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Tuesday 30 September 2025
Former Children’s Physician Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Chicago, Illinois, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 48 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Ashok Panigrahy, 54. Judge Wiegand also ordered Panigrahy to pay a $25,000 fine, a $17,000 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA), a $5,000 assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA), and $10,000 in restitution to his minor victims.
According to information presented to the Court, from on or about November 21, 2022, through on or about November 22, 2022, Panigrahy knowingly possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. At the time of his criminal conduct, Panigrahy was a children’s physician in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The Sentencing Memo submitted by the United States explained the following: “The nature and circumstances of the Defendant’s offense is extremely serious. While Panigrahy did not possess a vast collection of child sexual abuse material, the circumstances of Panigrahy’s possession demonstrated that he obtained his material through online conversations on an encrypted platform with other like-minded individuals. The child sexual abuse material Panigrahy saved was all video content, which is arguably more egregious, and included some depictions of very young victims, including toddlers and prepubescent minors being sexually abused. Such conduct is unacceptable, period. However, it is more reprehensible when it is committed clandestinely by an individual who is entrusted with caring for children and is given privileged access to a facility dedicated to helping and treating children. Thus, beyond victimizing the children whose depictions of sexual abuse he possessed, the Defendant’s conduct represents a disturbing betrayal of trust to our community of children and their families in the Western District of Pennsylvania.”
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations (Pittsburgh and Chicago) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Panigrahy.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Area Soccer Coach Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.
James Kooima, age 47, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 in the amount of $5,000, a special assessment to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance in the amount of $7,500, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon release from federal prison, Kooima must register as a sex offender.
Kooima was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 12, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from an incident in the winter of 2023, when Kooima used Snapchat to befriend a 14-year-old girl from Maine. He manipulated her into believing they were in a romantic relationship, then coerced her into creating and sending him sexually explicit videos and images of herself, including images in which she was using an object to penetrate her vagina.
“Online sexual predators are among the most serious threats to children and adolescents in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Unfortunately, it is becoming almost commonplace to see adolescents targeted through applications like Snapchat and pressured into sending compromising photos and videos of themselves. We must remain vigilant in monitoring online activity and educating our children about the risks associated with social media.”
This case was investigated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and DCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Kooima was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Five San Fernando Valley Street Gang Affiliates Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Local Crime BossRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Five members and associates of the San Fernando Valley-based Vanowen Street Locos and Elmwood Rifa 13 gangs were arrested today on federal criminal complaints – four of them charged with taking part in a murder-for-hire plot targeting an Armenian Organized Crime boss but which instead resulted in his significant other getting shot and wounded in front of their two young children earlier this year.
The defendants arrested today are:
- Carlos Armando Ochoa Grimaldi, 47, a.k.a. “Spanky,” of Sylmar;
- Christopher Ayala, 29, a.k.a. “Hits,” of Sylmar;
- Edir De La Cruz, 34, a.k.a. “Temper,” of Van Nuys; and
- Maria de Jesus Mares, 39, a.k.a. “Mary Oceans,” of Van Nuys.
Also arrested on a complaint today was Vanowen Street Locos gang member Jose de Jesus Gonzalez, Jr., 49, a.k.a. “Listo,” of Llano, who is separately charged in connection with the August 2023 shooting of Vahan Harutyunyan, 49, of Hollywood, Florida, who is now in federal custody on kidnapping charges. Approximately five firearms, a silencer, firearm parts, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition were seized during the search warrant services.
Grimaldi, Ayala, De La Cruz, and Mares are charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Gonzalez is charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The defendants are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
According to affidavits filed with the complaints, Armenian Organized Crime, a Russian Mafia and Mexican Mafia-affiliated transnational criminal organization, has made Los Angeles County a center of its U.S. operations. Since 2022, two local leaders within the organization, also known as avtoritet, which in Russian means “authority,” allegedly have engaged in a power struggle for control in their territory, resulting in multiple assaults, murder attempts, and a kidnapping.
Robert Amiryan, 47, of Hollywood, an avtoritet, has been the target of an assault and attempted murders ordered by a rival avtoritet, Ara Artuni, 41, of Porter Ranch. Amiryan and Artuni are in federal custody after being charged earlier this year with a series of crimes and are scheduled to go on trial in December 2025 and August 2026, respectively.
Artuni is principally charged with ordering the murder of Amiryan on multiple occasions in 2023. In retaliation, Amiryan conspired with members of his own criminal organization to kidnap and torture one of Artuni’s associates in June 2023.
In early 2025, Grimaldi, Ayala, De La Cruz, and others began stalking Amiryan and renewed efforts to kill him. For example, in February 2025, Ayala informed De La Cruz that he and others were still working “on th[e] job” to kill Amiryan.
On March 14, 2025, Grimaldi and Vahagn Stepanyan, 40, of Burbank, shot and wounded Amiryan’s significant other as she arrived home in her car with their two children. Stepanyan is currently in federal custody and is charged with racketeering, fraud, and firearms offenses.
After the shooting, Mares called De La Cruz and reported that the “job [was] done,” and Stepanyan would pay her $50,000 for her role as the getaway driver, according to court documents. In the days afterward, Mares told De La Cruz, that she believed she would not be getting paid because “it was the wife not him.” Stepanyan ultimately paid Mares a reduced rate because Amiryan was not killed.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The Los Angeles Police Department Major Crimes Division – Transnational Organized Crime Section; the Burbank Police Department; Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Northridge and Ventura offices; the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); IRS Criminal Investigation; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Major Crimes Section and Tara B. Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. The Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section provided substantial assistance.
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.
Felon Sentenced to 36-Months in Daylight Shooting with an Illegal PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dewayne Keith Miles, 29, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36-months in prison in connection with firing a gun in the air 13 times in a residential neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Miles pleaded guilty June 30 to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 36-month prison term, Judge John D. Bates ordered Miles to serve 3 years of supervised release.
This prosecution comes under the auspices of Make D.C. Safe Again, a program that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
According to court documents, on March 15, 2025, about 3:30 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were investigating a robbery on the 4400 block of E Street, SE.
Officers heard several gunshots and looked for their origin. On the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE, officers saw Miles holding a pistol above his head and firing the gun into the air.
Miles fled into a nearby building. At the same time, officers found 13 cartridge casings on the street. A short distance from casings by a curb, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson, SD9 pistol. A records check determined the handgun had been reported stolen.
Miles ultimately surrendered and police transported him to the Sixth District. In a search at the cell block, police discovered Miles had a live round of 9mm ammunition in his pocked, consistant with the ammo found at the scene of the shooting.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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Federal grand jury indicts Niagara Falls man on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Charles Barker, 70, of Niagara Falls, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, attempt to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between June 11 and June 17, 2025, Barker conspired with others to receive large amounts of methamphetamine at his Niagara Falls residence and then sell the methamphetamine. On June 17, 2025, a search of Barker’s residence recovered large amounts of methamphetamine, along with drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash. Barker also possessed a shotgun and ammunition. In April 2012, he was convicted of a felony in Niagara County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Barker was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on home confinement.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Jury Finds Charleston Man and Woman Guilty of Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After five days of trial, a federal jury convicted Tiwan Robert Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 49, and Carrie Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 52, both of Charleston, on Monday, September 29, 2025, for their roles in a sex trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Charleston and Rand areas of Kanawha County.
Evidence at trial showed that between November 2023 and July 2024, Bailey trafficked four different female victims, including a 17-year-old girl, requiring each to engage in commercial sex acts and provide all they money they received to him. Bailey also obstructed the federal investigation of the sex trafficking conspiracy by seeking to interfere with any potential cooperation and testimony by the minor female victim. Bailey coerced his adult victims through threats and violence, including by sending them threatening voice messages through Facebook Messenger and physically beating and sexual assaulting them. Bailey supplied drugs to the victims who suffered from substance use disorders and withheld drugs from them as punishment.
Roy aided and abetted Bailey and conspired with him and others in the trafficking of the minor female. Roy also transported the three adult victims to and from meetings for commercial sex acts and collected money from these acts for Bailey.
Bailey became a fugitive after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the case on July 23, 2024. The United States Marshals Service (USMS) captured Bailey on January 17, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky.
The jury found Bailey and Roy guilty of one count each of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor. The jury also found Bailey guilty of three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and one count of obstruction of justice.
Bailey and Roy are scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026. Bailey faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. Roy faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
“Bailey was particularly brutal in his mistreatment of the victims of this case, subjecting them to violent threats and assaults. Sex trafficking is a depraved crime of exploitation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is committed to delivering justice for the victims of sex trafficking,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Charleston Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work in this case, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the West Virginia Fusion Center for the assistance they provided. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Jennifer D. Gordon and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on all counts against Bailey and Roy.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the jury trial.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-118.
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Federal Detainee Sentenced for Possessing and Distributing Contraband Inside the Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center detainee who admitted to participating in a conspiracy with several other individuals, including a now former correctional officer, to possess and distribute contraband inside the facility was sentenced today to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Matthew Pizarro, 36, previously admitted to a federal judge that he conspired with another detainee and others outside the facility to arrange for the delivery and distribution of contraband that was delivered by now former Correctional Officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones of Smithfield.
Wyatt Detention Center video surveillance records show that on February 14, 2021, Correctional Officer Almeida-Falcone visited Pizarro’s cell for less than a minute after which Pizzaro then visited the cell of another detainee, Emmanuel Nolasco, 38, where he remained for less than a minute.
A strip search of Nolasco revealed a package containing suboxone strips while a search of Pizarro’s cell revealed a plastic bottle containing 4.5 grams of marijuana that was located inside Pizarro’s pillowcase.
The suboxone strips were sent to a lab and confirmed to be 201 strips, 5 of which were partial strips, containing buprenorphine, which is an ingredient in Suboxone, a Schedule III controlled substance.
Pizarro pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of Suboxone, and possession of contraband by an inmate. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Kaii Almeida-Falcones was sentenced on November 14, 2024, to six months in federal prison to be followed by twenty-four months of supervised release - the first six months to be served on home confinement. He pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to the charge of providing contraband to an inmate.
Emmanuel Nolasco was sentenced on November 3, 2024, to forty-eight months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2023, to charges of possession with intent to distribute Suboxone, possession of contraband by an inmate, and possession with intent to distribute Suboxone.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center.
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Federal Correctional Officer Arrested for Sexual Abuse of A Federal Inmate and Receipt of A Bribe by A Public OfficialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Cornelius Alexander Thompson (38, Ocala) with one count of sexual abuse of a ward in federal custody and one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official. If convicted on all counts, Thompson faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Thompson that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $24,550, representing the proceeds of the bribery offense.
According to the indictment, Thompson was a public official and employed by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman). Between January 2020 and August 9, 2023, Thompson engaged in a sexual act with a federal inmate under Thompson’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority at the prison. Furthermore, between January 2020 and April 29, 2024, Thompson received money in return for being influenced to smuggle contraband into FCC Coleman. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Dominican Authorities Extradite to the United States an International Drug Supplier Who Coordinated Local Distribution Through Encrypted Messaging AppsRead the Press Release
Dominican Authorities Extradite to the United States an International Drug Supplier Who Coordinated Local Distribution Through Encrypted Messaging Apps
CONCORD – A Dominican man has been extradited from the Dominican Republic and arrested in connection with his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl to New Hampshire residents, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Starlin Alexander Valdez De Los Santos, 35, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically more than 40 grams of fentanyl. He appeared in federal court on September 30, 2025.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, during the course of the conspiracy, the defendant operated a significant drug distribution network, which involved coordination of suppliers and local distributors over an extended period and utilized sophisticated communication methods to avoid detection while residing outside the United States. The years-long investigation into the defendant’s activities resulted in the total seizure of more than 750 grams of fentanyl during eight undercover purchase operations in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Hudson Police Department provided valuable assistance. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic in securing the arrest and extradition from the Dominican Republic of Valdez De Los Santos. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cuban National Admits to Interstate Methamphetamine and Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christian Mur-Santana, age 39, a Cuban national residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty on Friday to conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution charges in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
Mur-Santana admitted that between April and July 2023, he mailed several packages containing pure methamphetamine and fentanyl from Las Vegas to co-conspirator drug distributors in the Capital Region. During the conspiracy, Mur-Santana used the U.S. Mail to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 grams of pressed pills containing fentanyl. In September 2023, law enforcement searched Mur-Santana’s Las Vegas residence and recovered approximately 391 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Christian Mur-Santana, while a guest in this country, repeatedly shipped deadly and addictive drugs, several thousand miles, to the Capital Region. He will now be serving at least 10 years in prison. Mailing highly toxic and lethal substances through the U.S. Mail places our Postal workers in danger. We will aggressively pursue abuse of our U.S. Mail system by dangerous criminals like Mur-Santana. I am grateful for and commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal law enforcement partners who worked this important case.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated: “The DEA remains committed to stopping the flow of dangerous substances, like methamphetamine and counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, from reaching our towns and communities. Today’s plea is the result of the tireless work the DEA and our law enforcement partners do when targeting those who weaponize our mail system to traffic illicit narcotics and ensuring justice is delivered. We remain committed to targeting those responsible for fueling addiction and causing needless deaths from the poison they push.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes very seriously any abuse of our nation’s mail system for criminal purposes. Today’s plea is the result of rigorous investigative work and demonstrates that the U.S. Mail is not a safe harbor for drug traffickers. We will continue to safeguard the integrity of the mail and support efforts to protect public health and safety.”
Mur-Santana was one of nine defendants to be charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:
- Todd Austin was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Ahmad Burke was sentenced to 14 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025;
- Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025; and
- Keisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2026.
Charges against the remaining defendant, Felix Arencibia, are pending. The charges in the indictment against Felix Arencibia are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
At sentencing, Mur-Santana faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on January 23, 2026, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
These cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Convicted felon going to prison on new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joshua Zak, 46, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Colleen M. McCarthy, who handled the case, stated that in May 2018, Zak was convicted of receipt of child pornography and sentenced to serve 72 months in prison and 20 years supervised release, which began in May 2022. In March 2023, a United States Probation Officer interviewed Zak during a home visit, during which he admitted to using a smart phone that he found at his mother's residence to view pornography. Zak also admitted that he found an old SD card that was not located by law enforcement when he was previously arrested. A few days later, U.S. Probation met Zak at his mother's residence, where he led officers to a trash bag that contained several electronic devices, as well as an SD card. A review of the SD card recovered more than 600 images and videos of child pornography, some of which included depictions of violence against children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Civil Rights Division Files the First Department of Justice Affirmative Lawsuit in Support of Gun OwnersRead the Press Release
The Civil Rights Division today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department due to their pattern or practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits. This lawsuit is the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. On March 27, 2025, the Division initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation due to numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After analysis of data and documents spanning over 8,000 CCW permit applications, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants.
“The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it. This Department of Justice will continue to fight for the Second Amendment.”
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.”
“Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.”
Shortly after Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from over 8,000 applications, and that the Sheriff’s Department set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit is filed within the Federal Central District of California.
This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office.
If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email [email protected]. The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Chinese national charged in international drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Chinese national illegally residing in the U.S. was charged by criminal complaint yesterday with participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that used a virtual mailbox service (VMS), including one in Wasilla, Alaska, to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico into the U.S. and then to other countries, specifically New Zealand.
According to court documents, Zukai He, 42, entered the U.S. illegally in 2017 and was subject to an order of removal from September 2024. Court documents further allege that, while illegally living in the U.S., Zukai He allegedly stole personally identifiable information from a California resident to open an account at the Wasilla VMS. In January 2024, law enforcement officials obtained two parcels sent to the fraudulent VMS account that were ultimately destined for New Zealand and obtained federal search warrants to search the packages. Law enforcement officials found close to three kilograms of methamphetamine in the parcels. One parcel had drugs concealed inside a heat transfer stamping machine and the other had drugs concealed inside a 3D printer.
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska U.S. Attorney's Office, District of AlaskaIn May 2024, law enforcement officials further learned that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) seized four parcels mailed from post offices in Phoenix, Arizona, that were destined for New Zealand. Each parcel contained over one kilogram of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officials identified a fifth similar parcel mailed from Arizona destined for New Zealand. CBP intercepted the parcel and discovered over one kilogram of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement officials identified Zukai He as the individual allegedly mailing the parcels containing drugs. In total, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine that Zukai He allegedly tried to traffic through the mail.
On Sept. 8, 2025, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant on Zukai He’s residence in California. Federal authorities arrested Zukai He and seized 14 cell phones, two laptops, 25 point-of-sale systems, over six kilograms of a substance consistent with methamphetamine, over $13,000 in cash and various financial documents. The financial documents included information for nine suspected shell or front businesses registered in California, Colorado, Maryland and New York. The businesses were in either Zukai He’s name or under names of victims whose identities were allegedly stolen.
Zukai He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Zukai He is in federal custody and will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division Office and Special Agent in Charge David Reames of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile and the DEA Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office are investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Chester County Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Valuable Coins from Bank Safe Deposit BoxRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard DiStefano, 65, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on one count of bank larceny.
DiStefano was charged by information with that offense earlier this month, arising from his theft of coins from the bank where the owning organization was keeping them.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, starting in July of 2017 and going through February 25, 2021, the defendant stole precious coins that were being stored in a safety deposit box at a Wells Fargo branch on the 100 block of South Broad Street.
In June of 2024, the FBI was notified that this theft had occurred. Subsequently, the FBI was able to obtain records showing that the defendant was the last person to have access to the safety deposit box.
In September of 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at the defendant’s address. During the execution of the search warrant, the defendant admitted to stealing the coins. The investigation showed that, over the course of years, the defendant had removed the coins from the safety deposit box and sold the coins at various auction houses. The coins’ appraised value was just over $1.6 million.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2026, and faces a maximum possible term of 10 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Charles County Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Commercial Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 44, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 14 years in federal prison for committing four armed robberies while using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); Sheriff Troy D. Berry, Charles County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
According to court documents, Harris and his co-conspirators planned and committed armed robberies of two businesses in Prince George’s County, one business in Charles County, and one business in Montgomery County. On March 23, and March 28, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed two convenience stores in Prince George’s County, stealing cash from the registers and several packs of cigarettes. Harris brandished a pistol-grip shotgun during both robberies.
Then on April 5, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Charles County, stealing cash from the registers and the wallet and phone of a store employee. Harris also brandished a pistol-grip shotgun and held the store employee at gunpoint while pinning a customer into a wall corner with his forearm.
On April 6, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Montgomery County, stealing cash from the register and a store employee’s purse and phone. Harris also brandished the same pistol-grip shotgun used in the earlier robberies.
Then on April 12, 2023, a PGPD officer observed the getaway vehicle Harris and his co-conspirators used in two of the robberies, resulting in a traffic stop. The occupants of the vehicle fled and escaped. Law enforcement recovered several items from the vehicle and submitted the items for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing. A subsequent DNA report revealed a high stringency match between Harris and a DNA sample from a bottle recovered from the vehicle.
On November 9, 2023, Charles County Sherriff’s Office detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for Harris’s storage unit. Detectives accessed the storage unit and identified the clothing items Harris wore and the same pistol-grip shotgun he used during the robberies.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the FBI, PGPD, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Cape Girardeau Men Sentenced for Stealing from Gun StoreRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who helped steal a pistol from a Cape Girardeau County gun store to 40 months in prison.
Danaje Raymond Webster and his co-defendant, Dayvion Jyraud Parker, will also have to pay restitution of $1,999. Parker was sentenced in March to 70 months in prison.
On June 17, 2024, Webster, of Cape Girardeau, removed a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from the display case at a federally licensed firearm dealer in Cape Girardeau County and handed it to Parker. Parker first hid the pistol under his jacket before handing it to Webster, who hid it between Parker’s back and the back of Parker’s wheelchair. Parker then bought ammunition and a magazine for a different firearm and both men left the store. After store employees noticed the missing pistol, they discovered the culprits by reviewing surveillance video.
On June 25, law enforcement officers performing a court-approved search of a home in Cape Girardeau found Parker, who is a felon, lying on a bed with two pistols between the bed frame and the wall. Both pistols were equipped with auto sears, or “switches,” converting them into fully automatic weapons.
Webster, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in July to one count of stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer. Parker, now 22, pleaded guilty in October of 2024 to five felonies: stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a machine gun.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.
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.
Canton Woman Pleads Guilty to SNAP Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, MS – A Canton woman pleaded guilty last week to stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford nutritious food.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nya Irving, also known as Nya Carter, 25, unlawfully acquired and used SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits in October and November 2023. Irving was a Customer Service Representative for Conduent from September 26, 2022, to November 20, 2023.Irving used her position to access and obtain SNAP and TANF benefits belonging to recipients throughout the United States, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and Tennessee without authorization.
Irving also provided EBT card data to her friend, Velton Taylor Williams, Jr., who was sentenced last week to five years’ probation for his role in the scheme. Irving and Williams used the stolen SNAP and TANF benefits for their personal gain. Irving obtained $41,587.87 in SNAP and $975.19 in TANF benefits without authorization. TANF benefits are intended for low-income families with children under the age of 18.
Irving pleaded guilty to Food Stamp Fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Deuchler of the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General made the announcement.
The United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
California Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Long Beach, California, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Derrick Polk, 62, on September 24, 2025, also ordering Polk to forfeit $399,000 in U.S. currency, a firearm, and various Rolex watches and jewelry valued at over $150,000.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Polk conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Further, in and around April 2021, Polk possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Polk was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Polk. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.Calhoun drug dealer who bit a federal agent sentenced to more than a decade in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - DeWayne Allen McGill, a convicted felon and methamphetamine dealer who bit two law enforcement officers and unlawfully possessed a firearm, has been sentenced to prison.
"Caught red-handed with almost three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine, McGill violently—but unsuccessfully—resisted arrest by brave, front-line crimefighters,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will aggressively prosecute anyone who threatens or injures a federal agent. In North Georgia, criminals will be held accountable for any attack on law enforcement.”
“This violent repeat offender thought he could continue to distribute deadly drugs with impunity,” stated Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This sentencing protects innocent families and shows DEA’s commitment to stopping violent drug traffickers.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 10, 2023, McGill sold approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine from his apartment in Calhoun, Georgia. On April 6, 2023, agents followed McGill from Calhoun to the Atlanta metro area, where he picked up methamphetamine from another man in a parking lot. Law enforcement stopped McGill and found over 300 grams of pure methamphetamine in his vehicle.
McGill tried to run from officers and resisted arrest, biting a DEA special agent and a Calhoun Police detective in the fracas. Agents later executed a search warrant on McGill’s apartment where they found additional methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm handgun. As a twice-convicted felon, McGill was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
DeWayne Allen McGill, a/k/a “Domino,” 40, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II, to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. McGill was convicted of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, assaulting a federal officer, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on March 3, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Calhoun Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Forsyth, III prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at;[email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is;http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Buffalo man going to prison for selling fentanylRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that James Clemons, a/k/a James Brown a/k/a Womp, 45, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who handled the case, stated that in February and March 2023, investigators with the New York State Police conducted four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Clemons. On March 4, 2023, Clemons was operating a Porsche Cayenne in Lancaster, NY. A Lancaster Police officer conducted a stop on the vehicle because the Porsche did not have an up-to-date inspection. The officer discovered that Clemons’ license had been revoked, and he was arrested. The officer search Clemons and recovered $1,720.50 in cash. A search of the vehicle recovered plastic bags of suspected fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia. On March 31, 2023, Clemons was arrested on a federal arrest warrant by the FBI, which seized multiple bags of suspected narcotics from Clemons.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Gummo.
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Buffalo man arrested on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Julius M. Hatten, 35, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of ammunition. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on September 25, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Hatten’s Eckhert Street residence. During the search, they seized 2,251 grams of suspected cocaine, 321 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 100 grams of suspected pressed/engraved fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia, two metal kilogram presses, 30 rounds of ammunition, two cell phones, and $21,740 cash. Law enforcement also searched Hatten’s vehicle, recovering 37 grams of crack cocaine, 11 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, and 17 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
In August 2011, Hatten was convicted of two felonies in Erie County Court and in August 2018, he was convicted of a felony in Federal Court. As a result, he is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Hatten made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Bucks County Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Adamsky, 66, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The defendant will make his initial appearance in federal court tomorrow.
The indictment alleges that, on or about June 15, 2024, Adamsky knowingly received a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment further alleges that Adamsky possessed two computers and two flash drives containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These depictions included prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years of age.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, the Warminster Township Police Department, Upper Merion Township Police Department, and Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen McCartney.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Armed Robbery of Southeast Liquor Store Nets DC Man Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Jameson, 60, of the District, was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court, to seven years in prison for the armed robbery of a liquor store on Minnesota Avenue in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Jameson pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025 to one count of armed robbery. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Jameson to seven years to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 6 p.m., on Feb. 16, 2025, Jameson walked into O’Connor’s Liquors, located in the 2900 block of Minnesota Avenue, Southeast, brandished a firearm at the store manager and took a box of Fireball shots (a whiskey liqueur) and several lottery tickets. The defendant attempted to take the cash register but was unsuccessful. He fled the store on foot.
Officers located Jameson later that evening still wearing the same distinctive clothing captured on the store’s CCTV cameras. A search of Jameson’s home yielded dozens of the Fireball shots and an imitation firearm.
Jameson was arrested on February 16, 2025 and has been in custody since. Jameson had previously been convicted multiple times of robbery in Maryland.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green, who prosecuted the case.
Allegany County man going to prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ronald J. Chapman, III, 42, of Wellsville, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that between May and November 30, 2023, Chapman possessed a cellular telephone, which contained approximately 45 images and videos of child pornography. The images included depictions of toddlers and prepubescent minors.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
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Accokeek Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced OJ Rashad Green, 36, aka “Ice,” of Accokeek, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl in the Accokeek, Maryland area.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
After a six-day trial in February 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Green, finding him guilty of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl, a controlled substance, on four separate occasions. According to the evidence presented at trial, from or about January 21, 2022, through September 28, 2022, Green repeatedly distributed fentanyl from a home in the Accokeek area.
Law enforcement arrested Green following a series of controlled purchases arranged by officers. These controlled buys provided evidence that Green was utilizing his home as a fentanyl distribution hub.
At sentencing, federal prosecutors presented additional evidence of the large quantity of fentanyl Green distributed over a period of several years. The prosecution also unveiled Green’s extensive distribution network within and outside of the Accokeek area and how Green exploited fentanyl-addicted individuals to work on his behalf as drug testers and drug runners.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA and Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Brooke Oki 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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Monday 29 September 2025
Zachary A. Keller Appointed to Serve as United States Attorney for the Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Zachary A. Keller has been appointed to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Mr. Keller took the oath of office in Monroe before Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty on September 29, 2025, where he was joined by family, friends, law enforcement partners, and students from West Monroe High School, his alma mater.
“I am grateful for the honor and privilege of serving my home district in this role,” said Mr. Keller. “Together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly to make Louisiana a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business by combatting violent crime, gangs, child predators, immigration and financial fraud, and other criminal activity.”
Mr. Keller joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida in 2021, serving in civil, criminal, and appellate sections before concluding his service as a Deputy Chief in the Major Crimes section. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he investigated, prosecuted, and tried federal crimes involving firearms, violence, immigration, drugs, child exploitation, and a wide range of other criminal offenses. Mr. Keller also served as the Project Safe Neighborhood coordinator for the Major Crimes section at the time of his departure, where he worked with local and federal law enforcement to prosecute gun crime. Before serving at the Department, Mr. Keller worked as a consumer protection staff attorney for the Federal Trade Commission and an associate attorney in private practice.
Mr. Keller grew up attending public schools in West Monroe, Louisiana, and attended college at Louisiana State University, where he earned his degree summa cum laude while attending on full scholarship. Mr. Keller then earned his law degree from Yale Law School.
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Keller is responsible for overseeing federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the Western District of Louisiana. Mr. Keller will lead a dedicated team of approximately 70 federal prosecutors and staff located in Shreveport and Lafayette. The Western District of Louisiana covers 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and roughly half its population, with offices in Shreveport, Lafayette, Alexandria, Monroe and Lake Charles.
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Violent Criminal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Elpidio Abelardo Perez-Perez, 33, of the country of Mexico, was sentenced to a year and one day in federal prison for illegal reentry by a removed alien. The sentenced was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This violent criminal alien repeatedly illegally re-entered our country after numerous prior deportations, and while unlawfully present here he continued to violate our laws. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from violent criminal aliens like this defendant who amply demonstrate a complete disregard for our national and state laws.”
Court records reflect that, on February 17, 2025, Perez-Perez was arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon and discharging a firearm in Escambia County. Through various record checks, investigators learned that Perez-Perez is a citizen of Mexico and was illegally in the country after having previously been encountered and deported by immigration authorities in 2010, 2012, and 2013.
The sentence was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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.
US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones Attends “Passing of the Gavel” Ceremony Honoring Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo OrshanRead the Press Release
MIAMI - U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones joined colleagues, judges, and community leaders at this year’s Passing of the Gavel ceremony, marking the investiture of Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan as Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Chief Judge Fajardo Orshan, who previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida during President Donald J. Trump’s first administration (Trump 45), led the Office in landmark prosecutions that strengthened the district’s reputation as one of the nation’s most active and impactful. Prior to her federal appointment, she served with distinction as a circuit judge in Miami-Dade County.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones reflected on their long professional connection:
“I had the privilege of serving as a line prosecutor under Judge Ariana’s leadership during her tenure as U.S. Attorney. Later, we served together on the bench as judges. Today, it is a deep honor to return to this Court, now as U.S. Attorney myself, and to celebrate Judge Ariana’s elevation by her peers to Chief Judge and her career of service to justice and to our community.”
The Passing of the Gavel ceremony, a longstanding tradition in South Florida’s legal community, recognizes the installation of the new Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit and the continuity of leadership within the judiciary.
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Three Chicago-Area Men Indicted in Federal Court for Allegedly Scheming to Open Credit Cards in the Names of Deceased IndividualsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted three men for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently open credit cards in the names of recently deceased individuals. Two of the men—brothers from suburban Chicago—are also charged with fraudulently obtaining small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and falsely claiming tax credits to which they were not entitled.
In the alleged credit card fraud, ROOSEVELT GARRETT and his brother, TORIENCE GARRETT, schemed with FRANKLIN SIMMONS to fraudulently obtain credit cards in the names of recently deceased individuals, including two former residents of Illinois, according to an indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois. After using the deceased individuals’ personal identifying information to obtain the cards, the Garretts and Simmons made purchases for themselves and did not repay the credit card companies, the indictment states. The Garretts and Simmons also charged the cards to purported business entities that they controlled, allowing them to convert the credit card fraud proceeds to cash, the indictment states.
The indictment also alleges that the Garretts engaged in fraud related to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL)—a source of relief under the CARES Act. The indictment alleges that in June 2020, the Garretts submitted two fraudulent applications for EIDL loans on behalf of business entities that they purportedly owned and operated. The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the purported entities, including the number of employees and gross revenues, the indictment states. The Garretts allegedly used the EIDL funds to make cash withdrawals and transfers for their personal use and not for the operations of the purported entities.
The tax charges accuse the Garretts of misstating in corporate tax returns the number of employees of the purported entities they controlled and the wages allegedly paid by those companies. Additionally, Simmons fraudulently underreported to the IRS the income he derived from a purported entity he controlled and which he used in connection with the fraudulent credit card scheme, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Roosevelt Garrett, 57, of Itasca, Ill., with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, four counts of filing false corporate tax returns, and one count of failing to file an individual tax return. Torience Garrett, 53, of Bolingbrook, Ill., is charged with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, four counts of filing false corporate tax returns, and one count of money laundering. Simmons, 64, of Chicago, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and two counts of filing a false individual tax return.
The defendants were arraigned in federal court in Chicago and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
garrett_et_al_indictment.pdfTexas Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Tens of Thousands of Eaton Fire Disaster Money and COVID Jobless FundsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Texas woman pleaded guilty today to fraudulently obtaining more than $28,000 in federal disaster relief money by falsely claiming that she was a Pasadena resident living in a property damaged by the Eaton Fire and to fraudulently obtaining more than $54,000 in jobless benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joyce Turner, 57, of Rosharon, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits and one count of mail fraud.
On January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fire ignited and burned through a residential area in Los Angeles County, killing 18 people and destroying more than 10,000 structures. A presidential disaster declaration was issued on January 8, making emergency federal financial assistance and benefits available to individuals and families affected by the Eaton Fire and to other wildfire victims in the Los Angeles area.
Victims who suffered losses because of the Eaton Fire, including renters who lost personal property and/or the use of their rental residences could qualify for benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The benefits included money for home repair, personal property damage, transportation, medical expenses, and housing assistance.
According to her plea agreement, on January 10, Turner submitted a fraudulent disaster benefits application to FEMA, falsely claiming she lived in Pasadena in a rental property that had been damaged by the Eaton Fire. In fact, Turner did not live in California and did not qualify for the benefits.
FEMA, relying on Turner’s false and fraudulent claim, sent her $28,195 in wildfire disaster relief money.
Turner further admitted in her plea agreement that in August 2020 she submitted a fraudulent claim for California unemployment insurance falsely claiming she had been working in California and lost work because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was entitled to unemployment insurance benefits. Following this false and fraudulent claim, California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) provided Turner with $54,360 in jobless benefits to which she was not entitled – providing these benefits through a debit card mailed to Turner at an address in Los Angeles.
United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald scheduled a January 26, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Turner will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the disaster benefits fraud count and up to 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud count. Turner remains free on bond.
The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Tallahassee Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of a MacHinegunRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Anthony Lamorris Davis Jr., 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of illegal possession of a machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I appreciate the excellent work of our local and federal law enforcement partners to remove this violent felon from our streets. My office remains committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals victimizing our communities, and this successful prosecution is yet another step toward achieving that goal.”
Court documents reflect that Davis was the passenger in a car stopped by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office on July 21, 2024. Under Davis’s seat, deputies found a stolen Glock 9-millimeter pistol which had a machinegun conversion device attached and an extended magazine. Davis was not arrested at the time. On October 25, 2024, the Tallahassee Police Department observed Davis wearing a ski mask and jacket, despite it being 87 degrees outside, and stopped him for pedestrian violations. Officers found a pistol with an attached machinegun conversion device in Davis’s jacket pocket. The conversion devices attached to the July 21 and October 25 were both 3D-printed and bore identical markings. Davis has prior felony convictions for aggravated assault, burglary, and criminal use of personal identification information.
Davis faces imprisonment for up to 15 years per count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and 10 years per count of illegal possession of a machinegun.
The case involved an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
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.
Startup CEO Charlie Javice Sentenced to 85 Months in Prison for $175 Million FraudRead the Press Release
Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, Amanda Houle announced that CHARLIE JAVICE was sentenced today to 85 months in prison for falsely and dramatically inflating the number of customers of her company, Frank, to fraudulently induce J.P. Morgan Chase (“JPMC”) to acquire Frank for $175 million. JAVICE and her co-defendant, OLIVIER AMAR, were convicted of conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, and securities fraud following a six-week jury trial in March 2025. Today’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
“Javice perpetrated a $175 million fraud—repeatedly lying about the success of her startup company and even hiring a data scientist to create fake data to back up her lies. For that, Javice has been sentenced to 85 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay over $300,000,000,” said Attorney for the United States Amanda Houle. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that brazen frauds will be met with serious penalties. Our Office will continue to work tirelessly to hold accountable those who seek to profit through fraudulent schemes and lies.”
As set forth in public filings and the trial record:
In or about 2017, JAVICE founded Frank, a for-profit company that offered an online platform designed to simplify the process of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (“FAFSA”). FAFSA is a federal government form, available free of charge, that students use to apply for financial aid for college or graduate school. JAVICE was Frank’s CEO. AMAR was Frank’s Chief Growth Officer.
In or about 2021, JAVICE began to pursue the sale of Frank to a larger financial institution. Two major banks, one of which was JPMC, expressed interest and began acquisition processes with Frank. JAVICE represented repeatedly to those banks that Frank had 4.25 million customers or “users.” JAVICE explicitly defined “users”—to both banks—as individuals who had signed up for an account with Frank and for whom Frank therefore had at least four identified categories of data (i.e., first name, last name, email address, and phone number). In fact, Frank had approximately 300,000 users.
When JPMC sought to verify the number of Frank’s users and the amount of data collected about them—information that was critical to JPMC’s decision to move forward with the acquisition process—JAVICE and AMAR fabricated a data set. To do this, JAVICE and AMAR first asked Frank’s director of engineering to create an artificially generated (so-called “synthetic”) data set. The director of engineering raised concerns about the legality of the request, to which JAVICE responded, in substance and in part, “We don’t want to end up in orange jumpsuits.” The director of engineering declined the request.
JAVICE then approached an outside data scientist and hired him to create the synthetic data set. After the data set was created, JAVICE provided that synthetic data set to an agreed-upon third-party vendor in an effort to confirm to JPMC that the data set had over 4.25 million rows. JAVICE then caused the third-party vendor to convey to JPMC that the data set had over 4.25 million rows, consistent with JAVICE’s misrepresentations that Frank had 4.25 million users.
In reliance on JAVICE’s fraudulent representations about Frank’s users, JPMC agreed to purchase Frank for $175 million. As part of the deal, JPMC hired JAVICE and other Frank employees. JAVICE received over $21 million for selling her equity stake in Frank and, per the terms of the deal, was to be paid another $20 million as a retention bonus.
Unbeknownst to JPMC, at or about the same time that JAVICE was creating the fabricated data set, JAVICE and AMAR sought to purchase, on the open market, real data for over 4.25 million college students to cover up their misrepresentations. JAVICE and AMAR succeeded in purchasing a data set of 4.5 million students for $105,000, but it did not contain all the data fields that JAVICE had represented to JPMC were maintained by Frank. JAVICE then purchased an additional set of data on the open market to augment the data set of 4.5 million users. After JPMC acquired Frank, JPMC employees asked JAVICE and AMAR to provide data relating to Frank’s users so that JPMC could begin a marketing campaign to those users. In response, JAVICE provided what was supposedly Frank’s user data. In fact, JAVICE fraudulently provided the data she and AMAR had purchased on the open market, at a small fraction of the price that JPMC paid to acquire Frank and its purported users.
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In addition to the prison term, JAVICE, 31, of Miami Beach, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The district court also imposed a forfeiture judgment of $22,360,977.48 and ordered restitution in the amount of $287,501,078.00 that is joint and several with AMAR.
Ms. Houle praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Micah F. Fergenson, and Georgia V. Kostopoulos are in charge of the prosecution.
Servicemembers Receive Relief for Unlawful Repossession of Their CarsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights for the United States Department of Justice, Harmeet K. Dhillon, announced today that NEW CITY FUNDING CORP. (“NEW CITY”) has agreed to pay at least $120,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”) by repossessing vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers without first obtaining the required court orders. Under the agreement, NEW CITY has agreed to pay $60,000 to compensate four servicemembers whose cars it unlawfully repossessed and will also pay a civil penalty of $60,000 to the United States. NEW CITY has further agreed to provide information regarding additional repossessions and will compensate any additional servicemembers whose cars were repossessed in violation of the SCRA.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice launched an investigation into NEW CITY’s repossession practices following the filing of a private lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged that NEW CITY violated the SCRA by repossessing the plaintiff’s vehicle after the plaintiff had entered military service. The subsequent investigation identified four additional violations to date and revealed that NEW CITY regularly failed to adhere to its written policies and procedures regarding SCRA’s protections against non-judicial auto repossessions.
NEW CITY, headquartered in Stony Point, New York, provides auto financing to New Yorkers, many of whom are unable to obtain financing from traditional lending institutions.
“New Yorkers support the women and men of our armed forces, and New Yorkers want our Office to stand up for the rights of our service members, particularly when they are deployed,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects our troops from having their cars and other assets seized while serving, and our Office stands ready to enforce those protections.”
“By repossessing these vehicles, New City Funding disregarded the law and the duties it owed to members of our Armed Forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will hold accountable any business that does not respect the legal rights of U.S. servicemembers.”
The agreement requires NEW CITY to provide $15,000 in compensation, plus any lost equity in the vehicle with interest, to each of the four affected servicemembers who have been identified to date and will provide similar compensation to any additional servicemembers subsequently identified whose rights under the SCRA were violated by NEW CITY. NEW CITY will also take steps to repair the credit of the affected servicemembers. NEW CITY will contact servicemembers to be compensated through this settlement in the upcoming months and will distribute payments at no cost to servicemembers. As noted above, NEW CITY will also pay a $60,000 civil penalty to the United States.
Enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. For more information about SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
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This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division and the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Walsh Kumar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Audrey M. Yap of the Civil Rights Division are in charge of the case.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national residing in Lynn pleaded guilty on Sep. 26, 2025 in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Emelio Neftaly Pineda, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Oct. 30, 2025. In July 2025, Pineda was indicted by a federal grand jury.
According to the charging documents Pineda was deported on or about July 20, 2016, after having been convicted of a felony.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien, having previously been convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Russell Laffitte Sentenced to 5 Years for Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Misapplying Bank FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Former banker Russell Lucius Laffitte, 54, of Estill, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; wire fraud; bank fraud; and three counts of misapplication of bank funds.
“As of today, Russell Laffitte and Alex Murdaugh have both been sentenced to federal prison, and their victims have been made financially whole,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “The victims put their trust in Laffitte and Murdaugh after suffering serious injuries and losing loved ones, and they were exploited for financial gain. We appreciate the dedicated work of our partners at the FBI, SLED, and South Carolina Attorney General’s Office in ensuring justice for them.”
Laffitte was an officer and executive at Palmetto State Bank in Hampton, South Carolina. His co-conspirator, Alex Murdaugh, was a personal injury attorney at a law firm in Hampton.
Laffitte admitted that he agreed to serve as conservator and personal representative for several of Murdaugh’s clients, knowing that he would personally profit from doing so. Beginning in 2011, Laffitte began extending himself and Murdaugh loans from conservator accounts Laffitte was charged with managing. Laffitte did not disclose the loans to the conservatees, despite owing them a fiduciary duty.
Around that time, Murdaugh devised a scheme to obtain money belonging to his clients. In furtherance of the scheme, Murdaugh directed law firm employees to make clients’ checks payable to Palmetto State Bank. The checks were drawn on the law firm’s client trust account, identified the clients on the memo lines, and corresponded to amounts set forth in the clients’ disbursement sheets.
As to two of Murdaugh’s clients, Laffitte—their conservator—saw their disbursement sheets and knew that the bank was supposed to receive their settlement funds. Murdaugh presented the clients’ checks to Laffitte and directed that they be used for Murdaugh’s personal benefit, including to pay off loans Laffitte had extended from conservator accounts. Laffitte negotiated nine separate transactions for Murdaugh’s benefit, knowing that the funds belonged to the clients.
Laffitte also aided and abetted the structuring of transactions from a second check belonging to one of the clients, disbursing the funds at Murdaugh’s direction and for Murdaugh’s personal benefit.
As to a third client of Murdaugh’s, Laffitte negotiated 12 separate transactions, disbursing $1,325,000 in client settlement funds for Murdaugh’s benefit. Despite knowing they were client funds, Laffitte allowed Murdaugh to use the funds to repay Murdaugh’s personal loans, repay loans Laffitte extended from a conservator account, purchase vehicles and equipment, and receive cash back. Laffitte also deposited some of the funds into Murdaugh’s personal account.
Laffitte received $75,000 in conservator fees and $35,000 in personal representative fees from these three clients. He intentionally failed to report this income on his tax returns, knowing that he could hide the income because the fee checks were drafted to Palmetto State Bank rather than to him personally. Laffitte also structured transactions to avoid reporting requirements and intentionally failed to file suspicious activity reports.
In 2015, Laffitte misapplied bank funds by extending over $284,000 from a line of credit that was supposed to be for farming to repay Murdaugh’s remaining loans from the conservatorship.
Laffitte also misapplied bank funds on two other occasions. In July 2021, he extended Murdaugh a $750,000 loan for the stated purpose of beach house renovations. But Laffitte authorized a $350,000 wire transfer to an attorney and then transferred $400,000 of “loan proceeds” to Murdaugh’s account to cover over $367,000 in overdraft, knowing that these funds had nothing to do with beach house renovations.
In October 2021, the law firm uncovered that Murdaugh had stolen from clients. Laffitte knew he had negotiated stolen checks at Murdaugh’s direction despite knowing the funds did not belong to Murdaugh. Laffitte then paid the law firm $680,000 in bank funds without the knowledge or consent of the full bank Board of Directors or Executive Committee in an attempt to settle the matter with the law firm.
Laffitte paid $3,555,884.80 in criminal restitution before sentencing and will also forfeit $85,845.73 to the government. He also agreed that his guilty plea prohibits him from controlling or participating in the conduct of any federally insured bank or credit union, and he cannot serve as a director or officer of any such bank or credit union without permission.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel imposed the 60-month sentence, to be followed by a three-year term of supervision. The court also ordered Laffitte to pay a $20,000 fine and a $600 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case.
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Rambling Man Sentenced for Threatening ChristiansRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Isaac Sissel, 26, a man who intentionally bounces from place to place committing crimes and skipping town afterwards to avoid the consequences, was sentenced today to thirty months for threatening to kill conservative Christians with an AR-15 assault rifle, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben C. Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to court documents, in September 2024, Sissel created Reddit accounts with names like “ShootUpTrumpRally” and “PlanningToKillTrump.” And then, on November 2, Sissel sent an anonymous tip to the FBI claiming that he would “carry out an attack against conservative christan filth in the event trump wins the election,” and said that he had a “stolen ar15.” Sissel sent his threat two days before President Trump’s campaign rally in Michigan, three days before the 2024 Presidential election, and four months after President Trump was shot at a campaign rally with an AR-style weapon. As a convicted felon, Sissel is prohibited from possessing firearms, however there was no evidence that Sissel actually possessed a weapon, including an AR-15.
In April 2025, Sissel pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. The government also charged Sissel with a Hate Crimes Motivation enhancement, meaning that he selected his victims because of their actual or perceived religion. The Court agreed and applied the enhancement to Sissel’s sentence.
“We live in evil times,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said. “Even in America, Christians are routinely targeted for death by violent extremists like this man. The First Amendment is a safeguard of religious liberty and free speech—and so it does not protect true threats that undermine religious liberty.”
"The sentencing of Issac Sissel reflects the FBI’s zero tolerance for individuals who threaten Americans, including leadership at the highest levels of government,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I would like to thank the dedicated members of the FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force, alongside the FBI Ann Arbor Resident Agency, who worked tirelessly throughout this investigation. This effort would not be possible without the crucial assistance of the United States Secret Service, University of Michigan Police Department, and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in apprehending Mr. Sissel and supporting this investigation. I send my sincerest appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their successful prosecution. The FBI will remain committed to protecting our communities across America and investigate those who seek to instill fear and violence.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon and Micah Wallace.
Prince George’s County Man Charged with Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officer on National Security Agency CampusRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced it filed a criminal complaint against Amir Phillip Wilson, 23, of Greenbelt, Maryland, charging him with assaulting Federal law enforcement officers.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the criminal complaint with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Craig Lustig, National Security Agency (NSA) Police.
On September 24, 2025, an NSA police officer, stationed at a checkpoint, observed a vehicle operated by Wilson approach the NSA campus in Fort Meade, Maryland. The officer saw Wilson drive the vehicle through the checkpoint without presenting the appropriate credentials required to enter the protected property. Eventually, law enforcement attempted to stop Wilson, but he accelerated to upwards of 40 to 50 miles an hour in an attempt to evade the officers.
During the pursuit, Wilson’s vehicle struck two marked NSA police vehicles responding to the scene injuring one of the officers. Upon impacting the second police vehicle at a high rate of speed, Wilson’s vehicle careened into a concrete retaining wall, where it came to a stop. Law enforcement then took Wilson into custody.
Wilson is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Wednesday, October 1, at 10 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and NSA Police for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. A. Massucco-LaTaif and LaRai Everett who are prosecuting this case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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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Portland Man Charged with Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officer Near Local ICE OfficeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man made his first appearance in federal court today after assaulting a federal officer near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Tomas Plancarte-Benson, 37, has been charged by criminal complaint with the felony offense of assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, on the evening of September 27, 2025, federal officers attempted to clear the driveway at the ICE facility. Plancarte-Benson was among a group of agitators blocking the driveway. Federal officials gave repeated verbal commands to “move” or “clear the driveway.” Rather than move when directed, Plancarte-Benson shoved a federal officer and retreated into the crowd. Federal officers subsequently found Plancarte-Benson near the ICE facility and arrested him for assaulting a federal officer.
“Violence at the ICE building or any other federal building will not be tolerated. If you assault a federal law enforcement officer, you will be arrested and prosecuted,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Since June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon has charged 27 defendants with federal crimes for offenses committed at the ICE building, including assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and depredation of government property.
Plancarte-Benson made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was released on conditions pending further court proceedings.
Felony assault of a federal officer is punishable by up to eight years in federal prison.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Phoenix Man Charged After Seizure of 36 Pounds of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and 3 FirearmsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, John Avendano, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by federal criminal complaint in Phoenix, Arizona with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
According to the complaint, on September 22, a Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado and identified John Avendano as the driver. Inside the Silverado, investigators seized a firearm and approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine, which was hidden in a black trash bag in the truck.
Investigators subsequently searched Avendano’s residence and found over 5 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 250 grams of cocaine, and two additional firearms.
Possession with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The DEA’s East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force HIDTA conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-9417-PHX-ESW
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-157_Avendano# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Philadelphia Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Smuggle Suboxone into Curran-Fromhold Correctional FacilityRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Talia Hicks, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to three years’ probation, with one month of home confinement, and forfeiture of approximately $2,900 by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge, for conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
Hicks was charged with that offense by information and pleaded guilty in March of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from at least December 2019 through November of 2020, Hicks conspired with multiple individuals to smuggle Suboxone into the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (“CFCF”). At the time of the charged conspiracy, she was working for the Transportation Security Administration at Philadelphia International Airport.
A review of video tablet calls, a recorded form of communication available to inmates at CFCF, showed that a co-conspirator, on various occasions, discussed inmates sending CashApp and Apple payments to both the co-conspirator and Hicks. A review of CashApp and Green Dot records showed that Hicks and the co-conspirator sent and received CashApp payments on behalf of the co-conspirator, from and to various individuals. There were multiple transactions for which Hicks either facilitated the payment for Suboxone or provided the drugs to a co-conspirator to smuggle the substance into CFCF.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Peruvian National Sentenced to More than 6 Years in Prison in Transnational Scheme to Defraud Spanish-Speaking United States ConsumersRead the Press Release
A Peruvian national was sentenced today to 80 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $3,000,000 in restitution for his participation in transnational fraud schemes that victimized vulnerable consumers in the United States.
According to court documents, David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, of Lima, Peru, facilitated fraudulent schemes that stole millions of dollars from thousands of Spanish-speaking victims across the United States. Cornejo provided Internet-based telephone lines, caller-ID spoofing services, and recording capabilities to a network of fraudulent call centers in Peru. Relying on Cornejo’s services, those call centers defrauded and extorted thousands of Spanish-speaking victims by falsely threatening them with court proceedings, fines, and other consequences if they did not pay for English-language products. Cornejo was extradited from Peru in November 2024 to face charges related to the scheme and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in July.
In pleading guilty, Cornejo admitted that he provided fraudulent call centers in Peru with the technology to impersonate federal agents, police officers, attorneys, court personnel, and other government officials to extort payments from victims. Cornejo provided telephone lines to his call center co-conspirators, which they used to place unsolicited, fraudulent and extortionate telephone calls to vulnerable U.S. victims. Cornejo also provided caller-ID spoofing software that allowed his co-conspirators to convincingly impersonate government officials and threaten victims with severe legal and financial consequences if they did not pay. Cornejo placed pre-recorded messages on his co-conspirators’ telephone lines that fraudulently convinced victims they had reached actual U.S. courts, police departments, and federal agencies. When victims reported that specific telephone numbers were fraudulent, Cornejo provided new telephone lines and numbers to his co-conspirators so they could continue the fraudulent scheme.
Cornejo and his co-conspirators ultimately caused more than $3 million in losses to more than 8,800 victims across the United States.
With today’s sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 13 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced in connection with transnational fraud schemes that defrauded and threatened Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers, claiming they would suffer legal consequences if they did not pay for English-language learning products they never requested. Collectively, these defendants were responsible for defrauding more than 30,000 U.S. consumers.
The 13 defendants include eight Peruvian call center owner-operators; four distribution center owner-operators who processed payments and distributed products in the United States; and now Cornejo, who facilitated the fraud schemes from Peru. Cornejo and many of these defendants shared strategies on how to impersonate the U.S. government and defraud Spanish-speaking residents of the United States.
Cornejo is the ninth defendant to be extradited from Peru and sentenced in federal court for fraud related to Peruvian call centers involved in English language learning scams. In 2021 and 2022, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., sentenced Henrry Milla, Carlos Espinoza, Jerson Renteria, Fernan Huerta, Omar Cuzcano, Evelyng Milla, and Josmell Espinoza to sentences ranging from 88 months to 110 months in prison. In 2024, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano to 98 months in prison.
USPIS and the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Peruvian National Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Peruvian National Police provided critical assistance.
The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the United States.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Onondaga County Woman Sentenced for Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Alexis Miranda, age 30, of Syracuse, was sentenced on Thursday to 60 months in prison for possessing defaced firearms and for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Miranda admitted that from August to October 8, 2019, she agreed with Christopher Montano to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. On September 12, 2019, Miranda travelled from the Rome, New York, area to meet Montano, where they distributed more than 80 grams of methamphetamine to another person. A few months later, in August 2020, Miranda was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 90, in Rensselaer County, New York, and law enforcement found heroin and fentanyl in her purse as well as a roller suitcase in her trunk containing four semiautomatic pistols with defaced serial numbers.
Last year, Montano was sentenced to 76 months in prison for unlawfully selling unregistered firearms and drug trafficking crimes.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Alexis Miranda was engaged in trafficking deadly substances and weapons, each of which contribute to drug addiction and gun violence in the community. We will relentlessly pursue and prosecute individuals like her to get rid of deadly firearms and drugs from our streets.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “Those who traffic in illegal firearms and deadly drugs will be held accountable. These defaced and stolen weapons pose a serious threat to our communities, and we remain committed to working with our federal and local partners to disrupt this kind of dangerous criminal activity.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James stated, “Strong partnerships are crucial for intercepting the illegal drugs and weapons that sustain a cycle of violence and threaten the quality of life in our communities. The collaborative multi-agency efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office, ATF, and New York State Police has resulted in the sentencing of Mr. Miranda and has eradicated an unprincipled gun and drug trafficking operation. We will continue to make it a priority to find those who commit these acts and dismantle the dangerous chain of activities they perpetuate.”
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 5-year term of post-release supervision.
ATF and the NYSP investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted this case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Oneida County Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Receive and Distribute Child Pornography and for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Kelly, age 83, of Rome, New York, was sentenced on Wednesday to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to receive and distribute child pornography and for possessing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his prior guilty plea, Kelly acknowledged that in August 2022 he began conspiring with his co-defendant, Richard Hockersmith, about exchanging child sexual abuse material. Kelly further acknowledged that he and Hockersmith decided to exchange the material by mailing an SD card containing child sexual abuse images and videos back and forth, which each of them did. Kelly also acknowledged that during a search of his residence on February 23, 2024, he possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography on a laptop computer.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also sentenced Kelly to serve a 10-year term of supervised release to begin after Kelly is released from prison, and to pay a total of $15,000 in restitution. Kelly will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Hockersmith was previously sentenced on July 8, 2025, to six years in federal prison and a 10-year term of post-release supervision.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “It is beyond disturbing that an 83-year-old man would seek out depictions of the sexual abuse of our most vulnerable population. Thanks to the diligent work of HSI, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Police, this defendant will now be spending his twilight years in federal prison—where he belongs.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Keegan said, “Today's sentence underscores how coordinated, targeted investigative efforts disrupt the distribution of child sexual abuse material and ensure offenders are held accountable. Protecting children from sexual exploitation is one of HSI's highest priorities, and we will relentlessly investigate and disrupt those who trade in child sexual abuse material. HSI Syracuse's strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York—and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners—has proven essential to holding these child predators accountable and strengthening public safety across New York.”
The case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve Nine Years in Federal Prison for Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy and Illegal Possession of a Machinegun, Methamphetamine, and CocaineRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – KEITH TERRELL THOMPSON, 27, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 108 months in federal prison for a firearms trafficking conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine and cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on January 17, 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) executed a search warrant at Thompson’s residence. Inside, OCPD officers recovered multiple firearms, an assortment of controlled substances including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, $9,965.00 in cash, and a machinegun conversion device (MCD). When installed, MCDs convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns, and possession of the devices violates federal law. Thompson was later located and arrested by OCPD officers on January 29, 2024, at a different apartment. OCPD executed a search warrant on the second residence and recovered two stolen firearms, controlled substances, and more than $10,000 in cash.
On March 11, 2025, Thompson was charged by Superseding Information with a firearms trafficking conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a machinegun, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Thompson pleaded guilty on March 20, 2025, and admitted he knowingly conspired to traffic firearms, that he knowingly and intentionally possessed cocaine and methamphetamine which he intended to distribute, that he possessed a firearm in furtherance of that drug distribution, and that he knowingly possessed an MCD.
At the sentencing hearing on September 25, 2025, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Thompson to serve 108 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted the seriousness of these offenses.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Oklahoma City Duo Lands in Federal Prison for More Than Nine Years Collectively after Pipe Bomb and Ammunition are Found During Traffic StopsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – CALEB GRAVES, 33, of Del City, and ROBERT ALLEN KEEFE, 25, of Oklahoma City, have been sentenced to serve 109 months collectively in federal prison for illegal possession of ammunition and possession of an unregistered destructive device, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On November 6, 2024, Graves was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. On April 1, 2025, he was also charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device and felon in possession of a firearm, namely, an improvised explosive bomb. On April 1, 2025, Keefe was charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device related to the same improvised explosive bomb. Firearms and pipe bombs are considered destructive devices under federal law.
According to public records, on August 18, 2024, officers with the Village Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Graves and observed a loaded firearm magazine. The following day, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at Graves’ residence, where they several rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. While on pretrial release awaiting trial, Graves was arrested again, this time on October 14, 2024, after Oklahoma City Police Department officers stopped Graves in his vehicle and located a hidden pipe bomb. Keefe, who was the lone other passenger, was arrested, as well.
On June 6, 2025, Graves, who had previously been convicted of a felony, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and a felon in possession of a firearm, namely an improvised explosive bomb. Federal law prohibits previously convicted felons from possessing ammunition and firearms, including bombs. On June 9, 2025, Keefe pled guilty to being in possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Public records further reflect that Graves has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court for:
- Second degree burglary, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit a felony in case number CF-2010-4613;
- possession of a methamphetamine in case number CF-2016-3849; and
- child neglect and possession of contraband in a penal institution in case number CF-2016-4096.
At sentencing hearings this month, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Graves to serve 72 months in federal prison, and sentenced Keefe to serve 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for both. In announcing the sentences, Judge Russell noted the seriousness of the offense and the need to provide just punishment.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Village Police Department, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Nigerian National Extradited from Poland to Face Elder Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, of Nigeria was extradited from the Republic of Poland and faces federal charges of engaging in a transnational criminal organization that operated an inheritance fraud scheme that cheated many American seniors out of their savings. Nnebocha made his initial appearance in federal court today in Miami.
Nnebocha was arrested in April 2025 by authorities in Poland, based on an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida, and has remained incarcerated since then.
According to court documents, Nnebocha is charged with operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. Over the course of more than five years, he, along with others, allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly consumers in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who purportedly had died years before in Spain. Victims were told that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received their purported inheritance funds.
The defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Nnebocha made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, Nnebocha faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Two additional defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case. The Honorable Roy K. Altman previously sentenced both Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, to 97 months of incarceration for their roles in the scheme.
USPIS and HSI are investigating the case.
This case is one example of efforts by the Justice Department to protect American seniors from domestic and foreign based scams. These efforts include cases against those who engage in, and knowingly facilitate, romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Romance fraud is a confidence scheme where a perpetrator feigns romantic interest with a victim only to later extract money or property under false pretenses. Lottery fraud schemes trick victims into believing they have won a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes prize in order to extract fake fees, taxes, or other fabricated charges from the victim. Tech support fraud scams involve perpetrators tricking victims into believing that their computer or phone has a problem, often through fake pop-up messages, and to later seek funds from the victims in order to “fix” the “problem.” Grandparent scams, another type of confidence scheme, involve scammers impersonating a grandchild or close family member who experiences a fictitious emergency and needs money from the victim as soon as possible.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Legal Attache in Poland, INTERPOL, and Polish Authorities, all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. 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 relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine from New York to Midcoast MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Union man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing fentanyl and cocaine.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Kenneth Adams, 40, to 10 years in federal prison followed by eight years of supervised release for trafficking kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine from New York to Maine. Adams pleaded guilty on December 20, 2024.
According to court records, from at least December 2023 through June 2024, Adams trafficked fentanyl and cocaine from sources of supply in the Bronx to mid-level drug dealers in Knox County for further distribution. As determined by the court, Adams possessed at least one firearm in connection with this drug trafficking activity.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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New York Auto Finance Company to Compensate Servicemembers for Illegal RepossessionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that New City Funding, a New York-based auto finance company, will pay over $120,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by illegally repossessing vehicles owned by military servicemembers.
The Department alleges that New City Funding, a regional auto finance company based in Stony Point, New York, repossessed at least five vehicles owned by servicemembers without obtaining the court orders required by federal law. The Department further alleges that New City took no steps to determine whether the owners of these vehicles were in military service prior to repossessing their cars, and, in some cases, went forward with repossessions even after they were told that the owner was on active duty.
“By repossessing these vehicles, New City Funding disregarded the law and the duties it owed to members of our Armed Forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will hold accountable any business that does not respect the legal rights of U.S. servicemembers.”
“New Yorkers support the women and men of our armed forces, and New Yorkers want our Office to stand up for the rights of our service members, particularly when they are deployed,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects our troops from having their cars and other assets seized while serving, and our Office stands ready to enforce those protections.”
Under the terms of the settlement, New City will pay at least $60,000 in compensation to affected servicemembers, forgive any unpaid balance on their accounts and take steps to repair damage to their credit. New City will also be required to pay a $60,000 civil penalty and make changes to its policies and training to avoid future violations.
The SCRA is a federal law that provides legal and financial protections for servicemembers and their families. The law prevents an auto finance or leasing company from repossessing a servicemember’s vehicle without first obtaining a court order, as long as the servicemember made at least one payment on the vehicle before entering military service.
This case was handled by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $483 million in monetary relief for over 148,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Note: The Settlement Agreement can be read here
Nespelem Man Sentenced to 216 Months in Federal Prison for Sex Crimes Involving Children on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville ReservationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Lance Scott Michel, age 31, of Nespelem, Washington, to 216 months in federal prison after Michel pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. Judge Dimke also ordered that, following his sentence, Michel be placed on a lifetime term of supervised release.
According to court documents, in early 2023, Michel began communicating with various minor females on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation over social media. Michel, a then twenty-nine-year-old, provided the minor females with items such as vaping products and cartridges. After engaging in this grooming behavior, Michel sexually abused two 15 year old victims. District Court Judge Dimke noted the aggravated nature of Defendant’s crimes and applied a sentencing enhancement due to Michel’s forcible conduct against both minor victims.
“Mr. Michel targeted minors from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with the explicit intent to sexually abuse them. Protecting children and holding accountable those who seek to exploit and harm them are top priorities of my office,” said United States Attorney S. Peter Serrano. “We will continue to seek out and prosecute these heinous crimes thanks to our dedicated team and our FBI and tribal partners.”
"Through social media, Mr. Michel gained the trust of minors on the Colville Reservation, trust he later took advantage of in the most unthinkable way,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “There is no question that his heinous actions were entirely deserving of today's sentence. Protecting the lives and wellbeing of our nation's children from those who seek to prey on them is, and remains, a top priority for the FBI and our partners."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
2:24-cr-00028-MKD
Multi-State Child Exploitation Investigation Results in the Arrest of Men in Washington and Iowa on State and Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
On September 24, 2025, the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (SER-ICAC) Task Force, comprised of detectives from the Richland and Kennewick Police Departments, Deputies from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, executed search and arrest warrants in Richland, Washington, and Mason City, Iowa, arising from child exploitation investigations in the Tri-Cities area.
Joseph Ralland Whipple, 34, was arrested in Mason City, Iowa, on federal charges of producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing sexually explicit images of minor children in Tri-Cities, Washington. A search warrant was executed at Whipple’s residence in Iowa and multiple electronic devices were seized. The SER-ICAC was assisted by the Mason City Police Department and the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Whipple made an initial court appearance in federal court in Iowa and was detained pending further proceedings in federal court in the Eastern District of Washington. Whipple has also been charged in Benton County Superior Court with two counts of Rape of a Child in the First Degree with the Aggravating Circumstance of Pattern of Sexual Abuse and two counts of Child Molestation in the First Degree for his alleged conduct with multiple minor children. His bail has been set at one million dollars.
Charles Lon Seltz, 57, was arrested in Richland, Washington, on state charges of Rape of a Child in the First Degree. The SER-ICAC and Richland Police Department executed a search warrant at Seltz’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices. Seltz was subsequently charged in Benton County Superior Court with four counts of Rape of Child in the First Degree with the Aggravating Circumstance of a Pattern of Sexual Abuse. His bail has also been set at one million dollars.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Washington and the Northern District of Iowa and the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office.