protected] or +593988292235 (text/WhatsApp/Signal). All information will be kept strictly confidential.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour, Lorena Michelen, and David Berman are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
FRANCISCO MANUE BERMÚDEZ CAGUA (also known as “Bermudez Cagua”)
Age: 29
EcuadorJOSÉ ADOLFO MACÍAS VILLAMAR (also known as “Fito”)
Age: 46
EcuadorDarío Javier Peñafiel Nieto (also known as “Topo”)
Age: 35
EcuadorE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-114 (FB)
Religious Liberty Commission Hosts Fourth Hearing on Religious Liberty in the MilitaryRead the Press Release
DALLAS, TX – Yesterday, the Religious Liberty Commission hosted its fourth hearing to discuss religious liberty issues in the Military, including the perspectives of servicemembers, chaplains, and veterans, as well as state and local religious liberty issues. The hearing’s objectives included understanding the history of religious liberty in military, recognizing present threats to servicemembers' religious liberty, and identifying opportunities to strengthen religious liberty in the military.
The Religious Liberty Commission was established by President Trump under Executive Order 14291 and is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, increasing awareness of and celebrating America’s peaceful religious pluralism, highlighting current threats to religious liberty, and developing strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.
"Our servicemembers are heroes. They deserve this designation for many reasons, but perhaps the foremost is that they are entrusted with life and death matters," said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. "For this reason, religious liberty and military service have a unique connection. The American military has, from beginning, shown that readiness and religious liberty strengthen each other. Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, this Department of Justice is providing unprecedented support for religious liberty and expression. Our goal is simple: to restore religious liberty to its rightful place as a fundamental pillar for generations to come."
"Yesterday, the Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty held a hearing in Dallas, focusing on our military. Our history is clear: since 1775, our country has encouraged religious liberty in the military, distributing millions of Bibles to soldiers and honoring their religious beliefs and practices," said Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Chairman of the Religious Liberty Commission. "In 2012, the Obama administration, followed by the Biden administration, stripped the military of any religious right. They punished soldiers who stood up for their faith and ran many good men and women out of military service. President Trump believes in our soldiers and their religious liberty rights. Our Commission will make numerous recommendations to the President to restore all the religious liberties Obama and Biden took from our troops."
The witnesses and presenters included:
Dave Barton: Founder and President of WallBuilders, religious and political activist
Barton is the Founder of WallBuilders, and the author of numerous best-selling books. He is a sought-after speaker, bringing the truth of America’s history to churches, civic and military groups, schools and universities, and community events around the country, drawing his knowledge from his massive library of original writings from the Founding Era. Barton is also a frequent guest on a number of national media programs and is a co-host on The WallBuilders Show.
Brandon H. Wheeler: Senior Advisor to the Marine Corps Commandant
Wheeler is a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran with a political science degree from the Virginia Military Institute and a global strategist who's worked in 100+ countries. Wheeler served in Operation Unified Protector, Operation Enduring Freedom, and was the commander of the elite Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Company. Wheeler spoke in his personal, rather than official, capacity.
Capt. Sukhbir Singh Toor, USMC, Ret.: Advocate for Sikh servicemembers
Capt. Toor served with distinction in the U.S. Marine Corps for eleven years, with a medical retirement in 2025. During his time in the Marines, Capt. Toor advocated for religious accommodations to allow servicemembers of the Sikh faith to both serve and maintain their articles of faith.
Blake Martin: U.S. Navy Seal Veteran
Martin served honorably for seventeen years as a United States Navy SEAL. His religious convictions led him to decline the COVID vaccine. As a result, on the brink of receiving full pension and retirement, he was forced to separate without benefits or recognition for his years of service, rather than betray his faith convictions.
Kenny and Tammie Vaughan: Founders of Shields of Strength
Vaughan spent much of his career serving the military by creating inspirational religious dog tags for servicemembers, providing hope and comfort in the most difficult circumstances. He has spoken at the Pentagon and has received recognition from President George W. Bush for his work supporting servicemembers in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2011, the Department of Defense under President Obama tightened licensing requirements for the dog tags because of their religious nature and effectively banned their distribution.
Harish Rao: Army Officer, Advocate for Hindu servicemembers
Rao joined the U.S. Army in 2015. During his basic training, through the advocacy of a chaplain, Rao received religious accommodations allowing him to both serve and practice his Hindu faith. Rao is now an Army officer and pursuing studies to enter the Chaplain Corps to provide spiritual support to Hindu and other servicemembers of faith.
Mike Berry: Executive Director of External Affairs and Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute
Berry is a United States Marine, with seven years of active duty service and current service in the Marine Corps Reserves. Berry is also an attorney, working most recently as General Counsel to Sen. Ted Cruz. He has dedicated his career to defending the United States and the Constitution and has frequently represented servicemembers to protect their religious liberty.
Rabbi Sanford L. Dresin, Chaplain (Col.), USA Ret.: VP of Aleph Military and Endorser for U.S. Military, VA, and Secret Service Chaplains
Rabbi Dresin served for over 26 years as an active duty Army Chaplain, retiring with the rank of Colonel. His military assignments included Vietnam, Korea, 7th Medical Command, Europe, and the Pentagon.
Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Doug Carver, USA, Ret.: 22nd Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Army
Chaplain Maj. Gen. Carver is a retired American Army officer with nearly four decades of service on behalf of our country. An advocate for the religious liberty of service members, veterans, and their families, he oversees the professional and pastoral support to 3,900 Southern Baptist Chaplains who minister in various institutional settings in the United States and around the world. At the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003, he served as the senior military chaplain in the combat theater of operations.
Amy Vitale: Attorney, Director of Government Affairs at Becket
Vitale, an attorney, served as Legislative Counsel to several Members of Congress where she advocated for religious freedom with a particular focus on the military and chaplaincy.
Msgr. Anthony Frontiero, S.T.D.: Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
Msgr. Frontiero has been a priest for more than thirty years and holds numerous advanced degrees in theology and divinity, including a Doctorate in Moral Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum), in Rome.
Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress: Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church
Jeffress is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, a Fox News contributor, and the host of the daily radio and television program, Pathway to Victory. He is also an author of nearly 30 books and a prominent evangelical Christian ally.
Dr. Ben Lovvorn: Senior Executive Pastor of First Baptist Church
Lovvorn serves as Senior Executive Pastor of First Baptist Church and President of First Dallas Media, which owns and operates KCBI, one of the most listened to Christian radio stations in the country. He has served in full-time ministry for more than a decade and is passionate about building the church of Jesus Christ and equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.
Chaplain Dr. Andrew Fox: Former Austin Fire Department Chaplain
Fox created the chaplaincy program at the Austin Fire Department and served as the lead chaplain in a volunteer capacity for eight years. His role was terminated after he expressed his Christian beliefs in a private forum.
Phyllis Morris: Resident of Sweetwater, TX, and religious liberty advocate
Morris successfully advocated for religious liberty in her town by educating herself on First Amendment protections and clarifying to local officials and detractors that religious expression is not only permissible but protected. The result of her efforts is a beautiful nativity near the Sweetwater courthouse. Her efforts were recognized by Becket in a 2024 award for demonstrating an “enduring spirit of hope, perseverance, and joy…during the Christmas and Hanukkah season.”
Watch the hearing HERE.
The Religious Liberty Commission was established by President Trump under Executive Order 14291 and is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, increasing awareness of and celebrating America’s peaceful religious pluralism, highlighting current threats to religious liberty, and developing strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.
Raleigh Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material on his Work LaptopRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced a Raleigh man, Joseph Matthew Dobbs, age 45, to 135 months in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), after a federal jury convicted him earlier this year.
“Predators who target children have no place in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This office will pursue them relentlessly, charge them aggressively, and make sure they face the consequences they deserve. We will always stand up for the most vulnerable and protect the families of this district. This criminal won’t bother our children for at least 11 years.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in early November 2022, Dobbs worked from home as an IT support engineer for a multinational technology company. During a routine remote session, a supervisor observed content on Dobb’s work-issued laptop that appeared to be CSAM. The company immediately terminated his employment and provided screenshots to law enforcement.
The Raleigh Police Department executed a search warrant at Dobb’s apartment and seized the company laptop. Investigators reviewed the device and the company’s back-up servers and found that Dobbs had stored over 300 CSAM images. Many images showed children under the age of 12.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Warlick and Logan Liles prosecuted the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-182-FL.
Poteau Physician Agrees to Pay $105,000 to Resolve Allegations of Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dr. Jonathan S. Clark, D.O., of Poteau, Oklahoma, has agreed to pay $105,000.00 to settle allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act.
The United States alleged that Dr. Clark ordered controlled substances outside the course of professional practice, stored and dispensed controlled substances at an unregistered location, and failed to maintain records containing the dates that substances were received and dispensed as required under the Controlled Substances Act.
The settlement was the result of a Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion investigation that determined the misuse and improper storage of controlled substances, and the failure to maintain a complete and accurate record of the controlled substances.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Tulsa Residence Office, works tirelessly to ensure doctors in our communities operate in a manner that is in the public’s best interest. When this standard is violated, those doctors will be held accountable, as is the case with Dr. Jonathan Clark,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker, who oversees operations in Oklahoma. “We hope this stands as a reminder of the DEA’s commitment to prevent, detect, investigate and hold accountable those doctors who choose to violate the Controlled Substances Act.”
“I commend the DEA Diversion Unit for their relentless efforts to ensure physician compliance to the law,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Communities pay a high price when physicians violate laws governing dangerous and addictive substances. Through settlements like this one, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can reduce the risks to patient safety and public health posed by breaches of the Controlled Substance Act.”
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community, please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line at Submit a Tip | DEA.gov. Concerns about prescription drug abuse or diversion can be reported to the DEA through this link: RX Abuse Online Reporting | USDOJ.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua M. Mitts represented the matter for the United States.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking of FedEx TruckRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Saikeen Dixon, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 147 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for his role in the armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022.
Dixon and co-defendant Ronald Byrd, 37, also of Philadelphia, were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023. In June of this year, both were convicted at trial of carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.[1]
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.
A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.
After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.
J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.
D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.
After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.
At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by defendant Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.
Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.
After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.
“The brazen acts in this case posed a direct threat to the safety, security, and quality of life to Philadelphia residents,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The coordinated efforts and diligence of the Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office made today’s result possible. We remain steadfast in our collective mission of combating violent crime and keeping our communities safe.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
[1] Byrd was also convicted at trial of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After trial, Byrd also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6.
Pensacola Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Cyberstalking and Sending Obscene Materials to Minor FemalesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Charles M. Schmaltz, 29, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor females. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our children face unprecedented threats online from predators, like this defendant, but this case demonstrates the unified commitment of our state and federal law enforcement officers to keep them safe by capturing the offenders who try to exploit them. My office will continue to back up those excellent investigative efforts by law enforcement with successful prosecutions to send those offenders to federal prison.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant communicated with multiple minor females between 2022 and 2024 by utilizing ten or more social media accounts to contact them. The minor females, and later their parents, repeatedly requested that the defendant cease communicating with them. Instead, the defendant sent sexually explicit content to the minor females, including extremely graphic communications. The minor females in this case ranged in age from nine to 15 years old. The defendant was eventually caught through the work of a multi-agency investigation in North Florida and South Alabama, where some of the victims were located.
Upon his release, Schmaltz will be supervised for five years by a United States Probation Officer and have to comply with sexual offender treatment. The defendant faces further state charges in Alabama.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office and the Dothan Police Department in South Alabama. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Owner of Physical Rehabilitation Company Pleads Guilty to Submitting More Than $20 Million in Fraudulent Medical Bills to Health Benefit ProgramsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), Naomi Gruchacz, and Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today the filing of an Information charging NOSSON SKLAR, a/k/a “Nathan Sklar,” with engaging in a scheme to defraud health benefit programs through the submission of more than $20 million in fraudulent claims. SKLAR also entered a guilty plea to the Information in a proceeding today before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, to whom the case has been assigned.
“As he admitted today in court, Nosson Sklar spent years submitting millions of dollars in fraudulent medical claims to various health benefit programs,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers rely on honest billing to access care, and our Office will hold accountable those who drive up costs through criminal deception.”
“The defendant in this case brazenly submitted false claims to receive funds for rehabilitation services that were never provided under a doctor’s care,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who, to satisfy their own greed, exploit federal health care programs.”
“Nosson Sklar defrauded health care programs of more than $20 million by submitting illegitimate claims with forged unauthorized physician signatures,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Sklar, in his capacity as owner and CEO, violated the integrity of his company and a doctor at the expense of our healthcare system. The FBI will always hold accountable anyone who abuses their position to bill for ghost services just to turn a profit.”
According to the Information, the Complaint previously filed against SKLAR, and other filings and statements made in court:
SKLAR was the owner and chief executive officer of a company that operated a series of physical rehabilitation facilities around New York City (the “Rehabilitation Company”). Between at least January 2020 and in or about July 2024, SKLAR submitted or caused others to submit more than $20 million in claims for medical services to various health care benefit programs, asserting that those services were rendered by a physician who worked with the Rehabilitation Company (“Victim-1”). But that was false. Victim-1 did not provide those services, did not work with the Rehabilitation Company during that time, and did not authorize SKLAR to submit bills in his name.
In or about July 2024, Victim-1 spoke with SKLAR on at least two occasions about the fraudulent bills. During those conversations, SKLAR admitted that he had committed “fraud” by billing under Victim-1’s name, and that he did it “because [of] the money.”
Between at least in or about January 2020 and in or about July 2024, SKLAR caused more than $20 million in claims to be submitted to three separate health benefit programs (the “Health Plans”), which listed Victim-1 as having been the rendering provider for the Rehabilitation Company. Approximately $12.4 million of those claims were eventually paid by the Health Plans.
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SKLAR, 56, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of HHS-OIG and FBI.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorja N. Knauer and David A. Markewitz are in charge of the prosecution.
Orleans Parish Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on December 4, 2025, ELIJAH MARTIN (“MARTIN”), age 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to 57 months of imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on December 16, 2023, an officer with the East Jefferson Parish Levee Police Department found MARTIN, a convicted felon, in possession of a firearm, a Smith & Wesson Model M&P Shield, nine-millimeter pistol, during a traffic stop. On January 25, 2024, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers, again found MARTIN in possession of a firearm, a Glock Model 26, nine-millimeter pistol. MARTIN is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the East Jefferson Parish Levee Police Department, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Orleans Parish Man Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that, JUAN K. SIMPSON (“SIMPSON”), age 30, was sentenced on November 25, 2025, by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion, after previously pleading guilty to bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
SIMPSON was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment to be served concurrently with any terms imposed in Gulfport, Ms. Municipal Court and Picayune, MS Municipal Court. Judge Papillion also ordered that SIMPSON be placed on supervised release for three years and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on November 25, 2024, SIMPSON robbed a Capital One Bank on South Claiborne Avenue, in New Orleans.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit.
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One Way Ticket to Prison: Suitcases Stuffed with 45 Pounds of Meth Lead to 10 Year Federal SentenceRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Cesar Alexander Pineda-Penaloza, 21, of California has been sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.
According to court documents, between January 2023 and November 2024, Pineda-Penaloza acted as a drug courier, flying repeatedly via commercial air carrier from the West Coast to the Midwest while hauling drugs and drug trafficking proceeds.
On November 9, 2024, Pineda-Penaloza arrived at the Indianapolis International Airport on a one-way flight from California. Federal agents intercepted him at baggage claim, where he retrieved two suitcases. A search revealed 19.76 kilograms (45 pounds) of pure methamphetamine inside.
“The defendant foolishly thought he could stroll off a plane in Indianapolis with suitcases full of meth and no one would be the wiser. He was gravely mistaken.” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Federal agents and local partners intercepted him the moment he landed, preventing nearly 45 pounds of poison from reaching our community. This sentence sends a clear message: traffickers who attempt to move drugs into Indiana from out of state will be caught and held accountable.”
“This case demonstrates the unwavering commitment of HSI to combat the dangers of drug trafficking,” said Matthew J. Scarpino, special agent in charge of HSI Chicago. “Transporting 45 pounds of methamphetamine is a direct threat to public safety. This sentence sends a clear message—those who profit from illegal drugs will face serious federal consequences.”
“The sentencing of Cesar Alexander Pineda-Penaloza reflects DEA’s unwavering commitment to dismantling the criminal networks that endanger our communities and to ensure those who transport this poison are held accountable,” said Shane R. Catone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Chicago Field Division. “In partnership with U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana, and our federal, state and local law enforcement and partners, we stopped a major shipment of methamphetamine from reaching the Midwest and ensured the individual responsible will face the consequences of his actions.”
"This case is a perfect example of what happens when federal, state, and local law enforcement work together seamlessly. We’re thankful for the dedication of everyone involved in stopping this dangerous shipment and ensuring the courier now faces more than a decade in federal prison."
“The Indiana State Police actively collaborate with various law enforcement partners at all levels (local, state, and federal) to combat criminal elements involved in illicit narcotics. This collaborative approach aims to enhance public safety by disrupting the flow of illegal drugs and bringing those involved in their trafficking to justice,” said Captain Ron Galaviz.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Indiana State Police and the Plainfield Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina Caraballo Colon, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Crossroads of America comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Services, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
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Ohio County Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Deontre Christian Johnson, age 25, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for fentanyl distribution, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
According to court documents, Johnson, also known as “Trap,” was selling fentanyl on Wheeling Island.
Johnson will serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
North Tonawanda man going to prison for using stolen credit card numbers to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of gasRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kingsley Brown, 23, of North Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that between August 2022, and July 2023, Brown, along with co-defendant Cross Malik Williams, purchased approximately 570 stolen bank cards from various online marketplaces. Williams and Brown then used a card-making device to load the stolen banking card information onto blank plastic bank cards with magnetic strips, which allowed purchases to be made using the victims’ funds from the victims’ bank accounts. Williams and Brown used, or allowed others to use, the stolen bank card information to purchase gas for other individuals. The gas customers would then pay Williams and/or Brown an amount of money less than the cost of the gas. As part of his plea agreement, Brown agreed that he was responsible for $192,673 of total loss.
Cross Malik Williams was previously convicted and sentenced.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Nine Indicted on Multiple Charges Arising from Armed Burglaries of Marijuana Grow Facilities That Resulted in Death of Oakland Police OfficerRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted Allen Brown, Sebron Russell, Marquise Cooper, Janiero Booth (a/k/a Javon Herrington), Jowaun Jones, Shawn McGee, and Salvador Munguia on charges of conspiring to distribute, possessing with intent to distribute, and attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 marijuana plants. Brown and Russell were additionally charged with discharging and brandishing a firearm, respectively, in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Two other defendants, Jasmine Kumar and Felicia Sanders, were charged with accessory after the fact.
All nine defendants were arrested yesterday or were already in custody. Defendants made their initial appearances in federal district court in San Francisco today.
According to the indictment filed on November 20, 2025, and unsealed today, the charges relate to three armed burglaries of a marijuana grow facility in Oakland, California, between late evening December 28, 2023, and early morning December 29, 2023. Oakland Police Department (OPD) officers responded to the third burglary, and the suspects fled in multiple vehicles. During the pursuit, an unnamed co-conspirator fired more than 20 shots at one of the OPD vehicles, killing Officer Tuan Le.
Following Officer Le’s death, Jasmine Kumar, the shooter’s girlfriend, and Felicia Sanders, the shooter’s mother, knowing that the shooter had stolen marijuana and murdered Officer Le, allegedly assisted the shooter in order to hinder and prevent his apprehension by law enforcement, including by furnishing him with a one-way plane ticket.
As alleged, Brown, Russell, Cooper, and the unnamed co-conspirator organized and perpetrated a series of three separate armed burglaries of the marijuana grow facility. They recruited additional individuals, including Booth, Jones, McGee, and Munguia, for the third attempted burglary, which occurred around 4:00 a.m. In total, the perpetrators are alleged to have stolen more than 100 marijuana plants.
The indictment describes that when undercover OPD officers, including Officer Le, arrived at the scene, the suspects fled the location in multiple vehicles. As suspects exited the building, the unnamed co-conspirator brandished a firearm at OPD’s unmarked undercover vehicle. Two OPD undercover vehicles chased two vehicles fleeing from the burglary scene. One vehicle, driven by Brown, followed the OPD vehicle driven by Officer Le. The unnamed co-conspirator, who was the passenger in Brown’s vehicle, fired the shots that killed Officer Le.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Topper made the announcement.
Some of the defendants are scheduled to appear on December 15, 2025, for bail proceedings before Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants face maximum sentences as set forth in the following chart. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
DefendantCharge(s)Maximum PenaltiesAllen BrownCounts One, Two, Three & Five:
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy To Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; and 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(iii) – Discharging a Firearm in Connection with a Drug Trafficking Crime
Counts One, Two, and Three: maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and $5,000,000 fine.
Count Five: maximum of life imprisonment, a mandatory consecutive minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
Sebron RussellCounts One, Two, Three & Four:
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy To Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; and 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) – Brandishing a Firearm in Connection with a Drug Trafficking Crime
Counts One, Two, and Three: maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and $5,000,000 fine.
Count Four: maximum of life imprisonment, a mandatory consecutive minimum of 7 years’ imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
Marquise CooperCounts One, Two & Three:
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy To Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; and
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants
Maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and $5,000,000 fine.Janiero Booth (a/k/a Javon Herrington)Counts One & Three:
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy To Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; and
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants
Maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and $5,000,000 fine.Jowaun JonesCounts One & Three:
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy To Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; and
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants
Maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and $5,000,000 fine.Shawn McGeeCounts One & Three:
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy To Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; and
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants
Maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and $5,000,000 fine.Salvador MunguiaCounts One & Three:
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy To Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants; and
21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 100 Marijuana Plants
Maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment, mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and $5,000,000 fine.Jasmine KumarCount Six: 18 U.S.C. § 3 – Accessory After the FactMaximum of 15 years’ imprisonment and $125,000 fine.Felicia SandersCount Six: 18 U.S.C. § 3 – Accessory After the FactMaximum of 15 years’ imprisonment and $125,000 fine.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alethea Sargent and Kelly Volkar are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and OPD, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals, FBI, OPD, California Highway Patrol, Concord Police Department, and Pittsburg Police Department for yesterday’s arrests.
Nigerian Resident Sentenced to 33 Months Imprisonment for Participating in Years-Long Romance Scam Victimizing Multiple United States CitizensRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DANIEL CHIMA INWEREGBU(“INWEREGBU”), age 40, a citizen of Lagos, Nigeria, was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and use of an assumed name to commit a mail fraud scheme, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1342, 1343 and 1349, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), 1957, and 1956(h). The charges stemmed from INWEREGBU’s role in a lengthy scheme targeting American citizens. INWEREGBU was arrested when he travelled from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and was extradited to the United States to face the charges pending against him in July 2025. Judge Brown also sentenced INWEREGBU to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment, payment of a $100 special assessment fee and payment of restitution of $166,400.
According to court documents, a “romance scam” was a confidence trick involving feigning romantic intentions towards a victim, gaining their affection, and then using that goodwill to commit fraud. Fraudulent acts may involve obtaining access to a victim's money, bank accounts, credit cards, passports, e-mail accounts, or national identification numbers; convincing the victims to transmit things of value to the perpetrator or his witting or unwitting co-conspirators; or inducing victims unintentionally to commit or participate in the commission of financial fraud against third parties on behalf of the perpetrator. Between at least July 1, 2017, and December 16, 2018, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators devised and operated a “romance scam” whereby they sought to obtain money and property from multiple American women, including Victim 1, a female born in 1965, Victim 2, a female born in March 1974, Victim 3, a female born in 1970, and Victim 4, a female born in 1976, by means of false and fraudulent representations and promises. Specifically, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators created profiles on social media and online dating sites using the alias “Larry Pham,” purportedly a middle-aged Canadian-born Vietnamese male, to attract female victims.
The co-conspirators, including INWEREGBU, used online messaging platforms and email, to contact victims, introduce themselves, and appeal to victims’ longing for companionship. If the target responded favorably, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators began to cultivate a romantic relationship that emotionally attached the victims to “Larry Pham.” Once the relationship was established, the defendant and his co-conspirators, posing as Larry Pham, requested victims send them money under various scams and ruses to domestic bank accounts they opened and managed.
As explained in the Factual Basis, INWEREGBU’s scheme resulted in actual and intended losses to the four identified victims of over $405,000. Thereafter, INWEREGBU and his co-conspirators laundered the funds by conducting financial transactions using the proceeds of their wire and mail fraud scheme, designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds, by directing the funds through intermediaries.
U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the great support provided by United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and the United States Department of State. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Woman Charged with Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that CHELSEY POWELL (“POWELL”), age 34, of Laplace, LA, was charged on December 5, 2025 by bill of information with making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to the charging documents, POWELL made false statements to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to fraudulently obtaining a pandemic-related relief Paycheck Protection Program loan funded by the federal government, in the amount of approximately $19,950.00.
POWELL faces up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release for making false statements to the SBA. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee due after conviction. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Schoolteacher Convicted of Sex Trafficking 16-Year-Old Girl from MississippiRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on December 10, 2025, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted AARON TEROD JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 37, from New Orleans, of Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) and 1591(b)(2), as well as, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Prostitution, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b).
Speaking to today’s conviction, Acting United States Attorney Simpson stated:
“Today’s conviction – and the presentation of the chilling testimony and evidence which, over the past few days, painted a stark picture of the grim realities of human trafficking – must serve as both a wake-up call and a warning to parents, citizens, and law enforcement officials alike, that the exploitation of at-risk youth is a very real, clear and present danger. My thanks go to the tremendous prosecution team, our Homeland Security Investigations partners, and our Victim Assistance team for bringing this predator to justice. We must, and will, remain vigilant in identifying and relentlessly pursuing those who commoditize our children.”
“HSI’s victim-centered approach focuses on supporting victims while investigating and bringing offenders like JOHNSON to justice,” stated Homeland Security Investigations Deputy Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright. “Working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners, HSI is committed to addressing human trafficking and other crimes that threaten public safety.”
According to evidence that was introduced at trial, JOHNSON, a New Orleans schoolteacher, learned on social media that a 16-year-old girl, had run away in February 2024. The next day, JOHNSON found and saved a screenshot of her social media page on his cellular phone. The day after she was reported missing again, in March of 2024, JOHNSON contacted the victim. JOHNSON learned that the victim and a friend were stranded in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Late on the evening of March 14, 2024, JOHNSON drove from his home in New Orleans to Vicksburg, picked up the victim and her friend at 1:30 a.m., and immediately returned to New Orleans using backroads. On the ride back, JOHNSON offered the victim alcohol and marijuana. When asked whether he intended to harm them, JOHNSON responded that he would not because he believed the victim and her friend were the ages of the kids he taught.
JOHNSON brought the victim and her friend back to his apartment in New Orleans. JOHNSON told the victim and her friend that they could sleep in his bed and that he would sleep in another room. After they fell asleep, however, JOHNSON got into the bed with the juvenile and her friend and began groping them, prompting the victim and her friend to go into the living room.
When his attempts at seduction were unsuccessful, JOHNSON attempted to make the victim feel guilty for being unwilling to sleep with him after he had picked them up. When that failed, knowing the victim’s financial instability and lack of a place to go, JOHNSON coerced the victim to have sex with him in exchange for money and, ultimately, paid her $200 to do so.
Shortly thereafter, JOHNSON told the victim that she had to have sex with him again for free or he would kick her out. JOHNSON pressured the victim by, among other things, reminding her that he had taken a risk in going to pick her up. When the victim refused, JOHNSON made the victim, and her friend stand outside in the rain.
Over the next two weeks, JOHNSON continued to contact the victim, even after she blocked his phone number. On one occasion, JOHNSON went to a home where the victim was staying and had sex with the victim in exchange for $100 in cash. On another occasion, JOHNSON learned that the victim was hungry and offered to take her to get seafood. When they arrived at the restaurant, JOHNSON asked the victim what she would do in exchange for food.
Evidence introduced at trial showed that JOHNSON also attempted to pay a fifteen-year-old female for sex. Even after this juvenile disclosed via text message that she was fifteen years old, JOHNSON continued to pursue her.
JOHNSON was arrested by HSI agents in August of 2024 and gave a lengthy recorded statement. During his statement, JOHNSON admitted that he paid the victim to have sex with him after learning that she was sixteen years old. He further acknowledged that he was interested in girls who were “on the cusp of womanhood.”
Sentencing has been scheduled for March 18, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. before United States District Court Judge Lance M. Africk. JOHNSON faces a minimum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. The defendant also faces supervised release for a term of five years to life, and a requirement that he participate in the sex offender registration and notification program.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also recognized the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Victim-Witness Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Carboni and Public Integrity Unit Chief Jordan Ginsberg were in charge of the prosecution.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY GRANT, 34, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 36 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine pills.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately January 2022 and March 2024, Grant’s co-conspirator, Tyrone Brown, mailed parcels containing methamphetamine pills from Georgia to addresses in New Haven associated with Grant and others. Investigators identified approximately 79 suspicious parcels shipped from Brown to Grant during that time. In January 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of an intercepted parcel and found 16 ziplock sandwich bags containing a total of more than four kilograms of methamphetamine pills, and a firearm. The investigation also revealed that Grant made multiple payments to Brown during the conspiracy.
Grant has been detained since his arrest on March 27, 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025. Brown also pleaded guilty and, on December 2, 2025, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Muskego Man Indicted for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 9, 2025, a three-count federal indictment was issued alleging that Justin D. Kagerbauer (age: 46) of Muskego, Wisconsin, committed three federal felonies: (1) Count One: attempted interstate or foreign travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b); (2) Count Two: using a computer to attempt to persuade, induce, or entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b); and (3) Count Three: distribution of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
According to court documents, Kagerbauer was the target of an undercover operation originating in the United Kingdom (“UK”). He is alleged to have communicated online with an adult individual in the UK from March 2025 through late November 2025, with the intent that Kagerbauer travel to the United Kingdom to sexually assault a nine-year-old female child.
If convicted of Count One, Kagerbauer faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment. If convicted of Count Two, he faces a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment, up to life imprisonment. If convicted of Count Three, he faces a mandatory five years’ imprisonment, up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Kagerbauer may also be fined up to $250,000 on each count. He also may be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.
This case was investigated by law enforcement in the United Kingdom and Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Multiple Chinese Nationals Indicted on Charges Related to Theft and Re-Sale of Restaurant Cooking OilRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a nine-count indictment on December 9, 2025, charging multiple individuals with charges related to a racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit the offense of interstate transportation of stolen property, and money laundering.
As alleged in the Indictment, the charged Defendants committed thefts of used cooking oil, which can be refined into biodiesel fuel and re-sold. Defendants drove trucks to restaurants and stole and attempted to steal cooking oil from oil collection tanks located at restaurants throughout Iowa, and in Tennessee, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kentucky. Defendants then transported the stolen cooking oil to warehouses in Nevada and Ankeny, Iowa; Lewisburg, Tennessee; Dora, Alabama; and Tipp City, Ohio. Defendants subsequently sold the stolen cooking oil and laundered the proceeds.
The following individuals are charged in the Indictment:
- Tianzhu Chen, 33, of Flushing, New York, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, and two counts of money laundering.
- Jingliu Chen, 55, of Flushing, New York, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
- Yong Chen, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property.
- Xian Quan Guo, 48, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
- Jianfa Huang, 40, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
- Fukang Wang, 37, of Staten Island, New York, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
- Futao Wang, 36, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
- Jie Wang, 30, of Dayton, Ohio, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
- Xiangjing Wang, 34, of Des Moines, Iowa, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property.
- Danrong Zhang, 38, of Flushing, New York, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate and money laundering.
- Changxu Zou, 41, of Tulia, Texas, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
- Changyu Zou, 38, of Edmond, Oklahoma, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate.
- Wenrong Zou, 32, of Edmond, Oklahoma, is charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate
In connection with the case, federal search warrants and arrest warrants were executed today in Iowa, Ohio, New York, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Xian Quan Guo, Jianfa Huang, Futao Wang, and Xiangjing Wang made their initial court appearances today before a United States Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Trial was set for February 2, 2026. The remaining defendants will make their initial court appearances in the Southern District of Iowa on later dates.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Central Iowa Gang Task Force of the FBI Des Moines Resident Agency of the Omaha Field Office is investigating this case, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Story County Sheriff’s Office; Des Moines Police Department; West Des Moines Police Department; Iowa Department of Public Safety; Iowa Department of Transportation; Gahanna, Ohio Police Department; Cullman, Alabama Police Department; Springfield, Illinois, Police Department; 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force in Tennessee; FBI Dayton Resident Agency of the Cincinnati Field Office; FBI Lexington Resident Agency of the Springfield Field Office; FBI Oklahoma City Field Office; FBI New York City Field Office; FBI Birmingham Field Office; FBI Amarillo Resident Agency of the Dallas Field Office; FBI Language Services; and the Environmental Protection Agency.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas –A Mexican national illegally residing in White Settlement, has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Hector Eduardo Duarte-Martinez, 23, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 11, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in February 2024, Duarte-Martinez was observed coming and going from several known drug trafficking residences in the DFW area. A search executed at the White Settlement residence where Duarte-Martinez was residing resulted in the seizure of a large amount of liquid methamphetamine. Duarte-Martinez admitted to being responsible for distributing 45 kilograms of methamphetamine.
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 was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Johnson.
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Mexican men sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Two Mexican men who entered the United States illegally were each sentenced yesterday to 39 days in prison, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Victor Manuel Uribe Luna, 35, and David Suarez-Olivera, 45, each pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of illegal reentry.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on November 2, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop off U.S. Highway 2 near Malta. The vehicle contained three individuals, only two of whom initially presented identification.
The driver was identified as Victor Manuel Uribe Luna and he presented a California Driver’s License as identification. Two passengers were also present in the vehicle, one of whom was identified as Suarez-Olivera. All three subjects were found to be present in the country illegally.
A records check found that Uribe Luna was formally removed from the United States on January 13, 2021, and he does not have legal documentation to enter, pass through, or remain in the United States.
A records check found that Suarez-Olivera was formally removed from the United States on January 26, 2006, and is likewise prohibited from re-entering the country.
During processing, both defendants acknowledged being citizens and nationals of Mexico without legal documentation to enter, pass through, or remain in the United States. They further acknowledged crossing the international boundary illegally without inspection by an Immigration Officer at a designated Port of Entry.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Border Patrol and Phillips County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Mexican man from Billings sentenced for illegal firearm possessionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Mexican man illegally living in Billings was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Javier Vidal Rico, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on December 25, 2024, at approximately midnight, deputies from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office received a report that an unknown subject had brandished a firearm at a Christmas party on Lewis Avenue in Billings. The caller advised that the subject had been disarmed by another partygoer, but was threatening to return. The responding deputies interviewed John and Jane Doe, who said an unknown male had come to the Christmas party earlier that night and started an argument with John Doe. Jane Doe observed the subject withdraw a teal pistol from his waistband during the argument and point it at John Doe’s stomach. Jane Doe said John wrestled the pistol away from the subject, who fled the scene. John Doe gave the gun, a teal SCCY 9mm pistol, to the deputies.
John Doe further advised the subject left in a black Cadillac Escalade and that he had thrown a rock through one of the vehicle’s windows. The deputies found a black Escalade parked outside Rico’s residence with a shattered driver’s window and a “Rico Construction” decal on the back window. Deputies confirmed Rico lived at the address but were unable to contact him that night.
Deputies returned to the residence the next day to speak with Rico. He admitted he had been at the Christmas party the night before and left around midnight. He acknowledged the Escalade belonged to him and that someone had broken the window while he was driving it. He consented to a search of his residence, which revealed 23 live 9 mm rounds and 3 live .25 rounds on a shelf in Rico’s closet. Deputies also seized a SCCY pistol magazine loaded with 9 mm ammunition and a nylon gun holster.
The deputies arrested Rico and during the booking process he said he was a citizen of Mexico. He admitted he paid a coyote to transport him to the United States illegally in 2021 and advised he lived in Missouri before coming to Montana. Investigators later confirmed Ric was a citizen of Mexico who had been removed from the United States in 2014 and had been given a lifetime ban on reentry. Rico did not obtain consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security before entering the United States in 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the ATF conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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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Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUAN JOSE CARRASCO CARDENAS, 40, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to six months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2002, Carrasco Cardenas was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol and was issued a voluntary return to Mexico. In May 2009, U.S. Border Patrol encountered Carrasco Cardenas illegally entering the country in Arizona. He was charged in the District of Arizona with improper entry of an alien, sentenced to five days of imprisonment and, in June 2009, was issued a voluntary return to Mexico. In January 2018, Carrasco Cardenas was arrested in Saline County, Kansas, and charged with various offenses related to the trafficking of marijuana. He was convicted of a state marijuana distribution offense and sentenced to 30 months in jail. He was removed to Mexico in October 2019.
On August 27, 2025, Carrasco Cardenas was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Meriden. He pleaded guilty to illegal reentry on September 18.
Carrasco Cardenas, who has been detained since his arrest, will be removed to Mexico when he completes his prison term.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
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.
Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Child AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to child abuse after firing a weapon near two young children and placing them in a situation that endangered their lives.
According to court documents, on August 26, 2025, Emilio Morales, 24, a non-Indian, while intoxicated, fired a handgun multiple times near two minor children and threatened to kill himself while holding the firearm in front of them. When police arrived with weapons drawn, Morales held one child and demanded that officers shoot him. Both children are enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
Morales pleaded guilty to abuse of a child. At sentencing, he faces 6 to 12 months imprisonment followed by a one-year term of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.
Memphis Man Receives Second Federal Conviction for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm as an Armed Career CriminalRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Memphis, Tennessee, man on federal supervised release after a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Tennessee was convicted by a federal jury for committing the same crime, this time in Arkansas. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the guilty verdict, which was handed down on Wednesday.
A federal grand jury indicted Percy Jackson, 40, on June 6, 2024, charging him with three counts: being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. The three-day trial was held before Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker. The federal jury deliberated approximately three hours before returning a guilty verdict on count one, felon in possession of a firearm. Jackson was found not guilty of counts two and three.
Jackson was released from federal prison on September 28, 2022, after serving 15 years for his first federal gun conviction. The evidence at trial revealed that on October 10, 2023, West Memphis Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Jackson for having a defective brake light and expired tags. Jackson was the only occupant of the vehicle and appeared nervous and sweating when questioned by law enforcement officers. Jackson was removed from the vehicle and law enforcement officers conducted a search of the vehicle. During the search, under the driver’s seat officers located a loaded Ruger 9mm firearm that had been previously reported stolen. A baggie with pills that contained fentanyl was found in the glove compartment.
At the time of this incident, Jackson was on supervised release with the Western District of Tennessee for a felon in possession of a firearm conviction.
Because of this previous conviction and his violent criminal history, Jackson will be sentenced at a later date by Judge Baker under the Armed Career Criminal Act. Jackson’s past criminal history includes four convictions for aggravated robbery, a conviction for facilitation of especially aggravated robbery, and the previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jackson will, for a second time, face a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the West Memphis Police Department and the Second Judicial Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Eldridge.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy in Connection with a Technical Support SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Amit Ahuja, 41, of Westminster, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in connection with a technical support scheme. Through the scheme, co-conspirators misled victims to believe that their computers were compromised so they needed to pay for computer repair services or software.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Criminal Investigations Group, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland.
According to public filings, victims received a pop-up window urging them to call a phone number, or an unsolicited phone call, or victims called what they believed was a legitimate technical support company found through an online search. The co-conspirators allegedly led the victims to believe that their computers had major issues that they needed to pay money to fix immediately. Additionally, the co-conspirators convinced victims that they worked for legitimate computer companies or computer security companies. As a result of the scheme, more than 1,000 victims, many of whom were older adults, lost more than $6.8 million to co-conspirators.
Victims lost the money based on false pretenses, representations, and promises in connection with the alleged condition of their computers and the services, and the software supposedly required to fix the issues.
Ahuja faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date is forthcoming.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with HSI’s Tip Line at this website or by calling 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPIS and HSI Maryland for their investigative efforts. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Philip Motsay 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, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Marshall County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – James Adam Vipperman, age 38, of Cameron, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 79 months in federal prison methamphetamine trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vipperman worked with others to sell methamphetamine in Marshall County, WV.
Vipperman will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Man sentenced for being an accessory after the factRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A man who attempted to clean up a murder scene on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 70 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. He was also ordered to pay over $11,771.00 in restitution.
William Robert Jay Howe, Jr., 41, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of accessory after the fact.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on January 18, 2023, a gunshot victim was driven to the emergency room in Crow Agency, Montana. The driver initially lied to law enforcement about where the victim was found. Some days later, law enforcement learned the location of the shooting. After obtaining a federal search warrant for the SD card from exterior security cameras from a residence in the area, law enforcement discovered footage of the victim being picked up and put in the vehicle used to drive him to the emergency room. The camera footage shows Howe and another individual cleaning the snow-covered area where the victim had been lying moments earlier by moving snow with a shovel, broom, hands, and feet. The footage also appears to show Howe and another male picking up one or more items from the snow-covered area. And it shows Howe ostensibly taking an item from the crime scene and walking across the street with it.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
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Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm and Shooting Man in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun and using it to shoot a man multiple times in Chicago.
ANGEL SOSA illegally possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine on the evening of June 8, 2021, in the Noble Square neighborhood of Chicago. Sosa fired more than a dozen shots at a man near the intersection of North Noble and West Walton Streets. The man was seriously wounded but survived. Chicago Police officers arrested Sosa near the scene of the shooting, and he has remained in law enforcement custody since then.
Sosa had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including a firearm-related conviction in state court for which he was on parole at the time of the shooting.
Sosa, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On Dec. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold imposed the ten-year prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Branka Cimesa.
Lead defendant in multi-state car theft ring sentenced to 7 years in prisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – The lead defendant in a $1.5 million chop shop conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison.
Kahrese Tracey Scott Lee, 28, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and to knowingly operating a chop shop.
According to court documents, between at least October 2023 and October 2024, Lee, who is also known as “Reese Lee” and “Bennett Jones,” knowingly worked with others to orchestrate an interstate stolen car ring. The defendant operated a garage in Dayton and received dozens of stolen vehicles. For example, during May 2024 alone, Lee’s Dayton chop shop housed within it more than half a million dollars in stolen cars and vehicle parts.
Lee often dissembled stolen vehicles and removed their parts for resale or for placement in another vehicle. He both received and traded or sold vehicles out of state.
On occasion, Lee also stole vehicles himself or worked with others to do so. During one planned theft incident, Lee and others traveled from Ohio to Indiana, where they stole three vehicles valued at more than $200,000 total from an auto lot.
Law enforcement ultimately discovered Lee and others in possession of the stolen vehicles in Alabama, where Lee planned to establish a new garage. Officers confiscated the cars and returned them to the Indiana dealership that owned them.
Lee and his accomplices had placed a tracking device on one of the stolen cars and tracked it back to Indiana. Lee traveled back to the Indiana dealership and attempted to steal the vehicle again; however, law enforcement apprehended him as he attempted to do so.
Lee and six others were charged by a federal indictment in November 2024.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.
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Landscaper who paid for worker to be smuggled in from Mexico and harbored her in his home pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 57-year-old Monroe, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to a federal felony: Harboring an Alien for Financial Gain, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Rangel Ramirez-Manzano was originally charged with four federal felonies related to his treatment of a victim smuggled into the U.S. at his direction. After years of delay in the case over whether Ramirez-Manzano was mentally competent to go to trial, the case was resolved with the guilty plea. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, Ramirez-Manzano had known the victim, who lived in his hometown in Mexico, when she was younger. He pursued a long-distance relationship with the victim, urging her to move to the U.S. to be his girlfriend. Ramirez-Manzano paid $17,000 for her to be smuggled across the border and into southern California. Ramirez-Manzano picked her up from the smugglers and paid them. Almost immediately upon arriving in Washington, he forced her to begin hard labor for his landscaping business and threatened her, assaulted her, and threatened the children she left behind in Mexico.
The case files describe how he isolated her from others, restricted her food, and failed to pay her any wages for months of strenuous work at various landscaping job locations. In the plea agreement, the defendant admitted that the victim did at least $16,000 worth of uncompensated work for his business.
Ramirez-Manzano harbored the victim in his home from February 2022 until April 24, 2022. The victim was finally able to escape from Ramirez-Manzano’s home and asked a neighbor to call 911. The Monroe Police responded and took the victim for medical attention for multiple injuries. The FBI joined the Monroe Police in investigating the case. Ramirez-Manzano was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in September 2022. He has remained in federal custody ever since, with various mental evaluations and treatment.
Ramirez-Manzano has agreed to pay the victim $16,000 in restitution. Law enforcement seized $16,000 in cash from Ramirez-Manzano’s work truck and it will be forfeited to the government for restitution.
Harboring an alien for financial gain is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend five years in prison, but Judge Lasnik can impose any sentence allowed by law.
Ramirez-Manzano is a legal permanent resident, but his status can be revoked due to a conviction such as this. He likely will be deported following his prison term.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Rachel Yemini. Ms. Crisham is the Western District of Washington coordinator of our efforts to stop human trafficking.
Kauai Woman Sentenced to over 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Faith Michelle Nelson, 52, of Kauai, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 151 months’ imprisonment followed by 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nelson has been detained since her initial arrest in this case on April 10, 2024.
According to court records, Nelson was part of a conspiracy that was acquiring controlled substances through the U.S. mail and was engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine on Kauai. In total, Nelson was held responsible for over 18 pounds of methamphetamine.
Nelson is one of eleven defendants charged in three separate indictments for crimes related to the operation of a trans-Pacific drug trafficking network, nine of whom have pled guilty with the remaining awaiting trial. Nelson is the first defendant in a nine-defendant indictment to be sentenced. The overall investigation yielded seizures of more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine, several kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, eight firearms, ammunition, and over $150,000 in cash.
On April 30, 2025, in one of the related cases charged by separate indictment, Shawn Pauahi Santana was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to distributing methamphetamine.
“Yesterday’s sentence represents a significant step in bringing to justice the trans-Pacific criminal enterprise that Nelson and her coconspirators used to flood communities in Hawaii, Alaska, and beyond with deadly drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We credit our tremendous law enforcement partners with helping to expose and dismantle this dangerous drug operation.”
“This sentencing and related investigation mark a crucial moment in the ongoing fight to protect our citizens from the deadly drugs that plague our island communities,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “We are grateful for the tremendous partnerships across all levels of law enforcement in this joint effort, and we will continue to use every available resource to protect our communities and bring these trans-Pacific criminal enterprises to justice.”
“This individual has an extensive history of harming our community and putting countless families at risk,” said Chief Kalani Ke, Kaua‘i Police Department. “Today’s sentence holds her accountable for her actions and demonstrates that such destructive behavior will not be tolerated. We commend our federal partners for helping end this operation, and we remain committed to keeping Kaua‘i safe from those who bring dangerous drugs into our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu Police Departments, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret C. Nammar is prosecuting the case.
Jefferson Parish Man Guilty of Firearm and Narcotics ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on December 4, 2025, KERNELIUS ALFORD (“ALFORD”), age 35, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana pled guilty to Counts 1 and 3 of the six-count superseding bill of information pending against him. Count 1 charged ALFORD with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D) and Count 3 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Sentencing is set for February 24, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
ALFORD faces up to five (5) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, at least two (2) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment for Count 1, and up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count 3. ALFORD also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each count.
According to court documents, on May 2, 2024, a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s deputy unsuccessfully attempted to conduct a vehicle stop on ALFORD by activating his lights and siren. ALFORD led deputies on a high-speed chase in Metairie and ultimately struck another vehicle. Despite this collision, ALFORD continued driving until he abruptly stopped, exited his vehicle, and fled until he was eventually apprehended by the deputy. Thereafter, deputies searched ALFORD’s vehicle, and recovered a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, that was equipped with an extended magazine, plastic baggies, a scale, 157 grams of marijuana, and a Romarm Model Mini Draco AK47, 7.62x39 semi-automatic pistol. ALFORD was arrested and later admitted possessing the narcotics with intent to distribute and possessing the firearms as a convicted felon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.
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Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison for Beaumont armed robberyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in federal prison for an armed robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Naiyme Kidd, 28, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 117 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 11, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on February 19, 2025, law enforcement responded to an armed robbery of Joy’s Fun Place located on South 11th Street in Beaumont. Joy’s Fun Place is a game room and convenience store where customers can play game machines and win credit to use in the store. The store clerk informed officers that the assailant entered the store with a firearm and placed the barrel of the gun into the store clerk’s chest and demanded money before grabbing approximately $400 cash and fleeing the store. Further investigation, including reviewing surveillance video and witness accounts, led police to Kidd who pleaded guilty to the charges.
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 was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Jefferson County felon sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Groves convicted felon has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Alvaro Montrell Bethea, 46, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 11, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on May 10, 2023, law enforcement attempted to perform a traffic stop on Bethea pursuant to an active warrant. Bethea did not initially pull over and fled while tossing crack cocaine from the vehicle. Bethea was arrested and a search of his home revealed a semi-automatic handgun. Bethea is a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms.
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 was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee.
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International Gun Trafficking Conspiracy DismantledRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Jonathan Rafael Ortega Martinez (42) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to traffic firearms and trafficking in firearms. Ortega Martinez previously pleaded guilty.
According to the plea agreement, between 2023 and April 2024, Ortega Martinez was a member of a large-scale firearms trafficking operation. Specifically, he and members of his conspiracy recruited individuals, known as “straw purchasers,” to illegally purchase firearms—including Glocks, rifles and AK-47s—from licensed federal firearms dealers across Florida. After obtaining the firearms, Ortega Martinez and his co-conspirators smuggled them overseas, shipping them to countries including the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Between 2023 and 2024, Ortega Martinez and his co-conspirators trafficked more than 1,000 firearms. Investigations revealed that several of these firearms were later recovered at crime scenes.
On April 18, 2024, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations agents in Tampa and Orlando executed three search warrants at three residences in the Orlando area. There, agents found Ortega Martinez and recovered approximately 57 firearms, 30 empty gun boxes, approximately $16,000 in cash, ammunition, and money counters.
In addition to Ortega Martinez, two others were indicted and convicted of conspiracy to traffic firearms. On March 11, 2025, Ricardo Sune Giron, who was living in the United States illegally under an assumed name, and who was the subject of an active INTERPOL Red Notice from Guatemala, was sentenced to 14 years for his role in this conspiracy. On July 31, 2025, Maicor Eliud Cepeda-Garcia was sentenced to 15 years—the maximum sentenced allowed under the law—for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations, with support from INTERPOL Washington. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Noah Dorman.
Inchelium Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Assaulting His Intimate Partner on the Colville ReservationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on December 10, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Frederick Daniel Stensgar, age 61, of Inchelium, Washington, to 33 months in prison for Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner and Dating Partner in Indian Country, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 113(a)(7) and 1153. Judge Rice also ordered that, following imprisonment, Stensgar must serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 20, 2025, Stensgar struck his intimate partner with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause her bodily harm. As a result, she suffered serious bodily injury to the back of her right hand. The victim disclosed that, during an argument on the morning of Easter, Stensgar told her she needed to get out of his face, or he was going to do something to her. Stensgar grabbed an object and was going to hit the victim in the face, so she put her hand up to block the strike and it sliced her hand open. The victim was transported to a hospital, where it was determined she sustained a seven-centimeter, v-shaped laceration on the back of her right hand.
Additionally, according to court documents, Stensgar’s criminal history includes multiple convictions for violent crimes, including domestic violence. This is Stensgar’s third criminal conviction for assaulting his intimate partner.
First Assistant United States Attorney Serrano said, “This case exemplifies the mission of our office to ensure the criminal justice system protects victims and the public as a whole from people like Stensgar who perpetrate violence against their intimate partners, often in secret within the home.”
“Mr. Stensgar’s repeated violence is horrifying and inexcusable, especially since it was directed against his long-term partner in their shared home,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “In this incident, his violent attack caused severe injury necessitating hospital treatment. The FBI and our tribal partners will continue to combat violent crime on tribal lands together, as we do throughout the state of Washington.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen.
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