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11 December 2025
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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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.
2:25-cr-00098-TORIllegal Alien Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Vanessa Yalixa Munoz-Baque, 31, of Ecuador, charging her with illegally reentering the United States after removal.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Field Office Director Jeremy Bacon, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the indictment, on September 11, 2024, local law enforcement apprehended Munoz-Baque in Frederick, Maryland, after she was previously removed to her home country in 2023. Munoz-Baque’s arrest in Frederick County was in connection to a service call to local police. Prior to her arrest, Munoz-Baque did not obtain consent at any time from the Attorney General of the United States, or from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, for readmission into the country.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ICE-ERO for its work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger who is prosecuting this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Illegal Alien Indicted on Illegal Re-Entry ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Willians Elenilson Beltran-Quintanilla, 39, of El Salvador, charging him with illegally re-entering the United States after removal.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the superseding indictment with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the indictment and other court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement found Beltran-Quintanilla in Prince George’s County, Maryland, after he was previously removed.
On June 13, 2005, Beltran-Quintanilla illegally entered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. Then on September 16, 2005, after United States Border Patrol (USBP) apprehended him, an immigration judge ordered his removal from the U.S. to El Salvador. On April 10, 2007, Beltran-Quintanilla was then removed from the United States.
Beltran-Quintanilla again re-entered the U.S. at an unknown place, date, and time. On June 16, 2007, law enforcement encountered Beltran-Quintanilla, resulting in USBP issuing removal orders for a second time from the U.S. Then on December 21, 2023, Prince George's County Police found him unlawfully in the U.S. again as officers executed a search warrant at his residence, charging him with drug-related offenses.
Before his arrest, Beltran-Quintanilla did not obtain consent from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for readmission into the country at any time.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO for its work in this matter. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Oki who is 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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Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Juan De La Cruz Mejia Castro, 33, of El Salvador, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a firearm as an alien unlawfully in the United States. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Outstanding work by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, with support from our federal law enforcement partners, to capture this criminal alien and prevent him from continuing to threaten the safety of our communities. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to Take Back America from the criminal aliens who have violated our immigration laws and threatened the safety of our communities, and my office will continue to deliver on that promise with successful prosecutions.”
Court documents reflect that Mejia Castro admitted to drinking alcohol in his truck before firing two rounds from a 9-millimeter pistol. Mejia Castro claimed to have heard a noise in his yard and fired the gun in an attempt to scare off a suspected animal. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office found two spent shell casings at the scene, as well as a small amount of marijuana possessed by Mejia Castro.
Mejia Castro faces up to fifteen years in prison followed by removal from the United States.
The case was a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Brooke DiSalvo is prosecuting the case.
Mejia Castro’s sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2026, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Houston resident gets 10 years for exploiting minorRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 25-year-old man has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Brice Andrew Flickinger pleaded guilty March 20.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now sentenced Flickinger to 120 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information, including a victim letter detailing how the minor victim was taken advantage of at a young age and how it affected the victim negatively for several years. In imposing the sentence, the court noted that Flickinger engaged in a sexual relationship with a very young minor.
Flickinger was also ordered to pay $5,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 and forfeit his phone. Restitution will be determined later. Following his prison term, Flickinger will serve the rest of his life on supervised release and must comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
On July 9, 2021, the victim’s mother reported her daughter missing. Shortly thereafter, authorities conducted a traffic stop after observing a vehicle with two men, including Flickinger as passenger, drop the minor victim off near her home. A search resulted in the discovery of a phone in Flickinger’s possession. Forensic examination revealed at least nine videos of child sexual abuse material depicted Flickinger and the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Law enforcement later executed a search warrant at his home where they seized numerous items, including a pair of purple handcuffs located near his bed.
The investigation revealed Flickinger had initially met the minor victim through social media. They later met in person, approximately 15 times, during which he would drive them both to his home after midnight.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Sherrif’s offices in Harris and Fort Bend County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Moyer prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Houston man sentenced to federal prison in ATM crime spreeRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Houston man has been sentenced to federal prison for a violent crime spree in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Coby Stephon Williams, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 11, 2025. Williams was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $89,032.
According to court documents, from June 2020 to June 2024, Williams was involved in a crime spree referred to as “Hook and Chain” burglaries, which involved stealing a truck, attaching hooks and chains to the vehicle, and using it to drag the door off an ATM to retrieve the cash currency from the machine. This crime spree involved several burglaries in the DFW area, including the Texas Bank on South Preston Road in Prosper, the BB&T on Legacy Drive in Frisco, and the First United Bank in Pottsboro. The conspiracy resulted in the theft of approximately $363,000 and damages to ATMs and property of at least $250,000.
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 FBI, Fort Worth Police Department, and Pottsboro Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Johnson.
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Hollywood Director and Writer Convicted of $11 Million Fraud on Subscription Streaming ServiceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the conviction of CARL ERIK RINSCH, a Los Angeles-based director and writer, for his role in a fraudulent scheme to steal $11 million from a subscription video on-demand streaming service (“Streaming Company-1”) in connection with a planned science fiction television show called “White Horse,” and then laundering that money. The defendant was found guilty following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2026.
“Carl Erik Rinsch took $11 million meant for a TV show and gambled it on speculative stock options and crypto transactions,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Today’s conviction shows that when someone steals from investors, we will follow the money and hold them accountable.”
As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial:
RINSCH is a film and television writer and director who partially completed a science fiction television show called “White Horse.” In 2018, RINSCH reached an agreement with Streaming Company-1 in which Streaming Company-1 would both pay RINSCH for the existing episodes of White Horse and also fund completion of the rest of the show. Between 2018 and 2019, Streaming Company-1 paid approximately $44 million for White Horse.
Between late 2019 and early 2020, RINSCH demanded even more money from Streaming Company-1 to complete White Horse. Streaming Company-1 ultimately agreed to pay another $11 million and transferred those funds to a company RINSCH controlled on or about March 6, 2020. The entirety of those funds was to be spent on the completion of White Horse.
But RINSCH did not use those funds to complete White Horse. Instead, within days, RINSCH began transferring the funds he received through a number of different bank accounts before consolidating them in a personal brokerage account. RINSCH then used those funds to make a number of personal and speculative purchases of securities. His trading was unsuccessful, and in less than two months after receiving $11 million from Streaming Company-1, RINSCH had lost more than half of those funds.
Even after losing most of the $11 million, RINSCH still did not spend the remaining funds he had stolen on White Horse. Instead, he used the money to speculate on cryptocurrency, and on personal expenses and luxury items, including at least $1.7 million on credit card bills; at least $3.3 million on furniture, antiques, and mattresses; at least $387,000 on a Swiss watch; and at least $2.4 million on five Rolls Royces and a red Ferrari.
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RINSCH, 48, of Los Angeles, California, was convicted of one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and five counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy V. Capozzi, Jackie Delligatti, David A. Markewitz, Kevin Mead, and Adam Sowlati are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Maria Larracuente and William Coleman.
Ho-Ho-Hold up: Christmas convenience store robbers head to federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Corpus Christi residents have been sentenced for a string of aggravated robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jonathan Stein, 20, and Alvaro Martinez, 21, pleaded guilty Aug. 4.
U.S. District Judge Davis S. Morales has now imposed a 96-month term of imprisonment for Stein, while Martinez received 68 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing the robberies committed on Christmas Day and in the days that followed. In handing down the sentences, Judge Morales noted the seriousness of the offenses and the fear and danger their actions caused the victims.
Between Dec. 25 and 27, 2024, Stein and Martinez worked together to rob three Stripes convenience stores in Corpus Christi.
Surveillance footage showed Stein entering a Stripes convenience store on Airline Road Dec. 25. He was wearing a red and grey ski mask and brandished a firearm with an attached drum magazine while demanding money from the cashier.
Approximately two days later, he robbed another Stripes in a similar manner. Martinez provided the firearm and acted as the getaway driver.
Authorities uncovered a photograph of Martinez posing with a firearm and a large amount of cash. That firearm matched the one used in the robberies. Inside his vehicle, they located the firearm, along with a red-and-black mask matching the one used in the robberies.
Both men were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
Hancock County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lawrence James Reagan, 40, of Weirton, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for methamphetamine distribution, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Reagan was selling methamphetamine in Hancock County, West Virginia. Investigators seized methamphetamine which he intended to distribute inside Reagan’s home during the execution of a search warrant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Hancock Brooke Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Greenville Man Indicted for Armed Robbery and Firearms Offenses at Bear Creek BankRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 9, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against a man allegedly involved in the armed robbery of a bank in Bear Creek in northwestern Outagamie County. The indictment named Martin M. Muniz-Lara (age: 43) of Greenville, Wisconsin.
Count One of the indictment charges Muniz-Lara with Armed Bank Robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2113(a) and 2113(d). If convicted, Muniz-Lara faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. Count Two charges Muniz-Lara with Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). If convicted, Muniz-Lara faces up to life in prison, with a 7-year mandatory minimum sentence that must be consecutive to any other sentence. Muniz-Lara would also face fines, a special assessment, and terms of supervised release at the end of any sentence imposed.
According to the indictment, on or about October 17, 2025, the defendant forcefully took money from a federally insured bank in Bear Creek and brandished a firearm while committing the robbery.
The Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI, Oshkosh Police Department, and Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in United States District Court in Green Bay.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Ghanaian National Charged with Running Romance Scams That Took over $8 Million from Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has returned a 2-count indictment charging a Ghanaian National with defrauding elderly victims out of over $8 million.
According to a recently unsealed indictment, Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, 31, of Swedru, Ghana was part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023. Kumi was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025.
According to the indictment, perpetrators of this romance scam used Artificial Intelligence software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with victims. They gained victims’ trust to obtain money and valuables, often targeting individuals through social media and online dating platforms under false pretenses.
Victims were often elderly and engaged in romantic but physically distant relationships with perpetrators. The perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms. They then requested money or valuables under false pretenses, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities. Relying on these misrepresentations, victims were persuaded to send funds or valuables, which were then directed to co-conspirators posing as third parties.
The indictment also alleges that after the victims transferred funds, Kumi worked with a network of co-conspirators to distribute the money from Ohio and across the United States to associates in the Republic of Ghana and other locations.
Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including a defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough for the Northern District of Ohio.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank the Ghana Attorney General’s Office, EOCO – Ghana Economic Organised Crime Office, GPS – Ghana Police Service, Ghana Cyber Security Authority, NACOC – Ghana Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana National Intelligence Bureau, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigation Unit, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra for their cooperation with this matter.
The investigation and prosecution of this case is in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population.
To submit a report of suspected elder financial abuse, visit tips.fbi.gov/home or justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation.
Georgia Man Sentenced to Two Months in Prison for Evading Security Requirements at Philadelphia International AirportRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that David Easley, 39, of Georgia, was sentenced to two months' incarceration and 26 months of supervised release, with the first two months on home confinement, by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for evading security requirements at Philadelphia International Airport.
The defendant was charged by information in May of this year and pleaded guilty in July to one count of evading airport security, arising from his use of the identification badge of an airline employee to access a secured, sterile area of Philadelphia International Airport, knowingly and willfully bypassing airport security. Easley has never been employed at the Philadelphia International Airport.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on March 9, 2024, Easley was a ticketed domestic airline passenger, scheduled to fly from Philadelphia to Atlanta, Georgia, on a flight departing at 7:05 p.m. At approximately 6:35 p.m., video surveillance captured Easley using an airport Secure Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge belonging to an airport employee, typing a passcode on the keypad, and gaining access through the secure doors leading from the public side of the airport ticketing area to the secure area of the airport.
The defendant entered a restricted area for employees that is between the public, pre-security ticketing area and the public, post-security “sterile” terminal. Easley did not go through TSA screening before entering this secure area.
Easley then used another door to enter the public “sterile” terminal area of the airport, that being the area where screened passengers have access to board their flights. The TSA encountered Easley while conducting random security inspections to prevent prohibited items and unauthorized individuals from accessing the sterile area.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud Former Political Candidate and Four Other Louisiana ResidentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on December 4, 2025, CHASE DUNCAN CAMPBELL (“CAMPBELL”), a resident of Cobb County, Georgia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 6 months of imprisonment to be followed by 18 months of home detention after he previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. The home detention will be served as part of a three-year term of supervised release. CAMPBELL was also ordered to pay $446,302.23 in restitution to his victims and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, from as early as November 2020, and continuing through at least May 2024, CAMPBELL, and others, conspired to: defraud Candidate 1 with fake campaign services; defraud Victim 1 out of approximately $236,867 in fake real estate purchases and associated costs; defraud Victim 2 out of approximately $83,268.05 in fraudulent claims of real estate and title work; and defraud Victims 3 and 4 out of approximately $112,328.18 in connection with a fake legal defense scheme. Among other things, CAMPBELL, and others, utilized numerous fake aliases and occupations, “burner” numbers for text messages and calls, and fraudulent invoices to defraud their victims.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit.
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Four-Time Convict Sentenced to 108 Months for Possession of a Glock with a Laser Sight While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jaswan Dayquon Thomas, 28, a four-time convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to a total of 108 months in prison for illegally possessing a Glock 19 9mm handgun outfitted with a laser attachment while he was still on supervised release for two prior firearms convictions, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Thomas pleaded guilty May 27 before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 108-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Thomas to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2024, Thomas had two outstanding warrants. Deputy United States Marshals (DUSMs) were canvassing near the 1300 block of Morris Road Southeast. The deputy marshals spotted a black 2005 Mercedes Benz C230 sedan known to be the same year, make, model, and color of the vehicle Thomas had operated during a traffic stop six months earlier.
Thomas exited a nearby building, approached the Mercedes, and got into the driver’s seat. The deputy marshals approached. Thomas obeyed their commands to exit the vehicle with his hands up. The DUSMs placed Thomas under arrest and searched him. From Thomas’s front right jacket pocket, they recovered a clear plastic baggie with suspected marijuana.
A DUSM looked into the open driver’s side door of the Mercedes and immediately saw a Glock 19 9mm handgun outfitted with a laser attachment in the open glove box. The gun, which was loaded with one round in the chamber, was equipped with an extended magazine that contained 38 rounds of ammunition.
Thomas has four prior convictions in the District of Columbia. On March 28, 2015, Thomas pleaded guilty to theft – first degree in D.C. Superior Court, and was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended. On Jan. 12, 2018, Thomas pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in Superior Court and was sentenced to 10 months in jail. On Jan. 18, 2018, Mr. Thomas pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction) in Superior Court and was sentenced to 18 months. On Feb. 21, 2020, Thomas pleaded guilty in District Court to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and was sentenced to 57 months of imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release. Thomas was on supervised release for two of those convictions when he was arrested in the Mercedes in 2024.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.
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19cr367Former VIPD Commissioner and Former OMB Director Found Guilty on All Counts in Federal Corruption TrialRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a federal jury found Ray Martinez, former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), guilty on all counts following a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Mark A. Kearney. Martinez and O’Neal were convicted of participating in a wide-ranging public corruption scheme involving honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and, in Martinez’s case, obstruction of justice.
According to evidence presented at trial, Martinez accepted nearly $100,000 in bribe payments from contractor David Whitaker — including cash, luxury travel, personal expenses, private-school tuition, and restaurant equipment — and in exchange used his official authority to approve invoices and award Whitaker a $1.4 million dollar contract funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. O’Neal, who served as the territory’s chief budget official, knowingly approved a $70,000 inflated invoice under that same contract and later accepted a $17,730 lease payment for her business, Java Grande, using federal funds from the inflated invoice.
The evidence further showed that, after learning of the federal investigation, Martinez attempted to obstruct justice by directing Whitaker to destroy evidence and by creating a fraudulent promissory note in an effort to conceal bribe payments. Martinez and O’Neal each face significant statutory penalties, including terms of imprisonment and fines. Sentencing dates will be scheduled by the court.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper of the District of the Virgin Islands, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Rodriguez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Virgin Islands Office of Inspector General.
Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro for the District of the Virgin Islands are prosecuting the case.
Former St. Louis Area Pediatrician Admits Exchanging Prescriptions for Sex ActsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former St. Louis County, Missouri pediatrician on Thursday admitted prescribing pain pills and other controlled substances in exchange for sex acts, nude photos or cash.
Craig A. Spiegel, 69, also admitted lying in a prior court hearing when he accused police of misconduct.
Spiegel pleaded guilty to one count each of illegal distribution of controlled substances, making false statements related to health care matters and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. As part of his plea, he admitted engaging in a pattern of issuing prescriptions for controlled substances beginning at least as early as 2014 through May 2023, knowing that it was illegal and that there was no legitimate medical purpose to the prescriptions. Spiegel wrote prescriptions for numerous adult women in exchange for sexual acts or sexual photos. In many cases, he wrote the prescriptions despite knowing that the women had a substance use disorder and that issuing the prescription would endanger the recipient’s mental or physical health. Spiegel knew many of the women because he was their pediatrician when they were children.
Spiegel admitted that one woman performed sex acts, typically at his pediatrics office in Bridgeton, Missouri, or provided him with nude photos of herself, in exchange for pain pills or Adderall. Spiegel issued prescriptions to another woman, including an opioid, a benzodiazepine and a stimulant and/or a muscle relaxer despite knowing that she had a severe substance use disorder and was at high risk of overdose. He also admitted pressuring the women into engaging in sex acts or providing him with nude photos.
Spiegel also admitted prescribing controlled substances to his co-defendant, April Bingham, 48, in exchange for sexual favors. He knew that she was selling some of the drugs, and that she was addicted. He prescribed drugs to Bingham using the names of her ex-husband, mother and friends in part to take advantage of their insurance benefits, his plea says. Bingham introduced Spiegel others who paid him or performed sex acts in exchange for controlled substances.
The Medicare, Missouri Medicaid and Illinois Medicaid programs suffered losses totaling $114,480 as a result of Spiegel’s illegal prescription practices.
Finally, Spiegel admitted lying in an April 2025, hearing in U.S. District Court in St. Louis during which he sought to suppress evidence found on his cell phone. Spiegel falsely claimed, in court and under oath, that he had not signed a consent form authorizing the search of his cellular phone until after the cellular phone data had been extracted by investigators. Spiegel lied in an effort to accuse officers of the Bridgeton Police Department of illegally searching his cellular phone.
Spiegel is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2026. The charges of conspiracy and illegal distribution of controlled substances are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. The charge of making false statements is punishable by five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Bingham pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. She was sentenced in 2024 to 21 months in prison.
Individuals with concerns about Dr. Spiegel should call the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) at 800-447-8477.
The Bridgeton Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Sestric and Jonathan Clow are prosecuting the case.
Former Elementary School Teacher Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former elementary school teacher and employee of two area school districts has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional child pornography offenses.
Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a thirteen-count federal superseding indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. yesterday. Hernandez was previously charged in a seven-count indictment with five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. The superseding indictment includes those charges and six additional counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. The offenses charged in the indictment are alleged to involve twelve minor victims and are alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025.
The charges contained in this superseding indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Former Community Support Worker Pleads Guilty to Defrauding District of Columbia Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jariatu Jalloh, 39, of Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of first-degree fraud and two counts of first-degree theft related to fraudulent billing submitted to the District’s Medicaid program. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, Jalloh was employed as a community support worker (CSW) by a District Mental Health Rehabilitation Service (MHRS). MHRS provides for diagnostic and assessment services, counseling, medication, intensive day treatment, and crisis or emergency services. A CSW provides community support services by helping consumers learn and improve basic life skills, such as managing their medication, increasing social skills, and learning how to apply for housing or a job. CSWs are responsible for helping eligible patients improve life skills, such as medication management and social skills.
Jalloh admitted that between August 2021 and continuing through July 2023, while employed by the District MHRS provider, she engaged in a scheme to defraud the District’s Medicaid program by submitting encounter notes for community support services she did not provide and overbilling for services she allegedly provided to District Medicaid beneficiaries.
Evidence shows that several of the Medicaid recipients who were assigned to Jalloh reported that they never received services from Jalloh, while others said their contact lasted only a few minutes. Despite this, Jalloh repeatedly submitted documentation claiming she rendered an hour or more of services – even in cases where she had no interaction with the Medicaid recipients. Through this scheme, Jalloh caused the District government and its Medicaid program to pay over $234,500 for fraudulent CSW claims.
The Honorable Carmen McLean accepted the plea, and scheduled sentencing for March 13, 2026.
This case was investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuela Charles, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
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Former Canton Municipal Utilities Commissioner and Former Canton City Engineer Sentenced to 7 and 12 Years Prison for Bribery Scheme in FederalRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – Rudolph M. Warnock, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama, and Cleveland Anderson of Canton, Mississippi were sentenced today to 144 months and 84 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a bribery scheme.
In July, a federal jury convicted Warnock and Anderson of multiple felony charges following an eight-day trial.
Counts 1 and 2 of the indictment charged Warnock and Anderson with conspiring to commit bribery. Warnock was also charged in Counts 3 and 4 of the indictment with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and the completed offense of honest services wire fraud. Warnock and Anderson were both convicted on all the counts for which they were charged in the indictment.
Their co-defendants, former City of Canton Aldermen Eric Gilkey and Andrew Grant, are scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2026. Grant and Gilkey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in November 2022, and face a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and David H. Fulcher are prosecuting the case.
Former Boston Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former science teacher at Josiah Quincy Upper School in Boston pleaded guilty today to coercing or enticing at least one underage female to engage in sexual conversations online and requesting she produce and send child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of herself. Defendant, who also previously worked at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and the Brookline Public Schools, possessed CSAM depicting rape of both female and male minors, ranging in age from approximately five to 17 years old.
John Magee Gavin, 35, of Brookline, pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of receipt of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2026. Gavin was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025, and remains in federal custody.
According to court filings, Gavin is a former teacher at the Josiah Quincy Upper School in Boston. Prior to that, he was a 6th grade teacher at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and was a paraprofessional with the Brookline Public Schools.
In January 2025, Gavin was identified as the owner of a Discord account who messaged at least 20 underage females between the ages of 12 and 17 years old located throughout the country, including Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, as well as the United Kingdom and Canada. In these chats, Gavin disclosed that he was a teacher, engaged in sexual conversations and often asked the minors to send him pictures of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct – knowing that the children were underaged. He was arrested by local authorities in February 2025 and charged in Brookline District Court with enticing a child under 16, possession of child pornography and other offenses.
A forensic review of evidence seized from Gavin’s Brookline residence revealed approximately 147 files (94 images and 53 videos) on his iPhone depicting CSAM. The CSAM depicted rape of both female and male minors, ranging in age from approximately five to 17 years old.
Further analysis of Gavin’s Discord account identified numerous chats with underage females in which he engaged in online masturbation sessions with the minors; solicitated images from and exchanged images with the minors; and engaged in sexualized conversations with the minors while he was at school.
The chats also included conversations in which Gavin expressed his sexual interest in certain students at Josiah Quincy. In one conversation, Gavin discussed his sexual interest in a freshman student at the school where he was employed as a teacher and fantasied about having sex with her.
All victims involved in this matter have been identified and their families have been contacted by law enforcement.
The charge of coercion and enticement of a minor provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookline Police Department; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations; and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Filipino Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting and Sex Trafficking ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Filipino national living in Baltimore, Md., pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting and conspiring to sex traffic minor children.
Christopher Allan Tisoy, 27, a Filipino national residing in Baltimore, Md., pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children (and attempt and conspiracy) and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2026.
Tisoy was arrested and charged in May 2025 along with Joshua DeWitte, a former local music teacher. The two were subsequently charged by an Information and indictment, respectively, in October 2025. Both defendants remain in federal custody.
According to the charging documents, at the time of the alleged conduct, DeWitte was a music teacher at a local school in Massachusetts. Tisoy, a citizen of the Philippines who lawfully entered the United States in September 2024 on a H-1B Visa, was employed as a medical technologist at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
In December 2024, DeWitte was allegedly identified as the owner of a Snapchat account that uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the abuse of a boy who appears to be between approximately eight and 10 years old. Snapchat records showed that, in September 2024, DeWitte allegedly requested nude pictures from multiple purported minors; sent pictures of his genitals to the purported minors; and discussed previous and potential in-person meetups for sexual relations with minors. Additionally, it is further alleged that DeWitte paid, and offered to pay, another Snapchat user to obtain and produce child pornography and to recruit minor boys for himself.
Based on that information, DeWitte was arrested and charged in Cambridge District Court with six counts of disseminating obscene material to a child, one count of distribution of material depicting a child in a sexual act and one count of possession of child pornography. He was later released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, a Telegram conversation between DeWitte and Tisoy was located on DeWitte’s phone, in which they arranged for the production of videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor boys in the Philippines. Specifically, it is alleged that in the conversations, DeWitte and Tisoy negotiated the terms of creating sexually explicit videos involving minors, including which minors should be involved; which sex acts the minors should perform; who should film, including whether a third party or one of the minors themselves should film; what angles should be filmed; and how much DeWitte should pay Tisoy for each video. The negotiation allegedly incorporated the sexual preferences of both DeWitte and Tisoy, with both agreeing on what they would each find sexually gratifying. Tisoy then relayed instructions to the minor victims to create a video.
DeWitte allegedly paid Tisoy for each video Tisoy produced and sent. Between July 3, 2023 and Dec. 27, 2024, DeWitte allegedly sent 87 PayPal payments to Tisoy, in amounts ranging from $27 to $958, to film the sexual exploitation of minors in the Philippines – totaling approximately $23,752.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cambridge Police Department; HSI-Baltimore; the Maryland Department of State Police; and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez and Anne Paruti of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Felon Sentenced in Possession of Firearm That Had Been Outfitted with a Machine Gun ‘Giggle Switch’Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sherwood Russell, 35, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm outfitted with a machine gun conversion device during which he struck a police officer with his vehicle, assaulted a woman, resisted arrest, and threatened an additional police officer, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Russell pleaded guilty on Sept. 4, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Russell to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to court documents, on May 4, 2025, about 6:46 p.m., MPD officers responded to a call for a domestic disturbance on the 2000 block of 11th St. NW. Officers observed Russell grabbing a woman by her arms. Russell then entered his vehicle, a white Tesla with New Jersey tags.
An officer instructed Russell to exit the vehicle. Instead, Russell turned the wheel, accelerated the vehicle, and struck the officer in the leg. After crashing into a fence, Russell exited the vehicle and attempted to flee. Officers tackled Russell and placed him under arrest.
Officers looked into Russell’s vehicle and noticed a spilled open container of alcohol in the front seat. While conducting a probable cause search of the vehicle for more open containers of alcohol, officers recovered a Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol, loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition. The Glock was modified with a “giggle switch” that converted the semi-automatic into a fully automatic machine gun.
Russell previously was convicted in 2011 of burglary one while armed with gun, assault with a dangerous weapon (AWD), and related counts and sentenced to 10 years in prison on the burglary conviction and 30 months for the AWD.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss.
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Federal Jury Finds Plant City Gas Station Robber GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Emarjai Walker (29, Plant City) guilty of interference with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during a violent felony. Walker faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, just before midnight on April 5, 2020, Walker robbed a gas station located at 2911 James Redman Parkway in Plant City. After the clerk opened the register as Walker had demanded, Walker shot the clerk in the face. While his victim was lying on the floor bleeding, Walker fired a second shot which barely missed the clerk’s head. Walker ran from the store leaving the clerk for dead. The victim was discovered by a customer 10 minutes after the shooting. Although Walker was disguised and masked, the clerk’s familiarity of Walker’s mannerisms from previous visits to the store allowed him, from his hospital bed days later, to identify Walker as the shooter. Further investigation revealed that Walker had done extensive media research following the shooting and that he had tried to sell a .38 handgun the next day.
This case was investigated by the Plant City Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jim Preston and Brooke Padgett.
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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Sending Threatening Letter to Spiritual Mission in Suburban ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Georgia man of sending a threatening letter to a spiritual mission in suburban Chicago.
In July 2023, JIMIL PARMAR mailed a letter to the Sant Nirankari Mission in West Chicago, Ill. The letter stated, “CANCEL US CANADA TOUR IMMEDIATELY SRS ATTACK PLANNED.” The threat coincided with the visit of the Mission’s spiritual leader, Satguru Mata Sudiksha Ji Maharaj, who was touring the United States and Canada that summer, including scheduled appearances in Chicago and Atlanta, Ga. At least four other Sant Nirankari Missions in the United States received identical letters that summer, and all of them were postmarked from the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Parmar, 33, of Lawrenceville, Ga., was found guilty on Wednesday of mailing a threatening communication. The jury returned its verdict after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The conviction is punishable by up to five years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly set sentencing for March 4, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.
The conviction 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Atlanta Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kavitha J. Babu and Ramon Villalpando.
Fall River Woman Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy.
Cory Primo, 43, of Fall River, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Angel Kelley to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Primo was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the three victims in this matter. In August 2025, Primo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. She was among six individuals charged in July 2024.
From in and around April 2023 until August 2023, Primo conspired with others to traffic a Massachusetts adult woman and two minors. Primo indicated that she started helping her co-defendant sell the victims because she was “broke.” Primo sent pictures of the victims to sex buyers, communicated with sex buyers to schedule commercial sex acts and negotiated prices. Primo joked about her role in the conspiracy, referring to it as like “playing a game of Tetris.” She also encouraged another co-defendant to be violent toward the victims and expressed indifference to what the victims had to endure, as long as they continued to make money.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Somerset Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former Vipd Commissioner and Former Omb Director Found Guilty on All Counts in Federal Corruption TrialRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Ray Martinez, former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), were found guilty on all counts following a one-week jury trial before United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney. Martinez and O’Neal were convicted of participating in a wide-ranging public corruption scheme involving honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and, in Martinez’s case, obstruction of justice.
“Public corruption erodes trust in government and interferes with the provision of important services to the community,” said United States Attorney Adam Sleeper. “These convictions show that those who violate the public trust, whoever they are, will be held accountable.”
“Today’s verdict delivers a clear message: no one is above the law,” said Joe Rodriguez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office, which covers the US Virgin Islands. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to rebuild public trust, which is the foundation of our democracy.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Martinez accepted nearly $100,000 in bribe payments from contractor David Whitaker—including cash, luxury travel, personal expenses, private-school tuition, and restaurant equipment—and used his official authority to approve invoices and award Whitaker a $1.4 million dollar contract funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. O’Neal, who served as the territory’s chief budget official, knowingly approved a $70,000 inflated invoice under that same contract and later accepted a $17,730 lease payment for her business, Java Grande, using federal funds from the inflated invoice.
The evidence further showed that, after learning of the federal investigation, Martinez attempted to obstruct justice by directing Whitaker to destroy evidence and by creating a fraudulent promissory note in an effort to conceal bribe payments. Martinez and O’Neal each face significant statutory penalties, including terms of imprisonment, and fines. Sentencing dates will be scheduled by the Court.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency investigated the case, in collaboration with the Virgin Islands Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Alexandre
Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro for the District of the Virgin Islands are prosecuting the case.Executive Director of Black Lives Matter OKC Charged with Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal grand jury Indictment has been unsealed, charging TASHELLA SHERI AMORE DICKERSON, 52, of Oklahoma City, with wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to the Indictment, beginning in at least 2016, Dickerson served as the Executive Director of Black Lives Matter OKC (BLMOKC). As Executive Director, Dickerson had access to BLMOKC’s bank, PayPal, and Cash App accounts.
The Indictment alleges that, although BLMOKC was not a registered tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, it accepted charitable donations through its affiliation with the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), based in Arizona. AFGJ served as a fiscal sponsor to BLMOKC and required BLMOKC to use its funds only as permitted by Section 501(c)(3). AFGJ also required BLMOKC to fully account upon request for the disbursement of all funds received and prohibited BLMOKC from using its funds to purchase real estate without AFGJ’s consent.
Beginning in late spring 2020, BLMOKC raised funds to support its social justice mission from online donors, as well as from national bail funds. In total, BLMOKC raised more than $5.6 million, which included grants from national bail funds, including the Community Justice Exchange, Massachusetts Bail Fund, and Minnesota Freedom Fund. Most of those funds were routed through AFGJ, as fiscal sponsor, to BLMOKC.
According to the Indictment, BLMOKC was supposed to use these national bail fund grants to post pretrial bail for individuals arrested in connection with protests for racial justice after the death of George Floyd. When bail funds were returned to BLMOKC, the national bail funds sometimes allowed BLMOKC to keep all or a portion of the grant funding to establish a revolving bail fund, or for BLMOKC’s social justice mission, as permitted by Section 501(c)(3).
Despite the stated purpose of the money raised, and the terms and conditions of the grants, the Indictment alleges that beginning in June 2020 and continuing through at least October 2025, Dickerson embezzled funds from BLMOKC’s accounts for her personal benefit. The Indictment alleges Dickerson deposited at least $3.15 million in returned bail checks into her personal accounts, rather than into BLMOKC’s accounts. Among other things, Dickerson then used these funds to pay for:
- recreational travel to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic for herself and her associates;
- tens of thousands of dollars in retail shopping;
- at least $50,000 in food and grocery deliveries for herself and her children;
- a personal vehicle registered in her name; and
- six real properties in Oklahoma City deeded in her own name or in the name Equity International, LLC, an entity she exclusively controlled.
The Indictment further alleges that Dickerson used interstate wire communications to submit two false annual reports to AFGJ on behalf of BLMOKC. Dickerson reported that she had used BLMOKC funds only for tax-exempt purposes. She did not disclose that she used funds for her personal benefit.
On December 3, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a 25-count Indictment, charging Dickerson with 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. For each count of wire fraud, Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. For each count of money laundering, Dickerson faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that Dickerson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Dillon and Jessica L. Perry are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Everett Man Pleads Guilty to Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man pleaded guilty today to trafficking more than half a dozen firearms, including AM-15 rifles.
Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2026. Da Silva Soares was charged by criminal complaint in January 2025 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.
Between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied firearms for sale in Eastern Massachusetts. Specifically, on Aug. 26, 2024, Da Silva Soares delivered two AM-15 rifles and sold them for $6,000 in a parking lot in Malden. On Sept. 11, 2024, Da Silva Soares participated in another sale involving a total of five firearms (consisting of rifles, pistols and a shotgun) outside a residence in Milford.
The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Malden and Milford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Dorchester Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester man pleaded guilty yesterday to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Robert Campbell, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2027. Campbell was charged in January 2025 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025.
On Jan. 28, 2025, in Dorchester, Campbell possessed a Glock 32, .357 caliber handgun, 14 rounds of .357 caliber ammunition, 40 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition and 75 rounds of 9mm ammunition, after having been convicted of a felony.
The charge of being a felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Grady and Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
Crypto-Enabled Fraudster Sentenced for Orchestrating $40 Billion FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that DO HYEONG KWON was sentenced to 15 years in prison for committing wire fraud and conspiring to commit securities fraud, commodities fraud, and wire fraud in connection with KWON’s fraud centered around Terraform Labs PTE, Ltd. (“Terraform”), and the cryptocurrencies launched by Terraform. KWON was extradited on December 31, 2024, and pled guilty in August 2025 before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Do Kwon devised elaborate schemes to mislead investors and inflate the value of Terraform’s cryptocurrencies for his own benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “When his crimes caught up to him, Kwon embarked on a deceptive public relations campaign to cover up his fraud, laundered the proceeds of his illegal schemes, and sought to purchase political protection in foreign countries to evade criminal prosecution. Let there be no mistake, fraud is fraud whether it takes place on our streets, in our securities markets, or in our emerging and important digital asset ecosystem, and no matter where in the world criminals may seek refuge, the women and men of the Southern District of New York will relentlessly pursue justice for investors and protect the integrity of financial markets.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment and statements made in public court filings and proceedings:
From at least in or about 2018, up to and including in or about 2022, KWON orchestrated schemes to defraud purchasers of cryptocurrencies created and issued by Terraform. Terraform was a blockchain and cryptocurrency company co-founded by KWON in 2018. Terraform distinguished the Terra blockchain from other competing blockchains by issuing so-called algorithmic stablecoins pursuant to what it called the “Terra Protocol.” According to KWON and others, Terraform stablecoins maintained a steady value even under changing market conditions. In or around September 2020, Terraform publicly announced the launch of Terraform’s stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, TerraUSD (“UST”). Terraform promotional materials claimed that, under the Terra Protocol, one UST could always be exchanged for $1 worth of LUNA, the Terra blockchain’s native token. Conversely, $1 worth of LUNA could always be exchanged for one UST.
KWON claimed that Terraform had used blockchain technology to create a self-contained, decentralized financial world with its own money, payment system, stock market, and savings bank. KWON presented Terraform as having developed functioning, reliable financial technologies on the cutting edge of a movement towards “decentralized finance” (or “DeFi”), in that Terraform’s products purportedly operated largely through automated mechanisms and economic incentives, and that Terraform’s systems were governed by their users rather than by KWON and his associates and subordinates.
In fact, core Terraform products did not work as KWON advertised and were manipulated to create the illusion of a functioning and decentralized financial system in order to lure investors. KWON engaged in this deceptive conduct in order to pump up the value of Terraform’s cryptocurrencies, which KWON and entities he controlled (a) possessed in large amounts and (b) sold to investors in exchange for billions of dollars’ worth of other assets.
The misrepresentations that KWON made in furtherance of his schemes to defraud included the following:
- The Stablecoin Misrepresentations: KWON lied about the effectiveness of the system that lay at the heart of Terraform’s cryptocurrency empire, the “Terra Protocol,” which purportedly used a computer algorithm to maintain the value of Terraform’s so-called “stablecoin” pegged to the U.S. dollar, TerraUSD (“UST”), at a value of $1 for one UST. Beginning at least in or about 2020, KWON and his associates advertised the Terra Protocol, including the economic incentives it created in the market, as sufficient on its own to maintain parity between one UST and one U.S. dollar. In particular, KWON claimed that the Terra Protocol on its own had caused the successful restoration of UST’s $1 value after it dropped below 92 cents in or about May 2021. That was a lie. In truth, after the Terra Protocol on its own failed to cause the restoration of UST’s $1 peg in May 2021, KWON reached an agreement with executives at a high-frequency trading firm (the “Trading Firm”) to have the Trading Firm purchase large amounts of UST to artificially support UST’s $1 peg. UST’s $1 peg was restored in May 2021 only after the Trading Firm strategically purchased millions of dollars of UST for the purpose of artificially propping up the peg.
- The LFG Misrepresentations: KWON lied about the governance of the Luna Foundation Guard Ltd. (the “LFG”), a purportedly independent body the creation of which KWON publicly announced in or about January 2022. KWON claimed that the LFG was managed by a governing body that operated independently of Terraform and was tasked with deploying billions of dollars’ worth of financial reserves to defend UST’s peg. In truth, KWON simultaneously controlled both the LFG and Terraform at all relevant times following the creation of the LFG; operated the LFG as an arm of Terraform rather than as an independent entity; repeatedly made significant financial decisions for the LFG without the prior approval of its governing body; and treated the LFG’s funds as interchangeable with Terraform’s funds when it suited KWON’s interests, resulting in KWON misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars in assets from the LFG. KWON and others acting at his direction then sought to launder those misappropriated funds using a variety of transactions designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the funds.
- The Mirror Misrepresentations: KWON lied about the control, operation, and extent of user adoption of an investing application on the Terra blockchain called Mirror Protocol (“Mirror”), that purportedly allowed for the creation, buying, and selling of synthetic versions of stocks listed on United States securities exchanges. KWON claimed that Mirror operated in a decentralized manner and that he and Terraform played no role in Mirror’s governance. In truth, KWON and Terraform secretly maintained control over Mirror, and used automated trading bots to manipulate the prices of synthetic assets issued by Mirror. KWON funded those manipulative trading bots in part by using a supply of one billion stablecoins that he created at the genesis of the Terra blockchain (the “Genesis Stablecoins”). KWON also caused Terraform to inflate key user metrics to deceive investors about the extent of Mirror’s adoption and decentralization.
- The Chai Misrepresentations: KWON falsely claimed that the Terra blockchain was being used to process billions of dollars in financial transactions for the Korean payment-processing application Chai. KWON pointed to Chai’s purported use of the Terra blockchain as evidence that Terra had “real world” applications or uses, as distinct from competing cryptocurrency platforms. In truth, Chai processed transactions through traditional financial processing networks, not the Terra blockchain. To create the illusion that Chai processed transactions through the Terra blockchain, KWON and his co-conspirators used an automated process that copied transactions onto the Terra blockchain. KWON used the Genesis Stablecoins in part to fund these fraudulent efforts.
- The Genesis Coin Misrepresentations: When the Terra blockchain was first established in or about 2019, KWON arranged for it to have a preexisting supply of approximately one billion Terra stablecoins (the Genesis Stablecoins). KWON provided limited, shifting, and knowingly false disclosures to investors about the Genesis Stablecoins. Rather than using the Genesis Stablecoins solely for the purposes set forth in disclosures to investors, KWON used the Genesis Stablecoins for fraudulent purposes, such as funding (i) fake Chai blockchain transactions and (ii) trading bots to manipulate the prices of synthetic assets issued by Mirror.
Enticed, in part, by the fraudulent claims of KWON, both institutional and retail investors flocked to the Terra blockchain, such that, at its peak in the spring of 2022, the total market value of all UST and another Terraform cryptocurrency, LUNA, exceeded $50 billion. KWON solicited and obtained investments from several investment firms in the United States and other locations, with the investments primarily consisting of agreements for the purchase or loan of Terraform’s cryptocurrencies built on the Terra blockchain. Much of this growth followed KWON’s brazen deceptions about Terraform and its technology, including efforts by KWON and his associates to paper over UST’s vulnerabilities in May 2021 by secretly manipulating the market for UST.
By May 2022, UST’s peg began to break again. By this time, the UST market was approximately nine times larger in terms of market capitalization and more than eight times larger in terms of daily trading volume relative to one year prior, in May 2021, when KWON sought to deceptively manipulate UST to maintain its $1 value. While KWON was able to cover up the weaknesses of the Terra Protocol in May 2021, he was not able to do so in May 2022 when the market had expanded substantially. As a result, UST and LUNA crashed, resulting in over $40 billion worth in investor losses.
After the crash of UST and LUNA in May 2022, and the initiation of government investigations in multiple jurisdictions into the crash, KWON sought to continue Terraform’s business operations and made public remarks about being in “full cooperation” with law enforcement inquiries. In truth, KWON sought to evade accountability. In a recorded conversation with an associate in or about August 2022, for example, KWON stated, in substance and in part, that his strategy with law enforcement investigating the crash of UST and LUNA was to “tell them to fuck off,” and that he had been taking steps to obtain “political protection” from multiple countries and was “pretty comfortable” that he would not be extradited to face criminal charges.
On or about March 23, 2023, KWON was arrested in Montenegro for trying to use a fraudulent passport.
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In addition to the prison term, KWON, 34, of the Republic of Korea, was ordered to forfeit over $19 million in proceeds from his illegal schemes, including his interest in Terraform and its cryptocurrencies.
Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit, FBI’s Economic Crimes Unit, FBI’s International Operations Division, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance. Mr. Clayton further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which previously conducted a separate civil action against KWON. Mr. Clayton commended the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Montenegro and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea for their cooperation and assistance in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marguerite B. Colson, Sarah Mortazavi, and Kimberly Ravener are in charge of the prosecution.
Convicted Murderer Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Assaulting Detention OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Antonio Chaco, a convicted murderer already serving a federal prison sentence for the 2020 murder of Thomas Brown, received additional prison time for attacking a CoreCivic detention officer while in federal custody awaiting that murder trial.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on November 5, 2024, Chaco, 42, assaulted a CoreCivic detention officer at the Cibola County Correctional Center. After the officer opened Chaco’s cell door, Chaco launched a surprise attack, punching her repeatedly in the face, attempting to throw her over a second-floor railing, and then taking her to the ground, where he straddled and strangled her.
Following the assault, medical staff evaluated the officer and documented bruising and swelling on the left side of her face, and she later sought additional treatment at a local hospital for neck, arm, and facial pain.
At the time of the assault, Chaco was in federal custody awaiting trial in connection with the 2020 killing of Thomas Brown, whom he beat and abandoned in the To’Hajiilee wilderness without food, water, or shelter. Chaco later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in that case and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
In this case, the Court imposed a second 46-month term of imprisonment for the assault. 24 months of that sentence will run consecutively, resulting in an additional two-year period of incarceration beyond the 17-year sentence Chaco is already serving.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and United States Marshal David Barnett made the announcement today.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones and Brittany DuChaussee prosecuted both cases.
Convicted Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a convicted felon for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Marty Dwayne Beasley, 48, of Hackleburg, Alabama, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, on March 12, 2024, Beasley illegally possessed a Jennings .22 caliber pistol. Beasley is prohibited from possessing a firearm following prior felony convictions, including convictions on November 29, 2018, of the offense of Sexual Abuse First Degree; on August 4, 2010 of Attempted Unlawful Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance and Attempted Possession of a Controlled Substance; and on February 1, 2006, of the offense of Theft of Property, all in the Circuit Court of Franklin County, Alabama; and on August 6, 2010, of the offense of Unlawful Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County, Alabama.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Judah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Company to Pay $102,000 to Resolve Civil Fraud Allegations Related to Pandemic LoanRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that WP Deli LLC (WP Deli), a Colorado business, and its majority owner and chief executive, Robert Montuoro, of Stratton, Vermont, will pay $102,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by misusing funds procured through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the settlement agreement, WP Deli, through Mr. Montuoro, submitted an application for a PPP loan in May 2020. The PPP was established pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the program, small businesses could receive loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) would forgive if the PPP regulations were followed, including rules related to eligible uses of PPP loan proceeds.
The SBA approved WP Deli’s loan application, and the company received $40,915 for use on payroll and other authorized expenses. Yet, the government’s investigation revealed that in June 2020, Mr. Montuoro diverted some of the PPP funds to cover his own improper, personal expenses. In March 2021, WP Deli, through Mr. Montuoro, submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application, falsely certifying that the PPP requirements for use of the loan had been met. The government alleges that this knowing misuse of the PPP loan violated the False Claims Act, a civil fraud statute.
“PPP loans were meant to provide a lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic but instead were often misused,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “This office will continue to pursue businesses and individuals who wrongly exploited pandemic programs and to recover ill-gotten funds on behalf of taxpayers.”
To resolve the claims against them, WP Deli and Mr. Montuoro jointly have agreed to pay to the United States a total of $102,000. This amount reflects Mr. Montuoro’s acceptance of responsibility and cooperation with the government investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Cate and Lauren Almquist Lively handled this matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Investigative support was provided by the United States Secret Service and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
The settlement agreement is available at this link: Settlement Agreement USAVT and WP Deli