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9 December 2025
Lafourche Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on November 18, 2025, JAMES WILLIAMS, (WILLIAMS), age 64, of Schriever, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brandon Long to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, over 500 grams of cocaine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), §§ 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. Judge Long scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2025, where WILLIAMS faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, beginning at a time unknown but continuing until at least May 4, 2024, WILLIAMS conspired with others to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine throughout the Lafourche Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting the narcotics to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
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Ketchikan man sentenced to 5 years for possessing a firearm as a felon during a domestic violence assaultRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A Ketchikan man was sentenced today to five years in prison and will serve three years of court mandated supervision upon release from prison for possessing a firearm as a felon during a domestic violence assault.
According to court documents, on Oct. 27, 2024, the Ketchikan Police Department (KPD) received a 911 phone call and heard a male and female arguing. The female was crying and begging the man to let her leave the residence. The man later referenced a loaded firearm present in the room. KPD immediately sent officers to respond to a residence in Ketchikan.
Law enforcement identified Michael McLoone, 57, as the man in the room with the female victim. McLoone was agitated when officers contacted him. The female victim said she and McLoone were arguing, and she was afraid he was going to harm her. Officers arrested McLoone for felony assault, and a criminal history check revealed that McLoone had two previous felony convictions for assault, prohibiting him from possessing firearms for life.
Law enforcement recovered three firearms, magazines, ammunition and body armor from McLoone’s residence following his arrest.
On June 17, 2025, McLoone pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Mr. McLoone can only be categorized as a serial domestic violence offender, with multiple state assault convictions spanning 30 years. His lengthy record of violence against women poses a great risk to Alaskans,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This prison sentence will protect the Ketchikan community and its residents from Mr. McLoone for many years. My office will continue to prosecute and hold accountable offenders who illegally possess firearms and use them to inflict fear and harm.”
“Mr. McLoone’s utter disregard for the law coupled with his propensity for violence against women makes him a pressing and undeniable danger to society. ATF is proud to stand alongside our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to shield our community members from the threat of domestic violence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division.
“Based on the evidence gathered throughout this investigation, Michael McLoone has demonstrated a long pattern of violent behavior and repeated abuse. His conduct has escalated over time, creating an increasingly dangerous environment for his domestic partners. It is fortunate that those who have been involved with Mr. McLoone survived these incidents,” said Deputy Chief Derek McGarrigan of KPD. “The Ketchikan Police Department remains committed to working closely with our local, state, and federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable and to protect the safety of our community.”
The ATF Anchorage Field Office and KPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.
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Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Kanawha County Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ashley Dawn Smith, 32, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Smith admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between January and May 2025.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith was distributing fentanyl to customers that she was obtaining from two out-of-town sources. One of her co-conspirators would re-distribute the fentanyl that he obtained from Smith.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Smith is among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty, including Smith. Four defendants pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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. 2:25-cr-78.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tracy Don Jackson Jr., 22, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Charleston residence where they encountered Jackson sleeping on a couch in the living room. Officers found a quantity of a heroin-fentanyl mix and a Glock model G48 9mm pistol between the arm of the couch and the couch cushion underneath Jackson. As part of his guilty plea, Jackson admitted that he possessed the drugs and intended to distribute them within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-98.
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Justice Department Marks Texas’ Successful Completion of Reforms at Thirteen State-Operated Facilities for People with Intellectual DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department joined with the State of Texas in asking a federal district court to dismiss a long-running case that saw the State reform thirteen State-operated facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division brought to completion years of work that now requires Texas to protect the rights of Americans who are in its care at these centers. Through a court order called a consent decree, Texas implemented reforms to protect residents from harm, provide clinical care and education, and provide services for people with IDD in integrated settings.
“We commend Texas for its tremendous progress in implementing this decree and its commitment to upholding the federal rights of people with intellectual disabilities living in state care,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We recognize and appreciate the dedication of the staff and leaders of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission who have transformed the state centers to protect the rights of all Americans — even some of the most vulnerable.”
This case began with an investigation of Lubbock State School (since renamed the Lubbock SSLC) in 2005, followed by investigations of the remaining 12 state-run centers in 2008 and 2009. In June 2009, the United States and Texas entered the decree, and the court approved it. With the court’s approval, the parties modified the decree in September 2021. The State worked collaboratively with the Civil Rights Division to implement the decree’s requirements for the last several years. Today’s joint filing details the State’s extensive improvements of the facilities in compliance with the decree, as verified by an Independent Reviewer.
Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Two Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Criminal Hacking GroupsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced two indictments in the Central District of California charging Ukrainian national Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, also known as Vika, Tory, and SovaSonya, for her role in conducting cyberattacks and computer intrusions against critical infrastructure and other victims around the world, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. Dubranova was extradited to the United States earlier this year on an indictment charging her for her actions supporting CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR). Today, Dubranova was arraigned on a second indictment charging her for her actions supporting NoName057(16) (NoName). Dubranova pleaded not guilty in both cases, and is scheduled to begin trial in the NoName matter on Feb. 3, 2026 and in the CARR matter on April 7, 2026.
As described in the indictments, the Russian government backed CARR and NoName by providing, among other things, financial support. CARR used this financial support to access various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to distributed denial of service-for-hire services. NoName was a state-sanctioned project administered in part by an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that developed, along with other co-conspirators, NoName’s proprietary distributed denial of service (DDoS) program.
“Today’s actions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to disrupting malicious Russian cyber activity — whether conducted directly by state actors or their criminal proxies — aimed at furthering Russia’s geopolitical interests,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We remain steadfast in defending essential services, including food and water systems Americans rely on each day, and holding accountable those who seek to undermine them.”
“Politically motivated hacktivist groups, whether state-sponsored like CARR or state-sanctioned like NoName, pose a serious threat to our national security, particularly when foreign intelligence services use civilians to obfuscate their malicious cyber activity targeting American critical infrastructure as well as attacking proponents of NATO and U.S. interests abroad,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The charges announced today demonstrate our commitment to eradicating global threats to cybersecurity and pursuing malicious cyber actors working on behalf of adversarial foreign interests.”
“When pro-Russia hacktivist groups target our infrastructure, the FBI will use all available tools to expose their activity and hold them accountable,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyber threats, including reckless criminal groups supported by the GRU. The FBI doesn’t just track cyber adversaries – we work with global partners to bring them to justice.”
“The defendant’s illegal actions to tamper with the nation’s public water systems put communities and the nation’s drinking water resources at risk,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Craig Pritzlaff. “These criminal charges serve as an unequivocal warning to malicious cyber actors in the U.S. and abroad: EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate threats to our nation’s water infrastructure and will pursue justice against those who endanger the American public. EPA is unwavering in its commitment to clean, safe water for all Americans.”
Cyber Army of Russia Reborn
According to the indictment, CARR, also known as Z-Pentest, was founded, funded, and directed by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). CARR claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide, including attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. CARR regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published photos and videos depicting its attacks. CARR primarily hacked industrial control facilities and conducted DDoS attacks. CARR’s victims included public drinking water systems across several states in the U.S., resulting in damage to controls and the spilling of hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinking water. CARR also attacked a meat processing facility in Los Angeles in November 2024, spoiling thousands of pounds of meat and triggering an ammonia leak in the facility. CARR has attacked U.S. election infrastructure during U.S. elections, and websites for U.S. nuclear regulatory entities, among other sensitive targets.
An individual operating as “Cyber_1ce_Killer,” a moniker associated with at least one GRU officer instructed CARR leadership on what kinds of victims CARR should target, and his organization financed CARR’s access to various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to DDoS-for-hire services. At times, CARR had more than 100 members, including juveniles, and more than 75,000 followers on Telegram.
The CARR indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers and tamper with public water systems, one count of damaging protected computers, one count of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted of these charges, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum penalty of 27 years in federal prison.
NoName057(16)
NoName was covert project whose membership included multiple employees of The Center for the Study and Network Monitoring of the Youth Environment (CISM), among other cyber actors. CISM was an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that purported to, among other things, monitor the safety of the internet for Russian youth.
According to the indictment, NoName claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. NoName regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published proof of victim websites being taken offline. The group primarily conducted DDoS cyberattacks using their own proprietary DDoS tool, DDoSia, which relied on network infrastructure around the world created by employees of CISM.
NoName’s victims included government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure, such as public railways and ports. NoName recruited volunteers from around the world to download DDoSia and used their computers to launch DDoS attacks on the victims that NoName leaders selected. NoName also published a daily leaderboard of volunteers who launched the most DDoS attacks on its Telegram channel and paid top-ranking volunteers in cryptocurrency for their attacks.
The NoName indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers. If convicted of this charge, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
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Concurrent with today’s actions, the U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $2 million for information on individuals associated with CARR and up to $10 million for information on individuals associated with NoName. Additionally, today the FBI, CISA, NSA, DOE, EPA, and DC3 issued a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory assessing that pro-Russia hacktivist groups, like CARR and NoName, target minimally secured, internet-facing virtual network computing connections to infiltrate (or gain access to) operational technology control devices within critical infrastructure systems to execute attacks against critical infrastructure, resulting in varying degrees of impact, including physical damage.
On July 19, 2024, U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions targeting two CARR members, Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, for their roles in cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure. These two individuals were the group’s leader and a primary hacker, respectively.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office investigated the CARR and NoName cases as part of FBI’s Operation Red Circus, an ongoing operation to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyberthreats to U.S. critical infrastructure and interests abroad.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Makabali and Alexander Gorin for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Dochterman for the Central District of California is handling the forfeiture cases. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance for both investigations.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Two Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Criminal Hacking GroupsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ukrainian national has been federally charged with participating in dozens of cyberattacks and computer intrusions against critical infrastructure and other victims around the world, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests, the Justice Department announced today.
The two indictments against Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, a.k.a. “Vika,” a.k.a. “Tory,” a.k.a. “SovaSonya,” were unsealed today in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Dubranova was extradited to the United States earlier this year on an indictment charging her for her actions supporting CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR).
Dubranova was arraigned today on a second indictment charging her for her actions supporting NoName057(16) (NoName). Dubranova has pleaded not guilty in both cases. Dubranova pleaded not guilty today at her arraignment and a February 3, 2026 trial date was scheduled in that case.
As described in the indictments, the Russian government backed CARR and NoName by providing, among other things, financial support. CARR used this financial support to access various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to distributed denial of service-for-hire services. NoName was a state-sanctioned project administered in part by an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that developed, along with other co-conspirators, NoName’s proprietary distributed denial of service (DDoS) program.
“Politically motivated hacktivist groups, whether state-sponsored like CARR or state-sanctioned like NoName, pose a serious threat to our national security, particularly when foreign intelligence services use civilians to obfuscate their malicious cyber activity targeting American critical infrastructure as well as attacking proponents of NATO and U.S. interests abroad,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The charges announced today demonstrate our commitment to eradicating global threats to cybersecurity and pursuing malicious cyber actors working on behalf of adversarial foreign interests.”
“Today’s actions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to disrupting malicious Russian cyber activity — whether conducted directly by state actors or their criminal proxies — aimed at furthering Russia’s geopolitical interests,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We remain steadfast in defending essential services, including food and water systems Americans rely on each day, and holding accountable those who seek to undermine them.”
“When pro-Russia hacktivist groups target our infrastructure, the FBI will use all available tools to expose their activity and hold them accountable,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyber threats, including reckless criminal groups supported by the GRU. The FBI doesn’t just track cyber adversaries—we work with global partners to bring them to justice.”
“The defendant’s illegal actions to tamper with the nation’s public water systems put communities and the nation’s drinking water resources at risk,” said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Craig Pritzlaff. “These criminal charges serve as an unequivocal warning to malicious cyber actors in the U.S. and abroad: EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate threats to our nation’s water infrastructure and will pursue justice against those who endanger the American public. EPA is unwavering in its commitment to clean, safe water for all Americans.”
“The FBI continues to relentlessly pursue cybercriminal groups,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Pro-Russia cybercriminal groups such as CARR and NoName057(16) have been emboldened to target the critical infrastructure of the United States and NATO allies, including U.S. elections, public water systems, and other government and financial institutions. Today’s announcement underscores the FBI’s priorities and capabilities in countering cyber threats and demonstrates the FBI’s dedication to working with foreign partners to protect victims worldwide.”
Cyber Army of Russia Reborn
According to the indictment, CARR, also known as Z-Pentest, was founded, funded, and directed by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). CARR claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide, including attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests.
CARR regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published photos and videos depicting its attacks. CARR primarily hacked industrial control facilities and conducted DDoS attacks. CARR’s victims included public drinking water systems across several states in the U.S., resulting in damage to controls and the spilling of hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinking water.
CARR also attacked a meat processing facility in Los Angeles in November 2024, spoiling thousands of pounds of meat and triggering an ammonia leak in the facility. CARR has attacked U.S. election infrastructure during U.S. elections, and websites for U.S. nuclear regulatory entities, among other sensitive targets.
An individual operating as “Cyber_1ce_Killer,” a moniker associated with at least one GRU officer instructed CARR leadership on what kinds of victims CARR should target, and his organization financed CARR’s access to various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to DDoS-for-hire services. At times, CARR had more than 100 members, including juveniles, and more than 75,000 followers on Telegram.
The CARR indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers and tamper with public water systems, one count of damaging protected computers, one count of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted of these charges, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum sentence of 27 years in federal prison. She is scheduled to go to trial on April 7, 2026 in this case.
NoName057(16)
NoName was covert project whose membership included multiple employees of The Center for the Study and Network Monitoring of the Youth Environment (CISM), among other cyber actors. CISM was an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that purported to, among other things, monitor the safety of the internet for Russian youth.
According to the indictment, NoName claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. NoName regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published proof of victim websites being taken offline. The group primarily conducted DDoS cyberattacks using their own proprietary DDoS tool, DDoSia, which relied on network infrastructure around the world created by employees of CISM.
NoName’s victims included government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure, such as public railways and ports. NoName recruited volunteers from around the world to download DDoSia and used their computers to launch DDoS attacks on the victims that NoName leaders selected. NoName also published a daily leaderboard of volunteers who launched the most DDoS attacks on its Telegram channel and paid top-ranking volunteers in cryptocurrency for their attacks.
The indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers. If convicted of this charge, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The law enforcement takedown against NoName is part of Operation Red Circus, and has been executed in coordination with a Europol operation, Operation Eastwood, which is aimed at disrupting NoName. As part of these ongoing operations, law enforcement in 19 countries, including Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), the Netherlands National Police, the Spanish National Police, the Swiss Federal Police, the Swedish Polismyndigheten, and the French Gendarmerie Nationale, alongside the FBI, disrupted more than 100 servers around the world, including virtual servers hosted in the United States, in July 2025. Resulting from their own independent investigations, foreign law enforcement also publicly announced charges against five NoName actors, arrested two NoName actors outside of Russia, and executed searches of 22 NoName members and 2 service providers worldwide. The FBI also suspended NoName’s main X account, which played a key role in the group’s public messaging campaign.
Concurrent with today’s actions, the U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $2 million for information on individuals associated with CARR and up to $10 million for information on individuals associated with NoName. Additionally, today the FBI, CISA, NSA, DOE, EPA, and DC3 issued a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory assessing that pro-Russia hacktivist groups, like CARR and NoName, target minimally secured, internet-facing virtual network computing connections to infiltrate (or gain access to) operational technology control devices within critical infrastructure systems to execute attacks against critical infrastructure, resulting in varying degrees of impact, including physical damage.
On July 19, 2024, U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions targeting two CARR members, Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, for their roles in cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure. These two individuals were the group’s leader and a primary hacker, respectively.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office investigated the CARR and NoName cases as part of FBI’s Operation Red Circus, an ongoing operation to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyberthreats to U.S. critical infrastructure and interests abroad.
Assistant United States Attorneys Angela Makabali and Alexander Gorin of the National Security Division, and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting these cases. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the forfeiture cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Jackson man pleaded guilty on Wednesday, December 3rd in federal court to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement identified Roman Walker, 35, as a distributor of narcotics from Hinds County, Mississippi. Court filings reflect that Walker was distributing a “menu” of narcotics, business hours, and prices for different drugs he was selling. On or about January 24, 2023, while executing a search warrant of Walker’s residence, law enforcement discovered large quantities of narcotics including more than 11,000 fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder packaged for distribution into the metro Jackson area.
Roman Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and DEA Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw made the announcement.
The United States Drug Enforcement Agency is investigating the case with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham is 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indiana Couple Charged in an Indictment Filed in D.C. with Securities Fraud for Insider TradingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Fan Yang, 39, and Jing Tian, 37, both of Indianapolis, were arrested and charged in an indictment unsealed today for conspiring to commit securities fraud for allegedly using insider information to profit from a $3.7 billion corporate acquisition, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Yang, aka “Jocelyn Yang,” and Tian are charged in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. with two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Yang was a finance executive at an Indiana manufacturing company for which her husband, Tian, also worked.
According to the charging document, in 2021, their company began to hold internal discussions about acquiring a Michigan-based firm that made automobile components. On Feb. 22, 2022, their company announced an agreement to acquire the targeted firm at a price of $36.50 per share, for a total value of $3.7 billion. The targeted firm’s stock price rose to $35.55 before markets opened, an increase of about 44% from the prior day’s closing price.
The indictment alleges that Yang began to collect material non-public information (MNPI) about the impending deal in October 2021 and with Tian began discussing and executing security purchases of the target company in November 2021. Communicating in Chinese on messaging apps, they allegedly shared MNPI with a group that grew to include at least five other people, including two graduate students at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and a trader who was in China at the time.
Members of the group used this inside information to purchase stock and options contracts in the target company based on information they knew was non-public and confidential. On November 22, 2021, Yang allegedly sent a WeChat message to her husband Tian discussing their securities purchases, stating, “We have over 100,000 in there. If the acquisition is completed with 3.5b, we can get a Tesla. Trade in and don’t need a loan haha.”
In a series of additional messages, Yang told another trader that she knew the target company stock would rise because her company was acquiring it, information that was not publicly known at the time.
When the news of the corporate acquisition was made public, the group generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit.
This case is being investigated by the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, Co-Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rami Sibay.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal Alien Charged with Assaulting and Impeding ICE OfficersRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An illegal alien was arrested and charged with forcibly assaulting and impeding agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by allegedly ramming his vehicle into agents’ vehicles and narrowly missing an ICE agent.
“Assaulting a federal officer is an attack on the rule of law itself,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “When someone allegedly drives a vehicle to threaten or endanger ICE agents, we treat it with the utmost seriousness. We have zero tolerance for conduct that puts our officers or the public at risk, and this office will take every lawful step to protect our families, officers, and communities.”
“When a federal agent is attempting to make a lawful arrest, there is no excuse to respond with violence. The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to support illegal immigrant enforcement operations,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, Milton Ermilo Arreaga Roblero, 23, was taken into custody in Morrisville, after ICE agents attempted to stop his vehicle during an enforcement operation. Initially, Roblero allegedly came to a complete stop before he suddenly backed into one agent’s vehicle and then drove into four different ICE vehicles. The complaint further alleges that he forced one of the agents on scene to jump out of the way narrowly avoiding Roblero crashing into him. Roblero was taken into custody after he allegedly drove over the curb, through a garden bed and then collided with a civilian’s vehicle.
Roblero is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and faces maximum penalty of twenty years in prison if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Foxx is prosecuting the case, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-MJ-02535-JG.
Illegal Alien Charged with Assaulting Officer During Lawful Removal EnforcementRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — An illegal alien residing in the United States has been charged with assaulting a federal officer during a lawful removal enforcement operation. Alexander Garcia Vargas, 24, is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer. He was illegally residing in North Charleston.
On Dec. 6, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers were supporting an immigration enforcement operation being led by ICE – ERO in North Charleston.
During the operation, officers encountered Garcia Vargas driving a vehicle registered in Garcia Vargas’ name. According to ICE records, Garcia Vargas is residing in the United States illegally and has a court order for his removal.
During a traffic stop, Garcia Vargas refused to roll down his window but produced an ID confirming his identity as Garcia Vargas. When an officer attempted to remove Garcia Vargas from the vehicle, he began intentionally driving his vehicle, hitting two police vehicles and injuring the officer.
After Garcia Vargas fled the scene of the vehicle stop, Garcia Vargas lost control of his vehicle and struck a third vehicle, which was occupied by two CBP Officers. ERO and CBP officers were then able to remove Garcia Vargas from his wrecked vehicle and place him under arrest.
Garcia Vargas made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker on Dec. 8 and will have a detention hearing and preliminary hearing on Dec. 10.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cole Shannon is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the complaint are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Edward Kent Stephens, also known as “Squirrel,” 36, of Huntington, was sentenced on October 20, 2025, to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least May 2024 to in and around June 2024, Stephens conspired with another individual to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Stephens admitted to conducting distributions of fentanyl in the Huntington area on the individual’s behalf. Stephens further admitted that customers would sometimes contact the other individual, who would direct them to Stephens to arrange and conduct the transaction, and on other occasions customers would contact Stephens directly.
Stephens also admitted to relevant criminal conduct as part of this guilty plea. On three occasions between May 24 and June 27, 2024, Stephens distributed a total of approximately 61 grams of fentanyl. Each transaction was with a confidential informant.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-46.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Curtis Denham, also known as “Reala Deala” and “RD,” 37, of Huntington, was sentenced on October 20, 2025, to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 30, 2024, Denham sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Huntington apartment. As part of his guilty plea, Denham admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. Denham further admitted that additional quantities of fentanyl are attributable to him as relevant criminal conduct.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-47.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Deangelo Lamont Tell, also known as “Lil D,” 37, of Huntington, was sentenced on October 6, 2025, to five years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 31, 2023, Tell sold approximately 27.34 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant near the 1800 block of Marshall Avenue in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Tell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Tell further admitted to selling approximately 48.85 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on February 3, 2023, and to arranging for another individual to sell approximately 55.75 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant on February 6, 2023. Both transactions occurred in Huntington.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-16.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Troy Alan Glover, 32, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 17, 2025, Glover sold 111 grams of methamphetamine and 9.7 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant while in the informant’s vehicle in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Glover admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Glover also admitted to additional criminal conduct. Glover sold approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine and 9.9 grams of fentanyl on March 14, 2025, and approximately 19.9 grams of fentanyl on March 26, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Huntington in exchange for $940. Glover admitted to those transactions and to selling approximately 18.5 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant on April 28, 2025, in Huntington in exchange for $900.
Glover is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-139.
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Honduras Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Fourth Illegal Reentry into the U.S., Social Security Fraud, and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A Honduras citizen has been sentenced in federal court to 39 months in prison, to be followed by deportation, on his convictions of illegal reentry of a removed alien, fraudulent use of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Jose Mejia-Sarmiento, 67.
According to information presented to the Court, Mejia-Sarmiento was found in the Western District of Pennsylvania after having been deported and removed from the United States three times prior between 1996 and 2016, including after a felony conviction on the latter occasion. Further, Mejia-Sarmiento made false statements to the Social Security Administration on four different occasions between May 2024 and February 2025 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, by possessing and using the identification of another person. Following the completion of his sentence, Mejia-Sarmiento will be immediately deported to Honduras.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Mejia-Sarmiento.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Honduran National Sentenced for Reentry of an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MARLON SANTOS (“SANTOS”), age 36, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, SANTOS was found in Orleans Parish on April 21, 2025. He had previously been removed to Honduras on December 21, 2018.
United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced SANTOS to two years of imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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HSI San Juan Arrests Two Men on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two men were arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct.
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by HSI, arrested José Antonio Maestre-Rivera, a 27-year-old man from Carolina, PR.
A federal grand jury indicted Maestre-Rivera on December 3, 2025, with five counts of sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, receipt of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor.
According to court documents, from April through October 2025, defendant Maestre-Rivera used electronic devices and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During the same period, Maestre-Rivera produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also knowingly transported said minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In a separate case, Gilberto Fontanez Alvarado, a 67-year-old man from Bayamón, was arrested on December 4, 2025, by HSI agents. A federal grand jury indicted Fontanez Alvarado with two counts of transportation of child exploitation material and possession of child exploitation material.
According to the indictment, from August 2012 through November 2025, the defendant knowingly used electronic devices, for the possession and access with intent to view of images of child exploitation material, including of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
If convicted, Fontanez Alvarado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence 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.
AUSA Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting both cases.
“We are committed to bringing child predators, including those charged in these cases, to justice and protecting our children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to thank the federal agents, prosecutors and our state and local partners who are relentless in their efforts to identify and prosecute those who seek to exploit children.”
“These charges highlight a deeply troubling and escalating threat in child exploitation cases: predators who collect and trade images of child sexual abuse material are aggressively using social media platforms to target and groom minors,” said HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos. “In one case, the suspect deliberately initiated contact with a minor through public social media profiles, then swiftly shifted to private direct messages to facilitate their criminal acts. In the other case, our investigation uncovered disturbing evidence of a collection of illicit images demonstrating the long-term and calculated nature of this predatory behavior. These cases serve as a stark warning of the relentless danger posed by online predators. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting these offenders. We urge parents, guardians, and communities to remain alert and proactive in protecting children. HSI will continue to work with our federal and local partners to ensure these criminals are brought to justice.”
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Gang Member Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MODESTE ADODO, 29, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, while investigating gang activity in Bridgeport, conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from Adodo, a member and purported leader of the 150 gang based on Bridgeport’s West Side. A subsequent wiretap investigation determined that Christian Pichardo was supplying Adodo and other distributors with fentanyl, heroin, crack and powder cocaine, and opioid pills. Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues, nitazines, and xylazine. Nitazines are synthetic opioids stronger than fentanyl, and xylazine is a large animal tranquilizer. A wiretap also intercepted Adodo discussing his possession of firearms, and transferring a firearm to a gang associate.
Adodo was arrested on August 5, 2024. On September 16, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Adodo, who is released on a $100,000 bond and currently residing in New Haven, is required to report to prison on February 10.
Pichardo pleaded guilty and, on July 14, 2025, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bridgeport, Stratford, and Norwalk Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
Four Charged in Large-scale Meth and Fentanyl Trafficking Operation in ClevelandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the unsealing of a federal indictment Dec. 9 charging four individuals allegedly involved in an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to the allegations in the indictment, from about February 2023 to August 2024, Calvin Locke, aka Uncle, aka Tio, 53, sold narcotics to various redistributors throughout the northern Ohio region and then used a business entity, Locke and Goldstein, to launder the proceeds. Co-conspirator Josue Melendez, aka Jay, aka Bananas, 35, facilitated multi-kilogram shipments of methamphetamine from Sonora, Mexico, with Carlos Escareno, aka J, 30, serving as courier to transport the pound quantities of drugs across state lines from Arizona to Ohio. A fourth co-conspirator, Shamese Maddox, 37, was Locke’s fentanyl supplier.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Division.
Calvin Locke, aka Uncle, aka Tio, 53, of Cleveland, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
- Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Possession with the Intent to Distribute of Fentanyl.
- Money Laundering.
Josue Melendez, aka Jay, aka Bananas, 35, of Yuma, Arizona, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Carlos Escareno, aka J, 30, of Yuma, Arizona, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Shamese Maddox, 37, of Akron, Ohio, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
- Distribution of Fentanyl.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigations leading to the indictment were conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and partner members of the Cartel, Gang, Narcotics and Laundering Task Force:
- Cleveland Division of Police
- North Royalton Police Department
- Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department
- Brooklyn (Ohio) Police Department
- Ohio State Highway Patrol
- Ottawa County Prosecutors Office
- Ohio Bureau of Crime Investigations
- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police
- IRS-Criminal Investigations
Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Crook is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio. The assistance of the U.S. Marshals is also acknowledged for providing related support for this crime reduction initiative.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Student Arrested and Charged for Bomb Hoax on College CampusRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the arrest of NIGEL TRENH in connection with a bomb hoax that resulted in the evacuation of a college dormitory in the Southern District of New York in August. TRENH was arrested by the FBI on December 8, 2025, in Los Angeles and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steve Kim in the Central District of California. He will make his initial appearance in White Plains federal court on December 18, 2025.
“As alleged, Nigel Trenh used social media to spread false information about a bomb and active shooter on a college campus, forcing an evacuation of students, family members, and college staff on their move-in day,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Hoaxes related to explosives and violence sow fear and panic, and waste limited law enforcement and emergency resources.”
“Nigel Trenh allegedly posted misleading warnings of a bomb and active shooter at his former college, resulting in the full evacuation of a dormitory and first responders rushing to an empty scene,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Trenh’s alleged hoax unnecessarily incited fear on one of our local campuses and diverted law enforcement resources from legitimate calls. May this arrest serve as a deterrent to others; the FBI is committed to investigating any individual who cries wolf about mass violence, regardless of where they may be located.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in White Plains federal court:[1]
TRENH, a former student at a college in the Southern District of New York (“College-1”), published the following anonymous post on August 29, 2025, on the social media platform Fizz, which warned of a bomb in the third-floor restroom of a College-1 dormitory and an active shooter on campus:
When College-1 students saw the post on the morning of August 29, 2025, they reported it to College-1 security personnel, who in turn reported it to local law enforcement. Within minutes, law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the report and converged on campus, evacuating the dormitory to conduct a full sweep of the premises with the support of K9 units. This sweep ultimately confirmed that the post was a hoax.
As alleged, the August 29 Fizz post was part of a broader pattern of unsolicited threatening and/or harassing communications sent by TRENH to College-1 personnel, including e-mails and messages making express reference to on-campus violence and school shootings. TRENH’s communications continued even after he was questioned by federal law enforcement officers regarding the August 29 bomb hoax.
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TRENH, 22, of Los Angeles, California, is charged with maliciously conveying false information involving an explosive, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and false information and a hoax involving explosives and firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, together with the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the New York State Police, and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarlitto is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Postal Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Checks from Mail, Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KIERRA BLOUNT, 35, formerly of Stamford and currently residing in Plymouth, North Carolina, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for fraud and mail theft offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Blount, at times while employed by the U.S. Postal Service in Stamford, stole mail and obtained stolen mail for the purpose of obtaining checks that were payable to other individuals. In approximately November 2021, Blount opened a bank account using the name and social security number of an individual without the identity theft victim’s knowledge. Blount and others fraudulently changed the payee names on stolen checks to the name of the identity theft victim, forged the victim’s signature on the back of the checks, and deposited them into the bank account Blount opened. From November 2021 until the account was closed in April 2022, Blount and others deposited approximately $156,000 in fraudulent checks into the account. Some check deposits were reversed by the bank, and Blount and others used approximately $81,000 for their own purposes.
On June 20, 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Blount’s Stamford residence and seized a significant amount of stolen mail and other items related to this scheme, including debit cards in the names of other individuals, checks totaling more than $285,000, and sheets of paper containing personal information of other individuals, including names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, and security question answers. Subsequent analysis of cell phones seized from Blount on that date revealed images of stolen checks, personal identifying information for more than 50 individuals, and communications using the Telegram app with unknown individuals involved in the scheme.
Blount was charged by indictment on March 26, 2024, and was arrested on June 17, 2024. On August 29, 2025, she pleaded guilty to bank fraud and unlawful possession of stolen mail.
Blount, who is released on a $75,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 8.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Connecticut Organized Financial Fraud (CUT OFF) Task Force, which includes personnel from the Stamford, Milford, Westport, Fairfield, West Haven, West Hartford, and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.
Former Pike County police officer sentenced to 10 years in prison for running steroid, cocaine ringRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pike County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking ring responsible for mailing more than 2,500 parcels of steroids and distributing 11 kilograms of cocaine.
Mark Anglemyer, Jr., 42, of Waverly, Ohio, imported precursor chemicals from China and traveled across the country and internationally to secure narcotics. Anglemyer previously worked as a police officer with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the Piketon, Waverly and Wellston police departments.
According to court documents, from 2019 to 2024, Anglemyer ran a drug trafficking operation out of Waverly, dealing both anabolic steroids and cocaine.
As part of his operation, Anglemyer imported raw materials from China to manufacture the steroids. He then produced the powder and liquid steroid mixtures at various co-conspirators’ residences in Pike County. Finally, the defendant shipped the steroids to customers across the country via the United States Postal Service.
Anglemyer also obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine from California for local distribution in Waverly.
When Anglemyer’s California cocaine suppliers were arrested by federal authorities, he and a co-conspirator flew to Colombia to seek another supplier and attempted to mail cocaine from Colombia to Waverly.
Anglemyer and three co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. The defendant pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and anabolic steroids.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Fort Carson Soldier Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that John Paul Barsch III, 31, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Barsch was a soldier in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs at the time of his arrest.
According to the plea agreement, on multiple occasions between November 2018 and March 2020, Barsch performed sex acts on an infant or toddler in his custody, care, or control; created videos depicting those sex acts; and distributed at least one of the videos to another person who was in the United Kingdom. Barsch’s conduct was discovered when law enforcement arrested the person who received the videos, and a search of his devices revealed conversations with Barsch.
“Crimes against children are some of the most despicable in our society and this sentence demonstrates the magnitude of the crimes committed,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly.
“Homeland Security Investigations will not tolerate the vile and reprehensible exploitation of children, especially by those entrusted with their care. The sentencing of this individual sends a clear and unyielding message: no position of authority or service will shield predators from the full force of justice,” said HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “Let this serve as a stark warning—there is no place in our society for such heinous acts, and we will stop at nothing to protect our children and uphold the rule of law."
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was handled by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Hindman handled the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Case Number: 24-cr-00028-CNS
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Accepting Bribe to Smuggle ContrabandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to prison for attempting to smuggle contraband into a prison where he was employed.
James P. Jackson, 40, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in July to Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right for accepting money to smuggle two packages into a prison using his capacity as an employee of the facility. Jackson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Polster imposed the sentence on Dec. 4th.
According to court documents, Jackson was employed by the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI) in Leavittsburg, from 2022 through 2024, where he served as a corrections officer and later, as a general maintenance worker. His work duties and responsibilities allowed him full access to non-public areas including prison cells where he interacted regularly with inmates. Jackson was found to be communicating with a female associate of a TCI inmate. They eventually agreed to meet so she could give Jackson packages to deliver to the inmate, who was serving a sentence inside the facility. In return, Jackson accepted an initial bribe of $1,000 from her and was promised an additional $1,000 after the contraband was successfully delivered to the intended recipient. Upon attempting to take the packages into TCI, Jackson was intercepted by law enforcement. The investigation revealed that the packages Jackson received−and attempted to smuggle into the prison−contained 97.67 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 207.63 grams of synthetic cannabinoid, 32.85 grams of phencyclidine (aka PCP or angel dust), various other drugs, a cellphone, and SIM cards.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Trumbull Correctional Institutions-Office of Investigations, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol-Office of Criminal Investigations Prison Drug Unit, and Investigative Services for the Warren District.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea S. Rice for the Northern District of Ohio.
Former Compton Politician Pleads Guilty to Bribing Corrupt Baldwin Park Official for Marijuana Permits and to Cheating on TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Compton city councilman pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for paying $70,000 in bribes to a Baldwin Park city councilman in exchange for that official’s votes and support for commercial marijuana permits, and to evading the assessment of his federal income taxes by not filing tax returns for four consecutive years and failing to report to the IRS more than half a million dollars in income.
Isaac Jacob Galvan, 38, of Compton, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of evasion of tax assessment. Galvan remains free on $10,000 bond. He has agreed to pay $323,557 in restitution to the IRS.
According to his plea agreement, Baldwin Park in June 2017 began permitting the cultivation, manufacture, and distribution of marijuana within its city limits. Soon afterward, then-Baldwin Park City Councilman Ricardo Pacheco, 62, of Baldwin Park, began soliciting bribes from businesses seeking marijuana development agreements and related permits in the city, according to court documents. In exchange for the illicit payments, Pacheco agreed to use his position in city government to assist the companies with obtaining marijuana permits, including voting in their favor. Pacheco served on Baldwin Park’s city council from 1997 until his resignation in June 2020, and he was the city’s mayor pro tempore in 2018.
Galvan – who served on the Compton City Council from 2013 to 2022 – offered his consulting services to W&F International Corp., a Diamond Bar-based import-export business, who wanted a marijuana permit in Baldwin Park. After securing W&F International Corp. as a consulting client, Galvan facilitated $70,000 in bribes to Pacheco from Yichang Bai, 52, of Arcadia, the owner and operator of W&F. Bai has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he helped orchestrate the bribery scheme and is scheduled to go to trial in this case in February 2026.
Galvan paid the bribes in exchange for Pacheco’s political support of and promise to deliver Baldwin Park’s approval of marijuana permits for W&F. Pacheco then delivered, voting in favor of W&F’s marijuana permit in June and July of 2018 and voting later that year in favor of W&F’s bid to relocate its operations.
Throughout the scheme, Galvan and Bai took steps to cover up their illegal payments to Pacheco by concealing Bai and W&F’s connection to the payments for Pacheco. For example, Bai collected checks from third parties who owed him money and then gave Galvan the checks with blank payee lines. Galvan then gave the checks to Pacheco.
Shortly after the votes to approve W&F’s relocation, Pacheco contacted Galvan and asked for him to obtain more money from W&F for his legal defense fund. Galvan told Bai that Pacheco wanted $25,000 for his fundraiser, but Bai insisted only on paying $20,000. Consistent with his arrangement with Galvan, Bai provided a total of seven checks from different bank accounts that were not Bai’s or W&F’s. Galvan arranged for the checks to be delivered to Pacheco as further payment in exchange for his votes and support of W&F’s marijuana permit.
Galvan further admitted in his plea agreement that he failed to file federal individual tax returns for the years 2017 through 2020, evading assessment of the federal taxes he owed in several ways. For example, he concealed his ownership and control of I&I LLC, a shell company Galvan used to solicit bribes for public officials and to facilitate paying those bribes. Galvan also directed individuals to issue checks with blank payee lines to later be cashed and converted into income for himself, and he individuals to write checks for income he earned to conduits who would pay for Galvan’s living expenses, including his rent.
In total, Galvan failed to report approximately $560,525 in income for the tax years 2017 through 2020, causing a total loss to the United States Treasury of $115,816.
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a June 8, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Galvan will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison on the bribery count and up to five years in federal prison on the tax count.
Pacheco pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of bribery for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes – including $20,000 in cash – from a Baldwin Park Police officer working at the FBI’s direction, in exchange for the councilmember’s political support of the Baldwin Park Police Association’s contract with the city. Pacheco’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 30, 2026. Pacheco has signed a plea agreement in which he has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk, Michael J. Morse, and Kedar S. Bhatia of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Anyone who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s Electronic Tip Form at tips.fbi.gov or to call (800) CALL-FBI.
Former Athens-Clarke County Police Officer charged with child exploitation and bestiality-related crimesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Former Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Amber Nicole Ferguson has been indicted on charges of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material, possession of child sexual abuse material involving a minor under the age of 12, and production of obscene material.
"Sexual predators who prey upon children or sexually abuse animals for the purpose of disseminating images of the abuse face significant prison time if convicted in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “To protect the community and its most vulnerable members, my office will aggressively prosecute anyone who commits such crimes.”
“The actions alleged in this indictment represent a profound betrayal of the trust and responsibility placed in law enforcement officers. Those who are sworn to protect our communities—especially our children—must be held to the highest standards, said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to ensuring that individuals who exploit their positions to harm the most vulnerable will be brought to justice.”
“Few crimes are as vile as those committed against children. When the offender is someone who swore an oath to protect the public and uphold the law, it is an even deeper violation. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working alongside our partners to safeguard our most vulnerable and bring offenders, regardless of their title or authority, to justice,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: After a family member of the two minors reported suspicions to the Commerce Police Department, an investigation led to the discovery of child sexual abuse material on Ferguson’s phone. As the investigation continued, images involving horse and dog bestiality allegedly possessed by Ferguson were discovered as well. The indictment alleges that Ferguson produced the bestiality images and child sex abuse material.
Amber Nicole Ferguson, 34, of Commerce, Ga., was arraigned on December 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anna W. Howard. She was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 2, 2025. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
If convicted of production or attempted production of child sex abuse material, Ferguson would face at least 15 years in prison. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Commerce Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.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.
Foreign National with Violent Felony Convictions Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country five times.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on September 18, 2022, Jose Alberto Santacruz-Benitez was found in the United States after he was previously deported on October 22, 2009; June 5, 2014; June 30, 2014; September 17, 2017; and November 30, 2021.
Prior to his first removal, Santacruz-Benitez was convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Santacruz-Benitez and his co-conspirators kidnapped two men they believed had stolen drugs from them, torturing these victims for hours with beatings, mock drownings, and threats to kill them and their families.
After his first removal, Santacruz-Benitez repeatedly returned to this country and violated the law. He was convicted in state court of two separate incidents of felony possession of a controlled substance, and he was twice convicted in federal court for unlawfully reentering the country in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. This case is his third § 1326 conviction.
After his most recent removal, Santacruz-Benitez unlawfully returned to the United States for a fifth time. In September 2022, he was discovered by immigration officials after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested him for shooting five people at a birthday party. Based on this conduct, Santacruz-Benitez was convicted of attempt murder with use of a deadly weapon in state court.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Sherwin for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles made the announcement.
HSI Los Angeles investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Federal grand jury indicts former Jamestown man on narcotics conspiracy and fentanyl 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 Washington, 41, formerly of Jamestown, NY, now living in North Carolina, with narcotics conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2016, and March 2021, Washington conspired with Joseph S. Zaso, and others, to sell heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the Olean area. Zaso was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Washington was arraigned in the Western District of North Carolina and is being held pending a detention hearing in the Western District of New York.
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 indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field 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 Convicted Felon Guilty in String of Twelve Armed Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On December 4, 2025, a federal jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case of a Memphis-based convicted felon, Fredrick Buford, 29, who was charged with committing a series of armed robberies of businesses in the summer of 2022. Buford faces a mandatory statutory minimum of 75 years in federal prison. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, Buford conducted a series of armed robberies of local businesses in Memphis, Tennessee:
- May 23, 2022: Dollar General, 3129 Thomas Street
- May 23, 2022: Family Dollar, 1688 Jackson Avenue
- May 29, 2022: Exxon, 4491 Poplar Avenue
- May 29, 2022: Mapco, 979 East Brooks Road (Buford broke into the store and threatened to shoot the store employee. However, he was not successful in obtaining money.)
- June 4, 2022: Dollar General, 2469 Elvis Presley Boulevard
- June 6, 2022: Dollar General, 1760 Winchester Road
- June 6, 2022: Mapco, 3333 Thomas Street
- June 11, 2022: Family Dollar, 2743 North Watkins Street
- June 11, 2022: Dollar General, 1294 Lamar Avenue
- June 12, 2022: Family Dollar, 3255 Hickory Hill Road
- June 15, 2022: Dollar General, 2939 Lamar Avenue
- June 16, 2022: Dollar General, 2245 Lamar Avenue
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Robberies of businesses with a firearm are especially dangerous and violent due to the high risk of death and serious bodily injury by the simple squeeze of a trigger. Business robberies also have a substantially negative impact on the local economy and interstate commerce, which victimizes the entire community. Within the short span of 25 days, this recidivist violent offender’s selfish and impulsive greed terrorized multiple victims across our city – and will rightly earn him a long sentence in a federal prison."
“This guilty verdict should serve as a reminder that the FBI will not waver when it comes to protecting Tennesseans and taking dangerous criminals off the streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI will continue to combat these issues through strong partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement via task forces and other relationships to ensure the safety of our communities."
After a four-day trial, Buford was convicted on December 4, 2025 of eleven counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, and eleven counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Sentencing is set on March 24, 2026 before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris.
The FBI Nashville Field Office-Memphis Resident Agency’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Will Crow and Eileen Kuo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Executive Director of In-Home Care Business Sentenced to Prison for Failing to Pay Quarterly Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A Lake County man has been sentenced to federal prison for not paying required employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Michael Roberts, 38, of Mentor, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after a federal jury convicted him in April of failure to account for and pay taxes. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $322,718.56 in restitution. Judge Adams imposed the sentence Dec. 3.
According to court documents, Roberts was the executive director and co-owner of Progressive Alternatives, an in-home care business that served individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Lake and Ashtabula Counties. The business was initially purchased by Roberts’s spouse, Larry Keith Gildersleeve III, 43, also of Mentor, in February 2011.
Federal investigators found that the payroll checks that Roberts issued did reflect the correct withholdings from employees’ wages. The withholdings were also reflected on W-2 forms that the employees received. But upon further investigation, it was discovered that the business never filed W-2 forms for employees, nor did they submit quarterly payments. When an employee was preparing to retire in 2017, she learned that her employer, Progressive Alternatives, had not paid the required payroll taxes over to the IRS.
Gildersleeve was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role, after pleading guilty to eight counts of failure to account for and pay over taxes. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $692,697.50 in restitution.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Division investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Erica D. Barnhill and Brett S. Hammond prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.
Detroit Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Rafael Cee-Erwin Solomon, also known as “Rip,” 44, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on October 9, 2025, to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for three counts of distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Solomon sold a quantity of fentanyl in Dunbar on March 10, 2025, and quantities of fentanyl in St. Albans on March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025.
Solomon has a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of oxymorphone in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 8, 2012. Solomon’s criminal history also includes prior convictions for assault and battery-domestic violence, felonious assault, felonious assault on a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property, and arson.
Solomon is among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty. Solomon is among four defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-77.
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Department of Justice Rule Restores Equal Protection for All in Civil Rights EnforcementRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department issued a final rule updating its regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights of 1964. This rule ensures that our nation’s federal civil rights laws are firmly grounded in the principle of equal treatment under the law by eliminating disparate-impact liability from its Title VI regulations.
“For decades, the Justice Department has used disparate-impact liability to undermine the constitutional principle that all Americans must be treated equally under the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No longer. This Department of Justice is eliminating its regulations that for far too long required recipients of federal funding to make decisions based on race.”
“The prior ‘disparate impact’ regulations encouraged people to file lawsuits challenging racially neutral policies, without evidence of intentional discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our rejection of this theory will restore true equality under the law by requiring proof of actual discrimination, rather than enforcing race- or sex-based quotas or assumptions.”
“For over 50 years, the prior disparate-impact rule fostered the very thing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited — discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. But with today’s rule,” said Chief of Staff and Supervisory Official for the Office of Legal Policy Nicholas Schilling. “The Department reaffirms Congress’ commitment to measure all Americans by merit.”
Congress enacted Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. In 1973, the federal government added to the law a new rule — disparate impact — that was not part of the law. The term “disparate impact” refers to the concept of imposing liability on a federal fund recipient only because there may be different outcomes for different people, not based on prejudice or intent. That prior disparate-impact rule was already enjoined in one state, prohibiting DOJ from enforcing it there.
The Department’s new rule reflects the best reading of Title VI, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized for over twenty years. Title VI has and will continue to prohibit intentional discrimination. The Department’s new rule ensures that recipients of federal funding will be judged on their actual conduct, not on statistical outcomes or circumstances beyond their control.
Despite decades of case law, the Department’s prior Title VI disparate-impact regulations remained on the books, sowing confusion and creating costly compliance obligations for states, local governments, nonprofits, and private organizations receiving federal financial assistance. This new rule eliminates these burdens, promotes consistent enforcement across agencies, and restores public confidence in civil rights law by aligning the Department’s regulations with the Constitution.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Matias Noah Ramirez, age 26, currently of Okemah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on August 17, 2025, Ramirez assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm. According to investigators, Ramirez threw boiling water onto the victim’s back, causing severe burns.
The crime occurred in Hughes County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department, and the Okemah Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Ramirez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Decatur man pleads guilty to illegally operating drone over Truist Park during MLB All-Star GameRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mitchell Parsons Hughes has pleaded guilty to committing a federal crime by flying a drone over Truist Park during the Major League Baseball All-Star game in July 2025 and was sentenced to six months’ probation.
“Anyone attempting to fly a drone in a prohibited manner can expect to be prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Flight restrictions are implemented for the safety of everyone, whether at the event or nearby. My office and its partners will enforce the law to protect the community whenever a major event, such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup, is hosted in our district.”
“Flying a small drone means you are flying an aircraft, and unsafe behavior will cost you,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “These actions can be dangerous to the public and interfere with security operations.”
"Drone regulations protect the public and ensure the safety of our national airspace,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “Flying drones illegally—especially above large sporting events filled with families, friends, and fans—poses serious risks. This guilty plea highlights our continued dedication to working with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and avert dangerous incidents.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place for Truist Park during the July 15, 2025, Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star game, designating it a No Drone Zone. A TFR restricts certain aircraft, including an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), commonly known as a “drone,” from operating within a one nautical mile radius of the stadium.
Introducing a TFR for stadiums or sports venues hosting regular or post-season contests is standard practice for the NFL, MLB, NCAA Division I, Major League Soccer, and NASCAR. The TFR goes into effect one hour before the scheduled start time and lasts until one hour after the end of a qualifying event.
There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding drone use anywhere within the FAA’s No Drone Zone. Anyone who attempts to fly a drone in any prohibited manner is subject to arrest, prosecution, fines, and/or imprisonment.
During the MLB All-Star game, Mitchell Parson Hughes flew a drone directly over Truist Park despite being warned about the flight restrictions on his UAS’s control panel. Hughes also admitted that his drone was not registered and that he lacked the required training and licensing, including a remote pilot certificate, to operate a UAS.
On December 5, 2025, Mitchell Parsons Hughes, 47, of Decatur, Ga., pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with knowingly violating national defense airspace. Hughes was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell Vineyard to six months’ probation and a $500 fine.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Transportation - Office of the Inspector General. U.S. Attorney Hertzberg also commended the FAA and the Cobb County Police Department for their work in the investigation.
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.
Day Care in Plant City Settles Claim to Improve Access to Day Care Services for Children with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has reached an agreement with Autumn Leaf Academy, Inc., a day care center in Plant City, Florida that provides child care services for children ages 12 months to 12 years old, to settle allegations that it violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The United States Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into Autumn Leaf Academy after receiving a complaint from the parents of a child with Down syndrome, alleging that, in November 2022, Autumn Leaf Academy refused to enroll their daughter because she uses a gastronomy tube (i.e., “G-tube”) to eat. As a result of the investigation, the United States determined that Autumn Leaf Academy violated Title III of the ADA when it discriminated against the child and her parents, because of the child’s disability, by denying them the opportunity to participate in and benefit from its day care services. Specifically, Autumn Leaf Academy applied eligibility criteria that screened out the child and failed and refused to make the reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, or procedures that were necessary to afford her its services.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Autumn Leaf Academy must: adopt, maintain, and enforce a non-discrimination policy regarding the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability, and post such policy on its website; provide training to all personnel on all policies, practices, and procedures required under the settlement agreement, as well as the non-discrimination requirements under Title III of the ADA; designate and maintain a compliance monitor to ensure Autumn Leaf Academy complies with the terms of the settlement agreement; submit regular compliance reports to the United States; report any complaints received alleging Autumn Leaf Academy discriminated on the basis of disability to the United States; and pay the child’s family $2,000 in compensatory damages.
This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra N. Karahalios.
Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, including private day care centers, from discriminating against individuals on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations (“goods or services”). In general, Title III prohibits public accommodations from subjecting an individual on the basis of disability to a denial of the opportunity to participate in or benefit from its goods or services. Specifically, a public accommodation shall not impose or apply eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability or any class of individuals with disabilities from fully and equally enjoying any goods or services being offered. A public accommodation must make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures necessary to afford an individual with a disability the goods or services of the public accommodation. Title III also prohibits public accommodations from discriminating against an individual because of the known disability of an individual with whom the individual is known to have a relationship or association, such as the parents of a child with a disability.
Individuals who believe they may have experienced discrimination may contact the Civil Rights Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida by calling our Civil Rights Hotline at (813) 274-6095 or emailing us at [email protected]. To fill out our civil rights complaint form, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights-complaint-form.
The Attorney General is authorized to investigate alleged violations of Title III of the ADA and to bring a civil action in federal court if the United States is unable to secure voluntary compliance in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance. Ensuring that day care centers do not discriminate against children with disabilities is an issue of general public importance.
For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (Voice) or (833) 610-1264 (TTY). Accessibility specialists are available to answer questions from individuals, businesses, and state or local governments. All calls are confidential.
Settlement AgreementDansville woman arrested, charged with threatening to murder law enforcement and impeding arrest with a deadly weaponRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jennifer E. Curran, 40, of Dansville, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of official duties, with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated on December 4, 2025, various threats were posted online, including a threat to kill the President, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and to commit a mass shooting. The threats were posted on the social media platform GETTR by a user identified as @Word_Smith. Subsequent investigation tracked the post to Jennifer Curran.
The following day, investigators from the FBI and New York State Police went to Curran’s residence. Investigators made contact with Curran, who was holding a hammer in her hand. Curran admitted to posting the threats, stating that she was “very upset” and that there were some “social workers” and “police officers” that she wanted to “hurt.” Curran also stated that she can post whatever she wants, while waving the hammer in a threatening manner. Curran told investigators that if she had to kill someone on her property to get her point across, she would. Curran refused to drop the hammer stating, “get away from me before I assault you.” Curran was subsequently taken into custody.
“The safety and protection of law enforcement, at every level, is paramount to law enforcement being able to do their jobs and protecting our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “Any individual who threatens to commit violence against any member of law enforcement will be held accountable for their actions.”
“When someone chooses violence instead of compliance, it risks the safety of those who serve and protect our communities,” Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office stated. “The FBI appreciates the extraordinary vigilance of our agents and swift coordination with our law enforcement partners.”
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher 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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Crack Dealer with a Semi-Automatic Pistol Sentenced to 45 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cevin Andre Belton, 40, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 45 months in prison for trafficking crack cocaine and for illegally possessing a semi-automatic pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Belton pleaded guilty on September 5 before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 45-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Belton to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, MPD officers were on patrol about 1:25 p.m. on March 22 when they spotted Belton standing in an alleyway behind the 4000 block of 9th Street. Belton saw the officers patrol car and began walking towards an entrance to a nearby building. Officers exited their vehicle to conduct a foot patrol. Belton looked over his shoulder, saw the officers, and ran at a full sprint away while holding his front waistband.
As officers chased Belton on foot, Belton reached into the front of his waistband, produced a black firearm, and threw it onto a patch of grass. Officers caught Belton near the intersection of 9th and Bellevue Streets, Southeast. Investigators canvassed Belton’s flight path along the 4200 block of 9th Street, SE, and recovered a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
During a search of Belton, officers recovered 15.5 grams of crack cocaine and $157 in cash. Belton later admitted that he had intended to distribute the crack cocaine.
Belton has a previous conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon out of Prince George’s County for which he served eight years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
Photo: Along the 4200 block of 9th Street, SE, police recovered a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol
Photo: During a search of Belton, officers recovered 15.5 grams of crack cocaine and $157 in cash. Belton later admitted that he had intended to distribute the coke.
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Court appoints Dominick S. Gerace II as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an order effective today unanimously re-appointing Dominick S. Gerace II as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
In August, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi named Mr. Gerace as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, the Attorney General has the authority to name a U.S. Attorney to serve on an interim basis for up to 120 days. After that time, the district court may appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled through Senate confirmation. President Donald J. Trump nominated Mr. Gerace as U.S. Attorney in July and his nomination remains pending in the Senate.
“I am grateful to the district court for its vote of confidence in my leadership and honored to continue to serve as U.S. Attorney,” Gerace said. “While I am proud of what this office has accomplished during the last 120 days, our job is never done. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the public and ensure the safety of our communities here in Southern Ohio.”
As the court-appointed U.S. Attorney, Mr. Gerace will continue to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer representing the United States in all federal criminal and civil litigation in the Southern District of Ohio. The district covers the 48 southern-most counties in the state of Ohio and is home to more than five million people. Mr. Gerace leads a staff of approximately 100 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel across three offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton.
Mr. Gerace is a former federal prosecutor with nearly a decade of experience in both the Southern District of Ohio and the Eastern District of Virginia, where he prosecuted cases involving national security, domestic and international terrorism, international drug trafficking, violent crime, bank and wire fraud, public corruption, tax evasion and money laundering. He previously served as Deputy Criminal Chief of the district’s Dayton office.
During his time as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Gerace received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security for his work in the federal investigation and prosecution arising from the August 2019 mass shooting in Dayton. He also received the U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Performance for his service as counsel in the first international terrorism trial held in the district.
Most recently, Mr. Gerace was a Partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he practiced in the areas of white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, compliance, and civil litigation.
Mr. Gerace earned his law degree, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Georgetown University, where he was a senior board member of The Georgetown Law Journal and Editor-in-Chief of The Georgetown Law Journal’s Annual Review of Criminal Procedure. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Gerace clerked for the Honorable John M. Rogers of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Mr. Gerace earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the United States Military Academy and served as a tank platoon leader and company executive officer in the United States Army prior to attending law school.
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Court Appoints Eric Grant to Continue to Serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley administered the oath of office to Eric Grant, swearing him in to serve as the court-appointed United States Attorney and thereby continue as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of California. On August 11, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Mr. Grant as the interim U.S. Attorney for 120 days, and the judges of the Eastern District of California recently voted to re-appoint Mr. Grant pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546(d).
Mr. Grant is a veteran of the Department of Justice, having served twice in Washington, D.C.: from 1991 to 1993 as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel, and from 2017 to 2021 as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). During his tenure at ENRD, Mr. Grant supervised more than a hundred Department litigators advancing the interests of the United States and its agencies in both enforcement and defensive matters, both civil and criminal.
“I have been honored to lead an excellent team of dedicated attorneys and other public servants in our shared mission to enhance public safety and the rule of law in the Eastern District of California. We have accomplished a great deal over the last several months, and our work continues. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues and with federal, state, local, and tribal partners to accomplish that mission,” U.S. Attorney Grant said.
In addition to his service in the Department, Mr. Grant has decades of experience in private practice in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. That experience includes arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and numerous other federal and state courts.
Mr. Grant served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (retired) and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the Supreme Court’s October 1994 Term. Earlier he served as a law clerk to Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Grant grew up in Modesto, California, and raised his family in Sacramento County. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics (1986) and a law degree (1990).
The United States Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of California and is responsible for prosecuting federal criminal cases and representing the United States in civil litigation. The Eastern District encompasses 34 counties throughout the Central Valley and the Sierra, from the Oregon border in the north to the Los Angeles County line in the south. The United States Attorney’s Office has offices in Sacramento, Fresno, and Bakersfield.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 40 Months for Possessing Explosive PowderRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Jess Kiesel Lee, 43, of Kula, Maui, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake to 40 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for possessing, as a convicted felon, explosive powder.
According to court records, Lee set off an improvised explosive device (“IED”)—a homemade firework—near Kaamana Street in Kula, on or before August 7, 2024. Officers with the Maui Police Department (“MPD”) later encountered multiple IEDs near that location. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) seized those IEDs and found Lee’s fingerprint on one device. The FBI determined that at least one of the devices contained a mixture of compounds consistent with the remnants of explosive firework powder. A month later, the FBI searched Lee’s residence in Kula and located user amounts of methamphetamine, firearms, ammunition, and IEDs containing flash powder, a common explosive firework powder. Lee admitted to knowingly possessing that explosive powder after he sustained multiple felony convictions in the State of Hawaii.
Judge Otake sentenced Lee to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, observing that fireworks are a danger to both individual operators and the general public. Judge Otake specifically noted that Lee’s functioning his homemade firework near a wooded area on Kaamana Street placed the surrounding community in danger considering Maui’s susceptibility to wildfires.
“The protection and safety of our community is our highest priority,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We have witnessed the serious harm and life-threatening danger presented by the possession and use of illegal explosives in our local communities, including illegal fireworks. We pledge to aggressively investigate, charge, and convict those who unlawfully construct, possess, or detonate explosives and explosive materials. We credit our steadfast partners at the FBI for their outstanding investigative efforts in this case.”
“Homemade explosive devices present a significant danger to our island communities,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The FBI—in coordination with our law enforcement partners—is committed to using every tool available to hold criminals accountable when they threaten public safety.”
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing any “explosive” shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. 18 U.S.C. § 842(i)(1). “Explosives” include gunpowder, dynamite, blasting agents, fuzes (other than electric circuit breakers), detonators, smokeless powders, flash powder, and bulk salutes. 18 U.S.C. § 844(j); 27 C.F.R. § 555.202.
This case was investigated by MPD and FBI, with substantial assistance from the FBI’s Laboratory Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Slack and Wayne A. Myers prosecuted the case.
Connecticut-Based Oil Trader Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A former senior oil and gas trader was sentenced today in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to 15 months in prison for his role in a nearly eight-year-long scheme to bribe Brazilian government officials and to launder money to secure business for Arcadia Fuels Ltd. (Arcadia) and Freepoint Commodities LLC (Freepoint), two companies where he worked. He was also fined $300,000.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Glenn Oztemel, 66, of Westport, Connecticut, paid over $1 million in bribes to officials at Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company, in exchange for inside Petrobras information — including competitor bids and confidential pricing information from other U.S. companies — that gave Arcadia and Freepoint a competitive advantage in winning lucrative fuel oil contracts from Petrobras.
The evidence at trial showed that Oztemel and his co-conspirators caused Arcadia and Freepoint to make corrupt payments — disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions — to a third-party intermediary and agent, Eduardo Innecco, knowing that Innecco would pay a portion of those funds to Brazilian officials, including a Houston-based Petrobras trader, Rodrigo Berkowitz. To conceal the scheme, Oztemel, Innecco and their co-conspirators used coded language like “breakfast” and “freight deviation” to refer to the bribes and communicated using personal email accounts, encrypted messaging applications, disposable phones and fictitious names like “Spencer Kazisnaf” and “Nikita Maksimov.”
In September 2024, Oztemel was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of violating the FCPA and two counts of money laundering.
In a related matter, in December 2023, Freepoint admitted to bribing officials in Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Freepoint entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. As a part of the resolution, Freepoint agreed to pay more than $98 million in criminal penalties and forfeiture.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut; and Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Brazil, Latvia, Switzerland, and Uruguay provided assistance with the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Allison McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Connecticut-Based Oil Trader Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A former senior oil and gas trader was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for his role in a nearly eight-year-long scheme to bribe Brazilian government officials and to launder money to secure business for Arcadia Fuels Ltd. (Arcadia) and Freepoint Commodities LLC (Freepoint), two companies where he worked. He was also fined $300,000.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Glenn Oztemel, 66, of Westport, Connecticut, paid over $1 million in bribes to officials at Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company, in exchange for inside Petrobras information — including competitor bids and confidential pricing information from other U.S. companies — that gave Arcadia and Freepoint a competitive advantage in winning lucrative fuel oil contracts from Petrobras.
The evidence at trial showed that Oztemel and his co-conspirators caused Arcadia and Freepoint to make corrupt payments — disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions — to a third-party intermediary and agent, Eduardo Innecco, knowing that Innecco would pay a portion of those funds to Brazilian officials, including a Houston-based Petrobras trader, Rodrigo Berkowitz. To conceal the scheme, Oztemel, Innecco and their co-conspirators used coded language like “breakfast” and “freight deviation” to refer to the bribes and communicated using personal email accounts, encrypted messaging applications, disposable phones and fictitious names like “Spencer Kazisnaf” and “Nikita Maksimov.”
In September 2024, Oztemel was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of violating the FCPA and two counts of money laundering.
In a related matter, in December 2023, Freepoint admitted to bribing officials in Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Freepoint entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. As a part of the resolution, Freepoint agreed to pay more than $98 million in criminal penalties and forfeiture.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut; and Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Brazil, Latvia, Switzerland, and Uruguay provided assistance with the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Allison McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Colby CPA sentenced to prison for defrauding clientsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas accountant was sentenced to 48 months in prison for defrauding clients of his accounting firm, who were also his relatives, of more than $400,000.
According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.
As a certified public accountant (CPA), Flanagin used his status as a signatory on his clients’ business account and trust account to make unauthorized transactions. Between December 2021 and August 2022, he wrote checks and initiated wire transfers totaling $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch, a fictitious name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. He wrote false verbiage in the memo lines indicating the transactions to be payments for farm operations. Flanagin then used the stolen money to help pay for the construction on his new home.
In October 2022, after his victims noticed discrepancies and confronted him, Flanagin took several actions to conceal his crimes including removing Middle Finger Ranch from his personal account. Federal investigators later found a note Flanagin wrote stating that prosecutors couldn’t prove who input the check for processing and that he could likely feign innocence and say his company wasn’t monitoring the account.
“The name of Mr. Flanagin’s fictitious ranch speaks for itself. After stabbing his family in the back, Flanagin lied to their faces. When the victims directly questioned him about accounting inconsistencies, he fabricated convoluted flowcharts and blamed third parties for the fraudulent checks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “In his hubris, Flanagin thought he could outsmart federal investigators and forensic accountants. He was wrong. My office will continue to use the full force of the federal government to prosecute financial crimes.”
“Mr. Flanagin was entrusted with a fiduciary duty to protect the financial interests of the victims in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Instead of acting with integrity and in the interest of his clients, the defendant used his position to personally benefit from the scheme. Today’s sentencing reiterates the severity of the case and the seriousness by which the FBI takes financial fraud schemes.”
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.
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Charleston Woman Sentenced for Role in COVID-19 Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Damisha Brown, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced on October 2, 2025, to time served, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $15,625 in restitution for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Brown received $15,625 in proceeds from a criminally derived Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, co-defendant Kisha Sutton conspired with Brown and others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans. Sutton submitted a PPP loan application on Brown’s behalf on April 25, 2021. The application listed Brown as a sole proprietor hairdresser who received $75,000 in gross income in 2020. The application was filed with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business, stating that the applicant had earned $75,000 in 2020. As part of her guilty plea, Brown admitted that she never earned $75,000 as a hairdresser in one year and that the IRS Form 1040 submitted with her application was fraudulent and created solely to obtain the PPP loan.
A PPP lender in California approved Brown’s loan application. The $15,625 in loan proceeds was deposited in Brown’s personal bank account on April 30, 2021. Brown admitted that she knew the $15,625 represented proceeds from the fraudulent PPP loan. Between April 30 and May 27, 2021, Sutton received $3,500 from Brown as her share of the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds. Brown transferred the money to Sutton using a digital wallet application. Brown admitted that she transferred the $3,500 as Sutton’s compensation for facilitating the submission of her fraudulent loan, in keeping with their agreement. Brown further admitted that she spent the remainder of the loan proceeds on ineligible personal expenses.
The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to qualifying sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other eligible expenses. Applicants were required to certify that they were in operation on February 15, 2020, and provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020.
Brown and Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, are among several individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they and others conspired, and aided and abetted one another, to obtain fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625.
After a two-day trial, Sutton was found guilty of aiding and abetting bank fraud and aiding and abetting laundering of monetary instruments by a federal jury on July 15, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2025. Co-defendant William Powell, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced on August 27, 2025, to time served, followed by three years and six months of supervised release, including six months on home detention, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Co-defendant Jasmine Spencer, 33, of Charleston, was sentenced on September 2, 2025, to three years and six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $15,625, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting bank fraud. Powell and Spencer were each ordered to pay $15,625 in restitution. Co-defendant Shamiese Wright, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced on October 29, 2025, to three years and six months of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and ordered to pay $18,736.73 in restitution after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting monetary laundering.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon and former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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-192.
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Charleston Woman Sentenced for Federal Securities-Related CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Deanna L. Drumm, 62, of Charleston, was sentenced on October 16, 2025, to four years of federal probation, including one year of home detention, and ordered to pay $398,533.52 in restitution for aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities. Drumm admitted to a role in two real estate-related investment schemes conceived and perpetrated by her son, Theodore Miller.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 2022 and August 2024, Drumm was vice president of operations for Bear Industries LLC, a West Virginia company solely owned and operated by Miller. Bear Industries originally served as an umbrella entity for other related businesses including a real estate company, a real estate holding company, and a construction company. Drumm was responsible for the day-to-day operational tasks of the Bear Industries entities, with Miller providing her input and direction, while he lived outside the United States from in or about June 2021 to on or about August 8, 2024.
During the time period, Miller solicited direct investments for the purported development of properties on Bigley Avenue in Charleston and solicited investments in “Bear Lute,” a pooled real estate investment vehicle. Both the direct investments and the Bear Lute investments were securities as defined by federal law, they were offered through interstate commerce via the internet, and they were required to be registered. No registration statement was in effect for either of these securities, and neither was exempt from the registration requirement. As part of her guilty plea, Drumm admitted that she aided and abetted the offering of these unregistered securities by processing payments by investors, assisting with the creation of the investment prospectuses, and maintaining investor lists.
In September 2023, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bear Industries directing it to stop the unregistered sale and offering of securities in Bear Lute and issued a cease-and-desist order in November 2023. As part of her guilty plea, Drumm admitted that she continued to help operate Bear Lute in violation of the letter and the order after receiving them.
Miller’s investment schemes were also fraudulent. As part of her guilty plea, Drumm admitted that she was aware of numerous false and misleading representations made in relation to both schemes. Miller obtained a total of $95,000 from the direct investment scheme and approximately $303,950 from the Bear Lute scheme. Miller did not apply these funds toward the real estate projects in the manner he advertised to investors. Instead, Miller spent the money on himself and on unrelated expenses, debts, and obligations
Miller, 36, of South Charleston, was sentenced on September 22, 2025, to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud on March 12, 2025. Miller was also ordered to pay $398,533.52 in restitution.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks and former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-179.
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Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm PurchasesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who illegally bought guns that were later recovered during criminal investigations in Missouri and Illinois to 12 months in prison.
Dayquan Long, 23, of Cape Girardeau, will be on supervised release for two years after his release from prison. Long pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of making a false statement during a firearm purchase. He admitted buying 19 firearms from two federally licensed firearms dealers between Nov. 3, 2022, and Nov. 27, 2024. During each purchase, Long filled out a form certifying that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearm and that he was not “acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person.” Long signed the form acknowledging that he was aware “that the repetitive purchase of firearms for the purpose of resale for livelihood and profit without a federal firearms license is a violation of federal law.”
Firearms sold by Long were later recovered during criminal investigations in Kansas City, Sweet Springs, Springfield and Cape Girardeau, Missouri and in Overland Park, Kansas, Long’s plea agreement says. On Feb. 5, 2025, Long told a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agent that he sold the guns for a profit of between $100 and $200.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter is prosecuting 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. 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.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Role in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Charles Delroy Singletary, 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization that sold substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
The indictment, returned in January 2024 charged 82 defendants, including Gary Brown, Jr., for their roles in the operation. According to statements made in court, Singletary was one of the workers for the operation, ensuring drug customers were receiving their controlled substances. Singletary was a fugitive for 18 months following the initial indictment and used using multiple aliases during his fugitive status.
All 82 defendants have been convicted and 81 defendants, including Singletary, have been sentenced. Brown, Jr. was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison in May 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia).
This investigation 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).
Find the original case press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/investigators-dismantle-fentanyl-drug-trafficking-network-eastern-panhandle
8 December 2025
Woman Who Pointed Gun and Threatened to Kill Social Security Protective Security Officer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who pointed a gun at a Social Security Office and repeatedly threatened a security guard with the gun was sentenced October 30, 2025, to 4 years in federal prison.
Stella Ross, age 28, from Louisiana, received the prison term after a May 15, 2025, guilty plea to one count of assault, threatened assault, attempted assault of a federal officer, and one count of influencing a federal official by threat.
Evidence in the case revealed on September 3, 2024, Ross pulled a gun on a Protective Security Officer (PSO) at the Sioux City, Iowa, Social Security office, and threatened to kill him. When the PSO pulled his weapon in response, Ross withdrew, but remained at the scene until she saw Sioux City Police arrive, then she drove away. Ross began a Facebook live post detailing her interaction at the Social Security Office and making additional death threats, racial slurs, and other complaints against law enforcement. Responding officers located Ross at a residence, and after communicating with her via phone at the scene, she was peacefully taken into state custody without further incident. The firearm, magazine and ammunition were located along with items belonging to Ross in the residence. After being released from state custody she repeated her threats against the PSO and law enforcement.
Ross was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 48 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ross is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa Police Department, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, Federal protective Service and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4071.
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Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from White Mountain Trail CollectiveRead the Press Release
Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from White Mountain Trail Collective
CONCORD – The former executive director of the White Mountain Trail Collective has pleaded guilty to embezzlement of funds from the organization, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Melanie Luce, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from an organization receiving federal funds. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, Luce served as the Executive Director of the White Mountain Trail Collective from 2019 through 2021. The Collective was a non-profit organization that was funded in part by contributions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to aid in the objective of supporting the trails systems in the White Mountains. Luce embezzled funds through various means including by making unauthorized bank transfers to herself in excess of her approved salary, obtaining and utilizing an unauthorized corporate credit card to transfer funds to a web services company she owned and for personal expenses, and obtaining a loan via a forged corporate resolution. All told, Ms. Luce embezzled some $91,000 directly from the Trail Collective and caused additional losses of approximately $58,000 to bank that issued the credit card and $44,000 to the lender who provided the loan. As part of her resolution, Luce has agreed to pay restitution to those victims.
The charges carry a maximum possible sentence of 10 years imprisonment. 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. The Court scheduled sentencing in this matter for March 23, 2026.
The investigation was led by the United States Departure of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.