Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
4 December 2025
Previously Removed Honduran National Guilty of Attempting to Meet A 14-Girl-Old Girl for Sexual Activity and Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Obdy Mencia Guerrero (42, Honduras) guilty of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Following the guilty verdict in September 2025, Mencia Guerrero separately entered a guilty plea to the felony offense of illegal reentry into the United States. Mencia Guerrero faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted enticement offense and a maximum of 2 years’ imprisonment for the illegal reentry offense. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2026.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mencia Guerrero was previously removed from the United States on four prior occasions between 2003 and 2014. On July 27, 2024, Mencia Guerrero began communicating online with someone whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The “girl” was a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office working in an undercover capacity. After learning of her age, Mencia Guerrero traveled to a location in Marion County to pick up the “girl” to engage in sexual activity. When he arrived at the meeting location, Mencia Guerrero was arrested by law enforcement. Mencia Guerrero’s fingerprints confirmed he was the individual previously removed from the United States on four prior occasions. Mencia Guerrero had never applied for or received permission to apply for readmission to the United States.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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.
Postal Deliveryman and Two Others Charged with Drug Trafficking Through the U.S. Mail and BriberyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging three individuals with bribery and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) led the investigation in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Drug trafficking destroys families and communities,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “These defendants were using the United States Postal Service to facilitate their drug trafficking activities which foster violence and addiction. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners will aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and corrupt government officials and seek justice for our communities.”
“The Special Agents of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General will continue to maintain the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service and its personnel,” said Special Agent in Charge Modafferi of U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “The conduct alleged is disgraceful, and our office will continue to tirelessly investigate Postal Service employees and their co-conspirators who violate the public’s trust. This case serves as an excellent example of the successful collaboration between the USPS OIG, our law enforcement partners, and the District of Puerto Rico U.S Attorney’s Office to pursue the prosecution of all those involved in criminal activity relating to the Postal Service.”
“Individuals who conspire to distribute controlled substances, attempt to compromise public officials, and violate the integrity of the U.S. mail, will be held accountable. Our office, alongside our law-enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who endanger public trust and public safety,” said Joe Rodríguez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office.
The indictment alleges that from January 2022 until April of 2024 the defendants conspired to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Defendant Héctor Melvin Candelaria-Carrero, a.k.a. “Candy/Cartero”, served as a USPS City Carrier in Isabela, Puerto Rico. While engaged in his official duties, Candelaria-Carrero diverted, delayed and stole USPS parcels and provided the diverted and stolen mail to defendants Carlos Nadín Nieves-Pastrana, a.k.a. “Nandy” and José Manuel Muñoz-Torres, a.k.a. “Kuki/Cuqui”, in exchange for bribe payments.
At times, Candelaria-Carrero took photos of specific parcels with his personal phone. Using the assigned USPS scanner device, he scanned the photos taken on his personal phone at the correct delivery address. Rather than deliver the parcels at the delivery addresses, Candelaria-Carrero diverted the parcels to other locations and hid the locations of the diverted and stolen mail from the USPS. Defendant Candelaria-Carrero used his private cellular number, WhatsApp messages and phone calls to communicate with Nieves-Pastrana and Muñoz-Torres and to exchange bribe payments and the diverted or stolen parcels, including parcels containing controlled substances.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Y. Salas De-Jesús is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, and up to life in prison.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Polk County Man Charged with Attempted Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Bradly Dwayne Wimberly (32, Bradley) with attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Wimberly faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison.
According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, between February 15, 2024, and July 10, 2025, Wimberly, believing he was communicating with a 13 to 14-year-old girl, asked the minor on multiple occasions to produce sexually explicit images of herself and send them to him. In actuality, Wimberly was communicating with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent. Wimberly is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Picnic Day Shooter in Davis Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Joseph Allen Davis, 19, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, police officers began investigating Joseph Allen Davis after determining that he was a shooter at the April 12, 2025, shooting at Rainbow City Park in Davis, where three people were injured by gunfire. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Joseph Allen Davis’s apartment and seized a short-barrel AR-15-style pistol that was loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition. Davis is prohibited from possessing any firearms and ammunition because he was previously convicted of a felony gun possession offense.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Davis Police Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on March 26, 2026. Davis faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Peñasco Man Sentenced for 2022 Fatal StabbingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Peñasco man was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for the stabbing death of another man.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on December 25, 2022, Byron Sanchez, 49, an enrolled member of the Picuris Pueblo, was involved in an altercation with John Doe at his residence in Peñasco, New Mexico, within the exterior boundaries of the Picuris Pueblo. During the altercation, which occurred while both individuals were under the influence of alcohol, Sanchez fatally stabbed John Doe and placed his body in a bedroom. Law enforcement officials discovered John Doe’s body at the residence on January 11, 2023.
Sanchez subsequently pled guilty to second degree murder. Upon his release from prison, Sanchez will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and District 7 of the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney R. Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families.
Palatka Man Charged for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jordon Roger Anchando (46, Palatka) with bank robbery. If convicted, Anchando faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Anchando was arrested on November 18, 2025. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
According to the indictment, on June 2, 2025, Anchando took money from a bank using force, violence, and intimidation. The bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Belleview Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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).
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Major Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Antonio Lamar Jeffries, 36, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Jeffries admitted to a key role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2022 and March 22, 2023, Jeffries conspired with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine. Jeffries admitted that he arranged for a co-conspirator to drive to Bluefield, West Virginia, on February 4, 2023, to obtain methamphetamine from his supplier. Jeffries used a cell phone to arrange the meeting, provided the co-conspirator with money to deliver as payment for the methamphetamine, and instructed her to meet his supplier at the Mercer Mall in Bluefield. The co-conspirator exchanged the money for the methamphetamine as instructed. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of her vehicle as she drove back to Charleston and seized approximately 3.1 kilograms of methamphetamine from her vehicle. Jeffries admitted that he intended to distribute some of the seized methamphetamine to others and allow the co-conspirator to keep the rest.
“This defendant chose to profit from destroying lives. Today, that ends,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Thanks to the relentless work of law enforcement, 70 pounds of lethal drugs will never reach our families. And let me be clear: this is only the beginning. We will keep pushing forward, we will dismantle these networks, and we will seek the harshest sentences the law allows for those who target our community.”
Jeffries has a criminal history that includes two prior convictions for drug offenses. At the time of the current offense, Jeffries was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his conviction for possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on July 11, 2011. On August 20, 2025, Jeffries was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for violating the terms of supervised release, with the sentence to run consecutively to the sentence imposed for the current offense for a total term of incarceration of 20 years.
Jeffries is among 31 defendants convicted of federal crimes as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Capito commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT 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 Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 2:23-cr-31.
###
Omaha Man Sentenced to More than 58 Years for Fentanyl and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley Woods announced that Jeron Morris, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 3, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Morris to concurrent sentences of 360 months’ imprisonment for the conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute, and 180 months’ imprisonment for felon in possession of a firearm. Morris received additional consecutive sentences of 300 months’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and 46 months for violating his supervised release related to a previous federal conviction. The combined sentences total 706 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Morris’s release from prison, he will begin an 8-year term of supervised release.
In August, Morris pleaded guilty to the fentanyl and felon in possession charges and proceeded to trial for the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. After a two-day trial, a jury returned a guilty verdict.
The evidence at trial established that a Federal Bureau of Investigation task force identified a house in Omaha that was suspected of being a stash location for drugs, including fentanyl pills. During the investigation, Morris was identified as living in the house. On May 17, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence. In an upstairs bedroom, they found two loaded Canik 9mm handguns and more than $1,000 in cash on a bed. The items had been dumped out of a drawer of a bedside chest of drawers. In a closet of that bedroom, detectives recovered a heat-sealed package of approximately 993 fentanyl pills. Morris was arrested during a traffic stop nearby and found to have a baggie containing another 87 fentanyl pills. During a post-Miranda interview, Morris admitted the drugs and guns were his, describing the guns by caliber, color, and attachments.
Morris faced enhanced statutory penalties because of prior federal convictions for Bank Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Morris was released from federal prison within months of the search warrant. Morris began visiting the stash house while finishing serving his prison sentence at an area halfway house. Morris also had a prior conviction for Assault Using a Dangerous Weapon in Iowa state court, which enhanced his sentencing guidelines when coupled with the prior federal convictions.
Co-defendant Kadonta Muldrew, 31, of Omaha was sentenced on November 19, 2025, to 235 months’ imprisonment and eight years of supervised release.
As part of the investigation, more than $135,000 in cash was seized. That money will be forfeited to the United States as proceeds of drug dealing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department with assistance from the Council Bluffs (Iowa) Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, Papillion Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Iowa State Patrol. A sergeant from the Lincoln Police Department testified at trial as an expert in drug trafficking. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Clayton Reynolds, 39, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 25, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Reynolds to 214 months’ imprisonment on the drug trafficking charge and 60 months on the firearm charge, to run consecutive to each other. There is no parole in the federal system. After Reynolds’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Reynolds also admitted to the forfeiture of firearms and United States Currency that had been seized.
In April 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force began investigating Reynolds for his involvement in distributing fentanyl in the Omaha area. Over the course of three months, Reynolds sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on six separate occasions. On one occasion, Reynolds also sold a firearm.
On July 22, 2024, a search warrant was executed on Reynolds’s residence and a storage unit he used. In his residence, law enforcement found two pounds of pure methamphetamine, 296 grams of fentanyl, amphetamine, oxycodone, marijuana, crack, ecstasy, cocaine, and Xanax. They also found $18,062 in drug proceeds and a shotgun. At the storage unit, an additional $14,000 in drug proceeds and a handgun were seized.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Lionel Cawthon, 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 3, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Cawthon to 262 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Cawthon is released from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.
During 2023 and 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bellevue Police Department investigated Cawthon for distributing fentanyl in the Omaha area. FBI utilized a confidential informant to purchase 600 M30 fentanyl pills from Cawthon. On February 16, 2024, FBI and Bellevue Police Department executed search warrants at two residences in Omaha. Law enforcement seized approximately 7,000 M30 fentanyl pills.
Cawthon has two prior felony drug convictions, making him a career offender under the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Co-defendants Gregory Stevenson and Shawn Reese are both pending trial in February 2026.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bellevue Police Department.
Ocala Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florda – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Christina Gates Thagard (40, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to bank robbery. Thagard faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 20, 2026.
According to court documents, on May 3, 2025, Thagard entered a bank in Marion County wearing a hat, hoodie, sunglasses, a surgical mask, and one latex glove. Thagard told the teller, “This is a robbery!” She instructed the teller to put the money in the bag and stated she had a gun and would use it if necessary. Thagard also handed the teller a note that read: “This is a robbery I have a gun and will shoot if any alarms or dye packs are inclosed [sic] fill this bag with all at least 50 k big bills only wait 2 mins to call police.” The teller then placed all the cash from her drawer ($5,075) and a tracking device into Thagard’s purse.
Thagard at the teller line during the robbery.
Based on the tracking device information, officers from the Ocala Police Department (OPD) quickly located Thagard and her vehicle. Inside the vehicle, recovered the cash from the bank, the tracking device, and the items Thagard had been wearing during the robbery. A forensic analysis later confirmed Thagard’s fingerprint on the demand note as well as on a door inside the bank.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Ocala Man Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Endy Gonzalez (20, Ocala) with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. If convicted, Gonzalez faces a minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, an undercover law enforcement officer negotiated a transaction with Gonzalez for 1,000 fentanyl pills. When Gonzalez arrived at the predetermined meeting location, he was detained. A search of the vehicle that Gonzalez arrived in revealed approximately 999 fentanyl pills hidden under a seat. Testing by the DEA confirmed the pills contained fentanyl with a net weight of 109 grams.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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).
Ocala Man Indicted for Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to A MinorRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Benjamin Hoover (44, Ocala) with attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted, Hoover faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Hoover is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, on July 23, 2025, Hoover transferred a sexually explicit image of himself to someone whom he believed was a 15-year-old girl. In actuality, the minor was an undercover detective with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Man Charged with Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Ronald Pate Newman, 26, of Youngstown, Ohio, has been indicted in federal court for three counts of production of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Newman appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida. Trial is scheduled for January 14, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen Winsor.
If convicted, Newman, faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years’, and up to 30 years’, imprisonment for each count.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Nine Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Charged with Federal Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging nine defendants with a drug trafficking conspiracy, distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, bromazolam, and firearms offenses. A summary of the counts and associated minimum and maximum penalties follows:
Name
AGE, CITY
CHARGES
MAXIMUM PENALTIES
Christian Roux-Rey31, KissimmeeDrug trafficking conspiracy
Distribution of fentanyl
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense
15 years, up to life, in federal prisonJeremiah Maldonado31, OrlandoDrug trafficking conspiracy
Distribution of fentanyl causing death
20 years, up to life, in federal prisonBenjamin Rivard31, ClermontDrug trafficking conspiracy
Distribution of fentanyl causing death
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
25 years, up to life, in federal prisonElena Falzone23, OrlandoDrug trafficking conspiracy
Distribution of fentanyl and bromazolam
5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prisonZaviar Kidd27, OrlandoDrug trafficking conspiracy
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine
5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prisonPaul Jacas31, OrlandoDrug trafficking conspiracy
Distribution of fentanyl
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
10 years, up to 40 years, in federal prisonOlivia Goen23, OrlandoDrug trafficking conspiracy
Distribution of fentanyl
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prisonCarlos Carrasquillo-Rodriguez20, OrlandoDrug trafficking conspiracy
Distribution of fentanyl
20 years in federal prisonRebecca Murray31, DeltonaDrug trafficking conspiracy
10 years, up to life, in federal prisonThe indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms used during the commission of the offenses.
According to the 27-count indictment, between approximately August 2022 and May 2024, these individuals conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, including fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Roux-Rey, Falzone, Jacas, and Goen are all charged with distributing controlled substances. Maldonado is charged with distributing fentanyl which resulted in the death of C.P. Rivard is charged with distributing fentanyl which resulted in the death of S.F. Falzone is also charged with distributing bromazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance analog.
Roux-Rey, Rivard, Kidd, Jacas, Carrasquillo-Rodriguez, and Goen are each charged with possessing controlled substances intended for distribution.
Roux-Rey, Rivard, and Jacas, are each charged with possession a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Rivard and Jacas are both charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Cloud Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for COVID-19 Related FraudRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Nosa Edokpaigbe, a Nigerian national, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, ordered to pay $1,408,897.16 in restitution, and a forfeiture money judgement totaling $681,694 after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud and agreeing to the entry of a stipulated judicial removal order. After serving his sentence, Edokpaigbe will be removed to Nigeria.
According to the plea agreement, from around July 2020 and until around May 2021, Edokpaigbe prepared and submitted hundreds of fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications on behalf of fictitious business entities using personal identifying information belonging to other real individuals. To conceal his involvement in the fraud, Edokpaigbe signed loan agreements in other names, created fabricated documents for the fictitious entities, used a wireless hotspot to conceal his online activity, and used AI-generated images and images of mannequins to bypass the lenders’ identity verification procedures. The hotspot was seized from the defendant’s residence at the time of his arrest in October 2023. He also submitted one fraudulent EIDL in his own name and filed hundreds of fraudulent tax returns using personal identifying information belonging to other real individuals. As a result of the scheme, $1,389,713 was paid out in EIDL and PPP loans, the majority of which was deposited into bank accounts opened using false identities.
“While others were struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nosa Edokpaigbe saw the national emergency as an opportunity to fleece American taxpayers out of almost $1.4 million,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “His shameless exploitation of relief programs which were supposed to be a lifeline for people in need has earned him several years in federal prison and a one-way trip back to Nigeria.”
“Nosa Edokpaigbe took advantage of what he saw as easy money through programs that were created to keep businesses and workers afloat during the pandemic, misdirecting that assistance to line his own pockets,” said Marv Massey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Denver. “His greed affects every American taxpayer, and the FBI will continue to aggressively pursue opportunists who think they can defraud the federal government.”
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Office and the Cybercrime Investigations Division of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Cassidy and Anna Edgar handled the prosecution.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Case Number: 23-cr-442-RMR
Mass Producer of Fentanyl Pills Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that mass produced thousands of illegal pills which were then distributed throughout Ohio.
Thomas Taylor, 43, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in July to the following charges as outlined in the second superseding indictment:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Distribution of a Controlled Substance.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Maintaining Drug Premises.
- Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; prior convictions include Felon in Possession of a Firearm in 2019; and Drug Trafficking in 2013 and 2007.
Taylor was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $10,000 in fines. Judge Nugent imposed the sentence Dec. 3.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Taylor led a major drug trafficking operation in northern Ohio. He recruited numerous individuals to help run his manufacturing operation to make fentanyl pills using ingredients he sourced from contacts in Mexico. Taylor maintained pill pressing equipment at several residences throughout the Greater Cleveland area that could make hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills each day. During the investigation, agents seized several firearms and ammunition, large sums of cash, and drug paraphernalia such as scales and plastic bags. In total, more than 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, and ½ kilogram of cocaine was also seized.
Co-defendant Noreece Young, 53, also of Cleveland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is currently serving a 180-month (15 year) prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Narcotics Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Several Recent Prosecutions in Connection with DOJ Take Back America InitiativeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland recently secured several criminal complaints, indictments, and sentencings in connection with the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America.
A nationwide initiative, Operation Take Back America marshals the full resources of the DOJ 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. Below are recent examples of prosecutions the office secured in connection with this initiative.
On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland unsealed an indictment, charging Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 63, a Guatemalan national, with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. According to the indictment, Perez Batres, who resided in Beltsville, Maryland, unlawfully reentered the United States after he was removed on three separate occasions – in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010.
On December 2, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland filed a criminal complaint, against Anderson Martinez-Montenegro, 28, and Elmer Ortiz-Berduo, 37, both citizens of Guatemala and unlawfully present in the United States. They are charged with resisting arrest and assaulting federal officers.
On November 24, 2025, U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Jairo Eliu Aguilar-Lopez, 54, of El Salvador, to 15 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for illegally reentering the United States after he was deported on two separate occasions.
On November 14, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland filed a criminal complaint against Cristian Rivas-Bonilla, 26, of El Salvador, charging him with resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. Rivas-Bonilla was subject to removal from the United States in connection with a final order of removal to El Salvador from an immigration judge.
On October 30, 2025, U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Sarah Maud Jess, 62, a Jamaican national living in Capitol Heights, Maryland, to five years in federal prison for two counts, distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl and re-entry of an alien removed after conviction for an aggravated felony.
On October 16, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Luis Melendez Serrano, 19; Kevin Melendez Serrano, 23; Alex Pena Martinez, 19; and William Rivera Nolasco, 19, charging them with conspiring to traffic firearms. According to the indictment, Luis Melendez Serrano and Martinez are illegal aliens who unlawfully possessed a firearm. Additionally, Luis Melendez Serrano, Martinez, and Nolasco are charged with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On October 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Francisco Reymundo-Reymundo, 30, a citizen of Guatemala, to eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally reentering the United States. This marks Reymundo-Reymundo’s third illegal reentry conviction. According to Court filings, the U.S. previously deported Reymundo-Reymundo four other times.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the Maryland Office’s Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff for their work in these investigations.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Maryland Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, 41, of Bowie, Maryland, today, to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release — including six months of home confinement — for his role in a wire fraud scheme. Through the fraudulent scheme, Vong assisted foreign information technology (IT) workers in China, posing as U.S. citizens, with obtaining remote IT positions at more than a dozen U.S. companies.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
Vong conspired with others, including John Doe, aka William James, a foreign national living in Shenyang, China, to defraud U.S. companies into hiring Vong as a remote software developer. After securing these jobs through materially false statements about his education, training, and experience, Vong allowed Doe and others to use his computer access credentials to perform the remote software development work and receive payment for that work. According to court documents, Vong knew that Doe was located in China next to North Korea. Additionally, Doe’s communications indicate that he is likely a North Korean national who was working to generate revenue for the North Korean government.
“This prosecution shows that we, along with our law-enforcement partners, are serious about holding accountable individuals who endanger our nation,” Hayes said. “By conspiring with a foreign national to infiltrate U.S. companies, Mr. Vong put American businesses, their employees, and our broader economic and national security at risk. Our office will zealously pursue anyone who undermines the integrity of U.S. systems for personal gain.”
“Vong is yet another subject being held accountable for using false identities on behalf of North Korea to infiltrate American companies,” Paul said. “His crimes threaten our economic and national security. I’m proud of the work FBI Baltimore has done to ensure that anyone who seeks to steal from or endanger the United States is brought to justice.”
According to the plea agreement, on Jan. 30, 2023, Doe submitted a fraudulent resume in Vong’s name to a Virginia-based technology company for a web application developer position that required U.S. citizenship as a condition of employment. The resume falsely represented that Vong possessed a Bachelor of Science degree and 16 years of experience as a software developer. In fact, Vong did not have a college degree nor experience in software development.
On March 28, 2023, Vong participated in an online job interview with the CEO of a Virginia-based company. Vong verified his identity and citizenship by showing his Maryland driver’s license and U.S. Passport. Following the interview, the Virginia-based company hired Vong and assigned him to work on a contract for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) involving a particular software application used by various U.S. government agencies to manage sensitive information regarding national defense matters. The Virginia-based company provided Vong with a laptop to use in connection with his employment, and the FAA authorized Vong to receive a Personal Identity Verification card to access government facilities and systems. Vong installed remote access software on the laptop to facilitate Doe’s access to it and conceal his location in China.
Between March 2023 and July 2023, Doe used Vong’s credentials to perform the software development work from his location in China. The Virginia-based company paid Vong more than $28,000 in wages for work he performed, portions of which Vong then sent overseas to Doe and other conspirators.
As part of his guilty plea, Vong admitted that the Virginia-based company was not the only company he and his co-conspirators defrauded. Between 2021 and 2024, Vong used fraudulent misrepresentations to obtain employment with at least 13 different U.S. companies, who collectively paid Vong more than $970,000 in salary for software development services that were, unbeknownst to them, performed by Doe or other overseas conspirators. Several of these defrauded companies contracted out Vong’s services to U.S. government agencies in addition to the FAA. As a result of Vong’s fraudulent misrepresentations, these government agencies unknowingly granted Vong’s co-conspirators access to sensitive U.S. government systems, which they accessed from China.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Additionally, Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman, who is prosecuting the case with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. The U.S. Attorney and FBI Baltimore also thank the supporting federal and local law-enforcement partners that assisted with this case.
Under the Department-wide DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative, launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, Department prosecutors and agents are prioritizing the identification and shuttering of U.S.-based “laptop farms” – locations hosting laptops provided by victim U.S. companies to individuals they believed were legitimate U.S.-based freelance IT workers – and the investigation and prosecution of individuals hosting them. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in Januaryand June 2025.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Maryland Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong, 40, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a fraudulent scheme that assisted foreign information technology (IT) workers posing as U.S. citizens with obtaining remote IT positions at over a dozen U.S. companies.
According to court documents, Vong conspired with others, including John Doe, aka William James, a foreign national living in Shenyang, China, to defraud U.S. companies into hiring Vong as a remote software developer. After securing these jobs through materially false statements about his education, training, and experience, Vong allowed Doe and others to use his computer access credentials to perform the remote software development work and receive payment for that work. According to court documents, Vong knew that Doe was located next to North Korea. Additionally, Doe’s communications indicate that he is likely a North Korean national who was working to generate revenue for the North Korean government.
According to the plea agreement, on Jan. 30, 2023, Doe submitted a fraudulent resume in Vong’s name to a Virginia-based technology company for a web application developer position that required U.S. citizenship as a condition of employment. The resume falsely represented that Vong possessed a Bachelor of Science degree and 16 years of experience as a software developer. In fact, Vong did not have a college degree or experience in software development.
On March 28, 2023, Vong participated in an online job interview with the CEO of a Virginia-based company. Vong verified his identity and citizenship by showing his Maryland driver’s license and U.S. Passport. Following the interview, the Virginia-based company hired Vong and assigned him to work on a contract for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) involving a particular software application used by various U.S. government agencies to manage sensitive information regarding national defense matters. The Virginia-based company provided Vong with a laptop to use in connection with his employment and the FAA authorized Vong to receive a Personal Identity Verification card to access government facilities and systems. Vong installed remote access software on the laptop to facilitate Doe’s access to it and conceal his location in China.
Between March 2023 and July 2023, Doe used Vong’s credentials to perform the software development work from his location in China. The Virginia-based company paid Vong more than $28,000 in wages for work he performed, portions of which Vong then sent overseas to Doe and other conspirators.
As part of his guilty plea, Vong admitted that the Virginia-based company was not the only company he and his co-conspirators defrauded. Between 2021 and 2024, Vong used fraudulent misrepresentations to obtain employment with at least 13 different U.S. companies, who collectively paid Vong more than $970,000 in salary for software development services that were, unbeknownst to them, performed by Doe or other overseas conspirators. Several of these defrauded companies contracted out Vong’s services to U.S. government agencies in addition to the FAA. As a result of Vong’s fraudulent misrepresentations, these government agencies unknowingly granted Vong’s co-conspirators access to sensitive U.S. government systems, which they accessed from China.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.
Under the Department-wide DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative, launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, Department prosecutors and agents are prioritizing the identification and shuttering of U.S.-based “laptop farms” – locations hosting laptops provided by victim U.S. companies to individuals they believed were legitimate U.S.-based freelance IT workers – and the investigation and prosecution of individuals hosting them. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in January and June 2025.
Marshall County Man Sentenced for Firearms and Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph William Alfred, also known as “Chris,” age 51, was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison for methamphetamine and firearms charges, United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
Following a trial in July 2025, a jury found Alfred guilty of the distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine, attempted possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, and failure to appear.
A package shipped from an address in California containing more than two pounds of methamphetamine was intercepted by the United States Postal Service postmarked for Alfred’s address. A subsequent search warrant executed at Alfred’s home resulted in the seizure of more controlled substances, a firearm, ammunition, $2,156, and drug paraphernalia. Alfred is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior felony drug conviction.
Alfred also violated his pre-trial release while on home confinement with electronic monitoring. He failed to appear for a pretrial conference in April 2024 in federal district court.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton Reid and Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the United States Postal Service.
U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided.
Marion County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Meet Two Minors to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Terry Levi Brown (36, Summerfield) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Brown faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in July 2025, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office conducted an undercover operation aimed at apprehending individuals using the internet to sexually exploit children. On July 27, 2025, two detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed online as a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl. Brown messaged both undercover accounts. After learning he was speaking with a minor, Brown engaged in sexually explicit conversations with both undercover accounts. Brown was arrested when he subsequently traveled to a location in Marion County to meet the minors to engage in sexual activity.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Marion County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Meet A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Shawn Adampeter Grunther (42, Marion County) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Grunther faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in July 2025, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent posed online as a 14-year-old girl (UC). Grunther messaged the UC account, and after learning the minor’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. On July 24, 2025, Grunther was arrested when he traveled to a location in Marion County to meet the UC to engage in sexual activity.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Charged for Planting Explosive Devices outside the RNC and DNC on January 5, 2021Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brian J. Cole, Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested this morning and charged for transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on January 5, 2021, at the headquarters of both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee in Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Cole is charged in a complaint unsealed today with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with the intent to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property. He is also charged with attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials.
Joining in the announcement were U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
“The well-being of our society rests on our ability as law enforcement to safeguard our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “When bad actors intervene to disrupt and threat that peace – to destroy the very fabric of our country – we must, we do, and we will track them down and hold them to account for their crimes to the full extent of the law. FBI and members of my office worked around the clock to methodically piece together the clues that ultimately identified the defendant.”
“Today’s arrest was the result of good, diligent police work and collaboration on a case that languished for four years under the prior administration,” said Attorney General Bondi. “The American people are safer thanks to this morning’s successful operation.”
“The investigation into the pipe bombs in Washington, D.C. has been a high priority since Deputy Director Bongino and I assumed our roles nine months ago. Since that time, our FBI teams have gone back over every fact and every data point looking for new leads – and today’s arrest is the result of that outstanding work,” said FBI Director Patel. “Although almost five years have passed, this shows the FBI will never rest in bringing justice to those who endanger American lives and our communities. I would like to thank our Washington Field Office, FBI personnel across the country, and our partners for their hard work and dedication which led to this arrest.”
“This historic arrest shows this FBI delivers on its promises to protect the American people,” said FBI Deputy Director Bongino. “The pipe bombs could have caused devastating loss of life and injuries, as well as property damage. I want to thank the FBI employees who worked on this over the years, our law enforcement partners who assisted in the investigation, and the American people for the tips they shared with us.”
"Today's actions underscore the long memory and reach of the FBI," said FBI’s Cox, the Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office. "The FBI and our partners do not forget. We do not give up. We do not relent. For nearly five years, the investigative team combed through a massive amount of data and leads to identify the suspect arrested today."
According to the complaint, during 2019 and 2020, Cole purchased multiple components consistent with those used to manufacture the two IEDs at several retailers in northern Virginia.
At approximately 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, multiple law enforcement agencies received reports of a suspected IEDs near the headquarters of the RNC in Washington, D.C. About 1:15 p.m. the same day, a second suspected IED was reported just a few blocks away near the headquarters of the DNC.
The Hazardous Devices Section of the United States Capitol Police (USCP) neutralized both devices. Subsequently, the FBI assessed that the two devices contained a main explosive charge, a fuzing system, and a container.
Video surveillance determined that the same individual placed the devices on the evening of January 5, 2021. The suspect had been wearing dark pants, a grey hooded sweatshirt, dark gloves, Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes, and a facemask that obscured the person’s face. The video showed the individual adjusting eyeglasses and carrying a backpack.
On January 5, 2021, about 7:10 p.m., Cole’s Nissan Sentra was observed driving past a License Plate Reader at the South Capitol Street exit from I-395 South, which is less than one-half mile from the location where the individual who placed the devices was first observed on foot near North Carolina and New Jersey Avenues, Southeast.
Cell phone records further show that Cole’s cell phone communicated with cell towers in the area of the RNC and DNC on January 5, 2021, between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. The FBI’s Cellular Analysis and Survey Team determined that the location of Cole’s cell phone during this period corresponded with the path of the suspect identified by the FBI through analysis of video from that day.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
cole_jr._-_criminal_complaint_redacted_xxx_redacted.pdfLake County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Meet A 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kahlil Yanier Amilivia Rodriguez (27, Groveland) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Amilivia Rodriguez pleaded guilty on July 22, 2025.
According to court documents, on October 5, 2023, Amilivia Rodriguez had an online conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. Amilivia Rodriguez graphically described to the fictional child the sexual acts he wanted to perform with her. Amilivia Rodriguez was arrested when he arrived at a pre-determined location to meet with the minor to engage in sexual activity.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Lake County Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jon Don Bannister, Jr. (31, Clermont) to 28 years in federal prison for two counts of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Bannister entered a guilty plea on July 21, 2025.
According to court documents, on April 26 and May 4, 2023, in Lake County, Bannister produced CSAM by filming himself engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old child. An investigation by law enforcement showed that Bannister had been supplying vape pens and drugs to minors. In return for these items, Bannister had asked the minors to provide him with nude images of themselves.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Mascotte Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a MachinegunRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Overland Park, Ks., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a fully automatic pistol.
Verdell D. Mays, 30, of Overland Park, Ks. pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun.
By pleading guilty today, Mays admitted on June 28, 2025, he possessed a Glock, Model 22C, .40 caliber fully automatic pistol and that the Glock pistol had a rear slide plate that was modified to produce automatic fire. Mays is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions, including a prior conviction in federal court for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Mays is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2026, after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cass County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.
Operation Take Back America
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).
Itawamba County Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Producing Images During His Assault of a Child and for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, MS – Keith Blake Clifton, 31, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years for producing images of a child during his sexual assault of the victim and distributing child sexual abuse material through a mobile messaging application.
The investigation began after the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children alerted law enforcement authorities that a mobile messaging application user was distributing images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Investigators with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force determined the user was Clifton, who resided in Itawamba County. Analysis of Clifton’s devices revealed over 1,000 images of child sexual abuse material, including depictions of infants and toddlers.
Clifton later admitted to investigators that he had sexually abused a child in his care and photographed the encounter. Clifton is also under state indictment in the Circuit Court of Itawamba County, Mississippi, where the charges remain pending.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Clifton to 180 months for his production of child sexual abuse material, and 60 months for distribution, to be served consecutively. After serving the 240-month sentence in federal prison, Clifton will be subject to 5 years of supervised release. The Court ordered restitution to be paid to victims in the amount of $66,500. Clifton will be required to register as a sex offender.
“The actions of Clifton were abhorrent, and such acts against a child will never be tolerated. The prevention and prosecution of crimes against the most vulnerable among us will always be a top priority of this office,” said United States Attorney Scott Leary. “I want to thank our state, local and federal law enforcement partners for this investigation that made it possible to protect our community from this defendant.”
"When children are victimized, the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will bring to bear every effort to ensure perpetrators, like Keith Clifton are held accountable. There is no justification to victimize and abuse our most vulnerable,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “This sentencing underscores the unwavering commitment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Itawamba County Sheriff’s Department, the Fulton Police Department, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. Through initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood, these agencies remain steadfast in identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice anyone who violates federal laws designed to protect our children.”
“Child sexual abuse is a horrific crime that does extraordinary physical, mental, and emotional damage to the victim. And when it is recorded or photographed, that child’s trauma occurs over and over again. We are proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners to help these victims achieve justice and closure, and help protect other children from abuse,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted the case.
The case against Clifton is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is also part of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline system and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). ICAC is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to protect children on the Internet. The Mississippi ICAC Task Force includes local, state, and Federal law enforcement and is managed by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that WILSON VLADMIR MENJIVAR SIBRIAN, a/k/a Wilson Sibrianmenjivar, a/k/a Sibrianmenjivar Wilson, a/k/a Wilson Sibrian, a/k/a Sibrian Wilson, a/k/a Wilson Menjivar, a/k/a Menjivar Wilson, a/k/a Wilson Menjivar-Sibrian, a/k/a Wilson Menjivarsibrian, a/k/a Menjivarsibrian Wilson, age 28, a Salvadoran national unlawfully present in Bryan County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The Indictment alleged that on November 17, 2025, Sibrian, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on November 20, 2018.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sibrian will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Hastings Man Sentenced for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Seth Fontaine, 30, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 3, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of fentanyl. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Fontaine to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Fontaine is released from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 17, 2023, Fontaine sent a Facebook message to Victim 1 stating “do u got Narcan?” The victim replied, “yea.” Fontain then replied, “Cool, thank you, I got some real fentanyl, wanna smoke some.” The parties met at Victim 1’s residence in Hastings, and smoked fentanyl. Victim 1 became unconscious and was not breathing. First responders were called to the scene and administered Narcan. Victim 1 went to the local hospital and received further medical attention. At the scene, law enforcement located pipes with fentanyl residue on them, burnt tin foil, and a torch still lit.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Task Force, which is comprised of law enforcement from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Harrisburg Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Troy Darnell McFall, age 54, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, from December 2024 and continuing to July 2025, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), McFall traveled in interstate commerce without updating his sex-offender registration by leaving the state and later returning to Pennsylvania to reside at a new address.
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eduardo Domingo-Aguilar, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Domingo-Aguilar illegally reentered the United States and was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on September 23, 2025. Domingo-Aguilar was removed from the United States through San Antonio, Texas on or about September 21, 2015, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Kelley K. McGraw 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).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Goochland man sentenced to five years in prison for providing cocaine and fentanyl that caused friend’s fatal overdoseRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Goochland man was sentenced today to five years in prison for distribution of cocaine and fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2021, in Richmond, Don Carnell Batchelor Jr.’s friend, identified in court records as “SN,” asked Batchelor to acquire cocaine and fentanyl for him. Batchelor obtained and provided the drugs to SN, who took the substances with him to visit family. SN used a portion of the cocaine and fentanyl Batchelor had provided, which caused SN’s fatal overdose. SN was found deceased in his parent’s home the following morning. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was cocaine and fentanyl toxicity.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division and Lee S. Bailey, New Kent County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The Virginia State Police assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-134.
Goochland man sentenced to five years in prison for providing cocaine and fentanyl that caused friend’s fatal overdoseRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Goochland man was sentenced today to five years in prison for distribution of cocaine and fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2021, in Richmond, Don Carnell Batchelor Jr.’s friend, identified in court records as “SN,” asked Batchelor to acquire cocaine and fentanyl for him. Batchelor obtained and provided the drugs to SN, who took the substances with him to visit family. SN used a portion of the cocaine and fentanyl Batchelor had provided, which caused SN’s fatal overdose. SN was found deceased in his parent’s home the following morning. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was cocaine and fentanyl toxicity.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division and Lee S. Bailey, New Kent County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The Virginia State Police assisted in the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-134.
Gainesville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Meet A 13-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jose Raul Andreu Rodriguez (23, Gainesville) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Andreu Rodriguez pleaded guilty on May 23, 2025.
According to court documents, an undercover agent from Homeland Security Investigations posed online as a 13-year-old girl on a social media platform. Andreu Rodriguez contacted the undercover agent’s account. On November 14, 2024, after learning the girl’s age, Andreu Rodriguez engaged in a graphic sexual conversation and sent multiple explicit videos of himself. Andreu Rodriguez then arranged to meet the minor for sexual activity at a predetermined location in Marion County. When Andreu Rodriguez traveled to that location, he was arrested by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former State Employee and Co-Conspirator Sentenced for Stealing Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A former employee of the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency and her former romantic partner were sentenced today for their roles in an unemployment insurance fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Timeka Johnson, 44, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after having pleaded guilty to engaging in aggravated identity theft and conspiring to engage in wire fraud. Johnson’s co-conspirator Ray Anthony Eddington, 45, was sentenced to 36 months after having pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud.
Joining in the announcement were Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security—Office of Inspector General; Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Jason Palmer, Director of the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
The defendants were sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III.
Johnson was an employee for the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA). Her duties included reviewing, processing, and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims.
According to court records, Johnson used her insider access to fraudulently process claims in the names of third parties. As part of the scheme, Johnson personally:
- accessed third-party unemployment insurance assistance claim information without authorization;
- dismissed and improperly closed fraud prevention triggers and information requests relating to third-party unemployment insurance assistance;
- uploaded false and fraudulent documentation to support illegitimate unemployment insurance assistance claims, including false and fraudulent personal identifying information in the names of third parties;
- falsely and fraudulently certified the entitlement of third-party claims as being eligible to receive unemployment insurance assistance funds;
- caused at least one other Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency employee to fraudulently access and alter third-party unemployment insurance assistance claim information for Johnson’s benefit in exchange for financial compensation from Johnson;
- caused unauthorized debit cards to be issued in the names of third-party unemployment insurance assistance claimants;
- caused improper payments to be issued in connection with unemployment insurance assistance claims; and
- conducted unauthorized cash withdrawals of unemployment insurance assistance issued in the name of a third party.
According to court records, many of the third-party unemployment benefits that Johnson fraudulently caused to be issued were withdrawn from local ATMs by Eddington, her former romantic partner.
As a result of the conspiracy, over $250,000 in fraudulent unemployment assistance payments were made by the State of Michigan.
As part of their sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay $250,001 in restitution.
“It is one thing to steal if you are hungry and can’t find a job. But it is despicable to abuse your position of trust so that you can steal from a program needed to help the unemployed,” stated U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., said, “Government employees are entrusted to protect the integrity of these crucial aid programs. Those who betray that trust will be held accountable. The Office of Inspector General remains committed to aggressively investigating anyone who abuse their position, betray the public trust, and conspire with others to defraud government programs intended for a vulnerable population. We appreciate the continued partnership between DHS OIG and our law enforcement partners in bringing these individuals to justice”.
“Today’s sentencings of Ray Eddington and Timeka Johnson demonstrate the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to investigate bad actors who defraud the unemployment insurance program for financial gain, particularly those like Timeka Johnson who abused her position of trust as a Unemployment Insurance Examiner. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who seek to exploit these critical U.S. Department of Labor programs, especially when it involves serious insider threats,” said Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“As a State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency Investigator, Timeka Johnson had insider access and the authority to help people—instead, she abused that trust by teaming up with Ray Eddington and others to commit identity theft and fraud. Their actions harmed the very communities that rely on these unemployment resources the most,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This sentencing should serve as a reminder to anyone who defrauds Michigan’s assistance programs: FBI Detroit will never stop working to hold those accountable who abuse them. I want to recognize my team from the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, alongside our partners at the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their thorough work and successful prosecution in securing this sentence.”
“Timeka Johnson’s actions prove once again that crime doesn’t pay. UIA aggressively goes after anyone who thinks they can get away with stealing taxpayer money,” said Jason Palmer, UIA Director. “I’m proud of the success our dedicated, professional agents have had in helping to bring bad actors to justice, especially those who worked for the agency."
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Homeland Security—Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Former Senior Analyst for United States Postal Service Pleads Guilty to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former United States Postal Service employee pled guilty this week to a bribery scheme involving USPS service contracts, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Zechariah Yi, 52, of Aurora, Colorado, was indicted in March 2025 for his role in accepting payments related to USPS service contracts awarded to certain trucking companies. On Tuesday this week, Yi pled guilty to one count of Receiving a Bribe by a Public Official.
According to court documents, Yi admitted that, while working as a Senior Network Operations Analyst for the United States Postal Service, he solicited and received approximately $1.5 million in kickbacks from the owners and associates of three trucking companies in exchange for Yi’s agreeing to help the trucking companies obtain USPS service contracts. The USPS service contracts awarded to the three trucking companies paid the companies a total of approximately $15 million.
Yi faces up to fifteen years in federal prison. His sentencing date has been set for March 26, 2026.
Yi is the fourth defendant to plead guilty as part of this bribery scheme. Previously, another USPS employee, Tai Rho, and the owners of two trucking companies, Wan Jin Yoon and Hong Jin Yoon, each pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud for their involvement in the bribery scheme. They each face up to five years in federal prison. All three are set for sentencing in early 2026.
The FBI Dallas Field Office and the United States Postal Service - Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Basu and Joshua Detzky prosecuted the case.
Former President of Failed Oklahoma Bank Indicted for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Oklahoma has returned an indictment charging the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the First National Bank of Lindsay, DANNY SEIBEL, 54, of Lindsay, Oklahoma, for his role in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, making false entries in the books and records of a financial institution, obstructing the examination of a financial institution and failing to implement an anti-money laundering program.
According to the indictment, Seibel served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the First National Bank of Lindsay from in or about February 2007 until his termination in September 2024. Seibel also held other management roles at the bank during that time, including Chief Financial Officer and Bank Secrecy Act Officer. As alleged, Seibel caused the bank to issue loans to certain customers, many of whom were his personal friends and neighbors, that the borrowers never repaid. It is alleged that Seibel then manipulated the bank’s records and falsified various bank reports to falsely overstate the performance of the loans, including by using new loans or transfers of the bank’s own funds to cover overdrafts of outstanding loans.
The indictment alleges that Seibel frequently modified bank records to conceal this activity from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which was the bank’s federal regulator, as well as from the bank’s Board of Directors and others. During the summer of 2024, when the OCC was conducting an onsite examination at the bank, Seibel allegedly provided OCC staff with a false document that concealed hundreds of changes that Seibel had made to loan data. The indictment also alleges that Seibel failed to implement an anti-money laundering program at the bank as required by the Bank Secrecy Act. For example, Seibel allegedly failed to file any suspicious activity reports on his own fraudulent scheme, and he advised Bank customers to make cash deposits below $10,000 to avoid relevant reporting requirements.
The OCC appointed a receiver for the bank in October 2024.
If convicted, Seibel faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
Making the announcement today are Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma; Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Melle of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Oklahoma City Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Altemus of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); and Special Agent in Charge Korey Brinkman of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General (FHFA-OIG).
FDIC-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI and FHFA-OIG are investigating the case.
Western District of Oklahoma Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and Jackson D. Eldridge are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Mark Goldberg, Ryan McLaren, and Elysa Wan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section. The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former President of Failed Oklahoma Bank Indicted for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Oklahoma returned an indictment yesterday charging the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the First National Bank of Lindsay for his role in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, making false entries in the books and records of a financial institution, obstructing the examination of a financial institution and failing to implement an anti-money laundering program.
According to the indictment, Danny Seibel, 54, of Lindsay, Oklahoma, served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the First National Bank of Lindsay from in or about February 2007 until his termination in September 2024. Seibel also held other management roles at the bank during that time, including Chief Financial Officer and Bank Secrecy Act Officer. As alleged, Seibel caused the bank to issue loans to certain customers, many of whom were his personal friends and neighbors, that the borrowers never repaid. Seibel then allegedly manipulated the bank’s records and falsified various bank reports to falsely overstate the performance of the loans, including by using new loans or transfers of the bank’s own funds to cover overdrafts of outstanding loans.
The indictment alleges that Seibel frequently modified bank records to conceal this activity from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which was the bank’s federal regulator, as well as from the bank’s Board of Directors and others. During the summer of 2024, when the OCC was conducting an onsite examination at the bank, Seibel allegedly provided OCC staff with a false document that concealed hundreds of changes that Seibel had made to loan data. The indictment also alleges that Seibel failed to implement an anti-money laundering program at the bank as required by the Bank Secrecy Act. For example, Seibel allegedly failed to file any suspicious activity reports on his own fraudulent scheme, and he advised Bank customers to make cash deposits below $10,000 to avoid relevant reporting requirements.
The OCC appointed a receiver for the bank in October 2024.
If convicted, Seibel faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma; Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Melle of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Altemus of IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); and Special Agent in Charge Korey Brinkman of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) made the announcement.
FDIC-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI and FHFA-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Mark Goldberg, Ryan McLaren and Elysa Wan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and Jackson D. Eldridge for the Western District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty to Theft of Postal Customers' Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier pleaded guilty today to stealing packages containing prescription medications from postal customers on his route.
Michael Vernon, 52, of Somerville, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by a postal officer or employee. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2026. Vernon was arrested and charged in September 2025.
On Jan. 31, 2024, over 1,000 pieces of undelivered mail and 17 bottles of pills prescribed to 10 different postal customers on Vernon’s route were discovered in his personal vehicle. Most of the customers whose medications Vernon stole were elderly. The medications included Gabapentin, Chlorthalidone, Citalopram, Bupropion, Glipizide, Butalbital, Atomoxetine, Escitalopram and Tamsulosin Hydrochloride. These medications are used to treat nerve pain, seizures, diabetes, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, depression, anxiety and ADHD. The pill bottles were dated as far back as June 2022.
The charge of theft of mail by a postal employee provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Laguna Niguel Resident Found Guilty of Threatening to Kill Judge Who Presided over His Family Law CaseRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former Orange County resident was found guilty by a jury today of threatening to kill a superior court judge who presided over his family law case.
Byrom Zuniga Sanchez, 34, formerly of Laguna Niguel, but whose most recent residence was in Mexico, was found guilty of two counts of threats by interstate and foreign communication. Sanchez has been in federal custody since February 2024.
According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, from May 2023 to July 2023, Sanchez sent multiple death threats via email to the victim judge. Sanchez also threatened to kill or harm others, including other judges, lawyers, and law enforcement officials.
For example, in July 2023, Sanchez emailed the victim judge’s former courtroom, “I am more committed to murdering you than I am to being present as a father.”
In the same email, Sanchez also wrote, “You’re already dead. The remainder of my life will be dedicated to assassinating judges, attorneys, and a police station’s entire shift staff.”
These communications were sent via interstate commerce, and law enforcement believes Sanchez was in Mexico when he sent the threatening messages. Sanchez was arrested in San Diego in February 2024 after attempting to enter the United States.
United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter scheduled a March 5, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Sanchez will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra J. Kelly of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and Diane B. Roldán of the Major Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Honduran Official Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Import Cocaine into the United States and Related Acts of ViolenceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, announced that MIDENCE OQUELI MARTINEZ TURCIOS, a former Honduran military official and congressman, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and for his participation in multiple related acts of violence. MARTINEZ TURCIOS previously pled guilty to one count of cocaine importation conspiracy and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who presided over MARTINEZ TURCIOS’s December 2024 Fatico hearing.
“For years, Midence Oqueli Martinez Turcios partnered with violent drug traffickers and other corrupt officials to send tons of cocaine to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He will now rightfully spend decades in prison. I thank the career prosecutors of this Office and our steadfast partners at the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, for their commitment to holding accountable those who abuse their positions to flood this country with cocaine.”
“Martinez Turcios abused the trust of the Honduran people and the responsibilities of elected office,” said DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. “Instead of serving his country, he turned a seat in the Honduran Congress into a channel for cartel influence, allowing violence and cocaine to flow into communities in Honduras and across the United States. When public officials, regardless of where they are, choose to stand with the cartels, they become part of the threat we are sworn to confront. Today’s sentence sends a clear message: those who betray their oath and enable cartel violence will be brought to justice.”
As reflected in the charging instruments and other public filings, statements in public court proceedings in this and related prosecutions, and evidence presented at the December 2024 Fatico hearing:
MARTINEZ TURCIOS was a key member of the Cachiros, which was one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking organizations in Honduras, responsible for trafficking more than 100 tons of cocaine to the United States between approximately 2003 and 2013 and dozens of drug-related murders. The Cachiros trafficked ton-quantities of cocaine by relying upon, among others, corrupt Honduran government, military, and police officials at the highest levels in Honduras, who were paid bribes in exchange for protecting the Cachiros’s drug shipments and providing them with sensitive military and law enforcement information. To facilitate their drug trafficking operation, the Cachiros also relied upon hitmen from the notorious street gang La Mara Salvatrucha, or “MS-13,” to protect drug shipments and carry out murders.
MARTINEZ TURCIOS began partnering with the Cachiros in approximately 2003. Over the next decade, MARTINEZ TURCIOS, who previously served in the Honduran military and was related to the leaders of the Cachiros, carried out acts of violence alongside the Cachiros. For example, in 2006, when MARTINEZ TURCIOS was not appointed to be Minister of Security—a position that would have allowed him to further support the Cachiros’s drug operation—he ordered the murder of the Honduran politician who failed to deliver on his promise to appoint MARTINEZ TURCIOS to that position. Shortly thereafter, MARTINEZ TURCIOS also ordered the murder of a Honduran journalist who had spoken publicly about MARTINEZ TURCIOS’s association with the Cachiros—a request that resulted in not only the murder of the journalist, but also the journalist’s significant other. On other occasions, in 2008 and 2011, MARTINEZ TURCIOS himself pulled the trigger in shootings that killed multiple victims who had taken actions adverse to the Cachiros’s interests. Prior to killing one of those victims, MARTINEZ TURCIOS tortured the victim by putting a rope around the victim’s neck and choking him, as well as putting pins in his fingertips. MARTINEZ TURCIOS also participated in the 2012 kidnapping of a drug rival who was later tortured and murdered.
Between approximately 2009 and 2014, while MARTINEZ TURCIOS served as a congressman in Honduras, he also worked directly with the Cachiros to receive ton-quantity cocaine shipments at clandestine airstrips located throughout Honduras. Once the Cachiros’s cocaine shipments arrived by aircraft at clandestine airstrips, MARTINEZ TURCIOS led teams of armed men as they transported cocaine shipments across Honduras on its way to the United States. MARTINEZ TURCIOS also used his military experience to train MS-13 hitmen on how to transport and protect the Cachiros’s cocaine shipments. And, finally, MARTINEZ TURCIOS abused his elected position to facilitate the Cachiros’s laundering of drug proceeds by serving as a nominal owner for one of the Cachiros’s front companies, Ganaderos, thus providing the company with an appearance of legitimacy.
MARTINEZ TURCIOS’s involvement in narco-corruption and support for the Cachiros continued even after U.S. authorities had publicly identified the Cachiros as a major drug cartel. Indeed, in January 2014, after the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Cachiros and several of their front companies, including Ganaderos, MARTINEZ TURCIOS participated in a meeting with a group of violent drug traffickers and corrupt Honduran politicians. The purpose of the meeting was to align their efforts and support a particular political candidate for President of the Honduran National Congress who could continue protecting their drug trafficking interests. The meeting, which was video recorded, was yet another example of the systemic narco-corruption that MARTINEZ TURCIOS and his co-conspirators helped perpetuate in Honduras during that time.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, MARTINEZ TURCIOS, 65, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, and Tegucigalpa Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for securing the arrest and March 2023 extradition from Honduras of MARTINEZ TURCIOS.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution.
Former High School Wrestling Coach Convicted of Attempting to Send Obscene Material to MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Burlington, Mass. man was convicted yesterday following a three-day jury trial of attempting to send obscene material to an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old girl on Kik messenger.
Stephen James Lemelin, 51, was convicted of three counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2026. Lemelin was arrested and charged in May 2024 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024.
Evidence presented at trial established that, over the course of five months, Lemelin – a Burlington High School wrestling coach at the time – sent sexually explicit messages and obscene material over Kik Messenger to an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. In the messages, Lemelin sent three separate obscene photographs of his genitals to the purported child and proposed meeting in person for sex.
The charges of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection and the Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Burlington, Salisbury and Winchester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Eric L. Hawkins are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Former City Clerk / Treasurer Sentenced to Prison for Stealing over $196,000 from the City of New PlymouthRead the Press Release
BOISE – Danielle Painter, 41, of Emmett, Idaho, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for stealing over $196,000 from the City of New Plymouth, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, Danielle Painter was employed as the City Clerk / Treasurer for the City of New Plymouth from 2012 to 2023. As the City Clerk / Treasurer, Painter was responsible for performing various accounting functions, including recording and coding of credit card charges in the accounting system, issuing electronic credit card payments, and retaining credit card statements.
Between 2017 and 2023, Painter devised a scheme to defraud the City of New Plymouth by using City of New Plymouth credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses. The unauthorized personal expenses included retail purchases, restaurants, clothing, travel, concerts, utility and rent, and medical expenses. In total, Painter made $196,947.87 in unauthorized charges using City of New Plymouth credit cards between 2017 and 2023. To hide her scheme, Painter entered many of the expenses as professional services in the City of New Plymouth’s internal accounting system.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Painter to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence and ordered Painter to pay $196,947.87 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Idaho State Police, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol prosecuted this case.
###
Five Members of Hobbs Based Drug Trafficking Organization Arrested on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Four members of the Navarrette Drug Trafficking Organization have been indicted, and one charged by a criminal complaint, on federal drug trafficking charges following an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Hobbs, New Mexico.
According to court documents, from October 2024, through December 2025, Raul Muñoz Navarrette, 44, his sons Raul Hernandez Navarrette, 26, and Adrian Hernandez Navarrette, 21, Amanda "Mandy" Ortega, 44, and Leonel Jaquez-Martinez, 45, a Mexican national, illegally present in the United States who had been previously deported, conspired and attempted to distribute, and distributed, controlled substances throughout Lea County.
Raul Muñoz Navarrette made multiple sales of methamphetamine to undercover agents beginning in October 2024, when he sold approximately 26 grams of methamphetamine for $500. The quantities escalated over subsequent months, with Raul Muñoz Navarrette selling over 400 grams of pure methamphetamine on multiple occasions for $3,500 each. On April 29, 2025, Raul Muñoz Navarrette arranged for the delivery of over 427 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover agent and accept payment of $3,500. On July 8, 2025, Raul Muñoz Navarrette sold over 1,200 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover agent for $9,500. Leonel Jaquez-Martinez attempted to provide one 440 grams of that 1200 grams to Raul Muñoz Navarrette.
On August 1, 2025, Raul Muñoz Navarrette provided fentanyl to Amanda Ortega, who then distributed it to an individual which resulted in a non-lethal overdose. Following the overdose, Amanda Ortega told Raul Muñoz Navarrette that the fentanyl was too strong and warned they could face murder charges if someone died.
Beginning in early September 2025, Raul Hernandez Navarrette coordinated an extensive cocaine distribution operation, directing Adrian Hernandez Navarrette and Raul Muñoz Navarrette to deliver cocaine to customers throughout Hobbs, including at a hotel in Hobbs. Adrian Hernandez Navarrette was apprehended by police at that location with 1.5 grams of cocaine, a loaded .45 caliber firearm, and a drug ledger. Throughout the remainder of September 2025, Raul Hernandez Navarrette continued coordinating cocaine sales, frequently directing customers to Raul Muñoz Navarrette’s ranch where they would pick up the cocaine.
On December 3, 2025, federal agents executed search warrants on six residences connected to the Navarrette Drug Trafficking Organization. During execution of those federal search warrants, federal agents located and seized 15 rifles, 14 pistols, approximately one pound of methamphetamine, approximately 500 pills of fentanyl, and approximately eight ounces of cocaine.
Raul Muñoz Navarrette is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, eight counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, distribution of cocaine, 10 counts of distribution of cocaine, and three counts of using a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Amanda “Mandy” Ortega is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl, and three counts of using a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. If convicted, she faces up to 40 years in prison.
Raul Hernandez Navarrette is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, 20 counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 14 counts of distribution of cocaine, and three counts of using a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. If convicted, he Navarrette faces up to 20 years in prison.
Adrian Hernandez Navarrette is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and three counts of using a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. If convicted, Adrian Hernandez Navarrette faces up to life imprisonment.
Leonel Jaquez-Martinez is charged with attempting to distribute methamphetamine, re-entry of a removed alien, and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving understanding children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol and Air and Marine, Office of Professional Responsibility, United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management, Joint Task Force North, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Marshal Service, Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso Police Department, New Mexico State Police, West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of New Mexico and Western Texas.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Final man pleads guilty in $4 million wire fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Nigerian citizen who illegally resided in Houston has pleaded guilty for his role in a business email compromise conspiracy and for running a romance scam that targeted victims nationwide, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Leslie Chinedu Mba, 40, admitted to his role in conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit false statements in immigration documents.
“These online scams that Mba and others perpetrated jeopardized the livelihood of family-run businesses, the ability of elderly individuals to retire, and exploited the trust on which our economy is based,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas remains committed to holding such fraudsters accountable, and protecting our people and companies from financial harm, especially when these scammers remain in our country under false pretenses and deceive immigration authorities.”
From April 2018 to December 2023, Mba and others inside and outside of the United States carried out business email compromise and romance scams targeting unsuspecting victims. The schemes began overseas, where co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to business email accounts and redirected payments to fraudulent bank accounts.
Victims believed they were sending money to legitimate businesses, but Mba and others instead funneled the funds to accounts they controlled. Mba and others acted as money mules, opening or using existing bank accounts to collect and move proceeds from the fraud.
Additionally, Mba tried to obtain U.S. permanent residency through multiple fraudulent marriages after his initial application was denied and he was ordered to be removed from the country.
The scheme resulted in a total loss of $4 million.
Four others had also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges – Grace Morisho, 30, Rodgers Kadikilo, 29, Kristin Smith, 37, and Alexandra Golovko, 35, all of Houston.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner accepted the plea and set sentencing for Feb. 26, 2026. At that time, Mba faces up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five years for committing false statements on immigration documents as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden and Alexander Alum are prosecuting the case.
Fallbrook Woman Admits Multi-Year Fraud Against Customers of Her Porsche Restoration and Resale BusinessRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Former Fallbrook business owner Andrea Nicole Doherty pleaded guilty in federal court today to defrauding customers of her former Porsche restoration and resale business, admitting to pocketing more than $827,000 and agreeing to pay over $8 million in restitution to 57 people.
In her plea agreement, Doherty, 38, admitted that she took over CPR Classic from her father after his death in 2021. The defendant did business as CPR Classic, which was never registered as a corporation or a limited liability company, restoring classic Porsches and selling them on consignment from its storefront in Fallbrook. Doherty pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, relating to three specific vehicles sold on consignment by the defendant through CPR Classic.
Doherty was released on bail pending her sentencing on February 23, 2026, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Andrew G. Schopler.
During 2022 and 2023, Doherty sold a 1973 Porsche 911E Targa to two different buyers, accepting payment from both without informing or paying the seller. The seller eventually transferred the vehicle’s title after receiving a check from Doherty, which bounced when he attempted to cash it.
In February 2023, Doherty admitted that she agreed to sell a 1972 Porsche 911S for its owner, and found a buyer the very next day who wired her $280,000 within a week. Although this buyer received the vehicle, Doherty did not transfer legal title and admitted that she had not used the wired funds to pay the seller. Instead, in October 2023, Doherty sold the vehicle again to another buyer, who wired her $275,000, part of which she used to pay the seller, who then transferred title to the October 2023 buyer, unaware of the February 2023 sale.
Also in 2023, Doherty admitted that she sold a 1983 Porsche 930T Slantnose on consignment for $130,000, without telling (or paying) the owner. To complete the sale, Doherty forged the seller’s signature on the transfer of title document. More than a year later, this buyer contacted the vehicle’s owner, who then learned that his car had been sold and delivered to the buyer despite still being listed as available for sale on the CPR Classic website.
CPR Classic’s vehicle dealer license was suspended by the California Department of Motor Vehicles in September 2024, and it ceased operations soon thereafter.
If you believe that you are a victim in this case, please submit a report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov, or to the California Department of Motor Vehicles at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/customer-service/dmv-complaints-ffinv-1/. Victims can also file a claim through the Consumer Motor Vehicle Recovery Corporation at www.CMVRC.org.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25cr4683-AGS
Andrea Nicole Doherty Age: 38 Fallbrook, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343 (three counts)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
California Department of Motor Vehicles – Criminal Investigations
Deltona Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Meet A 13-Year-Old Girl to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Keiron Jashua Williams (23, Deltona) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Williams faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in June 2025, a detective with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed online as a 13-year-old girl (UC). Williams messaged the UC account. After learning he was speaking with a minor, Williams engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. On July 5, 2025, Williams was arrested when he traveled to a location in Marion County to meet the minor to engage in sexual activity. A search of Williams’s car revealed he had brought an unopened box of condoms, a video game system, and marijuana for the meeting with the minor.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Defendant in Operation Rock Bottom Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The final defendant in the region’s largest-ever federal drug trafficking prosecution was sentenced this week to 20 years in federal prison.
Norman Eugene Goins Jr., 31, of Charlottesville, was sentenced this week to 20 years in federal prison. On August 27, 2025, a jury convicted Goins of possession with the intent to distribute over 4,000 fentanyl pills, nearly a kilo of fentanyl powder, and the possession of three firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense following a multi-week trial. The jury trial was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Assistant United States Attorney Rachel B. Swartz.
“This sentencing concludes a multi-jurisdictional, cooperative investigation and prosecution that landed more than 15 defendants in federal prison for more than 186 years collectively,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “This prosecution took thousands of fentanyl pills out of the Western District of Virginia, any one of which could have resulted in a fatal overdose. Fentanyl is a uniquely pernicious and lethal toxin, so deadly that just one pill can kill. I am grateful to our local, state, and federal partners for their dedication to this case. Fentanyl has killed thousands of Virginians and hundreds of thousands of Americans and this office will continue to attach the highest priority to combatting those who traffic fentanyl and use firearms to protect their deadly trade.”
“The DEA, and all our dedicated law enforcement partners are using every tool and resource available to investigate and prosecute dangerous narcotics distributors. Our mission to save and protect lives is clear,” commented DEA Washington Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Goumenis. “Prominent drug traffickers like Mr. Goins and his organization destroy families throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond by selling deadly illicit drugs, such as counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. This sentencing is the result of our collective efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and defend American citizens.”
“This conviction and sentencing shows what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together to target dangerous criminals,” said Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police. “Lives were saved because together we were able to get large amounts of fentanyl off of the streets.”
“This investigation and prosecution demonstrate what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal partners work together to hold those individuals who harm our community accountable for their actions,” said Colonel Sean Reeves, Albemarle County Chief of Police.
Goins was identified at trial as the leader of a drug conspiracy that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in and around the Charlottesville region beginning in February 2023 and continuing through February 2024.
Goins distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and other drugs to members of the conspiracy for redistribution and profit.
A search warrant executed at Goins’ home revealed a safe that contained a brick of fentanyl and 4,000 fentanyl pills. In addition, investigators found at least 10 firearms at the home, including a loaded gun found with his baby’s clothes. Goins is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Previously convicted and sentenced as part of the conspiracy are:
- DuShaun Lamont Gregory -186 months
- Landon Devon Fields -180 months
- Bobby Eugene Christmas -120 months
- Michael Edward Cornett -120 months
- Antone Laron Harris -120 months
- John Ellis Turner, III -120 months
- Tyquane Pertell Gregory -108 months
- Dashard Brown -96 months
- Gary Wayne Woodson -84 months
- Brandon Carl Dent -75 months
- Shahiem Taishaun Michie -72 months
- Dustin Lee Welch -70 months
- Ashlee Renee Morris -54 months
- Brooks Lorenzo Woodfolk -52 months
- Wendy Nicole Shifflett -36 months
- Caleb Andrew Herndon -27 months
The Virginia State Police 3A Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Albemarle County Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security- HSI, the City of Charlottesville Police Department, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office, the Henrico County Police Department, and the United States Marshal’s Service are investigating the case. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Offices from the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, along with the Charlottesville Emergency Services and the Virginia National Guard have assisted in the investigation.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Swartz and retired Assistant United States Attorney Ronald Huber prosecuted the case for the United States.
Dallas man sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison in ATM crime spreeRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Dallas man has been sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for a violent crime spree in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Joseph George Turner, 31, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Schell on December 3, 2025.
According to court documents, Turner was the leader and organizer of a group of individuals involved in a crime spree aimed at forcibly removing ATMs from convenience stores in the DFW area. From May 16 to June 1, 2023, the defendants participated in a conspiracy that involved smashing the glass from a convenience storefront with a sledgehammer before using a stolen truck or SUV to drag an ATM from the store. Once the ATM was removed from the store, the defendants would load the machine into the vehicle and leave the scene. The ATM and vehicle would later be found abandoned after the money was removed and divided among the participants.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Frisco Office, Plano Police Department, Irving Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Mesquite Police Department, Carrolton Police Department, and Grapevine Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Johnson.
###