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Wednesday 29 July 2026
Fraud Division Resolves Fraud Investigation of Eye Care Group Under New Corporate Enforcement Policy; Health Care Executive Charged for Alleged Fraud and KickbacksRead the Press Release
The National Fraud Enforcement Division today announced the resolution of a criminal health care fraud investigation into Campus Eye Management Holdings LLC, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Campus Eye Management LLC (collectively, Campus Eye), pursuant to Part I of the Department of Justice (Department) Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). The Department declined to prosecute Campus Eye, a management services organization that provided billing and other services to an optometry practice and ambulatory surgery center (ASC), for health care fraud, illegal kickbacks and bribes, and conspiracy after it voluntarily self-disclosed the misconduct, fully cooperated with the Department’s investigation, and timely and appropriately remediated the wrongdoing. As part of the resolution, Campus Eye agreed to pay back $1 million to victims.
“The Fraud Division is committed to robust and fair corporate enforcement, which aids our prosecutions of individuals who defraud the government,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Department’s policies afford companies that take responsibility for their misconduct with a clear path to a declination. Businesses that ignore the law and profit from their executive’s lies and deceit will be held accountable.”
Separately, the Department announced a seven-count indictment against the founder of the optometry practice and ASC for his role in orchestrating diagnostic testing and kickback schemes, both prior to and after he and outside investors formed Campus Eye in December 2021 and he became the CEO. According to court documents, from at least 2015 through March 2023, E. Bruce DiDonato, 71, of Princeton, New Jersey, allegedly conspired with others to defraud Medicare by billing for unnecessary diagnostic eye tests. DiDonato allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to ophthalmologists in exchange for their referral of patients who needed eye surgeries, and then subjected the patients to diagnostic tests that were duplicative of tests they had previously received or were unnecessary for the type of surgery being performed. As alleged, neither DiDonato nor the optometrist reviewed the tests, and in most instances the ophthalmologists did not review or rely on the tests to inform their treatment decisions in advance of surgery.
According to the indictment, DiDonato concealed the payment of kickbacks and bribes by creating sham agreements that described the payments as consulting fees, and paying in the form of monthly “flat fees” that were actually based on a percentage of the optometry practice’s Medicare reimbursement for diagnostic tests performed on patients the providers had referred in the previous year. DiDonato allegedly caused the submission of approximately $3.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which Medicare paid approximately $1 million. DiDonato then marketed and sold Campus Eye to private equity investors, based in part on the lucrative reimbursements he received from Medicare.
The Department resolved its investigation into Campus Eye after considering the factors set forth in the CEP, including (1) Campus Eye’s timely and voluntary self-disclosure of the misconduct; (2) Campus Eye’s full and proactive cooperation in this matter and its agreement to continue to cooperate with any ongoing government investigations and prosecutions; (3) the nature and seriousness of the offense; (4) Campus Eye’s timely and appropriate remediation, including an internal review and subsequent revision of certain billing, payment, and compensation policies, and substantial improvement of its compliance program by, among other things, conducting ongoing risk assessments and monitoring, hiring new personnel with compliance responsibilities, and implementing compliance trainings; (5) the absence of aggravating factors that, when weighed against Campus Eye’s cooperation and remediation, warrant a disposition other than a resolution under Part I of the CEP; and (6) the fact that Campus Eye agreed to compensate victims.
This is the Department’s first declination of a health care company under the new Department-wide Corporate Enforcement Policy that was announced by Acting Attorney General Blanche on March 10, 2026, following an uptick of corporate enforcement actions against health care companies by the Department in recent years.
DiDonato is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, two counts of health care fraud, and three counts of payment of illegal health care kickbacks. If convicted, DiDonato faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud conspiracy and substantive health care fraud counts, 5 years in prison on the kickback conspiracy count, and 10 years in prison for each of the substantive kickback counts.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey; Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI; and Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services, Officer of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and made the announcement.
FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
National Fraud Enforcement Division Acting Assistant Chief Darren C. Halverson and Trial Attorney Lindsey D. Carson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Nasar for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case. Marnee Rand, Acting Chief of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Corporate Enforcement Section, provided valuable assistance to the CEP declination.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Founder and Former CEO of New Jersey Based Eye Care Group Charged with Health Care Fraud Conspiracy and Paying Illegal KickbacksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. –Charges were brought today against the founder and former CEO of a New Jersey based management company that oversaw an optometry practice and eye surgery center for conspiring to commit and committing health care fraud and violating the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.
E. Bruce DiDonato, 71, of Princeton, New Jersey, was charged in a seven-count Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, two substantive counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks in connection with illegal referrals, and three substantive counts of paying health care kickbacks.
“As alleged, the defendant used his company to pay doctors and surgeons illegal kickbacks in exchange for the surgeons bringing patients to his eye care practice, where they were subjected to unnecessary diagnostic tests all so the defendant could enrich himself by billing Medicare. This Office will continue to pursue and prioritize complex health care fraud schemes that waste Government funds and harm patients.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“Dr. DiDonato's alleged deception of his patients, staff, and Medicare, which countless Americans depend on, is a scheme rife with disregard for the rules and integrity that govern the medical industry.” says FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “People must be able to trust their doctors, and many do so, albeit blindly. This case demonstrates the FBI's commitment to rooting out fraudsters and bringing justice to the victims impacted by these crimes.”
“Medicare patients deserve care guided by medical need, not illicit financial arrangements,” said Special Agent in Charge Naomi D. Gruchacz of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “As alleged, the defendant put profit ahead of patient well‑being and misused the Medicare program through unnecessary testing and illegal kickbacks, diverting critical resources away from those who rely on them. HHS‑OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in protecting patients, safeguarding taxpayer funds, and upholding the integrity of federally funded health care programs.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
DiDonato was the founder of Campus Eye LLC and Campus Eye Surgery Center LLC, an optometry practice and ambulatory surgery center located in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. In 2021, DiDonato sold a portion of his interest in those entities to a private equity firm and assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of a newly-formed management company, Campus Eye Management Holdings, LLC, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Campus Eye Management, LLC (together, the “Campus Eye Entities”), which operated the optometry care practice and eye surgery center.
Both prior to and after he and outside investors formed the Campus Eye Entities and he became the CEO, DiDonato conspired with others to defraud Medicare by performing and billing for unnecessary diagnostic tests at the surgery center. DiDonato allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to ophthalmologists in exchange for their referral of patients who needed eye surgeries and then subjected the patients to diagnostic tests that were duplicative of tests they had previously received or were unnecessary for the type of surgery being performed. Neither DiDonato nor the optometrist reviewed the tests, and in most instances the ophthalmologists did not review or rely on the tests to inform their treatment decisions in advance of surgery. DiDonato allegedly concealed the payment of kickbacks and bribes by creating sham agreements that described the payments as consulting fees, and paying in the form of monthly “flat fees” that were actually based on a percentage of the optometry practice’s Medicare reimbursement for diagnostic tests performed on patients the providers had referred in the previous year. DiDonato allegedly caused the submission of approximately $3.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which Medicare paid approximately $1 million.
If convicted, DiDonato faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment on the health care fraud conspiracy and substantive health care fraud counts, 5 years imprisonment on the kickback conspiracy count, and 10 years imprisonment for each of the substantive kickback counts.
Separately, the Department of Justice announced that it has resolved its criminal health care fraud investigation into the Campus Eye Entities pursuant to Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). As part of the resolution, the Department has declined to prosecute the Campus Eye Entities for the healthcare fraud and kickback scheme carried out by DiDonato and others, and the Campus Eye Entities have agreed to pay $1 million in disgorgement.
United States Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, in Newark, New Jersey, and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, with the investigation.
The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar and Unit Chief George L. Brandley of the Office’s Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit, and Acting Assistant Chief Darren C. Halverson and Trial Attorney Lindsey D. Carsen of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Thomas H. Barnard, Esq.
didonato.indictment.pdfFormer Sunflower County Policeman Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE – Marvin Flowers, 60, of Indianola, MS, was sentenced today to over seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty on a previous date to conspiracy to aid and abet, and to attempt to aid and abet, the possession, transportation and distribution of illegal narcotics.
According to court documents, the defendant was arrested on October 30, 2025. At the time of the offense, Flowers received multiple bribes while being employed as a law enforcement officer with the Sunflower County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Flowers to 88 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Flowers will begin his imprisonment on October 5, 2026.
United States Attorney Scott Leary stated, “Law enforcement agents live by a code, to bravely serve the citizens they are charged to protect. When that code is violated, there are consequences. Unless you’re involved in law enforcement, it’s hard to appreciate the time and effort required to investigate these type cases. The citizens of this great State are indebted to the FBI agents who invested time and resources to bring this case to a successful conclusion. I applaud their dedication.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge of the FBI-Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff said, "Today’s sentencing serves as a powerful reminder that no one is above the law, especially those who’ve taken an oath to uphold it. The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and hold accountable individuals who abuse positions of public trust, whether by facilitating the distribution of illegal drugs that harm our communities, or by other means. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protect the public and ensure that those who betray the public’s trust are brought to justice."
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Mims and Sam Stringfellow prosecuted the case.
Former HR Executive Agrees to Pay $160,000 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it reached a civil settlement agreement with Carleena Graham, whereby the former Vice President of Human Resources for World Learning has agreed to pay $160,000 to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by submitting false invoices to her employer for reimbursement of expenses that benefitted her personally and organizations with which she was affiliated.
World Learning is a nonprofit global development and exchange organization that delivers educational and professional training programs around the world. It was also a recipient of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. Department of State funds through various grants, contracts, and negotiated indirect cost rate agreements totaling several million dollars.
The Government asserts that, from approximately 2015 to 2022, Graham orchestrated a scheme to submit false invoices to World Learning for reimbursement of hundreds of thousands of dollars of expenses. As part of that scheme, Graham arranged for goods and services to be delivered to third-party organizations and then arranged for World Learning to pay for these goods and services via electronic transfers of funds from its bank account or use of World Learning’s credit cards. The Government also found that Graham falsified invoices submitted by vendors for payment of the goods and services to make them appear as though World Learning was the recipient of the goods and services. By defrauding World Learning, the Government contends Graham was also misappropriating funds the nonprofit received from USAID and the State Department.
The settlement concludes a joint investigation conducted by USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the State Department OIG that followed Graham’s guilty plea in the District of Vermont to one count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 for the above-described conduct. United States v. Carleena Graham, Case No. 23-cr-57.
The civil settlement resulted from the work of Assistant United States Attorney Sam Escher and Auditor Timothy J. Hurley with the support of Special Agents from USAID and the State Department’s OIGs.
The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
settlement_agreement_-_signed_by_all_parties_v.1_redacted.pdfFormer BIA Officer Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Lying to InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
Murrell Deela, a former Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer, was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison for sexual abuse involving a minor and to lying to federal investigators.
According to records filed in the case, on Aug. 7, 2024, Deela, then 29 years old, was on duty and acting in his official capacity as a BIA officer in the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, when he encountered the minor victim. Deela apprehended the victim and placed her in the back of his patrol vehicle. Instead of driving the teenager to her family’s house, Deela drove the minor to an alternate location. Deela then engaged in sexual acts with the minor victim without the victim’s consent. The minor victim disclosed the victimization the following day, and the FBI’s analysis of the evidence provided additional facts that corroborated the minor’s outcry.
“The vast majority of federal law enforcement officers carry out their duties and responsibilities with exceptional skill and courage,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But when those tasked with enforcing the law violate their duty by sexually assaulting individuals in their care and custody, especially minor victims, the Department of Justice will hold them fully accountable. Today’s sentence reflects the principle that those who abuse their power by targeting children for sexual gratification will be met with the full force of the law.”
“The victim showed a tremendous amount of courage coming forward to help ensure Mr. Deela was held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. “Sexual abuse of a minor is a devastating crime, only compounded by an offender’s attempt to deceive investigators. No badge or title places anyone above the law and we are committed to pursuing justice for victims.”
Several days after the incident, Deela was instructed to bring his patrol vehicle to the BIA station for evidence collection. Hours prior to the scheduled report time, Deela reported that his patrol vehicle was on fire. The patrol vehicle and its video system were severely burned. An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined the patrol vehicle was set on fire intentionally.
Following the incident, Deela wrote a false report omitting that he had driven the minor victim to the alternate location. When interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Deela falsely told agents that he drove the minor directly to her family’s home and had not made any other stops. When confronted with evidence, Deela later admitted that he had driven the minor to an alternate location.
The case was investigated by the FBI and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota, Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and former Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Tara Allison prosecuted the case.
Florissant Woman Admits Theft of $170,000 in Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from Florissant, Missouri on Wednesday admitted stealing $170,000 in Social Security benefits after the death of a relative.
Laneka Holmes, 45, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of theft of government money. She admitted that the death of a relative on May 23, 2017, was not reported to the Social Security Administration, as required. The relative’s Social Security payments were being deposited into an account held jointly with Holmes, and Holmes took those funds from May 2017 until April 2025. Holmes admitted unlawfully receiving a total of $170,574.
At her October 21 sentencing, Holmes faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine. She will also be ordered to repay the money.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting the case.
Fifth Defendant Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Tax Offenses Arising from Multi-Year Homeowners Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Lisette Patricio, 64, of Davie, has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for her role in a multi-year homeowners insurance fraud scheme that generated more than $6 million in illicit proceeds and resulted in the cancellation of nearly 4,000 homeowners insurance policies across Florida.
U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II imposed the sentence after Patricio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making and filing false federal income tax returns. Patricio has also been ordered to forfeit $1.78 million in fraud proceeds and pay $593,033 to the IRS.
Patricio is the fifth and final defendant to be convicted and sentenced for participating in the scheme.
“Nearly 4,000 Florida homeowners had their insurance policies fraudulently canceled so that these defendants could enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This final sentence closes a years-long prosecution that held every participant accountable and recovered millions in criminal proceeds. Our Office will continue pursuing complex financial schemes that exploit vulnerable homeowners and threaten the integrity of our financial and insurance systems.”
“Florida homeowners deserved justice, and they now got it,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office. “This case proves how effective our collaboration with state and local partners can be when financial fraud threatens our communities.”
According to court records, Arturo Morales targeted financially distressed homeowners facing foreclosure or loan modification proceedings and used their identities to fraudulently cancel their homeowners insurance policies without their knowledge. Morales’s sister, Darely Carballeira, supervised licensed insurance agents who prepared false paperwork to process the unauthorized cancellations.
To conceal the fraud, the conspirators falsely claimed to have obtained replacement coverage from another insurer. Instead, the refunded insurance premiums were diverted into bank accounts controlled by Patricio and used to purchase low-cost surplus-lines insurance policies that provided only limited coverage.
Patricio oversaw the scheme’s recordkeeping and distributed the fraud proceeds among herself, Morales, Carballeira, and a team of cooperating insurance agents, including Yarelis Felipe. When homeowners questioned the cancellations or expressed concern about their insurance coverage, the agents falsely assured them that they remained fully insured or repurchased full coverage.
The scheme resulted in the fraudulent cancellation of nearly 4,000 homeowners insurance policies and generated more than $6 million in illegal proceeds.
Previously sentenced defendants include:
Darely Carballeira (25-cr-20034 and 24-cr-20061): 51 months in prison for bank fraud and filing a false tax return.
Antonio Carballeira (24-cr-20061): six months in prison for filing a false federal income tax return.
Arturo Morales (25-cr-20034): 57 months in prison for bank fraud.
Yarelis Felipe (25-cr-20328): 10 months in prison for bank fraud.
IRS-CI, Florida Field Office, investigated the case with assistance from the Florida Department of Financial Services.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Juenger and Sean Cronin prosecuted the cases.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20486.
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Felon Sentenced to More Than Two and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Handgun in Chicago After Being Released on Bond in State Court for Prior Violent OffenseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A felon has been sentenced to more than two and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a handgun outside a Chicago fast food restaurant shortly after he was released on bond for a violent crime case pending in state court.
JONATHAN SCOTT was arrested on May 25, 2025, after he displayed a handgun during an argument with an employee of a McDonald’s restaurant on the West Side of Chicago. Chicago Police were called to the scene and discovered the handgun in Scott’s vehicle, which was parked outside the restaurant. Scott had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
At the time of his arrest outside of the McDonald’s restaurant, Scott was on pre-trial release for a violent crime case pending in state court. In that case, Scott forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s car in March 2025 and took her cell phone, causing injury to the ex-girlfriend. Scott was later convicted of unlawful vehicular invasion and sentenced to four years in state prison.
Scott, 33, of Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty in the federal case in March 2026 to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. On July 24, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis sentenced Scott to 32 months in federal prison, which was a sentence within the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The federal investigation was conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement partnership that focuses exclusively on investigating and prosecuting violent offenders who utilize firearms in commission of their crimes in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. Every firearm-related case in Chicago is processed through the CGIC on a daily basis.
“The defendant has, between the ages of 19 and 32, racked up eleven felony convictions, including convictions for aggravated battery, violating orders of protection, escaping a penal institution, unlawful vehicular invasion, and aggravated assault and use of a deadly weapon,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Stern argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “It is critical that the defendant’s increasingly escalating criminal conduct be halted.”
Felon Fugitive from Grenada Has Been Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – U.S. Attorney Scott Leary announced that a Homeland Security Task Force Operation led to the sentence of Christopher Caffey, a/k/a “Snow”, 49, of Grenada, Mississippi, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Caffey was sentenced today before the Honorable Deborah M. Brown, Chief United States District Court Judge, to 200 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, Caffey had previously pleaded guilty to the charges and has an extensive criminal history. He was a fugitive from justice for approx. 1 year and was apprehended by the USMS in California.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated: “I prosecuted drug conspiracies for decades and rarely, if ever, saw a recreational meth or fentanyl user. These drugs destroy families and have long fueled violence and instability within our communities. The cartels that supply such drugs take our money and kill our kids. A responsible society must engage. We should never allow violent, repeat offenders to victimize innocent citizens just trying to raise families and live their lives. The DEA and Grenada Police Department, working together, did an excellent job in putting this man behind bars. The United States Marshal’s Service also deserves recognition. They are responsible for apprehending fugitives, among the most dangerous jobs in law enforcement. This defendant was apprehended by the Marshals in California after being on the run for a year. Know that a dedicated Marshal in Louisiana recently lost his life while attempting to arrest a fugitive. He gave his life for us. God bless you guys.”
"The Homeland Security Task Force directs the full might of United States law enforcement to protect the American people by eliminating transnational criminal organizations and violent offenders operating across our borders," said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott. "This sentence proves that evading justice is temporary, as our historic interagency collaboration remains steadfast in utilizing every tool to dismantle drug networks and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States."
This operation and conviction is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating tin the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ICE ERO, CBP, CBP OFO, CBP USBP, CBP AMO, CGIS, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS and with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad M. Doleac prosecuted the case.
Federal jury convicts New Jersey man of terrorism offenses relating to his attempted murder of Salman RushdieRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY — A federal jury has convicted Hadi Matar, 28, of Fairview, New Jersey, of attempting to provide material support to Hizbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and providing material support to terrorists.
“Hadi Matar, who was born and raised in the United States, chose to align his values with the terroristic values of the leaders of Iran, which often promote violence, and in this case, the call for murder,” said U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York. “The defendant spent months planning and preparing to carry out what he hoped would be the execution of Salman Rushdie and possibly follow in the footsteps of martyrs he admired. Instead, his attempted act of terror failed, and Salman Rushdie survived, thanks to courageous members of the public and law enforcement, who saved Rushdie and captured Matar.”
“Matar spent more than a year immersing himself in Hizballah’s violent ideology and preparing to act on a fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollahs calling for Mr. Rushdie’s murder,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His brutal attack on Mr. Rushdie during a peaceful speaking event is a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism. With today’s verdict, justice has been done, and Matar will pay for his crimes.”
“Today's guilty verdict reaffirms that acts of terrorism will not prevail over the freedoms our nation was built to protect,” said Allen D. Davis II, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “By attempting to silence free expression through terrorism, the defendant attacked not only an individual, but a U.S. Constitutional right. FBI Buffalo's Joint Terrorism Task Force remains unwavering in our commitment to countering terrorism, violent extremism, and ensuring those who threaten our communities are held accountable.”
On Aug. 12, 2022, Matar attempted to murder author Salman Rushdie in an effort to carry out a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s execution because of a novel published by Rushdie in 1988. That fatwa was issued in 1989 by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini; reaffirmed in 2017 by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei; and endorsed in a 2006 speech by Hizballah’s Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah.
According to evidence presentenced by the government, Matar spent over a year researching the fatwa, including its continuing validity, before deciding to carry it out while Rushdie spoke at the Chautauqua Institution in Mayville, NY. Prior to the attack, Matar discussed the fatwa — and Hizballah’s endorsement of the fatwa — with individuals located in Iran, Australia, and Canada. He also created videos about the fatwa, with titles such as “Rushdie_Fatwa 2.0” and “Rushdie_Fatwa 1.6,” which combined videos about the fatwa with video of Hassan Nasrallah endorsing the fatwa in 2006.
Matar surrounded himself with symbols of Hizballah martyrs before the attack. He traveled to the Chautauqua Institution using the name “Hassan Mughniyeh,” and carried a false driver’s license bearing the same name. Matar’s false name contained the first name of Hassan Nasrallah, Hizballah’s Secretary General, and the last name of Imad Mughniyeh, the former head of Hizballah’s External Security Organization, who was responsible for planning a number of Hizballah’s terrorist attacks. On the morning of the attack, Matar visited a website run by Hizballah and took screenshots of Hizballah martyrs who had died in the month of August.
Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 3, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, who presided over the trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Charles M. Kruly for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the Buffalo Office of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto. Additional assistance was provided by the Newark, NJ, office of the FBI and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Federal Jury Convicts New Jersey Man of Terrorism Offenses Relating to His Attempted Murder of Salman RushdieRead the Press Release
A federal jury has convicted Hadi Matar, 28, of Fairview, New Jersey, of attempting to provide material support to Hizbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and providing material support to terrorists.
“Matar spent more than a year immersing himself in Hizballah’s violent ideology and preparing to act on a fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollahs calling for Mr. Rushdie’s murder,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His brutal attack on Mr. Rushdie during a peaceful speaking event is a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism. With today’s verdict, justice has been done, and Matar will pay for his crimes.”
“Hadi Matar, who was born and raised in the United States, chose to align his values with the terroristic values of the leaders of Iran, which often promote violence, and in this case, the call for murder,” said U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York. “The defendant spent months planning and preparing to carry out what he hoped would be the execution of Salman Rushdie and possibly follow in the footsteps of martyrs he admired. Instead, his attempted act of terror failed, and Salman Rushdie survived, thanks to courageous members of the public and law enforcement, who saved Rushdie and captured Matar.”
“This was not an impulsive act; Matar conducted a violent attack in support of a designated foreign terrorist organization and wanted to carry out a fatwa against the victim,” said Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “With today’s verdict, this assailant will pay the price of engaging in terrorism. The FBI and our partners are committed to bringing terrorists and all who support them to justice.”
On Aug. 12, 2022, Matar attempted to murder author Salman Rushdie in an effort to carry out a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s execution because of a novel published by Rushdie in 1988. That fatwa was issued in 1989 by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini; reaffirmed in 2017 by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei; and endorsed in a 2006 speech by Hizballah’s Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah.
According to evidence presentenced by the government, Matar spent over a year researching the fatwa, including its continuing validity, before deciding to carry it out while Rushdie spoke at the Chautauqua Institution in Mayville, NY. Prior to the attack, Matar discussed the fatwa — and Hizballah’s endorsement of the fatwa — with individuals located in Iran, Australia, and Canada. He also created videos about the fatwa, with titles such as “Rushdie_Fatwa 2.0” and “Rushdie_Fatwa 1.6,” which combined videos about the fatwa with video of Hassan Nasrallah endorsing the fatwa in 2006.
Matar surrounded himself with symbols of Hizballah martyrs before the attack. He traveled to the Chautauqua Institution using the name “Hassan Mughniyeh,” and carried a false driver’s license bearing the same name. Matar’s false name contained the first name of Hassan Nasrallah, Hizballah’s Secretary General, and the last name of Imad Mughniyeh, the former head of Hizballah’s External Security Organization, who was responsible for planning a number of Hizballah’s terrorist attacks. On the morning of the attack, Matar visited a website run by Hizballah and took screenshots of Hizballah martyrs who had died in the month of August.
Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on Nov. 3 before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, who presided over the trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Charles M. Kruly for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the Buffalo Office of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto. Additional assistance was provided by the Newark, NJ, office of the FBI and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Film Producer for Allegedly Defrauding Clients of More Than $100 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a film producer for allegedly defrauding clients of more than $100 million by soliciting them to invest in purported film and entertainment projects.
JASON CLOTH, 60, of Beverly Hills, Calif., was charged with seven counts of wire fraud in an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Cloth was arrested on Tuesday in Los Angeles, Calif. He made his initial court appearance on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, Cloth operated Canadien-based Creative Wealth Media Finance Corp. From 2019 to 2026, Cloth solicited various clients, including an investment advisor in Illinois, to invest in purported film and entertainment projects or to fund a gaming entertainment investment platform. Cloth fraudulently obtained more than $100 million from the Illinois investment advisor, the advisor’s clients, and other investors based on false representations about the performance and value of their investments, the indictment states. Cloth knew at the time of the investments that he would use the money for other purposes, including the development of a real estate project in Canada, the indictment states.
Cloth allegedly engaged in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors. The indictment seeks forfeiture from Cloth in the amount of at least $12.25 million for the projects identified in the indictment.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Sean Hennessy.
Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
If you believe you are a victim of defendant Jason Cloth’s alleged fraud scheme whether committed through Creative Wealth Media Finance Corp. or any other entity, please contact the Chicago Field Office of the FBI by completing this short form at fbi.gov/jasonclothvictims. The schemes could involve purported film and entertainment projects, gaming entertainment investment platforms, or other conduct.
cloth_indictment.pdfFederal Corrections Officer Charged with Sexually Abusing Inmate at FCI Fort DixRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Middlesex County woman was charged in a criminal complaint with sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Jordan Pensak, 27, a corrections officer at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (“Fort Dix”), was charged by complaint with one count of sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody. Fort Dix is a low-security federal correctional institution in Burlington County.
According to the complaint and statements made in court:
Pensak had a consensual sexual relationship with an inmate at Fort Dix and had sex with him in January 2026. Pensak and the inmate also exchanged sexually explicit photographs and messages over social media and electronic applications, facilitated by the inmate’s use of two contraband cell phones while in custody at Fort Dix. Pensak admitted to having a sexual relationship with the inmate in text messages sent to multiple individuals, including family members of the inmate. In one of those communications Pensak raised concerns that she might be pregnant with the inmate’s child.
Pensak made her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal in federal District Court in Camden on July 28, 2026, and was released on bail. If convicted of sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody, Pensak faces a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Edminston, with the investigations.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Mark Catanzaro, Esq.
pensak.complaint.pdfEstimated $20 Million Worth of Cocaine Seized from Commercial Truck at BorderRead the Press Release
CALEXICO – Federal law enforcement officers seized more than half a ton of cocaine worth more than $20 million hidden in the floorboards of a commercial truck and attached flatbed trailer at the Calexico Port of Entry.
It was the second-largest cocaine seizure in 2026 in the Southern District of California. The largest seizure was in May when more than a ton of cocaine estimated to be worth $45 million was discovered in connection with a subterranean cross-border tunnel.
In the most recent case, the driver and only occupant of the truck, Jose Manuel Lopez Lopez, was arrested and charged with illegally importing cocaine into the United States.
The amount of cocaine seized is considered “a tremendous amount of drugs, even by the standards of this district,” according to the government’s motion to detain the defendant. Lopez entered a not-guilty plea at his arraignment in federal court yesterday. A detention hearing is scheduled for August 3 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lupe Rodriguez Jr.
In addition to the hidden cocaine, the trailer was loaded with 269 bundles of rebar . Customs and Border Protection officers, working with agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, X-rayed the trailer and observed anomalies in the floorboards. A drug-sniffing dog alerted to the trailer. After unloading the rebar, officers unscrewed the planks from the wooden floor of the trailer and discovered they were stuffed with drugs. In total, 366 packages of cocaine weighing 1002.13 pounds (454.56 kilograms) were removed from the trailer.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Benjamin and Lawrence Casper.
DEFENDANT Case Number 26-mj-08705
Jose Manuel Lopez Lopez Age: 44 Mexicali, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Importation of Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952 and 960
Maximum penalty: Life in prison; Mandatory minimum 10 years
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Customs and Border Protection
Homeland Security Investigations
Drug Enforcement Administration
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. Operation Take Back America is 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.
Dominican National Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Dominican national was sentenced on July 28, 2026 in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a Massachusetts-Maine fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Ramon De Leon, 26, to 48 months in prison. De Leon pleaded guilty on October 22, 2025.
According to court records, De Leon and his brother Alexis De Leon worked together to transport kilograms of fentanyl from Massachusetts to Maine for distribution. The investigation initially showed that an individual known locally only as “Leon Leon” was using a Facebook account and other means to contact associates and customers in Maine. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed evidence that De Leon and his brother were responsible for operating that Facebook page and arranged monitored purchases of fentanyl from “Leon Leon.” The DEA ultimately coordinated a traffic stop in June 2024, with the assistance of Maine State Police, during which the De Leon brothers were found in possession of a large quantity of fentanyl en route to Bangor. The conspiracy brought over 20 kilograms of fentanyl into Maine.
Ramon De Leon is the fifth defendant to be sentenced in relation to this investigation. Alexis De Leon was sentenced to five years in prison on January 8, 2026; Mandi Ford was sentenced to time served (approximately 19 months) on February 13, 2026; Bradley Bellfleur was sentenced to six years in prison on May 15, 2026; and Andrew Marin was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison on June 10, 2026.
The DEA investigated this case, with the assistance of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Maine State Police.
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.
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Delta Felon Sentenced for the Illegal Possession of Dozens of Firearms, Flying Without a License & Other Aviation Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, MS – Christopher Douglas Showah, 51, of Indianola, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to three federal felonies. Honorable Deborah M. Brown, Chief United States District Court Judge, sentenced Showah to 96 months in federal prison
According to court documents and admissions made at the defendant’s change of plea hearing he pleaded guilty to the following:
- Possession of firearms by a convicted felon;
- Flying without a valid airman’s certificate;
- Fraud relating to maintenance work performed on an aircraft donated to Delta State University for their aviation program.
Showah was initially investigated by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General for flying after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency order suspending his airman’s certificate. Investigators learned that despite this order from the FAA, Showah continued to fly and do airplane mechanic’s work for M&D Aviation, in violation of federal law and regulation. Investigators also learned that Showah had conducted inspections and performed maintenance on an aircraft which was later donated for use by students at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, despite not possessing a valid certification allowing him to perform work on the aircraft.
Federal agents, assisted by agents with the Mississippi Agricultural & Livestock Theft Bureau, executed a federal search warrant at Showah’s hanger, residence and shop. During this search, agents observed and seized almost forty (40) firearms. Showah was prohibited by federal law from possessing any firearms following several felony convictions in Sunflower and Sharkey Counties in Mississippi.
This was investigated by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Mississippi Agricultural & Livestock Theft Bureau and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
United States Attorney Scott Leary stated that “law enforcement responsibilities often involve issues of public safety. The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the Mississippi Agricultural & Livestock Theft Bureau, and the ATF worked hard on this case, and the citizens of the Northern District of Mississippi are safer because of their efforts. Thank you for your hard work.”
“The defendant’s disregard for federal aviation safety requirements and decision to continue flying and performing aircraft maintenance without proper certification placed the public at real and unnecessary risk,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “The sentence handed down today reflects the seriousness of these violations and reinforces our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to protect the safety and integrity of the nation’s airspace and the communities we serve.”
“In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess firearms,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message that ATF will continue to work alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure these convicted felons are removed from our communities and held fully accountable so we can keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Herzog, Jr. prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Cuban National Sentenced for His Role in an International Alien Smuggling, Asylum Fraud, and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Cuban National was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in an international alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.
“Ventura-Castro was part of a complex conspiracy responsible for smuggling aliens into the United States on a massive scale,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant and others recruited aliens using social media, charged thousands of dollars to bring them into the country illegally, and helped them get immigration benefits to which they were not entitled.”
“Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is essential to maintaining safe and secure borders,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “The conspirators in this case used sophisticated methods to violate those laws and engaged in an elaborate human smuggling scheme, for profit. The diligence demonstrated by our law enforcement partners in this case ensured that this defendant was brought to justice.”
“The exploitation of vulnerable people through these types of intricate schemes are egregious crimes that threaten our national security and exploit the integrity of our immigration system,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa. “They knowingly orchestrated a sophisticated scheme to recruit and smuggle thousands of Cuban nationals into the United States, and unlawfully obtained immigration benefits through fraudulent applications, deliberate misrepresentations, and illicit financial transactions. Such calculated criminal conduct undermines the integrity of our immigration system and will be met with the full force of the law.”
“Today’s sentencing is evidence of our all-out war on immigration fraud,” said Director Joseph Edlow of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners to dismantle this criminal enterprise, which churned out thousands of fake asylum claims and flooded the country with illegal aliens. As Ventura-Castro and his criminal associates are being brought to justice, we will continue our mission protecting Americans from those who seek to exploit our laws and endanger our communities.”
According to court documents, Erik Ventura-Castro, 24, of Hialeah, Florida, between January of 2021 and June of 2025, conspired with others to operate an alien smuggling organization (ASO) which encouraged or induced thousands of Cuban aliens to enter the United States through the southern border and used fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and visa waivers. The defendants advertised their smuggling services and bogus visa services across multiple social media platforms to solicit Cuban nationals and other aliens to attempt to illegally enter the United States and fraudulently obtain lawful status in the United States. The alien smuggling organization (ASO) advertised services included assisting Cubans with making false claims of European citizenship to enter the United States on a European tourist visa waiver or ESTA and filing hundreds of fraudulent ESTA applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), using fake addresses and fabricated documents. To obtain admission under the ESTAs, the defendants made false representations that the applicants had not been in Cuba since 2011. The defendants knew that Cubans are not eligible for the ESTA program, and that the applicants were actually in Cuba at the time the ESTA applications were submitted.
Passports and Boarding Passes obtained as part of the scheme Social media account advertising ASO services Social media account using photo from human smuggling event to advertise ASO servicesVentura-Castro furthered the conspiracy by advertising trips for aliens to travel from Cuba to the United States through third-party countries and assisting the aliens in obtaining fraudulent ESTAs. The defendant submitted over 40 electronic payments to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for fraudulent ESTA applications. As part of the conspiracy, aliens were charged between $1,500 and $40,000 for smuggling services. Co-conspirators sometimes even chartered private planes to move groups of aliens. Ventura-Castro and co-defendants conspired with each other to regularly move funds to companies operating outside of the United States and to other places outside the United States, such as by purchasing international flights for aliens to travel into the United States. Ventura-Castro transmitted over $97,000 from the United States to the Cayman Islands, Colombia and Mexico to purchase flights for aliens to unlawfully enter the United States.
Ventura-Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments on May 7.
Twelve individuals were charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in the conspiracy. Defendants Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 31, Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 31, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30, Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29, and Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 31, have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Defendants Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra are awaiting trial scheduled to begin on Sept. 21.
The investigation and superseding indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP U.S. Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 424 U.S. convictions; and more than 368 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and USCIS’s’ Fraud Detection and National Security led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Amanda Brown of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Crips Leader, Music Label Owner and Purported Anti-Gang Activist Hit with More Federal Charges, Including Soliciting Witness MurderRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A jailed South Los Angeles gang leader, music label owner, and purported anti-gang activist awaiting a federal trial was charged today with seven additional federal felonies, including that he solicited two fellow jail inmates to murder or seriously injure a witness against him and attempting to tamper with that witness’s testimony.
Eugene Henley, Jr., 59, a.k.a. “Big U,” of the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles and who has been in federal custody since March 2025, previously was charged with dozens of felonies, including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, robbery, extortion, and tax evasion.
A federal grand jury today charged Henley – a long-time member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips street gang – with seven additional felonies: two counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence, two counts of tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant, one count of conspiracy to transport an individual in interstate commerce with intent that the individual engage in prostitution, and two counts of wire fraud.
Henley and six other defendants charged in this case are scheduled to go to trial in February 2027.
Since last year, Henley has been charged with operating what prosecutors call the “Big U Enterprise,” a racketeering organization that used his stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s to extort businesses and individuals, traffic and exploit sex workers, and defraud donors, lenders, and a federally funded anti-gang charity. Henley is also accused in the underlying racketeering conspiracy charge with the January 2021 murder of an aspiring musician, R.W., in Las Vegas.
According to the superseding indictment returned today, on June 10, 2026, Henley asked two inmates about the layout of a housing unit where he believed a witness, identified in the indictment as “Victim-1,” was being held. Henley offered to pay the inmates to kill or harm Victim-1 to prevent Victim-1 from testifying at trial against members of Henley’s criminal enterprise.
Henley also is charged with paying co-defendant Armani Aflleje, 39, a.k.a. “Mani,” of Koreatown, to transport women across state lines to engage in prostitution. In November 2022, he paid Aflleje $1,000 via Zelle to rent a car to transport the women from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Aflleje sent text messages to Henley of photographs of the women she was transporting. The following week, Henley sent Aflleje an additional $500 for the trip.
From November 2022 to January 2023, Henley and Aflleje schemed to rent vehicles and locate women on multiple occasions to engage in prostitution.
Henley is further charged with submitting in June 2020 a false and fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic business-relief loan under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program for his business, Celebrity Socks. The false statements concerned the business’s gross revenue and the costs of goods sold for the business for the 12-month period preceding the pandemic.
The superseding indictment returned today also adds new overt acts to the indictment’s racketeering conspiracy charge. These acts include the following allegations:
- In 2014, Henley and his associates assaulted and chased a Grammy-winning recording artist through Los Angeles International Airport to collect a debt and for failing to show respect;
- Henley embezzled in 2019 additional charitable donations intended for Developing Options, his federally funded anti-gang nonprofit;
- Henley in March 2023 prepared to provide false information to a court and a county prosecutor to fabricate an individual’s employment with Developing Options;
- In June and July of 2020, Henley sought and was denied additional COVID-19 pandemic-relief loans on behalf of Developing Options; and
- In February 2023, Henley threatened to shut down a cannabis business unless its owner paid Henley and co-defendant Sylvester Robinson, 60, a.k.a. “Vey,” of Northridge.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Henley would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison for the racketeering conspiracy count. The newly added witness tampering counts carry an additional statutory maximum of life in federal prison on each count.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General; the Los Angeles Police Department; and the North Las Vegas Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Major Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas and Sentencings in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Prosecutions (July 20 through July 23, 2026)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following prosecutorial results for the week of July 20 through July 23, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas:
- On July 21, 2026, Sergio Ramírez-Payano pleaded guilty to possessing a machinegun in Criminal Case 25-409 (GMM). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with possessing with intent to distribute more than five (5) kilograms of cocaine, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, possessing a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking, the possession of a firearm by a felon, and possessing a machinegun. Defendant was arrested on October 1, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 20, 2026. AUSA Joseph Russell is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 22, 2026, Juan José De la Cruz Natera pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case number 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 21, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 22, 2026, Yanzie Vázquez González pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case number 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 22, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 22, 2026, Pedro J. Santiago Rodríguez pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case number 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 22, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 23, 2026, Michael Félix Sánchez Ogando pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case number 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 22, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 23, 2026, Luis Manuel Olivo Morán pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case number 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 22, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
Sentencings:
- On July 22, 2026, Joseph David Vázquez Ayala was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño Coll to a term of imprisonment of 78 months and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on July 11, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-272 (SCC) and pleaded guilty on April 22, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 22, 2026, Omar Jhon Paredes was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 37 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to import cocaine in excess of 150 kilograms of cocaine and a concurrent term of six months imprisonment for improper entry by alien. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on May 8, 2025, in Criminal case 25-226 (ADC), and pled guilty to the charge(s) on March 12, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 23, 2026, Denis Ditrán was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias-Marxuach to time served with immediate deportation to the Dominican Republic and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire, mail, and bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. According to court documents, this defendant was indicted on June 12, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-275(RAM), and pleaded guilty on June 25, 2026. SAUSA Vanessa Bonano is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
These prosecutions 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 children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Possessing a Firearm with a Machinegun Conversion DeviceRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Jordan Jones, 31, to 78 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD). D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
On October 4, 2025, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers pursued Jones, driving a stolen white Honda Accord, after he had run a stop light. They pursued him for several minutes before Jones struck another vehicle and then ran from the vehicle.
One of the troopers saw a gun in Jones’s waistband. The trooper then pursued Jones on foot as he attempted to flee through a nearby residential yard. Troopers quickly apprehended Jones and recovered a Glock pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device along the path where Jones fled. A second firearm was later located inside the vehicle Jones had been driving.
On July 23, 2026, United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Jones to 78 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “A firearm equipped with an MCD is an extremely dangerous weapon that can cause multiple injuries or fatalities in less than one second. When possessed by a fleeing felon recklessly driving a stolen vehicle, it demonstrates an unacceptable risk to public safety that justifies a significant prison sentence to remove this dangerous recidivist from our community.”
Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Office said, "This previously convicted felon was in possession of a stolen vehicle, illegally possessed a firearm with a machine gun conversion device, and led the police on a high-speed chase. The ATF will continue to work in lockstep with our law enforcement partners to remove individuals such as this who threaten public safety in our communities."
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Crum and Special Assistant United States Attorney Yosef Hochheiser, of the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Columbia, Missouri Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Ronald Dale Thornton, III, 35, of Columbia, Mo., was sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine by U.S. District Judge Steven R. Bough to 15 years in prison without parole for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
On March 19, 2024, members of the Columbia Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) served a search warrant at an Airbnb rented by Thornton in Columbia. During the search, 50 packages of methamphetamine weighing a total of 50 pounds were recovered along with $24,957 in U.S. currency. Thornton was present at the residence along with other individuals.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Columbia Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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.
Colombian resident sentenced to prison for conspiring to ship loads of cocaine to Seattle and other U.S. destinationsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 65-year-old national of the Dominican Republic, who was arrested in Colombia and extradited to the U.S., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 96 months in prison for conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to launder money, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jose Manuel Frias Lopez was arrested in June 2024 and was extradited to the U.S. in August 2025. Frias Lopez pleaded guilty in April 2026. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King noted Frias Lopez criminal history saying, he had been “in a revolving door with the justice system in this country.”
“This defendant was at the center of the criminal organization in this case, importing cocaine to the streets of Seattle and other parts of the U.S.,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “The undercover meetings sound like something out of a novel, but they capture the real interactions of sophisticated drug traffickers who seek to profit by feeding addiction. Even at an advanced age, with prior U.S. prison stints, Mr. Frias Lopez could not resist the lure of what he apparently saw as easy money.”
This case arose out of a joint investigation by the DEA and the Seattle Police Department (SPD). These agencies, together with other state, federal, and international law enforcement partners, conducted a multi-year investigation into a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that imported―from Mexico into the United States―fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. The investigation ultimately led to Colombia, where investigators purchased cocaine directly from the source.
According to records filed in the case, the investigation into DTO members in Colombia began in April 2023 and ran until January 2024. Investigators used confidential sources and undercover agents to identify Jose Manuel Frias Lopez as a cocaine source of supply. Undercover agents from both U.S. and Colombian law enforcement then met with Frias Lopez and his associates in Colombia. Frias Lopez sourced cocaine for delivery to the U.S. and laundered funds that the undercovers paid for cocaine. Frias Lopez talked about other aspects of his criminal scheme such as transporting cocaine to Florida or to Spain.
Frias Lopez has a lengthy criminal history in the U.S. with convictions in Oklahoma for drug trafficking, concealing stolen property, and DUI. In 2004 he was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine while possessing a firearm. He was released and removed from the U.S. in 2014.
In asking for a 96-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted that cocaine is increasingly tied to overdose deaths in our community, “(D)rug overdoses resulted in 914 deaths in King County in 2025. Through the first six-plus months of 2026, there have been 394 confirmed overdose deaths, with another 44 probable overdose deaths. Moreover, and although fentanyl gets the lion’s share of attention with respect to overdose deaths—and rightly so―cocaine was the third most common drug involved in King County overdose deaths in 2025. Specifically, cocaine was involved in 218 (24%) overdose deaths in King County in 2025―often in combination with fentanyl or methamphetamine.”
“Drug traffickers cannot hide behind international borders,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “DEA is committed to identifying, investigating, and pursuing those responsible for poisoning our communities, wherever they operate. Working alongside our domestic and international law enforcement partners, we will go to the source country to locate these offenders, bring them to the United States, and ensure they face accountability in U.S. courts. This relentless pursuit is a cornerstone of DEA’s Fentanyl Free America, which is focused on disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing the availability of these deadly drugs, and saving American lives.”
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The investigation was led by the DEA and Seattle Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by Renton Police Department, Centralia Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), Washington State Patrol, Pierce County and Valley SWAT teams.
The Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia General) partnered with U.S. law enforcement on this investigation. The Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided critical assistance.
The cases from this investigation are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo in the Western District of Washington.
Colombian National Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Nationwide Jewelry Theft RingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HAROLD RAMIREZ CAGUA, also known as “Gordo,” 42, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Miami, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment for his involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Ramirez Cagua and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls in Connecticut and other states and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines. Before the burglaries, the co-conspirators surveilled the stores and kiosks to formulate game plans and, as part of that reconnaissance, posed as legitimate customers to examine the desired merchandise and assess the establishment’s security measures.
Ramirez Cagua served as the crime ring’s logistics operative, booking flights for co-conspirators to travel for the burglaries, securing rental cars, and reserving lodging. During the burglaries, he and his associates forced his way into closed businesses, sometimes by cutting a hole through a wall, and then pried open and smashed locked display cases. They then carted off the stolen merchandise.
Ramirez Cagua and his co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023; in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023; in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 14, 2023; in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023; at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Lombard, Illinois on October 17, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York on April 18, 2024. The total losses from these burglaries exceed $4.4 million.
Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.
To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement. The investigation revealed that much of the stolen jewelry was sold to the owner of a jewelry store in Queens, New York, who then sold it to others, including those he knew would melt down the gold.
Ramirez Cagua has been detained since July 18, 2024. On March 5, 2025, he pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
Cleveland Man Sentenced to 22+ Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic Meth from U.S.-Mexico Border to OhioRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 43-year-old man was sentenced to prison for his role in a conspiracy that trafficked illegal drugs sourced from Mexico and mailed to Ohio through the U.S. Postal Service.
Sherman Thomas, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 275 months (22.9 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese. After a 4-day trial in June 2025, a federal jury convicted Thomas of:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Using or Maintaining a Drug Premises
- Possession of Firearms and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; prior convictions include Aggravated Robbery in 2001, Trafficking Offenses, Having Weapons under Disability and Carrying a Concealed Weapon in 2009.
Thomas was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, the conspiracy ran from about July 2022 through April 2023. Thomas, along with several co-conspirators, obtained drugs from Mexico to press into illicit pills for distribution. Co-defendant, Melvin Hodge, 44, of Sagamore Hills, would contact individuals in Mexico and then travel to the U.S.-Mexico border to obtain methamphetamine and send it through the United States mail. When the methamphetamine arrived in the Northern District of Ohio, Hodge met with another co-conspirator—a U.S. postal carrier—who provided addresses to allow for the safe passage of the methamphetamine through his postal route. The postal carrier then informed Hodge of the locations where the parcels could be retrieved. After receiving the package from the postal carrier, Hodge would provide the methamphetamine to Thomas.
As part of his role in the conspiracy, Thomas maintained a drug premises on Reyburn Road in Cleveland Heights, where he had an industrial pill press which he used to produce illegal pills. He then stored the narcotics at his residence on Father Caruso Drive, in Cleveland. In September 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Thomas’ residence. During a protective sweep of the home, a bedroom window was found open with the screen laying outside on the ground. While no one was in the apartment at the time of the search, multiple witnesses testified at trial that it appeared that Thomas had dropped from the window, appeared hurt, and ran from the apartment when agents arrived to execute the warrant. Agents seized the following contents from the apartment:
- 4.1 grams of methamphetamine
- 22 bags containing multicolored pills that were locked in a safe, containing approximately 4,193.5 grams of methamphetamine
- Three plastic bags with white powder containing 412 grams of methamphetamine
- A Glock 23 with an extended magazine loaded with 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition
- A narcotics ledger, several cellphones, a kilogram pill press, and a money counter.
Agents also searched Thomas’ stash house on Reyburn Road and seized several large bags of a pill binding agent, a rifle, and another pill press machine.
Two co-conspirators were previously sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Hodge is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. Carvin Cook, 46, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 41 months (3.41 years) in prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration-Detroit Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Cleveland Metroparks Police Department, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The USAO would also like acknowledge the support and assistance of the United States Marshals Service in this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth M. Crook and James P. Lewis led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
Chinese national sentenced to over 2 years in prison for scamming 73-year-old Joliet manRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Chinese man living in California, who defrauded a Joliet man out of nearly $200,000, was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison and to pay restitution of $181,000, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Wei Jia Luo, 42, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of wire fraud. Following his prison term he will be deported back to China.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Luo ran an internet scam and stole $182,000 from a 73-year-old Joliet resident.
The investigation started when the Joliet man called the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office on May 8, 2024, to report that he had been scammed. The man was on his computer in March when a pop-up window told him to contact Microsoft. Through a series of messages, the man was led to believe that he was “out of compliance” with the Federal Trade Commission and that to get back into compliance he would need to provide large sums of money to a bank courier he would meet at the Edgar Post Office.
The man pulled out $76,000 from various bank accounts and headed to Edgar on April 6, 2024. Unable to find the post office, the man was instructed to meet the bank courier, named “Ethan,” at the Edgar Bar. The man arrived at the bar and met Ethan, who he described as an Asian man in his 30s wearing sunglasses and a COVID mask. He handed over the $76,000 and Ethan left.
A few days after the Edgar Bar meeting, the scammers contacted the Joliet man again, this time telling him that more money was needed for him to get fully in compliance with the FTC. Returning to the Edgar Bar on April 11, 2024, the man this time paid Ethan $53,000. Still not done, the scammers contacted the man a third time, telling him still more money was needed. The victim liquidated a $50,000 investment and handed it over to the scammers on May 1, 2024. He was also instructed to buy a number of gift cards from Apple and Lowes that added up to $5,000, and hand those over. In all, the man lost $182,000 to the scammers.
Using rental car records and then flight data, investigators eventually identified Ethan as Wei Jia Luo, successfully matching an image of him to surveillance footage of Luo getting off a plane. Luo was arrested on July 31, 2025, in Arizona. He was carrying five fake Texas driver’s licenses, a Chinese passport with Luo’s picture but a different name, gift cards, and over $10,000 in cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The FBI and the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
California Man Who Secretly Recorded Children Using Spyware Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A California man has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children by secretly recording minors through spyware installed on laptop computers and directing children overseas to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra sentenced Jacob Melvin Hart, 46, of California, after he pleaded guilty to attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of a minor and transportation of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
“This defendant weaponized technology and abused positions of trust to invade children’s most private spaces and sexually exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The 40-year sentence imposed on Jacob Melvin Hart means he will likely spend the rest of his life in federal prison. It protects children from a calculated predator and demonstrates that we will pursue those who produce and solicit child sexual abuse material, whether their victims are here at home or across the world.”
Hart was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon his return to the U.S. through Miami International Airport following a mission trip to Haiti. An inspection of Hart’s electronic devices revealed CSAM, including images and videos that he had directed minor children in Russia to create at his request.
The subsequent investigation revealed that Hart had previously worked as an IT consultant for a California church, where he had access to numerous minor children. Hart provided laptops equipped with spyware to several children, allowing him to remotely activate the computers’ cameras without the children’s knowledge. Using the spyware, Hart secretly recorded at least eight minor victims and possessed sexually explicit depictions of those children.
In 2006, Hart was convicted in Oregon of invasion of privacy after secretly installing a hidden camera in a girls’ locker room at a summer camp. During sentencing in this case, the Court described the scope of Hart’s conduct as “extraordinary.”
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brianna Coakley prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20303.
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Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking and Murder in the Course of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Omari Scott, also known as “Prince” and “Sir Prince,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to 50 years in prison for murder in the course of sex trafficking, sex trafficking two victims (Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2), and promoting prostitution. Scott was convicted by a federal jury in June 2025 of murder in the course of sex trafficking and sex trafficking Jane Doe 2. Prior to trial, Scott pleaded guilty to sex trafficking Jane Doe 1 and promoting prostitution. The charges relate to Scott’s trafficking of women at an open-air sex market in Brooklyn known as the “Penn Track” and his orchestration of the murder of a rival pimp after a dispute over the control of Jane Doe 2. Restitution to the victims will be determined at a later date.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“The defendant earned this lengthy sentence through a pattern of ruthless violence, exploitation of vulnerable women, and abuse,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “His actions caused lasting harm to his victims and demonstrated a complete disregard for the law and for human dignity. Our Office’s prosecutors and law enforcement brought him to justice and their noble work demonstrates a deep commitment to protecting the community from those who commit these heinous crimes.”“Omari Scott carried out a disturbing level of violence and exploitation of innocent victims. The FBI is dedicated to defending the individuals subjected to these crimes and pursuing offenders who threaten innocent civilians,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“The NYPD has no tolerance for anyone who sexually exploits women and profits from these horrific crimes,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Omari Scott was a predator of the worst kind – using violence and financial control to force victims into this work and even orchestrating the murder of a rival for encroaching on his business. Thank you to the NYPD investigators, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their work to get this sex trafficker off our streets for good.”
As proven at trial, for years, Scott trafficked women at the Penn Track and other locations in New York City and New Jersey. He lured his victims in with promises of love and money, but once he had manipulated them into working for him, he took all the money they earned. He imposed nightly quotas and used violence and threats of violence to keep his victims earning. For example, Scott told an associate on a recorded call that he was “beating this b--- up tonight” for failing to work quickly enough to locate customers and, on another occasion, Scott warned a victim that he would “knock [her] out for disrespecting me.” In taking the money they earned, Scott rendered these women dependent on him for food, clothing, and shelter for themselves and for their young children.
In April 2023, Scott learned that Jane Doe 2 was planning to leave him to work for a rival, Cleveland Clay, in prostitution. Scott found Jane Doe 2 on the Penn Track, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her through the street, and threw her into his car. After Clay refused to back down, the defendant recruited another sex trafficker, Michael Simmons, to murder Clay. The defendant gave Simmons a gun and sent him to kill Clay, which Simmons did on May 1, 2023 in a White Castle parking lot on the Penn Track. Simmons then returned to Scott, who had been waiting for him in a nearby laundromat parking lot, to report that the job was done. Clay succumbed to his wounds several hours later. Simmons pleaded guilty in January 2025 to murder in the course of sex trafficking and sex trafficking of Jane Doe 2 and is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Reid, Anna L. Karamigios, and Miranda Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution, with additional assistance from Victim Witness Coordinator Huda Abouchaer and Victim Witness Specialist Kristina Marius.The Defendant:
OMARI SCOTT (also known as “Prince” and “Sir Prince”)
Age: 45
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-158 (KAM)
Brockton Man Charged with Lying to Federal Agents About Firearms Recovered at Crime ScenesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man has been charged for allegedly making false statements to law enforcement regarding his transfer of 24 firearms he had purchased. More than half of the firearms allegedly surfaced at various crime scenes across the Northeast including a Boston homicide.
Klordenzsky Senecharles, 29, has been charged with making materially false statements. The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2026 and subsequently released on pretrial conditions.
According to the charging documents, between March 2020 and May 2021, Senecharles purchased a total of 28 firearms and later sold four of them. Of the 24 firearms still registered to Senecharles, 13 firearms were allegedly recovered in connection with criminal activity, including a Feb. 26, 2024 homicide in Boston. According to the charging documents, when law enforcement questioned Senecharles about the whereabouts of the 24 firearms, Senecharles claimed that he had sold 21 of the 24 firearms to various Massachusetts registered firearms dealers. The firearms dealers allegedly reported that they had no record of purchasing any of the 21 firearms from Senecharles.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five 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 Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Colin T. Missett of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Bellevue man sentenced to 18 months in prison for operating multi-million dollar fencing operation that encouraged retail theftRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 59-year-old Bellevue, Washington and Las Vegas, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for his role in a scheme to sell stolen goods on Amazon and eBay, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Andrey A. Balun pleaded guilty in December 2025, to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce. Balun and his co-defendant, Vitaliy F. Bobak, 53, of Federal Way, Washington, jointly owned MBA Trading LLC which did business at a Burien, Washington storefront operating as “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.” An extensive law enforcement investigation revealed that the storefront knowingly purchased goods that had been stolen from area retailers. The pair then sold the goods on Amazon or eBay for millions of dollars in profit.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin told Balun the prison sentence would have been longer but for his health conditions and concern they could not be managed by the Bureau of Prisons. “You were the driving force behind this operation, and you continued for years even after you were told what you were doing was illegal,” Judge Lin said.
“Acting as a ‘fence’ for stolen goods helps organized retail theft flourish, and that harms our community in multiple ways,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “First retailers say theft brings violence against their employees; second, stores close because of theft problems and workers lose their jobs; third businesses raise prices to cope with the theft losses and that hits all of us in the wallet; and lastly, no taxes are paid on goods stolen from stores – Washington estimates it lost $600 million due to organized retail theft in 2021 alone.”
According to records filed in the case, Balun co-owned the business since 2018. Balun trained Bobak on how to operate the business. Balun admits that the business purchased stolen goods from individual sellers knowing that the goods were stolen. The business bought primarily over the counter medications and health and beauty products. In many instances the goods still had anti-theft devices attached, or stickers saying “for sale only” at a particular retailer.
The men bought the goods far below the retail price and then posted them for sale on two websites they operated on Amazon and eBay. The Amazon store was called “Medikus” and the eBay store was called “abcstore555.” Money from the online stores was traced to the men’s bank accounts. The funds were then used by the men to operate the scheme by paying cash to the “boosters” (people who stole the goods) and payroll to employees who were involved in posting and shipping the goods for sale. The remainder of the proceeds were funneled to the men who then withdrew money to pay themselves and for various personal expenses. Balun obtained proceeds of at least $1 million in the final years of the scheme alone. Investigators traced some of that money to his purchase of a home in Las Vegas.
The amount of stolen property in this case is staggering. At the time the warrant was executed in December 2023, Balun and Bobak possessed more than 74,000 items of stolen property waiting to be sold or shipped – worth approximately $2.4 million. That is in addition to the $4.5 million in sales between 2021 and the middle 2023, and an unknown sum pre-2021. Most of these items were over the counter medication and health and beauty products, stolen from retailers such as Fred Meyer and CVS. By any conservative estimate, Balun and his partners purchased and resold hundreds of thousands of stolen items.
In asking for a 4-year prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court. “Balun’s conduct was also audacious. As early as 2019, law enforcement advised him that stolen merchandise was passing through his online store. Yet rather than cleaning up his act, Balun trained Bobak to join him in the scheme. A couple years later, he directed Bobak on how to respond to a retailer complaint that the Amazon store was not authorized to sell their products. In short, he acted with impunity for years.”
In his plea agreement Balun agreed to forfeit $1,000,000 to the government as part of the resolution of his case.
Bobak was sentenced earlier this year to 11 months in prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant assistance from the Renton Police Department, Seattle Police Department, and the IRS, and aided by investigators from numerous retailers.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite and Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Krista Bush.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Armed Gas Station CarjackingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man is headed to prison after a federal judge sentenced him, today, in connection with an armed carjacking at a local gas station.
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Ron Wardlow, 27, to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. A jury convicted Wardlow of the charges in April 2026. Additionally, Wardlow was previously convicted of a robbery at the same Baltimore gas station where he was later arrested.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD), and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 27, 2025, Wardlow approached Victim 1 and Victim 2 at a Fells Point gas station. Wardlow, who was wearing a mask and gloves, approached the victims and asked them for a ride.
When Victim 1 refused, Wardlow followed Victim 1 around the car and pulled out a 9mm Glock loaded with an extended magazine that held 31 rounds. Wardlow then pointed the gun at Victim 1 and demanded the car keys. Victim 1 complied and gave Wardlow the keys. Wardlow entered the car and drove off. Then the victims called 911 to report the carjacking.
Some of the victims’ digital devices remained in the car, which enabled them to track the devices. Activity stopped in the Liberty Heights neighborhood, so the victims assumed Wardlow tossed them from the car.
Later, the victims went to the spot where the devices were. There, they found Victim 1’s car still running, but then the car backed up and drove away. Victim 1 again called the police to alert law enforcement to the car’s location.
Then officers from the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT) located the car at a nearby gas station. When law enforcement arrived at the gas station, Wardlow saw them and fled on foot.
Officers pursued Wardlow with the assistance of aerial surveillance. Law enforcement eventually found Wardlow hiding in the cellar entryway of a nearby residence. When officers searched Wardlow, they found the mask and gloves he wore during the carjacking. Additionally, officers found a bag in the car that contained the loaded Glock 9mm Wardlow pointed at Victim 1.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, BPD, and BCPD for their work in the investigation and RATT for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and John W. Sippel, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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An Expired Tag Turns into Federal Prison Time for a Georgia ManRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – U.S. Attorney Scott Leary announced that a Homeland Security Task Force Operation led to the sentence of Dannie Thomas, of Dacula, Georgia. Thomas was sentenced today before the Honorable Deborah M. Brown, Chief United States District Court Judge, to 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
This case was initiated by the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office. According to court documents, at the time of his arrest Thomas was in possession of 50 kilograms of cocaine, along with a large amount of currency. The defendant has a lengthy criminal record dating back decades.
Scott Leary, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi stated: “For years our communities have been decimated by the trafficking in illegal drugs. Cocaine fosters addiction, and addiction destroys families. Moreover, the illegal drug trade fuels violent crime and subsidizes drug cartels. And the drug cartels not only traffic in drugs but also traffic in human beings. Let’s work together in combatting this scourge. The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative was designed to encourage state and federal law enforcement cooperation, which is what happened in this case. The Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA did a great job putting this case together. Let’s maintain the momentum.”
"This case highlights how critical proactive law enforcement is to our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge, John P. Scott, New Orleans Field Division. “Thanks to the sharp instincts of the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Deputy and the investigative power of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), fifty kilograms of cocaine and a massive amount of illicit currency were intercepted before they could do further harm. The DEA, alongside our HSTF partners, will continue to relentlessly pursue and prosecute those who think they can transport illegal narcotics through our state."
Pontotoc County Sheriff Leo Mask stated, “I am proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA to reduce the flow of illegal narcotics, and this clearly demonstrates what can be accomplished with that partnership.”
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating tin the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ICE ERO, CBP, CBP OFO, CBP USBP, CBP AMO, CGIS, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS and with the prosecution being led by the United State’s Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad M. Doleac prosecuted the case.
Alleged Helicopter Business Owner Convicted at Trial for Making False Statements to Secure Bank Loan and Credit CardRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Talladega man has been convicted of lying to the FBI and of making false statements to a financial institution to secure a bank loan and credit card for his helicopter business, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Bermun D. McGhee, 46, after 3 days of testimony before Chief U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala. McGhee was convicted of making a false statement to a federally insured institution, bank fraud, money laundering, and making a false statement to the FBI.
“Loan fraud is one of the many sources of illegal activity that has received new emphasis under the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the newly created National Fraud Enforcement Division of the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “All of the tools are in place, and have created a whole of government approach to combatting fraud. The conviction of Bermun McGhee is the latest example of the great work of our Assistant U.S. Attorneys and our federal partners. To the fraudsters: we will find you, we will bring you to justice, and we will do all that we can to claw back illicit and fraudulently obtained funds.”
“The jury found that not only did the defendant lie to the bank, but he tried to cover it up by lying to the FBI,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage. “Prosecuting fraud is a top priority of this office. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who defraud our financial institutions are identified, prosecuted and brought to justice.”
“This verdict reflects the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence and underscores our continued commitment to protecting the integrity of the financial system. The FBI’s investigation revealed a deliberate scheme designed to deceive financial institutions and misuse federally insured funds, and this outcome demonstrates our dedication to pursuing those who engage in fraud and holding them accountable,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “Fraud is a high FBI priority, and with our partners, we will aggressively pursue those who threaten our financial institutions. Our commitment will not waver.”
According to evidence presented at trial, McGhee applied for a $2.3 million loan to purchase helicopters. In support of his application, McGhee submitted a Personal Financial Statement in which he falsely represented that he owned assets exceeding $7.6 million, including more than $900,000 in specific banks, hundreds of thousands of dollars in stocks, and $1.5 million in an insurance policy’s cash surrender value. McGhee also submitted false tax returns in support of his application.
The bank ultimately decided not to offer McGhee a loan to buy helicopters but did offer a purchase credit card for his business, using the same financial information he had previously provided. McGhee signed the purchase credit card application form, agreeing that his representations were accurate, and then ran up a balance exceeding $550,000. McGhee was able to exceed the credit limit by making more than fifty payments on the account that were subsequently reversed due to insufficient funds or because the account used to make the payment was fake.
Finally, while McGhee was being interviewed by an FBI agent, he falsely stated that he could pay the bank back because he possessed $1.5 to $2 million in a retirement account at Charles Schwab. Per evidence at trial, when McGhee made this statement, he had a retirement account with Charles Schwab that had less than $1,600 in it.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Ryan S. Rummage and Brett A. Janich are prosecuting the case.
Abilene Man Receives 50-year Sentence for Producing and Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ABILENE, Texas—United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Kaleb Marc Rodriquez, a 27-year-old Abilene man who produced and transported child sexual abuse material was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison on July 22.
“I can think of few things more reprehensible than an individual entrusted with the care and well-being of a minor, who then takes advantage of a tragedy to betray that trust and horrifically violate that child in his care,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This sentence affirms my office’s commitment to protecting children and prosecuting these vile criminals. I am extremely grateful to our law enforcement partners and the prosecutorial team for ensuring this predator can never again sexually exploit children in North Texas.”
“Protecting children from exploitation is a core mission for HSI. This sentence demonstrates that those who commit these crimes will be held fully accountable, said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “We are grateful for the dedicated efforts of the Abilene Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in ensuring that this offender will no longer pose a threat to vulnerable children. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute those who prey on minors, and to support victims and their families throughout the process.”
According to court documents:
On Sept. 22, 2024, Jane Doe 1’s grandmother had a stroke, so her mother left Doe and her two siblings in Rodriquez’s care at her apartment. Doe’s mother also said she lent her phone to Rodriquez at that time.
On Feb. 17, 2025, Doe’s mother noticed that Rodriguez was logged into his Gmail account on her phone. She looked in Rodriquez’s account and saw that he had emailed himself a sexually explicit video of Doe, who was 14 years old at the time, the day he was alone with her at the apartment. Doe’s mother contacted the Abilene Police Department to report the sexual assault of a child.
APD officers responded and found a Snapchat video, which was produced at Doe’s apartment in Abilene. Based on a computer forensic analysis, Rodriguez used Doe’s mother’s cellular telephone and Snapchat account to create child pornography of the minor victim and then emailed that video to himself so he could access it from other electronic devices. During the 19-second sexually explicit video of Doe, APD detectives were able to identify Rodriquez’s hand because he had distinctive tattoos on them.
During an interview with APD, Rodriquez admitted that he knew Doe and that he lived with Doe’s family for about five to six months before the interview. Rodriquez admitted that he knew Doe was 14 because he went to her birthday party. Rodriquez recalled the stroke in September 2024 and that he may have been with Doe then.
The APD detective asked, “what if I told you that I saw your hands in a video with [Doe]?” Rodriquez replied, “I’d probably believe you.” The detective asked, “What if I told you the videos showed [Doe’s] anus and vagina?” Rodriquez responded, “Oh, my God. That, I have no clue. But I’d probably believe you because I was on drugs.”
The APD detective later told Rodriquez that he was going to jail. Rodriquez asked the detective to tell [Doe’s] family that he was sorry.
At the sentencing hearing, one of the victims stated, “I am glad that I don’t have to see you anymore. Knowing I am safe from being hurt by you again gives me some peace.”
A grand jury indicted Rodriguez in January 2026. He pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and transportation of child pornography in March 2026. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced him to 600 months in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Abilene Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag, West Texas Branch Chief, prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
15 Charged in Two Conspiracies to Traffic Meth to OhioRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Fifteen individuals have been charged in two cases for their alleged roles in a large-scale operation to traffic illegal drugs throughout Northeast Ohio and Pennsylvania. The charges are the result of a year-long investigation by federal and local officials.
According to court documents, conspiracy members allegedly obtained methamphetamine from drug suppliers in Akron, Ohio, as well as arranged shipments from the U.S. border with Mexico. Methamphetamine was purchased in pound quantities and then re-sold to drug customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the region. Four residences in Akron were used as stash houses to store, process and distribute methamphetamine. Investigators seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm. The investigation revealed drug transactions totaling more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine.
Defendants were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests from April to May resulting from criminal complaints and a federal 21-count indictment returned in May. The following are charged with:
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Clarence Daniels, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Larry Finch, 43, of Akron, Ohio
- Nicholas Helfrick, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Ricardo Allison, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Sheldon Bell, 45, of Akron, Ohio
- John Townsend, 41, of Akron, Ohio
- Bryce Dittman, 27, of St. Petersburg, Pennsylvania
- Tyler Smith, 28, of East Brady, Pennsylvania
- Anthony Raunikar, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Marcus Nixon, 45, of Akron, Ohio
- John Koza, 45, of Akron, Ohio
- Earl Breckenridge, 56, of Oil City, Pennsylvania
- Jazzmin Thomas, 30, of Akron, Ohio
- Samantha Lentz, 30, of Doylestown, Ohio
- Craig Consilio, 62, of Akron, Ohio
Additional charges include:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine –Dittman, Smith, Breckenridge, Lentz, Raunikar, Finch, Allison, and Consilio
- Maintaining Drug Premises – Finch, Helfrick, and Consilio
- Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate a Drug Offense – Daniels, Finch, Helfrick, Allison, Bell, Townsend, Raunikar, Dixon, Koza, Breckenridge, Lentz, and Consilio
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition – Nixon; previous convictions include Illegal Manufacture of Drugs in 2001, and Illegal Assembly or Possession of Chemicals for the Manufacture of Drugs in 2016.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Akron Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen Rolph and Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel are leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
Criminal complaints and indictments are charges only and are not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Wise County Man Found Guilty of Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Johnny Lorrain Dishman, 68, of Wise County, Virginia was recently found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony. Since 1990, Dishman had been convicted of nine felony offenses in both federal and state court, most recently in 2022 in Wise County Circuit Court for unlawfully possessing a firearm and Schedule I/II controlled substance.
On February 13, 2025, officers with Wise Police Department were searching for a wanted individual at Dishman’s residence in Wise County. After announcing themselves for over 20 minutes, Dishman finally responded to the officers by racking a Mossberg 500AT, 12-gauge shotgun and greeting the officers with the loaded shotgun in his hands.
Dishman faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, and he is scheduled to be sentenced in October of this year.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wise Police Department, and Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Hall and Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case.
Westlake Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Throwing Rocks and Lighted Debris at CHP Officers During Anti-ICE RiotRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A man from the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for throwing rocks and ignited debris at California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers trapped underneath a downtown Los Angeles freeway overpass – with a CHP vehicle set ablaze during a violent anti-immigration law enforcement protest last year, the Justice Department announced today.
Ismael Vega, 42, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $253,415 in restitution.
Vega pleaded guilty on April 29 to one count of obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder.
According to his plea agreement, during the evening of June 8, 2025, two days after violence erupted against federal agents enforcing U.S. immigration laws, Vega was part of a large group of protesters on the Main Street overpass above U.S. Highway 101 in downtown Los Angeles. These protesters picked up debris – including cardboard and vegetation – and fireworks, lit them on fire and dropped them over the freeway overpass’s railing, aiming for a nearby CHP vehicle, which was within feet of CHP officers trapped underneath the overpass.
Vega admitted in his plea agreement that he knew the officers were under the freeway overpass and that the objects thrown and burning debris dropped onto a vehicle created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to the officers.
Multiple times, Vega attempted to help other individuals who were trying to light debris on fire on the 101 Freeway overpass. He lit a large piece of cardboard on fire, held it over the railing to line it up to land on the hood of a CHP vehicle, which it did after he dropped it. Then, as another individual – co-defendant Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights – poured a liquid increasing the size of the flames, Vega was next to co-defendant Flores and used his hands to motion towards and gesture at the flames.
Vega also picked up and threw multiple rocks at law enforcement officers as these officers attempted to clear the overpass. He further admitted that he knowingly engaged in that behavior intending that it obstruct, impede, and interfere with the law enforcement officers and their duties.
“This civil disorder stood apart in its magnitude,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “A sergeant in the California Highway Patrol with nearly three decades in law enforcement wrote a statement about how this incident stood apart and the impact it had on him and his son. His experience underscores how violent this incident became and the deep toll it took on all law enforcement present.”
Vega is the fifth defendant sentenced in connection with this case. Flores faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison at his August 3 sentencing hearing. The case’s lead defendant, Adam Charles Palermo, 40, of Rampart Village, has a December 14 sentencing hearing scheduled, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI, with assistance from CHP and the Los Angeles Police Department, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna W. Long and Lana Morton Owens of the National Security Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Sebastian Bellm of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
West Lawn Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Stolen Human RemainsRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Taylor, age 49, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 27, 2026, to 24 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Taylor admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains, including remains stolen from Harvard Medical School. Taylor purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen.
Other individuals were indicted with Taylor on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. From 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.
Maclean and Taylor sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Several other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, Katrina Maclean, Cedric and Denise Lodge, and Angelo Pereyra. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison; Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months in prison; Ensanian was sentenced to 6 months in prison; Denise and Cedric Lodge were sentenced to 96 months and 12 months in prison respectively. Katrina Maclean is awaiting sentencing. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
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Venezuelan National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Pleads Guilty to Damaging Government VehicleRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Yesterday, Luis Nino-Moncada, 33, a Venezuelan national unlawfully residing in the United States, pleaded guilty to felony Depredation of Government Property, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford.
According to court documents, on January 8, 2026, Nino-Moncada drove into the parking lot of Adventist Health Portland in a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. Nino-Moncada had a female passenger in the truck. After Nino-Moncada parked, a Border Patrol agent parked his government black Hyundai Sonata behind the Toyota Tacoma. Six Border Patrol agents exited their vehicles and surrounded the Toyota Tacoma in an effort to arrest defendant and the female passenger because they were unlawfully in the country. Nino-Moncada believed they were “ICE” agents. Then, Nino-Moncada began forcefully ramming his pickup truck, by backing up and striking the black Hyundai several times. Nino-Moncada’s conduct placed others at risk of serious bodily injury, and Nino-Moncada was conscious of or recklessly disregarded that risk. When Nino-Moncada was ramming into the Hyundai Sonata, a federal officer fired his service weapon at him. The Hyundai Sonata was declared a total loss.
Nino-Moncada faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. As part of the plea agreement, Nino-Moncada has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $24,413.00. He also admitted he is not a U.S. citizen, is present in the United States illegally, and is subject to an order of removal entered by an Immigration Judge in November 2024. He will be sentenced September 16, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (H.S.I.). The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Ukrainian-Israeli Citizen Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fake Brokerage SchemeRead the Press Release
Yaroslav Shilkloper, 50, a dual citizen of Ukraine and Israel, was sentenced today to four years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy that utilized a sophisticated phony brokerage-business to scam U.S. citizens out of millions of dollars. Shilkloper was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and $1.43 million in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Shilkloper and his co-conspirators defrauded victims in the United States of more than $3 million dollars by promising high rates of return on investments made through their “K6 Investing,” “Neotron Holding LTD.,” and “Goldex Technology” companies. As part of the scheme, the defendant provided access to a digital platform that allowed victims to see what they believed were real-time investment performance data. The victims’ money, however, was never invested, but instead diverted and laundered through a series of bank accounts in Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic, and elsewhere, all controlled by Shilkloper and his co-conspirators. When victims attempted to withdraw their money, they were prevented from doing so, threatened with legal action, or manipulated into sending more money to the fraud ring.
Shilkloper is the first of three defendants charged in the case to be sentenced. He was extradited from Poland after being arrested there in 2023. Today’s U.S. forfeiture order adds to the $2.8 million already previously returned to the victims as a result of forfeiture proceedings against Shilkloper and co-conspirators in the Republic of Georgia.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Ben Tonkin and Justin G. Bish of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Polish authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Shilkloper.
U.S.-Congolese Citizen Sentenced to Nine Years’ Imprisonment for Sprawling Check Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was sentenced today to 108 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to running a check fraud scheme between 2022–2025, stealing upwards of $1.7 million from banks with the help of a small network of African expats.
Pitshou Yunga Kafuku, 43, of Millcreek, Utah, pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy, bank fraud, theft of government funds, and money laundering on April 21, 2026. In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell ordered Kafuku to pay $1,749,158.73 in restitution.
According to court documents and admissions made at Kafuku’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between 2022 and 2025, Kafuku orchestrated an elaborate scheme to obtain money from banks through fraud. As part of the scheme, Kafuku worked with individuals in South Africa to obtain stolen checks from the mail. With the help of a small network of African expats in Utah—recruited and directed by Kafuku—the conspirators opened bank accounts using fraudulent identification documents to deposit the stolen checks. Afterwards, they withdrew the funds as cash, transferred the money to other fraudulent accounts, or purchased heavy equipment bound for Africa.
Kafuku’s criminal history includes a 2018 federal felony case for identity theft and unlawful possession of identity documents. He is the last defendant to be sentenced in this current scheme. His coconspirators, Hugues Thierry Simo-Fotue and Beni Musogo Kahwara, both illegal aliens, were previously sentenced to 24 and 18 months’ imprisonment, respectively. Upon their release, both defendants will be remanded to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.
“Like his coconspirators, Kafuku’s arrival in the United States presented opportunity and promise. Instead, he chose to become a serial fraudster,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office has zero tolerance for those who steal to fund an extravagant lifestyle while our financial institutions bear the consequences. It is our hope that Kafuku’s sentence will deter others from engaging in this type of criminal activity.”“The sentencing of Pitshou Kafuku underscores the seriousness of this extensive fraud operation,” stated IRS-CI Phoenix Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown. “Kafuku employed sophisticated tactics—leveraging stolen Treasury and business checks, fabricated identities, and numerous shell companies—to orchestrate the theft of more than $1.7 million. This outcome serves as a powerful reminder of IRS Criminal Investigation’s steadfast commitment to pursuing complex financial fraud and preserving the integrity of our nation’s financial systems.”
“Today, Pitshou Yunga Kafuku was held accountable for stealing checks out of the U.S. Mail and fraudulently passing those checks through the financial system. Postal Inspectors relentlessly pursue criminals who exploit the U.S. Mail for such unlawful purposes. We will steadfastly work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will hold criminals accountable for their actions,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division.
The case was jointly investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigations Salt Lake City Field Office and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island Announces Appointment of Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor J. GriffinRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE– First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda today announced that Trevor J. Griffin has been appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division of the District of Rhode Island.
“Trevor Griffin’s civil litigation experience, commitment to public service, and dedication to serving the people of Rhode Island make him an outstanding addition to our Civil Division,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “We are pleased to welcome him back to the office.”
Griffin joins the office from Morrissey, Hawkins & Lynch in Boston, where he represented clients in complex civil litigation in state and federal court. His practice included drafting complaints, motions, discovery, and other litigation filings.
Prior to entering private practice, Griffin served as a 3L Legal Intern with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, where he drafted motions, briefs, and legal memoranda in civil and criminal matters and represented the United States under attorney supervision during court appearances and legal proceedings.
He also served as a 2L Legal Intern with the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means, researching state and federal law and preparing legal memoranda and bill summaries on legislative matters. Earlier legal experience included an internship with Fidelity Management & Research, where he conducted legal research on tax matters and prepared memoranda for senior counsel.
Before attending law school, Griffin worked as a Senior Associate in the Tax Group at CBIZ & MHM in Providence, where he advised private equity and venture capital clients on complex tax compliance matters.
Griffin earned his Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law, where he participated in the Community Business Clinic, providing legal services to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Two Schenectady County, New York Men Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Crack Cocaine in Burlington, VermontRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Donald Stewart, 42, of Schenectady, New York, and Lisandro Brown, 49, of Rotterdam, New York, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.
On July 27, 2026, Stewart and Brown both appeared before United States Magistrate Judge James O’Hara. Judge O’Hara ordered that both Stewart and Brown be detained pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
According to court records, Stewart and Brown sold cocaine base to a confidential source throughout June and July of 2026. On July 24, 2026, law enforcement executed search warrants at apartments located at 60 Colchester Avenue in Burlington, Vermont; 157 North Avenue in Burlington, Vermont; and 134 North Street in Burlington, Vermont. The searches resulted in the seizure of over 200 grams of powder cocaine, a loaded SKS rifle, and over $27,000 of cash.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Stewart and Brown are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Both men face up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The prosecutor is First Assistant United States Attorney Ophardt. Stewart is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Brown is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
Two Lafayette Women Indicted for Sophisticated Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme Targeting Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On July 15, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Felicia Young, 58, of Lafayette, and Leisa Fuselier, 59, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, and a lawful permanent resident of the United States, with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud. Young was additionally charged with Obstruction of Justice. Young and Fuselier both face up to 20 years imprisonment.
“Protecting the public from financial predators is a top priority for this Office,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “These defendants allegedly exploited trust, manipulated victims, and abused financial systems for personal gain. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who defraud and harm hard-working members of our community.”
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Young orchestrated a fraud scheme beginning in March 2020 that lasted several years. She allegedly gained the trust of her victims through legitimate business dealings using several companies she owned, including ALA Floral 2, Kreole Ala 2, Johnston Street Drive-Thru, and F&B Rentals. After building a relationship with her victims, Young started the scam by asking them to lend her money.
Once victims provided funds, Young allegedly claimed her bank accounts were “frozen” and requested additional deposits to unlock the accounts in order to “repay them.” To keep the scheme going, Young initiated three-way calls between herself, the victims, and Fuselier. During these calls, Fuselier falsely posed as a representative of Young’s financial institution and confirmed Young’s lies to her victims that her accounts were frozen due to an outstanding debt. The co-conspirators allegedly instructed the victims that the accounts could only be accessed if they deposited specific amounts of money by a certain day and time.
Because of these false representations, victims paid at least $1.5 million to Young through CashApp, Venmo, checks, and cash withdrawals, transactions that triggered interstate wire transmissions. Young is accused of using the funds for her own enrichment, to pay Fuselier for her role in the scheme, and to continue the ongoing fraud. The indictment further alleges that on December 30, 2023, Young obstructed justice by destroying or concealing records with the intent to prevent their use in an official proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren L. Nickel with the assistance of Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for this matter is 6:26-CR-00269.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs
[email protected]
United States Attorney’s Office
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Western District of Louisiana
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Three Shreveport-Area Men Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses; Prosecutions Part of Nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods InitiativeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT–On July 20, 2026, United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced three defendants to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. All three defendants had pled guilty to the charges.
Cameron Boatwin, 24, of Shreveport, was sentenced to six years in prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. According to court documents, on September 29, 2025, Shreveport Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Boatwin, who was the sole occupant. Officers saw a Palmetto State Armory Dagger Compact 9mm pistol in plain view on the driver’s seat, which Boatwin admitted to knowing he could not possess due to a prior felony conviction.
Malachi Bailey, 48, of Bossier City, was sentenced to three years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. According to court documents, on February 10, 2026, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Bossier City. They found a sole occupant inside, Bailey, and found approximately 635 grams of cocaine and $3,700 in US currency in the residence.
Dezjuante Lockett, 36, of Shreveport, was sentenced to two years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. According to court documents, the Shreveport Police Street Level Interdiction Unit received complaints of illegal drug activity at a residence in Shreveport. On April 9, 2025, Shreveport Police executed a search warrant at the residence; Lockett was the sole occupant at the time the warrant was executed and admitted he was the only person who lived at the residence. A search of the residence and Lockett’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 33.339 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, approximately 5.332 grams of cocaine base, a digital scale and packaging material, a loaded Glock Model 19 pistol, and $5,290.00 in cash. Lockett admitted he knew he could not possess a firearm due to a prior felony conviction.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Shreveport Police Department (SPD) and ATF investigated these cases. The Boatwin case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheynne Wilson with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan. The Bailey case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Crawford with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan. The Lockett case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Foster with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Emily Favrot.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America (TBA), 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 agencies, and coordinates efforts with state and local law enforcement and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF), ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. Learn more about PSN at https://www.justice.gov/psn
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under their respective Case Numbers:
Cameron Boatwin: 5:25-cr-00334
Malachi Bailey: 5:26-cr-00091
Dezjuante Lockett: 5:25-cr-00245
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CONTACT: Public Affairs
[email protected]
United States Attorney’s Office
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Western District of Louisiana
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Unaccompanied Alien Children into the United StatesRead the Press Release
An El Paso, Texas, woman pleaded guilty today to smuggling unaccompanied alien children into the United States.
According to court documents, Dianne Guadian, 33, and three other members of an alien smuggling organization brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events. The drivers and their co-conspirators would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children, and that they were the parents of the children. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso. During one smuggling event, a child was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC poisoning. One of Guadian’s co-defendants, Manuel Valenzuela, was sentenced on July 1 to five years in prison for his role in the child smuggling scheme.
A photo of THC gummies recovered by agents during secondary inspection at the port of entry“This defendant and her co-conspirators engaged in serious and dangerous conduct, which included giving THC laced gummies to children to sedate them while smuggling them from Mexico into the United States, all in order to make money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The smuggling of unaccompanied children can expose them to the additional crimes and societal ills of human trafficking and sexual assault. This robs them of their innocence and youth, and it must be stopped.”
“Dianne Guadian was just one conspirator in a sickening smuggling operation, toying with the lives of children by drugging them in order to bring them into the United States from Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Fortunately, our partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recognized something was off. Their keen instincts resulted in the successful medical treatment of THC-poisoned children and the arrests of the smugglers. While we will aggressively prosecute all alien smugglers, those who smuggle children and risk the lives of those children in the process, should be especially aware that their date with American justice is coming at the hands of prosecutors in the Western District of Texas.”
“Dianne Guadian’s actions were not only unscrupulous, they put innocent children in grave danger,” said Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Human smuggling is never a victimless crime. Smugglers routinely expose vulnerable people, including children, exploitation and life-threatening risk. HSI is committed to holding individuals like Guadian accountable and dismantling criminal organizations that profit from the desperation and suffering of others.”
“Criminal human smugglers exploit vulnerable children in horrific ways,” said Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz of U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector. “I am glad our Border Patrol agents investigating this case were able to contribute to the successful prosecution of a criminal who will be held accountable for this terrible crime.”
Guadian pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and abetting bringing of aliens without authorization for profit. She faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) led investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hines for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The indictment and plea announced today were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP/USBP and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 424 U.S. convictions; and more than 368 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 75 Months for Gun and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Lomere Holliman, 23, of Syracuse, New York, was sentenced July 8th 2026, to 75 months in prison for possessing and distributing fentanyl and carrying a firearm during those crimes.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Bryan DiGirolamo and Syracuse Police Chief Mark Rusin made the announcement.
As part of his earlier plea, Holliman admitted that, from March to September 2025, the defendant repeatedly sold firearms, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and fentanyl in Syracuse. He further admitted that he used his firearm sales to foster his drug trafficking business.
“This defendant’s blatant disregard for public safety is evident in his trafficking of both dangerous firearms and fentanyl,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone. “Working in partnership with our federal and local law enforcement colleagues, we are aggressively targeting violent offenders whose actions endanger our communities. My office remains firmly committed to working with our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice and removing these violent criminals from our streets.”
ATF - New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo said, “When firearms are used to support drug trafficking, the threat to public safety is amplified. This sentence sends a clear message to those who profit from illegally trafficking guns and fentanyl will be held accountable. ATF is proud to stand alongside the Syracuse Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in our shared commitment to reducing violent crime and protecting our communities.”
“The sentencing of Lomere Holliman sends a clear message that those who traffic deadly narcotics and illegally sell firearms will be held accountable,” said Chief Mark Rusin. “This case highlights the strong partnership between the Syracuse Police Department, ATF, and the United States Attorney's Office. Together, we remain committed to reducing gun violence, disrupting illegal drug trafficking, and making our neighborhoods safer.”In imposing sentence, United States District Court Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe also ordered that, once released from federal prison, Holliman be supervised by the office of United States Probation and Pretrial Services for a term of four years.
ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Syracuse Police Department’s Intelligence Division. Jessica N. Carbone prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Superseding Indictment Charges Two Men for Their Alleged Roles in the Murder of a WomanRead the Press Release
RENO – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Delshay Astor with the alleged murder of a woman in February 2022, and Joel Christy for assisting Astor to avoid apprehension.
Astor was initially indicted in May 2026 on one count of murder in the second-degree within Indian Country. The superseding indictment charges Astor with one count of murder in the first degree within Indian Country, and a second defendant, Joel Christy, is charged with one count of accessory after the fact.
“While these new charges reflect the expanding scope and strength of our ongoing investigation, our primary focus today remains exactly where it belongs, on Anna Marie Scott, her family, and everyone who loved her,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Our office, alongside our partners in law enforcement, will continue to work tirelessly as this case moves toward trial until justice is fully served.”
“We hope the arrest of a second subject on charges of aiding and abetting brings some measure of relief to the family of Anna Scott after many years of awaiting justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas office. “The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners, specifically the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, the Reno Sparks Tribal Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, remain committed to combating violent crime in all its forms on tribal lands and throughout the state of Nevada.”
According to allegations in the superseding indictment, on or about February 2, 2022, Delshay Astor, with premeditation and malice, murdered Anna Scott on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. As alleged, Scott, who was a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, was shot and killed, and her body was put into her car and set on fire.
As charged in the superseding indictment, on or about February 2, 2022, Joel Christy assisted Astor and another individual to hinder and prevent the apprehension of Astor and the individual.
If convicted, Astor faces a statutory minimum penalty of life imprisonment. If convicted, Christy faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A jury trial has been scheduled for September 29, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service also assisted with operational support. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Brister is prosecuting the case.
A superseding indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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St. Albans Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on July 27, 2026, Richard Bailey Jr., 35, of St. Albans, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 22 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Richard Bailey previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on January 9, 2026.
According to court records, on June 2, 2025, police in St. Albans, Vermont, received a report of a domestic violence incident in which Bailey was reported to have struck a woman in the face and strangled her approximately six times, leaving her unable to breathe. Police observed bruising on the woman’s neck. Police also were informed that the woman was dropping her and Bailey’s child off at school and that Bailey was on his way there, threatening to shoot them. Police later escorted the woman to her workplace and observed Bailey standing at a nearby intersection. Bailey thereafter fled from police and discarded a fanny pack containing a loaded Sig Sauer pistol with a round chambered, as well as 9.6 grams of cocaine base. Bailey was prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of the incident because on September 15, 2015, Bailey was convicted of felony escape in Chittenden County Superior Court. During the sentencing hearing on July 27, 2026, the Court and the government were informed that Bailey’s felony conviction for escape was expunged after his federal guilty plea but prior to the sentencing hearing. Bailey has a long history of arrests related to domestic violence that resulted in misdemeanor resolutions for simple assault and stalking despite Bailey causing his victims physical harm. After the expungement, Bailey’s only felony conviction is his federal firearm conviction.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt stated: “Those who terrorize their domestic partners with violence cannot be allowed to possess firearms; the consequences of domestic abusers arming themselves with lethal weapons are too dire to tolerate. I applaud the collaborative investigatory work in this case of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Albans Police Department, and the Burlington Police Department. Their quick actions prevented a potential tragedy. Bailey’s federal conviction now ensures that he will be prohibited from possessing firearms regardless of any future expungements of state convictions.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Burris. Bailey was represented by Samuel Ansell of the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Springfield, Missouri, Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Failure to Pay Employment Taxes Associated with his Time Share Exit BusinessesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his commission of a fraud scheme and his failure to pay employment taxes that stemmed from his operation and ownership of multiple time share exit businesses.
Brian Scroggs, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of wire fraud and one count of failure to pay employment taxes. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. According to the plea agreement, Scroggs owned and operated several time-share exit businesses, namely, Vacation Consulting Services, LLC., The Transfer Group, VCS Communication, LLC., and Real Travel, LLC. Through these businesses, Scroggs offered services to get clients out of their time shares. The individuals who hired Scroggs paid him substantial fees to cover costs for the services.
Scroggs took monies from each of his clients while making promises that guaranteed he would either get his clients out of their times shares, give each client a full refund, or assume financial responsibility over the client’s time share moving forward.
Scroggs failed to honor the representations and guarantees made to each of his clients despite them paying Scroggs considerable amounts of money. In addition to the fraud associated with his time share exit business, Scroggs also employed numerous sales and administrative employees. While operating these businesses and collecting employment taxes from each employee, Scroggs failed to pay those monies forward to the Internal Revenue Service and the state of Missouri and failed to pay any matching monies that he was obligated to pay as the owner and operator of these businesses.
Under federal statutes, Scroggs is subject to sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum fine of $250,000 for Count One, Wire Fraud, and up to five years in federal prison without parole. In addition, Scroggs is subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 for Count Six, Failure to Pay Employment Taxes. 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 advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the IRS-CI, the FBI and the Missouri Department of Revenue.
South Riding man sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually exploiting a childRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A South Riding man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to court documents, on June 28, 2023, Michael David Seeds, 28, began communicating online with a 14-year-old victim via Discord, an Internet-based text, voice, and video messaging chat forum. Seeds purchased and gifted a new Discord subscription to the victim and created a username for her that included the word “victim.”
From July through August 2023, Seeds directed the victim to record images and videos of herself that were sexual in nature. During video chats, Seeds would instruct the victim on how to pose, remove her clothing, and what sexual actions to perform during the live stream.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa K. Strobbe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 1:26-CR-55.