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19 November 2025
Sinaloa Cartel Senior Lieutenant Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Phoenix, Ariz. – Jose Guadalupe Tapia-Quintero, 54, of San Francisco de Tacuichamona, Sinaloa, Mexico pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025 for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine with Intent to Import into the United States and Conspiracy to Commit Concealment Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi.
Jose Guadalupe Tapia-Quintero was a leader of a narcotics trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico commonly known to its members, associates, and the public as the “Sinaloa Cartel” beginning in December 2006 and continuing through March 2012. He admitted that he acted as a major coordinator - organizing the transportation and distribution of ton quantities of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, for importation from Mexico into the United States for the Sinaloa Cartel.
During this time, he was also involved in the concealment of the ownership of the proceeds stemming from the sale of methamphetamine and other drugs in the District of Arizona. He oversaw the collection of proceeds from the drug sales in the United States. After the drugs were sold, the proceeds were collected and stored in the organization’s stash houses in Arizona and elsewhere. A large portion of the drug proceeds were picked up by couriers working at his direction and transported back to Mexico, where they were eventually received by him and other members of the Sinaloa Cartel.
“This case is a great example of our partnership with DEA in targeting, prosecuting, and convicting the members of the Sinaloa Cartel operating deep within Mexico.” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
“This investigation showcases the strength of our partnerships, working as one team,” said DEA Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz. “DEA will continue to target and arrest top cartel members in our relentless pursuit of justice.”
A conviction for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine with Intent to Import into the United States carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison, a fine up to $10,000,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. A conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Concealment Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of a fine up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-13-00179-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-163_Tapia-Quintero# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Sellersburg Tax Preparer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Filing More Than 460 False ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY- Anita Marie Rodriguez Perez, 51, of Sellersburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to five counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of False and Fraudulent Tax Returns. Perez was also ordered to pay $1,954,673.30 in restitution.
According to court documents, between 2021 and 2023, Rodriguez Perez owned and operated a tax preparation business in Clark County, Indiana, known as ChuliTodo. During that time, she prepared and submitted false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of her clients to the Internal Revenue Service.
Among other schemes, Rodriguez Perez submitted tax returns containing fabricated Schedule C forms (Profit or Loss from Business), falsely claiming the taxpayers operated businesses that incurred significant net losses. In reality, none of the taxpayers had operated a business during the relevant tax periods.
Additionally, many of the fraudulent returns included inflated itemized deductions under Schedule A, particularly for medical and dental expenses.
These schemes caused the taxpayers to receive refunds far larger than what they were entitled to. Between tax years 2020 and 2022, Rodriguez Perez prepared and filed approximately 463 fraudulent returns, resulting in a tax loss of $1,575,250.
“Tax fraud undermines the integrity of our financial system and unfairly shifts the burden onto honest taxpayers,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “When tax preparers exploit their expertise to deceive the government, they not only violate the law—they betray the trust of their clients. These cases are complex and time-consuming to investigate, and the efforts of IRS-CI send a clear message: accountability applies to everyone.”
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
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Seattle street gang leader detained following indictment for sex trafficking a victim on Aurora Avenue North and to other statesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 34-year-old prominent member of a Seattle street gang was ordered detained today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, following his October indictment on three federal felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leanthony Palmer is scheduled for trial on sex trafficking, transportation for purpose of prostitution, and conspiracy to commit money laundering charges on December 22, 2025. Today Magistrate Judge Brian Tsuchida ordered him detained at the Federal Detention Center pending trial.
According to records filed in the case, Palmer is an acknowledged member of the Family Mafia Crips (FMC) street gang. He uses the moniker ‘Highway Tone.’ Palmer repeatedly posts online about his sex trafficking business and is in images with firearms and cash. His car, a 2017 Maserati Levante SUV, has been connected to drug trafficking activity.
Evidence obtained during the course of the investigation revealed that Palmer uses social media to recruit potential victims, promising them international travel and financial benefits. Palmer’s social media posts, videos, and text and phone communications contain statements by him in which he admits to assaulting victims. In March 2025, law enforcement responded after Palmer was alleged to have assaulted an adult victim who was trying to leave him by beating her and strangling her to unconsciousness. Palmer has arrests in Nevada for domestic violence. He has been arrested in Idaho, Texas, and Massachusetts for illegal firearms possession.
The indictment alleges that Palmer was laundering money earned from sex trafficking in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties, as recently as October 8, 2025.
In asking that Palmer be detained prosecutors wrote to the court, “If Palmer is released from custody, the government believes that he will continue his pattern of violence to intimidate or silence victims and witnesses. Agents have interviewed multiple of Palmer’s prior sex workers during this investigation. They all expressed significant fear of reprisal if they were to cooperate.”
The Magistrate Judge ruled there were no conditions that could be imposed on Palmer that would keep the community safe if he were released from custody.
If convicted of all counts Palmer faces 15 years to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 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. The HSTF 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), and the 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 case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Whatcom Regional Drug Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Dillon and Kate Crisham.
Repeat Felon Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Salina man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography and being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Michael Allen Dean, 40, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Dean will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Hill further ordered Dean to pay $45,000 in restitution. That money goes directly to the victims identified in the child sexual abuse material that Dean possessed.
In May 2023, a social media application reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that child sexual abuse material was uploaded. The investigation revealed that the IP address and phone number associated with the social media account were linked to Dean. Based on the cybertip, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Dean’s home and cellphone.
When agents searched Dean’s home, they found several rounds of ammunition. After searching Dean’s cellphone, agents found more than 424 videos and 213 images of minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Court documents show that some of the minors were under 12 years old, including material that showed toddlers and infants being sexually abused.
According to court documents, Dean was convicted in 2011 in state court for possessing child pornography. He was sentenced to a 10-year suspended sentence and spent 60 days in jail.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s centralized reporting system for suspected child sexual exploitation. Because of the growth of technology, Child Sexual Abuse Material images and videos can be found in any online realm, causing the children who were initially sexually abused to be revictimized, over and over, with each share.
NCMEC reports that its CyberTipline has received more than 195 million reports related to Child Sexual Abuse Material, commonly referred to as CSAM. NCMEC’s Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more than 425 million images and videos and identified more than 30,000 victims.
Dean will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee National Marshal Service assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Repeat Child Molester and Rapist Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of 10-Year-Old While Required to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles Wager, age 57, of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison after a jury convicted him in February 2023 of attempting to entice a minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activities while he was required to register as a sex offender for his prior rape of a minor. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The trial evidence established that in January and February 2021, Wager exchanged thousands of sexually explicit text messages with people he believed to be a 10-year-old girl and her mother. In these text messages, Wager, among other things, shared pornography with the presumed child to groom her into sexual activity with him, educated her on different sexual acts he would perform with the child, sent nude pictures of himself, and arranged for a reward system whereby he would provide the child with toys and treats for engaging in sexual acts with him. Wager arranged to meet with the presumed mother and 10-year-old in person and purchased a car to do so. On February 5, 2021, he traveled from Castleton-on-Hudson to Binghamton, New York, for the purpose of having sex with the presumed 10-year-old. He brought with him numerous toys that he intended to give the child as rewards for performing sexual acts with him. The defendant was arrested shortly after his arrival and has been detained ever since.
As further established at trial, in 2002, Wager pled guilty in Rensselaer County Court to rape in the third degree, after admitting to the rape of a then-15-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since. Evidence at trial also established that Wager previously sexually molested two other minor victims several decades ago. In his prior crimes, he engaged in virtually identical grooming of his victims to the conduct he attempted on his intended 10-year-old victim in this case.
“Charles Wager is one of the most dangerous child predators our office has ever prosecuted, and that speaks volumes,” said Acting United States Attorney Sarcone. “We will continue to unleash the full powers of the federal government to hold these twisted and evil people accountable for their vile and despicable crimes. I commend the FBI for its flawless operation to bring this repeat, remorseless child predator to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s significant sentence put an end to Mr. Wager’s horrific history of sexual abuse and vile behavior. This dangerous individual will now spend decades in federal prison where he can no longer harm any of our children. The FBI remains as dedicated as ever to ensuring any individual seeking to harm our most vulnerable is swiftly identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025.
Louis Iron Cloud, 34, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Iron Cloud was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025.
On April 18, 2025, law enforcement learned that Iron Cloud had carried a semi-automatic rifle. Law enforcement recovered the rifle in a backyard where a witness had seen Iron Cloud shortly before. The rifle was found next to four high-capacity magazines. One of the magazines was loaded. Iron Cloud was previously convicted for a crime punishable beyond a year in prison. To possess a firearm or ammunition after such a conviction is a federal felony.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Iron Cloud was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 4, 2025.
Abel Moran, age 42, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025.
Moran was convicted of Sexual Contact in September 2005. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status. In September 2024, Moran updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Rapid City, SD. In December 2024, Moran relocated to a different residence in Rapid City, but did not thereafter update his sex offender registration. On June 10, 2025, Moran was arrested in Rapid City.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by U.S. Marshalls Service and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Moran was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Arrested During 2023 Sturgis Rally Anti-Sex Trafficking Operation Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2025.
James Fast Horse, 47, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $95 in restitution to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Investigation Fund.
Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025.
Fast Horse was arrested following an undercover anti-sex trafficking operation conducted during the Sturgis Bike Rally. Over the course of multiple days, Fast Horse used Facebook Messenger and his cell phone to communicate with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old female. The female was actually the online undercover persona of a federal law enforcement officer. During Fast Horse’s communications, he described various sex acts he intended to engage in with the girl and sent her multiple images of his private anatomy. Fast Horse asked her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. On the night of his arrest, Fast Horse drove for more than an hour to meet the girl for sex. After he stopped at a local business to purchase sexual lubricant, he arrived at the designated meetup location and was arrested by law enforcement agents.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota DCI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Purported Ute Mountain Ute Medicine Man Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Five VictimsRead the Press Release
DURANGO – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 59, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, was convicted of sexually assaulting five victims, including a child. A federal jury convicted Wall on 15 counts of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country.
According to the facts established at trial, Wall held himself out as a traditional Native American healer, sometimes referred to as a “medicine man.” Wall was elected to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in 2020 and is a former school board member in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1. Over the course of at least the past dozen years, Wall sexually exploited multiple women on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation under the guise of spiritual treatment. Wall created an elaborate ruse by using traditional elements of Ute healing to trick his victims into believing his actions were part of a healing ceremony. During his “ceremonies,” Wall isolated victims alone and touched them sexually for his own gratification. Wall told multiple victims that, if they told anyone about his sexual touching, the healing would not work.
Over the course of trial, the jury heard from the five women who alleged that Wall had committed sexual abuse in Towaoc, Colorado. The jury returned guilty verdicts for abuse of all five women charged in the indictment. The jury also heard from a sixth woman who alleged Wall had sexually assaulted her in Alamosa and Lone Tree in 2020 and 2021 under a rule of evidence that permits evidence of other sexual assaults.
A sentencing date has not yet been set. In addition to this case, Wall faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. The charges in those pending cases are only allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyone who has information about other possible victims is asked to call the FBI Denver office at (303) 629-7171.
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the trial.
The FBI Office in Durango, Colorado, handled the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Towaoc, Colorado. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Josh Player and Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00003-GPG-JMC
Prairie City Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Prairie City man was sentenced on November 18, 2025, to 180 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography and 24 months in federal prison for revocation of his supervised release.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Anthony Charles VanMeter, 55, was on federal supervised release for a conviction of possession of child pornography. In October 2024, law enforcement visited another individual under federal supervision and located VanMeter. VanMeter admitted two cell phones at the residence belonged to him. One of the cell phones was later found to child sexual abuse material, including more than 75 photographs and 250 videos.
At sentencing, the Court also found VanMeter violated the terms of his federal supervised release for his 2016 conviction for possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. VanMeter received an 84-month sentence in 2016, was released from prison in 2022, and his supervised release was revoked in October 2022, November 2023, and September 2024.
After completing his term of imprisonment, VanMeter will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Vanmeter was also ordered to pay $24,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Images Nets District Man 74 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khari McKoy, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 74 months in prison for possessing hundreds of images of children being sexually abused, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
McCoy pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly to possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kelly ordered McCoy to serve 10 years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
According to court documents, in mid-January 2024, Google reported that someone had uploaded more than 1,000 files of suspected child sexual abuse material to the Google Drive and Google Drive applications. The tip led to an investigation by the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF). FBI agents and MPD officers reviewed the files and determined that most of them depicted prepubescent boys engaged in sexual acts. Following a search warrant at McCoy’s residence, agents recovered devices that contained several images of child sexual abuse material.
The case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from the region The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Bohlen and Karen Shinskie.
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Possession of 35 Machine Gun Conversion Devices Results in 21-Month Prison Sentence for Maryland ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Edward Devon Gadson, 27, of Waldorf, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in prison in connection with his possession of 35 illegal machine gun conversion devices within the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Gadson pleaded guilty on July 11 to a charge of unlawful transfer and possession of a machine gun and aiding and abetting. In addition to the 21-month prison term, Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Gadson to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on Oct. 2, 2024, about 5 p.m., MPD officers stopped Gadson as he was in the driver’s seat of a Dodge Durango with heavily tinted windows on the 2300 block of Green St. SE, in Anacostia.
MPD officers noticed a clear plastic bag in plain view on the back passenger side floor. The bag appeared to have firearms accessories in it. Officers removed the bag from the car and determined it contained dozens of machine gun conversion devices (aka MCDs or “switches”). Each device would allow a pistol to be converted into an automatic firearm. The devices had been 3-D printed and included distinctive images of an internet meme known as “Not ATF Guy.”
This case was investigated by the MPD and the ATF Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Crabb and Thomas Strong.
Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Arson at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement BuildingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Portland man pleaded guilty today to arson at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Trenten Edward Barker, 34, pleaded guilty to Arson of a Federal Building.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2025, a group of individuals began constructing a barricade of large objects and debris against the vehicle gate of the ICE building to prevent law enforcement officers from exiting through the gate. Barker lit a flare from his backpack and threw it onto the pile of debris. The flare ignited the debris, causing a fire to start.
On October 22, 2025, Barker was charged by information with Arson of a Federal Building.
Barker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a 250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on March 4, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Portland Police Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
This release was published following the 43-day government shutdown during which the Indictment occurred.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
The one-count Indictment named James W. McKissick III, 32, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 29, 2025, McKissick possessed a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pagan’s Motorcycle Club Member Sentenced for Armed Assault Against RivalRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club.
Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 57 months in federal prison without parole for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
On Sept. 17, 2022, Hodge and 12 other members of the Pagan’s and their support club chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and their support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. Hodge, who was a Pagan’s prospect at the time, and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to their knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks, and back of their leg. Hodge and several others fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Following this event, several members, including Hodge, were awarded club patches for their participation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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For additional information regarding this case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/three-pagans-motorcycle-club-members-pleaded-guilty-armed-assaults-against-rivals
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Engaging in a Criminal Online Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael D. Whitacre, Jr., 31, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography involving minors under 12 years of age. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin said, “I deeply appreciate the incredible investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners that led to the identification and arrest of this sick individual. It is one of my office’s top priorities to keep our children safe from the predators, like this defendant, who seek to exploit and victimize our most vulnerable members of the community.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant was part of an encrypted online group who shared significant amounts of graphic child pornography. There were over 70 members of the illicit group, which operated in early 2025. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was initially notified about Whitacre’s online actions via a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A forensic analysis conducted by an expert at Homeland Security Investigations revealed a wealth of child sexual abuse material on the defendant’s cellular telephone along with his access to the online child exploitation enterprise.
Sentencing is set for January 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Whitacre faces up to life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Mailing Drug-laced Books to InmatesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Lucas County man has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for his role in soaking the pages of books in illegal drugs to ship to inmates at a local prison.
Austin Siebert, 30, of Maumee, Ohio, was sentenced to 140 months (approximately 11 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in August to the following charges as outlined in the indictment:
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior convictions include Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs in 2018 and Robbery in 2021.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Siebert was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Nugent imposed the sentence Nov. 18.
According to court documents, prison officials at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Lorain County discovered that Siebert was in regular communication with several inmates and mailing books to them. Prison investigators seized suspicious book packages which were then sent to a forensic lab for analysis. The seized contraband tested positive for the presence of synthetic cannabinoids such as 5-Fluoro-ADB and MDMB-4en-PINACA. Subsequently, a federal search warrant was executed at Siebert’s residence in Maumee where agents seized a paperback book suspected of being soaked with narcotics; a loaded Bersa Thunder, .380 semiautomatic pistol; several bags containing suspected drugs in pill and powder forms; a book binding machine; and package mailing labels.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Grafton Correctional Institution.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Man Admits to Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Brady McKinley, 46, of Adena, Ohio, has admitted to conspiring with others to distribute illegal drugs in the upper Ohio Valley.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McKinley worked with others to sell large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Ohio County and elsewhere.
McKinley faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, all HIDTA-funded initiatives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; West Virginia State Police; Wheeling Police Department; Ohio County Sheriff’s Office; and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Oakmont Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
This release was published following the 43-day government shutdown during which the sentencing occurred.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 36 months of imprisonment on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Melvin Gaines, 30, of the Oakmont neighborhood of Pittsburgh, on November 12, 2025.
According to the information presented to the Court, between March 2024 and July 2024, Gaines participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine by functioning as a redistributor of the controlled substances. In addition, Gaines was found to be in possession of two firearms, one of which was stolen; numerous magazines; and ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Gaines is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gaines.
November Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the November Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Andrew Scott Hastings. Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization; Illegal Possession and Transfer of Machineguns. Hastings, 25, of Tulsa, is charged with trying to provide firearm parts and machinegun conversion devices to a foreign terrorist organization. He is further charged with knowingly possessing and transferring machinegun conversion devices. The FBI Oklahoma City – Tulsa Resident Agency Joint Terrorism Task Force, the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel, Matthew P. Cyran, and Elliot P. Anderson for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case with support from Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. 25-CR-442
Carolyn Ann Su Honeycutt. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Honeycutt, 43, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-445
Jeremy Allen Townsley. Robbery in Indian Country; Bank Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft. Townsley, 46, of Sand Springs and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with taking keys and a truck from the victim by force and violence. He is additionally charged with fraudulently obtaining funds from the victim's bank account without permission and using the victim’s identity while committing a felony. The FBI and the Sand Springs Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-448
Julio Efrain Velasquez-Bravo. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Velasquez-Bravo, 38, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Feb. 2012. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-446
North Texas Man Convicted of Conspiracy and Wire Fraud in Cryptocurrency Mining SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted Caleb Ward, founder of Geosyn Mining, LLC, on Monday this week of a multi-million-dollar cryptocurrency mining investment fraud that victimized dozens of clients across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Mr. Ward, 41, was charged via indictment in May 2025. After a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, the jury found Ward guilty on all counts, including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ward solicited funds from individuals who were promised that their money would be used to purchase and host specialized cryptocurrency mining equipment. Ward and his company promised clients that he had locked in electricity rates as low as 4.5 cents per kilowatt-hour; that specific mining machines would be purchased and installed on the clients’ behalf; and that clients’ machines were “up and running” and actively mining Bitcoin at various facilities.
Witnesses testified that, despite these assurances, many clients never received the machines they paid for, and others later learned that their machines were never powered on or connected as represented. Evidence also showed that the defendant and his coconspirators sent some clients photos of mining machines that belonged to other customers, and in several instances provided serial numbers tied to completely different miners to create the false impression that their equipment had been purchased, delivered, and installed.
According to financial analysis presented at trial, clients wired more than $4.5 million to Geosyn between November 2021 and January 2023. Instead of using the funds strictly for the purchase and hosting of mining equipment as promised, Ward transferred tens of thousands of dollars to accounts in his own name and used client funds to pay prior investors in a manner consistent with a Ponzi-style scheme. He also spent investor funds on personal expenses and paid business operational costs unrelated to specific clients’ machines, even while representing that every dollar would be dedicated to that client’s hardware and hosting.
“This defendant targeted and preyed on North Texas residents who simply wanted to invest in emerging cryptocurrency technology,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I’m proud of the trial team for this great result. Our Office will continue holding accountable those who prey on Main Street investors.”
“This conviction demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying and investigating perpetrators of fraud who use investor funds for their own personal gain. We encourage the public to thoroughly research investment opportunities and to contact us immediately if they suspect fraudulent activity,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
Mr. Ward now faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Worth Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad E. Meacham and Joshua D. Detzky prosecuted the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht.
North Carolina Resident Pleads Guilty to Theft of Public MoniesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Davoshia Tyrice Mason, age 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, entered a guilty plea to a felony Information of one count of Theft of Public Monies, punishable by a term of up to ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.00.
The Information alleged that beginning in January 8, 2024, and continuing until June 2, 2025, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, Mason willfully and knowingly embezzled, stole, and converted to his own use, and the use of others, money and things of value of the United States, and a department and agency of the United States, that is, the Veterans Affairs Department, to which Mason knew he was not entitled, having a value exceeding $1,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Mason was released on bond with conditions pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –BRYAN TURNER (“TURNER”), age 20, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 841(b)(2); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, TURNER was selling narcotics in New Orleans since at least 2023. TURNER also conspired with his brother and co-defendant Ryan Johnson to sell narcotics. On March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at TURNER’s and Johnson’s residence. They recovered firearms belonging to TURNER and Johnson; large quantities of marijuana, tapentadol, and tramadol that TURNER and Johnson intended to sell, as well as a face mask, gloves, and burglary tools.
As to his drug-trafficking convictions, JOHNSON faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other count, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Kensington Resident Sentenced for Straw Purchasing of Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
This release was published following the 43-day government shutdown during which the sentencing occurred.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to time served, to be followed by one year of home detention, on her three convictions for violating federal firearms laws, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Barbara Miller, 33, on October 16, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on three different dates during 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Miller acted as a straw purchaser when buying firearms from several federally licensed firearms dealers by stating that the firearms were being purchased for herself, when she was actually purchasing the firearms on behalf of another person.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Miller.
New Kensington Felon Indicted for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
This release was published following the 43-day government shutdown during which the Indictment occurred.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
The one-count Indictment named William Jermaine Rodgers III, 28, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about July 1, 2025, Rodgers possessed a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New Jersey Tax Preparer Convicted for $170 Million COVID-19 Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK N.J. – A New Jersey tax preparer was found guilty by a jury for his scheme seeking more than $170 million in fraudulent tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) by causing more than 1,900 false tax returns to be filed with the IRS claiming COVID-19-related employment tax credits, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Leon Haynes, 52, of Teaneck, was convicted of 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion. Haynes was convicted following a six-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2026.
According to documents in this case and evidence at trial:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized an employee retention tax credit and sick and family leave credit that small businesses could use to help keep their business afloat and employees on payroll.
From November 2020 to May 2023, Haynes orchestrated a massive, multimillion dollar scam to exploit those COVID-related tax credits for his own greed. As a tax preparer, Haynes prepared and submitted, and worked with others to prepare and submit, more than 1,900 false employment tax returns to the IRS claiming COVID-related tax credits on behalf of himself and his clients. Each of these tax forms contained a number of false statements. For example, the vast majority of the tax forms claimed a fictitious number of employees and/or fabricated wages.
Haynes and his co-conspirators fraudulently sought more than $170 million in tax refunds on behalf of his own businesses and his clients, and successfully caused the government to pay out over $55 million in refunds.
Throughout the scheme Haynes also charged clients a percentage of the refund checks as his fee and requested cash payments. He failed to report the money he received from his clients, thereby evading his own taxes.
Each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false returns carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine; mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and each tax evasion count carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents the IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, and postal inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano, Matthew Stark, and Peter A. Laserna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Justice Department’s Tax Division.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense Counsel for Haynes: Michael Koribanics, Esq., and Vando Cardoso, Esq.
Naples Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kyle C. Dudek has sentenced Alexis Garcia to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States. Garcia was also ordered to pay $4,262,797.34 in restitution to the IRS. Garcia pleaded guilty on August 18, 2025.
According to court documents, Garcia conspired with his co-defendant to defraud the United States for the purpose of impeding or impairing the IRS in ascertaining, computing, and collecting federal payroll taxes, specifically Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes (Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and federal income tax).
Between 2017 and 2019, Garcia managed and directed the operations of Tape Drywall Services Inc., located in Naples, Florida. General contractors entered into agreements with Tape Drywall to provide workers for various construction contracts and provided checks in the name of Tape Drywall for payment. Garcia and his co-conspirator cashed the checks at a check cashing business and paid a fee out of every check cashed. Garcia and his co-conspirator provided cash to the foremen who used the cash to pay the workers. In total, Garcia and his co-conspirator cashed more than 3,600 checks totaling approximately $28 million.
Garcia and his co-conspirator did not report the wages that were paid to the workers in cash to the IRS, and they did not withhold Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from those wages and pay them over to the IRS, as required by law. As a result, Garcia caused a loss to the United States of more than $4.2 million.
In addition, Garcia and his co-conspirator’s scheme to defraud facilitated the avoidance of the higher cost of obtaining adequate workers’ compensation insurance for many workers on the work crews when they substantially misrepresented the amount of Tape Drywall’s payroll.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler of the United States Department of Justice, Tax Division.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dacario Larome Stancle, age 27, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Muskogee Police Department.
On March 12, 2025, Stancle pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on October 26, 2024, Stancle knowingly and intentionally possessed 500 grams or more of a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, intending to distribute it.
On March 12, 2025, Stancle pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on October 26, 2024, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Stancle’s SUV at the intersection of Junction and Broadway in Muskogee when Stancle evaded officers, running four stop signs at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour before crashing into a wooded area. Stancle attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by officers. At the crash site, officers discovered a bag containing approximately 843 grams of methamphetamine, which Stancle later admitted to purchasing for distribution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Stancle will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Justin Janae Stancle, age 34, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office.
On July 30, 2025, Stancle pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on February 21, 2025, deputies conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Stancle in possession of a Glock 27 semi-automatic pistol. At the time of the traffic stop, Stancle had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Stancle must report to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration on December 18, 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Multi-Agency Operation in San Antonio Results in Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two Honduran nationals made their initial appearances in a federal court in San Antonio today following criminal charges related to their alleged illegal re-entry.
According to court documents, Marcos Joel Contreras-Max and Edwin Javier Chinchilla-Lopez were arrested during a multi-agency operation that was conducted in San Antonio on the morning of Nov. 16. Individuals arrested were transported to the South Texas ICE Processing Center, where databases revealed that Contreras-Max and Chinchilla-Lopez were in the United States illegally and had previously been removed from the U.S. to Honduras on or about Aug. 1, 2023, and March 14, 2025, respectively.
Contreras-Max and Chinchilla-Lopez are each charged with one count of illegal re-entry. If convicted, they face up to two years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The multi-agency operation was conducted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), targeting suspected members of the foreign terrorist organization, Tren de Aragua. The operation resulted in the arrest of more than 140 individuals, who were taken into ICE custody for further investigation and immigration proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating the case.
This operation and its resulting arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Antonio comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the South Texas - High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for $174 Million Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JAMIE P. MCNAMARA (“MCNAMARA”), age 50, of Missouri, was sentenced on October 23, 2025, to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud Medicare by unlawfully billing hundreds of millions of dollars in claims for cancer genetic testing and cardiovascular genetic testing.
According to court documents, MCNAMARA operated several laboratories in Louisiana and Texas, which obtained doctors’ orders for genetic testing from telemarketers and call centers that used aggressive telemarketing campaigns to induce Medicare beneficiaries to agree to receive genetic testing. Orders for genetic testing were signed by purported telemedicine doctors who were not the beneficiaries’ treating physicians, did not perform consultations with the beneficiaries, and did not follow up with the beneficiaries after the testing was performed. To obtain the orders, MCNAMARA paid illegal kickbacks and bribes, which he disguised through sham contracts. In furtherance of the scheme, he also shifted the billing between his laboratories to evade scrutiny from Medicare and law enforcement and concealed his ownership and control of the laboratories by falsely listing the names of his family members as owners and company representatives on Medicare and other documents. In approximately one and a half years, the laboratories operated by MCNAMARA submitted over $174 million in claims to Medicare for genetic testing and received over $55 million in reimbursements. The government previously seized several luxury vehicles from MCNAMARA and over $7 million in bank accounts.
While on pretrial release, MCNAMARA violated his bond conditions by, among other things, fleeing from an unrelated arrest and cutting off an ankle monitor. He was subsequently detained.
U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion sentenced MCNAMARA to the maximum sentence available, 10 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release upon his release. MCNAMARA was also ordered to pay over $55 million in restitution, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, and the $7 million seized by the government was ordered forfeited.
“With this significant sentence, Judge Papillion showed that white collar criminals do not get special treatment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Medicare fraud targets vulnerable populations, and our office will continue seeking just punishment for business owners and professionals who abuse this crucial trust-based system to steal taxpayer dollars.”
“Our health care system depends on honest billing and legal compliance. This defendant betrayed that trust, exploiting enrollees and draining millions from a system meant to help them,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to expose fraud and hold violators of the health care laws accountable.”
“The FBI respects the Court’s decision to sentence Mr. McNamara to the maximum allowed by law considering his complete and total disrespect for the system and the patients he was entrusted to serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to expose fraudulent schemes like this one that steal from the American people and vital systems like Medicare.”
HHS-OIG and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator for the Eastern District of Louisiana, prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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.
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Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Westland, Michigan, pleaded guilty in federal court to cocaine trafficking, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
Roy Brown, 56, pleaded guilty on October 21, 2025, before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine between August 2023 and August 2024.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Mercer County Drug Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security, and Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Brown.
Mexican man pleads guilty to illegal reentryRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - A Mexican man accused of being in the United States illegally admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Baldemar Duarte-Nieto, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry. Duarte-Nieto faces a term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $100,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 13, 2026. Duarte-Nieto was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on June 26, 2025, Duarte-Nieto was found by law enforcement in Kalispell after a short vehicle and foot pursuit. The pursuit reached 80 mph in a residential neighborhood and Duarte-Nieto struck a Toyota Camry filled with four people. A K-9 was deployed to apprehend him. Duarte-Nieto had an arrest warrant from Washington for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance – heroin.
Duarte-Nieto was first removed from the United States in 1996 or 1997, in 2000, and then a week later with a 20-year bar. He was last removed from the United States in November 2021 after an extensive hearing with an Immigration Judge because he used an assumed identity for approximately 20 years.
Duarte-Nieto’s prior convictions include
- 1996 assault with a weapon in Pacific County, Washington;
- 2002 carjacking in Claremont, California;
- 2006 conspiracy/bringing a controlled dangerous substance into a prison in Susanville, California; and
- 2012 false statements in the Western District of Washington.
There are no records within the Department of Homeland Security that Duarte-Nieto ever applied for readmission into the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, Northwest Montana Drug Task Force, and Flathead County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in federal court today for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine and for entering the United States illegally after deportation.
Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of unlawful reentry after removal.
On Sept. 3, 2024, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th Street exit in Kansas City, Mo. An adult male, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Pacheco and another adult male in the back seat.
When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.
When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, two of the adult males fled on foot. A manhunt ensued and both were apprehended a short time later.
Pacheco told investigators that he arrived in the United States approximately two weeks earlier from Nogales Sonora, Mexico. Pacheco said he entered the United States illegally and paid $6,000 to cross the border. Pacheco said he was asked to travel from Kansas City, Ks., to Omaha to pick up drugs by one of the adult males that was traveling with him in the Acura. Pacheco said he was promised to receive a significant amount of U.S. currency by the adult male for assisting with the transportation of the drugs from Omaha to the Kansas City area.
Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Pacheco had previously been found illegally in the United States by Border Patrol Agents near Nogalez, Arizona on Aug. 22, 2024. Pacheco was removed from the United States to Mexico that same day.
Under federal statutes, Pacheco is subject to a sentence of not less than 5 years and up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing 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 Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI, DEA, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, on October 22, 2025, Juan Mendez-Morales, 43, was stopped by police for speeding. When a United States Border Patrol Agent arrived, Mendez-Morales admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico and had no immigration documents allowing him to be in the United States. Mendez-Morales was previously removed from the U.S. in October 2013 pursuant to an order from an immigration judge.
Mendez-Morales faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case.
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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Martin City man sentenced to 40 years in prison for producing and distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Martin City man who produced and distributed child pornography was sentenced today to 480 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Raymond Owen Bonner, 40, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in August 2024, an FBI undercover agent was operating in online applications known for trafficking in child sexual abuse material. The agent found that a user had posted messages to a chat room in one such application in June 2024 and July 2024 stating that user had access to a six-year-old girl (Jane Doe) and was sexually abusing that child. The user, later identified as Bonner, posted images and videos of his abuse that verified his hands-on access to Doe. Bonner told other users in the chat room he was Doe’s babysitter.
Investigators responded to Bonner’s address in Martin City on September 5, 2024. Bonner fled his residence prior to law enforcement’s arrival. In a home near Bonner’s residence, FBI agents located Jane Doe. Doe and others verified that Bonner was her babysitter and later identified Bonner as the person abusing her in the images and videos he had distributed. The FBI also seized several devices from Bonner’s home, including a cell phone.
The FBI searched the phone and found images and videos of Doe that were the same as the images and videos of Doe posted by Bonner to the chat room. Bonner was located by law enforcement and arrested on September 19, 2024.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Madison Man Sentenced to Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Brian Scott Rupe, 40, formerly of Madison, Florida, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Accessing and distributing child sexual abuse material has the effect of re-victimizing the minors exploited in those horrific images and videos each and every time they are viewed. Stopping that cycle of victimization remains one of my office’s top priorities, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the sick individuals who peddle in child porn.”
Court documents reflect that in July 2024, an investigation into the defendant began when law enforcement discovered the defendant appeared to be sharing child pornography using a peer-to-peer network. Following a search of his residence, the defendant admitted to viewing and downloading child pornography. Law enforcement seized the defendant’s cell phone and conducted a forensic examination of it. A search of the phone revealed approximately 3,000 illegal images and videos.
The defendant’s imprisonment will be followed by ten years of supervised release. Additionally, the defendant was ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution to victims and he will be required to register as a sex offender.
“The discovery of a 3,000-image collection of vile imagery and videos in this case highlights the depravity of this individual’s actions,” said HSI Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “This sentencing underscores HSI’s dedication to protecting children from predators who exploit and victimize them. Through the relentless work of our agents and law enforcement partners, we have ensured that this predator is held accountable and removed from our communities. HSI will continue to pursue those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society with unwavering resolve.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Little Rock Psychologist Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Defrauding Medicare and Arkansas Blue Cross Blue ShieldRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock psychologist has been indicted for defrauding Medicare and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Blue Cross) and creating fictitious records to conceal her wrongdoing. Krameelah Banks, 48, of Little Rock, faces twenty-three counts of wire fraud, seven counts of making false statements in connection with health care, one count of lying to the FBI, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Jonathan Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Alicia Corder, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, and Jason Meadows, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, announced the charges.
According to the indictment, Banks owned and operated Arkansas Behavioral Center (ABC). Although Banks treated some regular patients who received ongoing psychotherapy, most of her patients were referrals who were seen just once for the sole purpose of receiving pre-surgical psychological evaluations. It is alleged that from 2021 through 2023, Banks billed for thousands of hours of psychology services that never took place by routinely charging Medicare and Blue Cross for ongoing psychotherapy in the names of persons who were referral patients seen only once, causing insurers to lose over $500,000.
The indictment alleges that Banks billed for services rendered at ABC while vacationing in Florida and Mexico, Banks billed for more than 24 hours’ worth of services rendered in a single day. The indictment also alleges that Banks billed for over 130 sessions rendered to several patients who had long since died.
According to the indictment, Banks responded to inquiries about disputed claims by creating fictitious records and even recycled such entries by providing nearly identical records to Medicare and Blue Cross. The indictment goes on to allege Banks later misled the FBI by blaming any overbilling on her online calendaring software.
An indictment contains only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
krameelah_banks_indictment_0_0.pdfLittle Eagle Man Sentenced to Nearly 3 Years in Federal Prison for First Degree Burglary of a Tribal HomeRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a man from Little Eagle, South Dakota, convicted of First Degree Burglary. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025.
Jett Allen Grey Cloud, age 28, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Grey Cloud was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 15, 2025.
Shortly after midnight on February 25, 2025, Grey Cloud, heavily intoxicated, knocked on the door of a small family home in Little Eagle, South Dakota, in the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Grey Cloud was looking for a friend. The father of the family did not recognize Grey Cloud and refused to let him in. Undeterred, Grey Cloud barged into the home and began scuffling with the residents. Grey Cloud drew a knife and stabbed the father in the head, fracturing his left orbital and cutting a tendon in his hand. A teenaged boy then shoved Grey Cloud out of the home and locked the door. Grey Cloud was arrested later that night.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, authorizes certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Grey Cloud was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lexington County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for DogfightingRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Samuel Alexander Gray, 53, of Leesville, has been sentenced to a year and three months in federal prison after pleading guilty to operating a dogfighting venture and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in September 2023, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Animal Services responded to a citizen’s concern about animals on a rural property. Investigators found a large fight pit with a carpeted floor, covered in blood. There were also lawn chairs set up around the pit for spectating. Investigators found dog training items and a dogfighting rule book on the property.
Investigators found multiple dogs on the property. Many had heavy chains around their necks with weighted collars, a training method used to strengthen dog’s necks. Several had injuries and scarring consistent with dogfighting. There was no food or clean water nearby. Several animal carcasses and skulls were also found. Ultimately, 14 dogs were seized from Gray’s property.
Gray also had six firearms and 400 rounds of ammunition. He is prohibited from possessing both due to prior felony convictions.
“Gray’s cruel and illegal dogfighting operation trapped these helpless dogs in a living nightmare,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to prosecute those who torture and harm vulnerable animals for entertainment and profit. Thank you to our partners at the FBI and Lexington County for their work on this case.”
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Gray to 15 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. As a condition of his supervised release, he cannot own a dog.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Animal Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle Klein is prosecuting the case.
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Lewiston Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced on November 18 in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Kulmiye Abukar Idris, 35, to 18 months in federal prison to be served consecutively from a 42-month state prison sentence for Gross Sexual Assault. Following his terms of imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for three years.
According to court records, in January 2025, Lewiston police officers stopped a vehicle operated by Idris for traffic violations. Officers searched the vehicle and found a handgun. Idris had previously been convicted in 2024 for gross sexual assault in Androscoggin County and was, therefore, prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lewiston Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Androscoggin County District Attorney’s Office.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Laurel County Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A London, Ky., man and former paramedic, Bradley Callahan, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom to 162 months in prison, for the distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in September 2023, Callahan distributed child pornography by making several posts to a dark web child pornography marketplace, which contained links to videos of child pornography. Included in the links were several explicit videos of child pornography.
Under federal law, Callahan must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Latimer County Resident Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of A MinorRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Garret James Walkos, age 26, of Red Oak, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Criminal Investigations.
On May 29, 2025, Walkos pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, beginning in June 2023 and continuing until March 2024, Walkos knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years. The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Walkos will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Kyle Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Woman Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on October 31, 2025.
Channing Little Whiteman, 39, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Little Whiteman was indicted on six counts of assault by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 16, 2025. Little Whiteman pleaded guilty to two of the assaults, occurring on different days.
On May 13, 2024, Little Whiteman and his girlfriend were drinking when an argument ensued in which Little Whiteman accused her of cheating on him. Law enforcement was dispatched to their residence. Little Whiteman assaulted the victim with a bat and a cigarette resulting in a fractured leg and a cigarette burn to the victims’ thigh.
On November 5, 2024, Little Whiteman and his girlfriend were drinking when an argument ensued. Little Whiteman again accused his girlfriend of cheating on him. Little Whiteman grabbed a metal chair and struck the victim in the face with the chair, causing her orbital bone and maxillary sinus to fracture. The victim suffered a large laceration under her eye and was unable to see until the swelling decreased as her eye was nearly swollen shut. At the time the victim was injured she was seven months pregnant.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Little Whiteman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Koide Tennessee, Inc. Pays $2M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Second-Draw PPP LoanRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Koide Tennessee, Inc. (“Koide TN”) has paid $2,000,000.00 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by applying for, receiving, and obtaining forgiveness of a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which it was not eligible.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, to provide relief to small businesses experiencing economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (“Economic Aid Act”), enacted on December 27, 2020, subsequently authorized the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to guarantee second-draw PPP loans. To be eligible for second-draw PPP loans, borrowers were required to have no more than 300 employees, among other requirements. On May 21, 2020, the SBA published an Interim Final Rule clarifying that affiliated foreign employees were to be included when a borrower calculated their total number of employees for purposes of determining PPP loan eligibility.
Koide TN applied for and received a second-draw PPP loan in March 2021 and later obtained forgiveness of that loan. The United States contends that Koide TN was ineligible for the second-draw PPP loan because it and its affiliates collectively employed more than 300 employees. The United States further contends that Koide TN made certain false statements in its applications for the loan and forgiveness thereof, including falsely certifying that it, together with its affiliates, employed no more than 300 employees.
This Settlement resolves a lawsuit under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Koide Tennessee Inc., No. 3:24-CV-336 (E.D. Tenn.).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexa Ortiz Hadley and Ben Cunningham represented the United States, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was designed to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our office remains committed to working with SBA and other federal partners to recover from those who disregarded program requirements and obtained funds they were not entitled to.”
“SBA remains firmly committed to pursuing identified perpetrators of fraud on the Paycheck Protection Program,” said SBA's General Counsel Wendell Davis. “This settlement shows the excellent results from coordinated SBA and DOJ efforts to investigate and combat fraud in pandemic relief programs. SBA continues its enhanced efforts to recover funds on behalf of the American taxpayers.”
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Kansas Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Firearms into ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN BAKER, 48, of Scott City, Kansas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking firearms into Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted three controlled purchases of a total of nine firearms, and one controlled purchase of cocaine, from Luis Perez in Waterbury. An expanded investigation revealed that Perez was acquiring numerous firearms, most of which were purchased, at Baker’s direction, by individuals from licensed gun dealers in Kansas and then shipped through the U.S. Mail to a stash location maintained by Perez’s associate, Algelly Diaz, in Hartford. Perez then sold the firearms, which included assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to others throughout Connecticut.
Perez coordinated the purchase of the firearms through Baker in Kansas and Fernando Soto, Jr. in California. Baker, a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history, used straw purchasers to purchase the firearms and then shipped them to Connecticut, or to Soto, who then shipped them to Connecticut and elsewhere.
Between August 2020 and May 2023, one of Baker’s straw purchasers, Ramon Pichardo, purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas.
Baker and others involved in the conspiracy were arrested on May 19, 2023. On that date, investigators executed search warrants at locations in Connecticut, Kansas, and California. A search of Perez’s residence and vehicle revealed nine firearms; more than 200 rounds of ammunition; distribution quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl/heroin; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale; and more than $7,000 in cash. In addition, a search of Diaz’s residence revealed approximately 90 rounds of ammunition, and a search of a package that was shipped to Diaz and seized from the mail stream revealed an additional three firearms.
To date, approximately 34 of the trafficked firearms have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut and elsewhere, including one that recovered on August 27, 2022, in San Bernardino, California, at the scene of the homicide of a juvenile.
Baker has been detained since his arrest. On March 26, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy, two counts of firearms trafficking, and two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms.
On March 19, 2025, Perez pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy, three counts of firearms trafficking, two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. On April 4, 2025, a jury found him guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He awaits sentencing.
Diaz pleaded guilty and, on February 4, 2025, was sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment.
Soto and Pichardo have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Connecticut State Police; and the Waterbury, Meriden, Hartford, Manchester, East Hartford, West Hartford, and Chino (Calif.) Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Christopher J. Lembo through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
KC Man Sentenced to 115 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Shannon J. Price, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 115 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Price has multiple prior felony convictions.
On July 28, 2023, Price was a convicted felon who was on probation for aggravated assault for unlawfully and knowingly placing another person in reasonable apprehension of immediate bodily harm with a deadly weapon.
On that day, law enforcement officers were investigating a stolen automobile ring. They saw that Price was driving a stolen vehicle, so they surveilled him. Price drove this stolen vehicle to a convenience store in the afternoon. He then entered the store with a loaded firearm when other customers were present. When he spotted law enforcement officers, he hid this loaded firearm on a low shelf in the store, where anyone could have retrieved it. Law enforcement officers took Price into custody and found the firearm before anyone else did. Surveillance video captured the incident.
This case is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam. It was investigated by the FBI.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Health Care FraudsterRead the Press Release
On Nov. 17, the Justice Department secured the denaturalization of Marieva Briceno, who defrauded more than $5.4 million from Medicare and then obtained U.S. citizenship by concealing her crimes from immigration officials.
A native of Venezuela, Briceno owned three purported medical clinics in the Detroit, Michigan, area that paid individuals on Medicare to undergo unnecessary tests and procedures. From May 2007 to January 2010, Briceno and her co-conspirators submitted approximately $5,460,323 in fraudulent claims to Medicare for those medically unnecessary services. Ultimately, Medicare paid $2,998,321.94 on those fraudulent claims, with Briceno personally receiving approximately $513,200 in fraudulent payouts.
“The denaturalization of Marieva Briceno shows that if you steal from the programs that serve our most vulnerable citizens, you will be found out, prosecuted, and suffer the consequences of your actions, up to and including the loss of your U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
“American citizenship is a privilege built on honesty and respect for our laws. You cannot defraud Medicare, conceal your crimes, and expect to secure the benefits of citizenship,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Fraud against programs that serve our most vulnerable citizens and lies told to obtain naturalization undermine the integrity of both our healthcare system and our immigration process. Our Office will continue to protect taxpayer dollars, defend the rule of law, and ensure that U.S. citizenship is reserved for those who earn it lawfully.”
On Dec. 21, 2009, Briceno applied for U.S. citizenship. On both her citizenship application and while under oath during an interview with immigration officials, Briceno concealed her health care fraud and denied ever committing a crime for which she had not been arrested. Briceno’s misrepresentations allowed her to illegally procure her U.S. citizenship on March 19, 2010.
On Sept. 12, 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida charged Briceno with health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347, and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. On March 14, 2012, Briceno pleaded guilty to the latter count, and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
On Aug. 12, the Justice Department filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking Briceno’s denaturalization based on her criminal conspiracy and her failure to disclose it during her naturalization process. On Nov. 17, the Honorable Darrin Gayles, U.S. District Judge, entered an order revoking Briceno’s U.S. citizenship.
This case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Hans H. Chen of the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from HSI, ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Feeley for the Southern District of Florida.
Jury finds Seeley Lake woman guilty of gun chargeRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Seeley Lake woman who purchased a firearm for a prohibited person was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a one-day trial, Alyssa Mikkel Tsuber, 32, was found guilty of one count of false statement during a firearm transaction. Tsuber faces a potential term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 20, 2026. Tsuber was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that an individual who was prohibited from owning a firearm reported that Alyssa Tsuber purchased a firearm for him.
Law enforcement interviewed Tsuber about the firearms. Tsuber advised she purchased a firearm for the prohibited person with his money. During the interview, law enforcement told Tsuber she marked that she was the actual buyer on the Firearms Transaction Record. She said, “I bought it, but no.” Law enforcement clarified, “You paid for it, but it wasn’t for you.” She said, “Right.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Jury Finds Taos Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder and All Other Charges in Trial Related to Brutal 2023 Taos Pueblo SlayingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Zebadiah Romero, 37, on all charges for the October 2023 premediated murder of a Taos Pueblo man with a single gunshot to the back of his head. The verdict came after a weeklong trial and less than a day of deliberation.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 30, 2023, Romero, a non Indian, shot and killed John Doe, an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo, inside John Doe’s residence on the Taos Pueblo. Romero had been evicted and banned from the Taos Pueblo prior to the murder. John Doe was discovered on November 4, 2023, after Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety officers conducted a welfare check and observed a blood trail leading from John Doe’s bedroom out the front door of the home. Officers later located John Doe’s body inside an adjacent abandoned and locked structure on the property, wrapped in bedding, covered with a tarp, and concealed by other items. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined that John Doe died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.
At trial, the United States presented multiple pieces of evidence implicating Romero, including surveillance footage, witness testimony, and forensic evidence showing that Romero was with John Doe early on the morning of October 30 and was later seen driving John Doe’s truck and in possession of John Doe’s young dog after John Doe disappeared. Surveillance video placed Romero driving John Doe’s truck in both Taos and Albuquerque within hours of the killing and while disposing of evidence. Evidence also established that Romero returned to the property after the killing, moved John Doe’s body, and concealed it in the adjacent structure.
Jurors further heard recordings of interviews Romero provided to the FBI after he was arrested in February 2024. In those interviews, Romero gave shifting and inconsistent accounts of the events inside the home but ultimately acknowledged shooting John Doe and described removing evidence from the scene, including the spent bullet casing and the firearm. Trial evidence also showed that Romero, a previously convicted felon, unlawfully possessed that firearm and later disposed of it. Romero admitted to stealing and later disposing of Doe’s truck.
The jury found Romero guilty of first-degree murder, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and larceny of the victim’s truck. Romero will remain in custody pending sentencing. He faces mandatory life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse E. Pecoraro and Mark A. Probasco are prosecuting the case.