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19 November 2025
Berkeley County Man Admits to Role in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jwan Martine Smith, 40, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to being part of a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Smith worked with others to sell large quantities of fentanyl in Berkeley County, WV.
Smith faces at least 10 years and up to life 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 Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Cocaine PossessionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Linnard Wortham, 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 140 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Judge Bredar also sentenced Wortham to an additional 16 months for violating the terms of a previous supervised release agreement. Wortham’s previous supervised release stemmed from 2015 racketeering conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances convictions. He received a total sentence of 156 months today.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office; Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Secretary Carolyn Scruggs, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), and Chief Richard Worley, Baltimore City Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, in 2023, multiple federal agencies partnered to investigate a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that was distributing large quantities of cocaine. During the investigation, agents monitored one of the DTO’s stash locations, an apartment in Baltimore, Maryland. Agents installed a covert camera in the public common hallway area, positioning it to capture people entering and exiting from the stash location’s front door.
As agents monitored the camera, they observed activity consistent with drug trafficking. This included a constant flow of people entering the apartment for a short duration and then leaving with bags of suspected drugs or concealed objects inside their clothing consistent with the shape and size of kilogram packages of drugs.
On October 11, 2023, agents surveilled the stash location via the convert camera. The DTO’s leader opened the door, and another individual exited the stash location with a large duffle bag. Agents followed the individual as he placed the duffle bag into a sedan. The individual then drove to Dolfield Avenue and parked next to a SUV driven by Wortham. Then the individual placed a duffle bag in Wortham’s trunk.
Wortham left the area as agents followed behind. Prior to agents attempting to conduct a traffic stop, Wortham abruptly stopped, bolted out of the vehicle, and then fled on foot. After a brief pursuit, agents apprehended Wortham.
As agents pursued Wortham, a different group of investigators approached the vehicle Wortham abandoned in the middle of the street. Law enforcement opened the trunk and discovered the duffle bag contained 19-kilogram packages of cocaine. Additionally, law enforcement recovered four cell phones from the vehicle.
Agents obtained a search warrant for Wortham’s phones and discovered a text message exchange with the DTO’s leader. Their text exchange, which occurred the morning of October 11, corroborated the drug deal that agents observed.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, HSI, IRS-CI, BCPD, DPSCS, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin C. Miner who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Conspiring to Distribute at Least 75 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Desmond Jones, 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 13 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office; Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Secretary Carolyn Scruggs, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), and Chief Richard Worley, Baltimore City Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, in 2023, multiple federal agencies partnered to investigate a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) distributing large quantities of cocaine. In August 2023, investigators learned that Jones was a member of the DTO. Investigators identified Jones through his connection with Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1), a California resident and DTO member.
In August 2023, investigators surveilled CC-1’s activities at his Baltimore City residence. From August 15 to August 24, investigators observed numerous drug traffickers, including Jones, meet CC-1 with bags at the Baltimore City residence to participate in drug-trafficking activities.
On August 16, Jones visited the residence and met CC-1 with a weighted-down bag. The next day, law enforcement observed CC-1 in possession of bulk currency and then investigators observed CC-1 drive to a bank where it appeared he made a deposit. Then on August 21, Jones again arrived at the Baltimore residence with another large, weighed-down bag. When Jones left the residence, the bag was substantially smaller in size. On August 24, CC-1 left Baltimore. After conducting these surveillances, law enforcement believed that while in Baltimore, Jones provided CC-1 with money for an upcoming drug shipment.
A week after CC-1’s departure, a commercial airline notified investigators that CC-1 was traveling from California to Baltimore again. On August 30, investigators set up a surveillance team at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) where they observed CC-1 arrive, rent a car, and then drive to his Baltimore City residence.
Another group of investigators set up surveillance at Jones’s Timonium, Maryland, stash location. Law enforcement observed co-conspirators carrying large duffle bags of suspected drugs into the stash location. Prior to co-conspirators bringing the duffle bags to the stash location, Jones left the premises in his vehicle. Investigators observed Jones drive to CC-1’s Baltimore City house where he picked up CC-1. Investigators followed Jones and CC-1 to National Harbor, Maryland where Jones and CC-1 parked.
CC-1 exited the vehicle and met with another co-conspirator, who arrived in a different car, at the “Park and Ride” lot next to the National Harbor. After the co-conspirators conversed, both vehicles left the lot. Jones and CC-1 traveled back to Baltimore, as investigators trailed behind, and then eventually arrived at the stash location in Timonium and parked.
Jones and CC-1 exited the vehicle and removed the duffle bags. While Jones and CC-1 were removing duffle bags, investigators approached the two on foot and observed that one of the duffle bags contained a large tear. Law enforcement saw kilogram packages of drugs inside the bag. Authorities seized the duffle bags and detained Jones, CC-1, and another individual who was also at the Timonium stash location. The duffle bags contained 43 kilograms of cocaine.
Investigators recovered another duffel bag and a backpack containing a total of 32 individual kilogram packages of cocaine from the stash location. Additionally, law enforcement discovered equipment used to process bulk drugs, including a kilo press, cutting agents, quick cappers, digital scales, and sifters. They also found two heat-sealed bags of suspected marijuana, cash, and a money counter, along with two firearms. The firearms were a .45 caliber Auto Springfield handgun with an obliterated serial number and a .45 caliber Taurus handgun. Authorities also recovered Jones’s personal documents, including a vehicle registration, bank statement, and mail in his name.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, HSI, IRS-CI, BCPD, DPSCS, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin C. Miner who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt Wall announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Mitchell Robinson, age 35, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his convictions possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and tramadol; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Robinson to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made during his plea, on May 11, 2022, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a “knock” search warrant at Robinson’s residence. In the kitchen, deputies found 2.17 grams of fentanyl, 218.3 grams of methamphetamine, 22.89 grams of methamphetamine, 56 suboxone 8mg/2mg prescription strips, manitol (narcotics cutting agent), 390 suspected tramadol pills inside the house, a digital scale, a Glock, model 17, 9mm handgun modified to be fully automatic, a Glock style 9mm handgun with no serial number, Glock style 30 round magazine, 9mm ammunition, and 4.01 pounds of suspected marijuana. In the attic, deputies found 884.1 grams of methamphetamine, 439.7 grams of methamphetamine, 194.46 grams of fentanyl, 3.12 pounds of suspected marijuana, 55.59 grams of heroin, and $25,960.00 in U.S. Currency. Robinson knowingly possessed all seized items in his home with the intent to distribute those narcotics to others.
Robinson was previously convicted of simple burglary on September 8, 2010, in East Baton Rouge Parish and burglary of a dwelling and aggravated burglary on January 5, 2011, in Ascension Parish.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson.
Baker Man Indicted for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that a federal grand jury recently returned a three-count indictment charging Kevontae Kendell Joseph Reed, age 30, of Baker, Louisiana, with production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Reed appeared for his arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges.
According to the Indictment, on two different occasions in January and February of 2024, Reed employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Additionally, he possessed a black iPhone containing images of child pornography on the relevant dates.
If convicted of the production of child pornography charges, Reed faces a minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, and up to thirty years, a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. If convicted of the possession of child pornography charge, he faces a term of imprisonment of up to ten years, a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. In addition to supervised release, Reed will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Vick and Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.
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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Armed felon who fled from police convicted of federal drug distribution and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - After a four-day jury trial, a federal district court jury found Traon Turk guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Turk previously pleaded guilty in the same case to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
“Turk is a multi-convicted felon who peddled deadly drugs and illegally carried a loaded firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office is proud to partner with federal and local law enforcement so we can aggressively prosecute violent drug dealers like Turk in order to keep the community safe.”
“This case is a reminder of the critical work we do to combat violent crime and drug trafficking. The ATF’s partnership with local police and federal prosecutors is vital in our mission to keep our neighborhoods safe. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that offenders like Turk face justice for their actions,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 4, 2020, Cobb County Police officers observed a vehicle that allegedly had been involved in a drive-by shooting in Marietta days earlier. Law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver, Turk, fled at a high rate of speed. Turk bailed out of the vehicle while it was still in motion, leaving his five passengers inside. While running from the police, Turk dropped a loaded .40 caliber pistol, which was quickly recovered by law enforcement. About an hour later, the police found Turk hiding in a different abandoned vehicle.
Law enforcement found a bag of 24 pills containing methamphetamine in Turk’s pants pocket. Additionally, Turk was carrying an iPhone that was replete with evidence of drug dealing activity. From the vehicle Turk had been driving, law enforcement seized a larger bag of ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine, numerous pieces of pills that matched the pills recovered from Turk’s pocket, counterfeit Percocet pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit Xanax pills, and individually packaged bags of marijuana.
Prior to his arrest, Turk had been convicted of numerous felonies, including violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and theft by receiving stolen property.
Traon Turk, 31, of Austell, Georgia, will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. on February 24, 2026. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cobb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Hwang, Michael Herskowitz, Laurel Milam, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Amite Man Sentenced to Consecutive Life Sentences After Pleading Guilty to Kidnapping Resulting in Death and Transporting a Minor in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DANIEL WAYNE CALLIHAN (“CALLIHAN”), age 38, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to life in prison for each count of conviction after previously pleading guilty in federal court to a two-count superseding indictment charging him with kidnapping resulting in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a) (Count One), and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count Two). As part of the sentence, Judge Africk also ordered CALLIHAN to pay restitution to the family of the victims in the amount of $260,000 and a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.00 CALLIHAN was also previously charged, pleaded guilty, and sentenced in matters prosecuted by law enforcement authorities in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, and Hinds County, Mississippi. Judge Africk ordered CALLIHAN’s life sentences to be served consecutively with each other and consecutive to the sentences imposed in Hinds County, Mississippi, and the 21st Judicial District (Louisiana).
According to court documents, on or about June 12, 2024, CALLIHAN was present inside the Loranger, Louisiana residence of Adult Victim 1, who lived with her two daughters, Minor Victim 1 (a four-year-old female) and Minor Victim 2 (a six-year-old female). While present in the residence, CALLIHAN stabbed Adult Victim 1 more than fifty times, resulting in her death. After killing Adult Victim 1, CALLIHAN kidnapped Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 using Adult Victim 1’s 2012 Chrysler 200 automobile, bearing a Louisiana license plate, and drove to McComb, Mississippi.
CALLIHAN, with Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 still in the car, then returned to Amite Louisiana, where he picked up Co-Conspirator 1. CALLIHAN then drove Adult Victim 1’s car to a residence in Jackson, Mississippi located in the 3900 block of Boozier Drive.
On either the evening of June 12, 2023, or early on June 13, 2024, CALLIHAN and Co-Conspirator 1 engaged in sexual battery with Minor Victim 2. CALLIHAN intended that Minor Victim 2 would engage in criminal sexual activity, namely violations of criminal laws of the State of Louisiana, including La. Rev. Stat. 14.81 and La Rev. Stat. 43.1, and the State of Mississippi, including Miss. Code § 97-3-95 and Miss. Code § 97-5-23, at the time he transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 from Louisiana to Mississippi.
Thereafter, on June 13, 2024, while at the Boozier Drive property, CALLIHAN purposely suffocated Minor Victim 1 to death by holding Minor Victim 1 closely against his chest.
Later on June 13, 2024, after Adult Victim 1’s body was discovered, federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities began an investigation. The investigation determined the location of both CALLIHAN and Adult Victim 1’s car. A search of the Boozier Drive property led to the discovery of a pit on the property. Law enforcement officers discovered Minor Victim 1’s body and Minor Victim 2 together in the pit.
After being taken into custody and waiving his Miranda rights, CALLIHAN admitted to stabbing Adult Victim 1 to death and kidnapping Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 in Adult Victim 1’s vehicle. CALLIHAN further admitted that he and Co-Conspirator 1 transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 to Mississippi, where he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2 and he smothered Minor Victim 1 to death. CALLIHAN’s admission that he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2 was corroborated in a voluntary, post-Miranda statement Co-Conspirator 1 made to law enforcement authorities.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the great support provided by the United States Marshals Service, the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office, the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Jackson (Mississippi) Police Department. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also commended the exceptional work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana Victim/Witness Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Sarah Dawkins, of the Violent Crime Unit, were in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Alamo woman admits to international drug traffickingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 48-year-old U.S. citizen has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
On June 11, authorities stopped Marina Saenz for speeding as she drove a white BMW SUV in Live Oak County. A K-9 alerted to the vehicle, and law enforcement discovered a hidden aftermarket compartment in the rear hatch containing 29 bricks of cocaine weighing 35.5 kilograms.
Saenz admitted she picked up the cocaine in Mexico and brought it across the border through the Progreso Port of Entry. She also said she planned to deliver the drugs to North Carolina for $10,000.
Saenz also admitted making previous trips that involved similar large amounts of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 24, 2026. At that time, Saenz faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
She has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Live Oak County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.
Afghan National Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison After Plotting Election Day Terror Attack in the United StatesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – ABDULLAH HAJI ZADA, 19, a native and citizen of Afghanistan and U.S. lawful permanent resident, has been sentenced to serve the statutory maximum of 180 months in federal prison for knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
According to court documents, Zada and a co-conspirator received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024, on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Zada was arrested with his co-conspirator, NASIR AHMAD TAWHEDI, 28, also a citizen of Afghanistan, in October 2024.
“Zada was welcomed into the United States and provided with all the opportunities available to residents of our Nation, yet he chose to embrace terrorism and plot an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “Today’s sentence, and Zada’s eventual removal from the United States, reflect the seriousness of his betrayal and our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to detect and disrupt such plots.”
“With today’s sentencing, Zada will pay the price for participating in a plot last year to conduct an ISIS-inspired Election Day terrorist attack,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Detecting and preventing acts of terrorism against the American people is an essential part of the FBI’s mission. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
“The sentence today reflects the gravity of the planned terrorist attack, which was thwarted by the exceptional work of law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “The Department of Justice remains vigilant and focused to detect, deter, and disrupt acts of terrorism and hold offenders accountable.”
“By hatching a violent plot against the United States on behalf of ISIS, the defendant and his co-conspirator shamefully turned their backs on the country that provided them safety and refuge,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “I’m extremely proud of the swift and coordinated action taken by the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force as soon as this disturbing plan was uncovered. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will never relent in our fight against terrorism, and in protecting the American people from those who wish them harm.”
Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult on April 17, 2025. As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Zada also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.
At a sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Zada to serve 180 months in federal prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Palk emphasized the seriousness of the offense, the need to provide just punishment, and the need to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct.
Zada’s co-conspirator, Tawhedi, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism. At sentencing, Tawhedi faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for the firearms charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Upon completion of any sentence, Zada and Tawhedi will be permanently removed from the United States and barred from reentry under stipulated judicial orders of removal to Afghanistan.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force—which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department—investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, previously with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, along with other trial attorneys from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Mark Stoneman of the Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section, who previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, also assisted with the prosecution.
Afghan National Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison After Plotting Election Day Terror Attack in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Abdullah Haji Zada, 19, a native and citizen of Afghanistan and U.S. lawful permanent resident, has been sentenced to serve the statutory maximum of 15 years in federal prison for knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
According to court documents, Zada and a co-conspirator received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024, on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Zada was arrested with his co-conspirator, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 28, also a citizen of Afghanistan, in October 2024.
"Zada was welcomed into the United States and provided with all the opportunities available to residents of our Nation, yet he chose to embrace terrorism and plot an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “Today’s sentence, and Zada’s eventual removal from the United States, reflect the seriousness of his betrayal and our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to detect and disrupt such plots.”
“With today’s sentencing, Zada will pay the price for participating in a plot last year to conduct an ISIS-inspired Election Day terrorist attack,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Detecting and preventing acts of terrorism against the American people is an essential part of the FBI’s mission. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
“The sentence today reflects the gravity of the planned terrorist attack, which was thwarted by the exceptional work of law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “The Department of Justice remains vigilant and focused to detect, deter, and disrupt acts of terrorism and hold offenders accountable.”
“By hatching a violent plot against the United States on behalf of ISIS, the defendant and his co-conspirator shamefully turned their backs on the country that provided them safety and refuge,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “I’m extremely proud of the swift and coordinated action taken by the Oklahoma City Joint Terrorism Task Force as soon as this disturbing plan was uncovered. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will never relent in our fight against terrorism, and in protecting the American people from those who wish them harm.”
Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult on April 17, 2025. As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Zada also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.
At a sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Zada to serve 15 years in federal prison.
Zada’s co-conspirator, Tawhedi, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to two terrorism-related offenses: conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated terrorist organization, and receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a federal crime of terrorism. At sentencing, Tawhedi faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the material support charge and up to 15 years in prison for the firearms charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Upon completion of any sentence, Zada and Tawhedi will be permanently removed from the United States and barred from reentry under stipulated judicial orders of removal to Afghanistan.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force—which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department—investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, previously with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, along with other trial attorneys from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Mark Stoneman of the Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section, who previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, also assisted with the prosecution.
10 Arrested in Federal Indictment Charging Olympic Athlete-Turned-Cocaine Trafficker with Ordering Murder of Witness in JanuaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ten defendants have been arrested – and 11 total are in custody – pursuant to a nine-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charging a former Olympic snowboarder now on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, a Canadian criminal barrister, a reggaeton musician, a would-be gangland news website operator, and others in connection with the January 31 murder in Colombia of a federal witness in a separate criminal case.
Ryan James Wedding, 44, a Canadian national residing in Mexico, the case’s lead defendant, is charged with overseeing the operations of a criminal enterprise – including by engaging in witness intimidation tactics such as murder – and enriching himself with the enterprise’s laundered drug proceeds. In March 2025, Wedding was placed on the FBI’s List of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. There is an increased $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or prosecution.
The following defendants were arrested Tuesday as part of the second phase of a law enforcement action entitled “Operation Giant Slalom”:
- Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada;
- Atna Ohna, 40, of Laval, Québec, Canada;
- Gursewak Singh Bal, 31, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada;
- Allistair Chapman, 33, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada;
- Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;
- Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, 47, of Bogotá, Colombia;
- Yulieth Katherine Tejada, 36, of Orlando, Florida, who is legal permanent resident from Colombia;
- Edwin Basora-Hernandez, 31, of Montréal;
- Wilson Riascos, 45, of Cali, Colombia; and
- Rolan Sokolovski, 37, of Toronto.
“Whether you’re a kingpin or a dealer on the street, anyone who sells drugs to our kids will be arrested and prosecuted,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Ryan Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world and works closely with the Sinaloa Cartel. We will not rest until his name is taken off the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List, and his narco-trafficking organization lies dismantled.”
“The murder of a witness in Colombia earlier this year was a cruel, cold-blooded act that could not and did not go unanswered,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “This week’s arrests underscore our resolve to root out and punish the wrongdoers involved in this criminal organization and serve as a warning for drug lord Ryan Wedding: If convicted, you will never see the outside of a prison ever again.”
“Today’s announcement is a culmination of the steadfast work of the FBI and our partners around the world to identify and dismantle violent gang and drug organizations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Ryan Wedding and his associates allegedly imported tons of cocaine each year from Colombia through Mexico and onto the streets of U.S. communities. His criminal activities and violent actions will not be tolerated, and this is a clear signal that the FBI will use our resources and expertise to find Ryan Wedding and bring him and his associates to justice.”
“Ryan Wedding’s athletic drive snowballed into a life of violence and, instead of conquering mountains, he mastered a deadly drug distribution enterprise and will continue to order murders while he enjoys protection by his cartel associates and others,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “‘Operation Giant Slalom’ is a dynamic international investigation and involves dedicated partners collaborating in multiple countries with the shared goal of capturing Wedding, finding justice for several murder victims – including a cooperating witness – and ridding communities in North America of deadly drugs.”
“No one, not even a former Olympian, is above the law,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are increasing our reward offer to up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ryan Wedding. We are also offering rewards of up to $2 million each for the assassins behind the murder of his associate in Colombia.”
“Today we’re exposing the network of associates and enablers behind Ryan Wedding – one of the most notorious criminals and narcotraffickers still evading justice,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley. “Treasury is joining with the FBI and the Department of Justice to cut Wedding and his criminal partners off from the U.S. financial system and help dismantle the network they rely on. Our goal is simple: make it difficult for criminals like this to profit from poisoning our communities.”
“International cooperation, such as our involvement in Operation Giant Slalom, is vital to our ability to stay ahead of organized crime,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme. “The RCMP and its international law enforcement partners work together closely, regularly sharing knowledge, technical expertise, and intelligence to enable us to collectively target the most serious organized crime groups that threaten our countries - no matter where they are operating in the world.”
To eliminate threats and advance his enterprise’s interests, Wedding issued orders to murder various individuals, including an order to kill the victim, a witness in a 2024 federal narcotics case against Wedding, which resulted in the victim’s death. Wedding placed a bounty on the victim and enlisted the services of others to locate and kill the victim, who was shot to death in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January 2025.
In the 2024 indictment, Wedding is charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, assorted drug trafficking charges, and directing the November 20, 2023, murders of two members of a family in Caledon, Ontario, Canada, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California. Another member of that family survived the shooting but was left with serious physical injuries.
Also charged in the indictment unsealed today are 18 additional defendants, including Paradkar, a criminal barrister who advised Wedding to murder the victim so that Wedding would avoid extradition to the United States from Mexico on the 2024 federal criminal charges against him. Paradkar also provided Wedding with court documents and discovery to which he would not otherwise have access, and – through attorneys whose representation he secured – access to enterprise members and associates who either were arrested, indicted, or under investigation.
Bal was the co-founder and co-operator of “The Dirty News,” a website that law enforcement seized pursuant to a federal warrant. In exchange for payment, Bal agreed to not post about Wedding and instead posted a photograph of the victim so that the victim could be located and killed.
Basora-Hernandez, a reggaeton musician and citizen of the Dominican Republic, provided co-conspirators with the victim’s contact information for the purpose of helping Wedding and his criminal enterprise locate and murder the victim.
Concurrent with Tuesday’s arrests, law enforcement has taken immigration action against associates of Wedding’s enterprise, including Latin pop artist Samantha Melissa Granda-Gastelu, 38, a Canadian national residing in Aventura, Florida, whose husband Nahim Jorge Bonilla, 37, has been indicted on separate murder conspiracy charges. Bonilla is in currently in federal custody, charged with drug trafficking crimes. An immigration action also is being initiated against Madeline Paradkar, 27, a Canadian national residing in Chicago who is an attorney and Paradkar’s daughter.
Law enforcement continues to search for Wedding, and the following three defendants:
- Rasheed Pascua Hossain, 32, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;
- Bianca Canastillo-Madrid, 37, of Mexico City; and
- Tommy Demorizi, 35, of Montréal, who is believed to be a fugitive in the Dominican Republic
If convicted, Wedding – and the defendants charged in connection with the victim’s murder – would face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating this matter with the Los Angeles Police Department, the United States Departments of State and Treasury – Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing. In addition, significant assistance was provided by U.S. law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigation Miami and Chicago and U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Buffalo; Canadian law enforcement partners, including Ontario Provincial Police, and Colombian law enforcement partners, including Colombian National Police – Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, Special Interagency Investigation Group (Policía Nacional de Colombia – Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol, Grupo Especial de Investigación Interagenciales).
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia also provided significant assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Major Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Galatzan, Tara Vavere, and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is also 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, TCOs, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
10 Arrested in Federal Indictment Charging Olympic Athlete-Turned-Cocaine Trafficker with Ordering Murder of Witness in JanuaryRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Ten defendants have been arrested – and 11 total are in custody – pursuant to a nine-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charging a former Olympic snowboarder now on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, a Canadian criminal barrister, a reggaeton musician, a would-be gangland news website operator, and others in connection with the January 31 murder in Colombia of a federal witness in a separate criminal case.
Ryan James Wedding, 44, a Canadian national residing in Mexico, the case’s lead defendant, is charged with overseeing the operations of a criminal enterprise – including by engaging in witness intimidation tactics such as murder – and enriching himself with the enterprise’s laundered drug proceeds. In March 2025, Wedding was placed on the FBI’s List of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. There is an increased $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or prosecution.
The following defendants were arrested Tuesday as part of the second phase of a law enforcement action entitled “Operation Giant Slalom”:
- Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, a.k.a. "cocaine_lawyer," of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada;
- Atna Ohna, 40, of Laval, Québec, Canada;
- Gursewak Singh Bal, 31, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada;
- Allistair Chapman, 33, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada;
- Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;
- Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, 47, of Bogotá, Colombia;
- Yulieth Katherine Tejada, 36, of Orlando, Florida, who is legal permanent resident from Colombia;
- Edwin Basora-Hernandez, 31, a.k.a. "Edwin Hernandez" and "Ed Winter," of Montréal;
- Wilson Riascos, 45, of Cali, Colombia; and
- Rolan Sokolovski, 37, of Toronto.
“The murder of a witness in Colombia earlier this year was a cruel, cold-blooded act that could not and did not go unanswered,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “This week’s arrests underscore our resolve to root out and punish the wrongdoers involved in this criminal organization and serve as a warning for drug lord Ryan Wedding: If convicted, you will never see the outside of a prison ever again.”
“Whether you’re a kingpin or a dealer on the street, anyone who sells drugs to our kids will be arrested and prosecuted,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Ryan Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world and works closely with the Sinaloa Cartel. We will not rest until his name is taken off the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List, and his narco-trafficking organization lies dismantled.”
“Today’s announcement is a culmination of the steadfast work of the FBI and our partners around the world to identify and dismantle violent gang and drug organizations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Ryan Wedding and his associates allegedly imported tons of cocaine each year from Colombia through Mexico and onto the streets of U.S. communities. His criminal activities and violent actions will not be tolerated, and this is a clear signal that the FBI will use our resources and expertise to find Ryan Wedding and bring him and his associates to justice.”
“Ryan Wedding’s athletic drive snowballed into a life of violence and, instead of conquering mountains, he mastered a deadly drug distribution enterprise and will continue to order murders while he enjoys protection by his cartel associates and others,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “‘Operation Giant Slalom’ is a dynamic international investigation and involves dedicated partners collaborating in multiple countries with the shared goal of capturing Wedding, finding justice for several murder victims – including a cooperating witness – and ridding communities in North America of deadly drugs.”
“No one, not even a former Olympian, is above the law,” said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are increasing our reward offer to up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ryan Wedding. We are also offering rewards of up to $2 million each for the assassins behind the murder of his associate in Colombia.”
“Today we’re exposing the network of associates and enablers behind Ryan Wedding – one of the most notorious criminals and narcotraffickers still evading justice,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley. “Treasury is joining with the FBI and the Department of Justice to cut Wedding and his criminal partners off from the U.S. financial system and help dismantle the network they rely on. Our goal is simple: make it difficult for criminals like this to profit from poisoning our communities.”
“International cooperation, such as our involvement in Operation Giant Slalom, is vital to our ability to stay ahead of organized crime,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme. “The RCMP and its international law enforcement partners work together closely, regularly sharing knowledge, technical expertise, and intelligence to enable us to collectively target the most serious organized crime groups that threaten our countries - no matter where they are operating in the world.”
To eliminate threats and advance his enterprise’s interests, Wedding issued orders to murder various individuals, including an order to kill the victim, a witness in a 2024 federal narcotics case against Wedding, which resulted in the victim’s death. Wedding placed a bounty on the victim and enlisted the services of others to locate and kill the victim, who was shot to death in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January 2025.
In the 2024 indictment, Wedding is charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, assorted drug trafficking charges, and directing the November 20, 2023, murders of two members of a family in Caledon, Ontario, Canada, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California. Another member of that family survived the shooting but was left with serious physical injuries.
Also charged in the indictment unsealed today are 18 additional defendants, including Paradkar, a criminal barrister who advised Wedding to murder the victim so that Wedding would avoid extradition to the United States from Mexico on the 2024 federal criminal charges against him. Paradkar also provided Wedding with court documents and discovery to which he would not otherwise have access, and – through attorneys whose representation he secured – access to enterprise members and associates who either were arrested, indicted, or under investigation.
Bal was the co-founder and co-operator of “The Dirty News,” a website that law enforcement seized pursuant to a federal warrant. In exchange for payment, Bal agreed to not post about Wedding and instead posted a photograph of the victim so that the victim could be located and killed.
Basora-Hernandez, a reggaeton musician and citizen of the Dominican Republic, provided co-conspirators with the victim’s contact information for the purpose of helping Wedding and his criminal enterprise locate and murder the victim.
Concurrent with Tuesday’s arrests, law enforcement has taken immigration action against associates of Wedding’s enterprise, including Latin pop artist Samantha Melissa Granda-Gastelu, 38, a Canadian national residing in Aventura, Florida, whose husband Nahim Jorge Bonilla, 37, has been indicted on separate murder conspiracy charges. Bonilla is in currently in federal custody, charged with drug trafficking crimes. An immigration action also is being initiated against Madeline Paradkar, 27, a Canadian national residing in Chicago who is an attorney and Paradkar’s daughter.
Law enforcement continues to search for Wedding, and the following three defendants:
- Rasheed Pascua Hossain, 32, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;
- Bianca Canastillo-Madrid, 37, of Mexico City; and
- Tommy Demorizi, 35, of Montréal, who is believed to be a fugitive in the Dominican Republic.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Wedding – and the defendants charged in connection with the victim’s murder – would face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating this matter with the Los Angeles Police Department, the United States Departments of State and Treasury – Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing. In addition, significant assistance was provided by U.S. law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigation Miami and Chicago and U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Buffalo; Canadian law enforcement partners, including Ontario Provincial Police, and Colombian law enforcement partners, including Colombian National Police – Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, Special Interagency Investigation Group (Policía Nacional de Colombia – Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol, Grupo Especial de Investigación Interagenciales).
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia also provided significant assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Major Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Galatzan, Tara Vavere, and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is also 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, TCOs, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
- Ryan Wedding poster is updated - https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/ryan-james-wedding
- Seeking Info – Getaway driver - https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/unknown-getaway-driver
- Collage of five wanted unknown suspects - https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cei/unknown-suspects
- Individual wanted posters:
- https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cei/tommy-demorizi
- https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cei/bianca-canastillo-madrid
- https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/cei/rasheed-pascua-hossain
18 November 2025
Winner Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison in Child Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man and a woman, both from Winner, South Dakota, following their convictions in a case charging Sex Trafficking of a Child and Production of Child Pornography.
Richard Alan Kucera, age 67, was found guilty of two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child and two counts of Production of Child Pornography following a four-day federal jury trial in July 2025. On October 20, 2025, he was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $400 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Ivy Rose Heron, age 37, pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025, to one count of Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Child. On October 21, 2025, she was sentenced to seven 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.
Kucera and Heron were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
At trial, the evidence established that between 2019 and 2021, Kucera and Heron entered into an agreement to recruit local girls in the Winner area to engage in sexual activity with Kucera in exchange for payment. Heron received a fee for each girl she recruited whom Kucera selected. Between 2020 and 2021, Heron recruited two sixteen-year-old girls, each of whom Kucera paid to engage in sexual activity on multiple occasions. Kucera also created child pornography images and videos of both minor victims, which he uploaded to Facebook. The arrangement between Kucera and Heron was discovered in June 2022, when the minor victims were interviewed by law enforcement.
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 the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Kucera and Heron were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Waterloo Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A two-time convicted felon who possessed a gun was sentenced on November 17, 2025, to six years in federal prison.
Jimarus Westley Puckett, age 38, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 28, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
On July 23, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa, police officers stopped a car. Puckett was a passenger in the car. Officers searched the car and found a rifle that was equipped with a large capacity magazine in the back seat. Puckett was prohibited from possessing guns based on two prior felony convictions and a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence.
Puckett was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Puckett was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Puckett is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2037.
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Vernon Man Who Enticed Minors to Send Him Sexually Explicit Images on Snapchat Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on November 5, 2025, DARYL TODD, 45, of Vernon, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 84 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for enticing minors to send him sexually explicit images and videos on Snapchat.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force revealed that Todd used Snapchat to communicate with minor girls and entice them to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves, sometimes in return for money that Todd sent the victims using the mobile payment service Cash App. Todd also sent sexually explicit images of himself to the minor victims.
After Todd was arrested on March 7, 2024, analysis of his cellphone and tablet revealed sexually explicit images of minor females.
On April 8, 2025, Todd pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography.
Todd, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 7.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
United States Attorney’s Office Summarizes Accomplishments During the Lapse in Government FundingRead the Press Release
Like federal employees across the country, during the lapse in funding that began on October 1, 2025, and ended during the evening of November 12, 2025, the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont were not paid for the work they performed. Nevertheless, during that time, the office’s accomplishments included the following:
Cases Charged
• On October 2, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Tashama Oates, 47, from Connecticut, with conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. If convicted Oates faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years’ imprisonment. On October 14, Oates was ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 15, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging Dontayveus Thomas, 33, of Florida, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possessing a firearm in connection with his drug conspiracy. If convicted Thomas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years’ imprisonment. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 16, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Deandre Watson, 35, from Detroit, Michigan, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. If convicted, Watson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 5 years’ imprisonment. Watson had previously been charged by criminal complaint, and on October 10 was ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 16, the Grand Jury also returned an indictment charging Jamelle Willis, 39, from Brooklyn, New York, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. If convicted Willis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 5 years’ imprisonment. The government sought Willis’s detention, but he was ordered released on conditions.
• On October 22, Juan Pablo Espinoza-Morales, 51, of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint with transporting nine aliens (from Brazil, Portugal, Guatemala, and Venezuela) into the United States from Canada. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 23, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Isiah Smith, 38, from Brooklyn, New York, with conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base. If convicted, Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years’ imprisonment. Smith had been previously charged by criminal complaint, and on October 15 was ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 23, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Ezra Dillon, 34, from Burlington, Vermont, with a Hobbs Act robbery in connection with his brandishing a knife while stealing from City Market in Burlington. If convicted, Dillon faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Dillon, who had been previously charged by criminal complaint, was ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 29, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Mark Billy Brown, 31, from Springfield, Massachusetts, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Brown faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted. Brown was previously charged by criminal complaint, and has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 29, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Raymond Regimbald, 54, from Rutland, Vermont, with various offenses relating to the distribution of cocaine. If convicted, Regimbald faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 30, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging Maurice Jackson, 33, from Brooklyn, New York, with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base. If convicted Jackson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 30, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Aldrain Ashby, 40, with distribution of fentanyl and that such distribution resulted in the death of one victim, and serious bodily injury to another. Ashby was also charged with distributing fentanyl within 1000 feet of a school in South Burlington. If convicted Ashby faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On October 30, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Mohamed Mubarak, 28, from Kenya, with making a false statement in connection with his attempt to acquire firearms from a licensed firearm dealer. If convicted, Mubarak faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On November 6, the Grand Jury returned a three-count superseding indictment charging Tremaine Knight, 43, from Hartford, Connecticut, with one count of murder-for-hire, one count of distribution of cocaine and fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, Knight faces up to a lifetime prison sentence. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On November 6, the Grand Jury returned a two-count indictment charging Haley Morgan, 21, from Burlington, Vermont, with enticing and attempting to entice a minor child to engage in unlawful sexual conduct and with distribution of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Morgan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years’ imprisonment. The government sought Morgan’s detention, but she was ordered released on conditions.
• On November 6, the Grand Jury returned a six-count indictment charging Ayman Khalifa, 25, from St. Albans, Vermont, with distribution of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. If convicted Khalifa faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years’ imprisonment. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On November 12, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Guadalupe Vargas, 43, from Arleta, California, with distributing methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug crime. If convicted, Vargas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years’ imprisonment. Vargas has been ordered detained pending trial.
• On November 12, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Dejaneiro McDaniel, 20, from Lancaster, California, with distribution of cocaine base and fentanyl. If convicted McDaniel faces up to 20 years in prison. He has not had a court appearance yet.
Sentencings
• On October 6, Davonne Brown, 42, from Manhattan, New York, was sentenced to a 110-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release following his plea to conspiring to carry a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense.
• On October 9, Hussein Iman, 21, from Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced to a 120-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to drug and money laundering offenses.
• On October 16, Davon Lee, 26, from Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced to a 60-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
• On October 20, Meghan Cox, 40, from Laconia, New Hampshire, was sentenced to a 20-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following her guilty plea to conspiring to commit a robbery by force on a commercial business. (On September 30, 2025, her co-defendant Christopher Boisvert had received a 74-month prison sentence following his guilty plea to bank robbery.)
• On October 22, Gordon Richard, 77, from Georgia, Vermont, was sentenced to an 18-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
• On October 22, James Plunkett, 40, recently from Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced to a 78-month prison term, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, following his guilty plea to bank robbery.
• On October 23, Joseph Cadorette, II, 38, from Williamstown, Vermont, was sentenced to a 40-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to using and maintaining a place to further drug distribution activities.
• On October 27, Gabriel Lopes Da Silva Santos, 28, from Brazil, was sentenced to a 9-month prison term following his guilty plea to possessing a firearm as an alien in the United States without immigration status.
• On November 3, Jaquan Rivera, 26, from New Britain, Connecticut, was sentenced to a 48-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Other Matters
• The United States also successfully forfeited the Milton residence of Gordon Richard, because he had utilized that location to further the drug crime for which he was sentenced on October 22, as described above.
All indictments and complaints are allegations only. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are convicted. Upon conviction, the Court’s sentencing decisions will be informed by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Statutory Sentencing Factors.###
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones Swears in Veteran Trial Lawyer Maria Guzman as Assistant United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – United States Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones today announced the swearing-in of Maria Guzman as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Guzman joins the Narcotics Section, bringing more than three decades of trial experience in state and federal courts.
Guzman is a graduate of Columbia University and the University of Miami School of Law. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Houston, Texas, where she tried more than fifty misdemeanor and felony jury trials. After several years in private practice handling criminal and civil matters, she returned to public service in Miami as an Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County. There, she prosecuted violent crime, robbery, and homicide cases, rising to Assistant Chief of the Robbery/Career Criminal Unit and Felony Division Chief. She tried approximately thirty homicide cases during her tenure.
Following her time in Miami, Guzman served for seventeen years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Middle District of Florida. She was lead trial counsel on hundreds of federal cases, including matters involving firearms, narcotics, RICO conspiracies, child exploitation, fraud, immigration, and international money laundering. Her years as an AFPD shaped her reputation as a skilled litigator, a demanding courtroom advocate, and a trusted trainer for young attorneys.
Most recently, Guzman served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida, prosecuting violent crime, narcotics trafficking, health care fraud, immigration offenses, overdose death cases, and OCDETF investigations. She served as the office’s Violent Crimes Coordinator, leading significant investigations and securing notable jury verdicts in complex robbery and firearms cases.
In announcing her appointment, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones stated: “Maria is the kind of prosecutor who makes a district stronger the moment she walks through the door. She has tried more than 300 cases, served our justice system from every angle, and brings a depth of experience that is rare in any district. Our Narcotics Section gains a steady hand, a battle-tested trial lawyer, and a public servant committed to protecting our community.”
Guzman is fluent in English and Spanish and is admitted to practice in Florida and Texas.
She will begin her duties in the Narcotics Section immediately.
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Two Nigerian-Born Men Sentenced to Prison for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Criminal ProceedsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Nigerian-born men were sentenced to prison today for laundering millions of dollars in criminal proceeds that were derived from fraud schemes targeting hundreds of victims, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
James C. Barnacle, Jr. Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
Olumide Olorunfunmi, 40, and Emmanuel Unuigbe, 43, were each sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In addition to the prison terms imposed, they were each ordered to pay more than $4.6 million in restitution.
According to court documents and court proceedings, from 2020 through 2023, Olorunfunmi conspired with Unuigbe and others to launder the criminal proceeds of various illegal activities, including romance scams that typically targeted elderly victims and business email compromise schemes. Court records show that the victims of the schemes were directed to transfer funds into domestic and international bank accounts controlled by Olorunfunmi, Unuigbe, and their co-conspirators. Upon receiving the fraud proceeds, Olorunfunmi, Unigibe, and their co-conspirators transferred the funds to other bank accounts, in the U.S. and overseas. Court documents show that the scheme caused more than 125 victims to transfer over $4.5 million of proceeds stemming from illegal activities.
Olorunfunmi and Unuigbe profited by keeping a portion of the criminal proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also profited by agreeing to “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naira from accounts the co-conspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira.
Olorunfunmi and Unuigbe previously pleaded guilty. A related individual, Samson Amos, was also sentenced today for his role in conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was sentenced to five years of probation that included a six-month period of home confinement. He was also ordered to pay restitution.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Two Men Arrested for Conspiring to Facilitate Narcotics Trafficking Out of an Inwood Smoke ShopRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Frank A. Tarentino, announced today the unsealing of Complaints charging MUJAHED ALI and QUIRINO GARCIA DIAZ with conspiracy to distribute narcotics. The defendants were arrested yesterday in Manhattan, and GARCIA DIAZ was arrested at their Inwood smoke shop, from which they sold drug traffickers a variety of drug paraphernalia, including cutting agents—i.e., substances added to narcotics to increase their volume (and thus their saleable quantity) and to modify their effects. The investigation of the smoke shop led agents to multiple large-scale narcotics mills and other drug operations in Manhattan, the Bronx, and New Jersey and the seizures of large volumes of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as multiple firearms. The defendants will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.
“Businesses, small or large, that engage in drug trafficking will be brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, this Inwood smoke shop helped traffickers pump lethal narcotics into our city. New Yorkers want this stopped and we hear them.”
“Once again, we see the reckless lengths individuals are willing to go as they conspire, distribute, and profit from the sale of fentanyl, a drug that is singlehandedly destroying our communities and devastating families,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino. “The alleged use of a smoke shop to conceal their narcotics trafficking, which in turn led to the discovery of six drug mills, underscores their willingness to sacrifice the safety of our neighborhoods for personal gain. Illicit narcotic mills have no place in our communities, and the DEA will continue to do everything we can to eliminate these operations and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaints:
Between in or about August 2024 and in or about October 2025, ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and others used the Inwood smoke shop to sell cutting agents and drug paraphernalia to drug traffickers, who would then use the smoke shop’s products to increase their quantities of narcotics and package them for sale. ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and their co-conspirators sold cutting agents to an undercover officer who explicitly indicated that he was purchasing those substances to mix with narcotics, including cocaine and heroin. ALI and his co-conspirators also gave suggestions on which cutting agents to use with certain types of narcotics. For example, on one occasion, ALI suggested that an undercover officer purchase and use a particular cutting agent, fish scale, to mix with the undercover officer’s cocaine because fish scale would make his drug product “shine the most.”
Over the course of the approximately 14-month period during which ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and their co-conspirators sold cutting agents and drug paraphernalia from the Inwood smoke shop, law enforcement investigated customers who had appeared to purchase cutting agents and/or drug paraphernalia from the shop and identified at least six narcotics mills as well as other locations where narcotics were being stored. This led to the arrests of at least eight drug traffickers, including owners and operators of narcotics mills, and the seizure of bulk quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, in addition to multiple firearms and ammunition that the traffickers possessed in connection with their drug businesses.
Below are photographs of certain of the narcotics mills that ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and their co-conspirators supplied with cutting agents and/or drug paraphernalia sold out of the Inwood smoke shop:
Fentanyl Seized from a Manhattan Narcotics Mill Searched on August 14, 2024
Fentanyl and Heroin Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on August 27, 2024
Fentanyl Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on September 11, 2024
Cocaine Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on September 16, 2024
Fentanyl Seized from a New Jersey Narcotics Mill on October 16, 2024
Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Three Loaded Firearms, and Ammunition Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on August 11, 2025
Following the defendants’ arrests, law enforcement searched the Inwood smoke shop and a storage unit next to the shop that was used by the defendants. Inside the storage unit, law enforcement found a room full of narcotics cutting agents and another room full of drug paraphernalia and equipment used to mix, press, and package narcotics, including three kilogram presses used to press narcotics powder into kilogram-sized bricks, numerous sifters, grinders, scales, and hundreds of thousands of glassine envelopes, small vials, and small plastic bags, all commonly used to package narcotics. Below are photographs of the room containing narcotics cutting agents:
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ALI, 41, a citizen of the United States and Yemen, and GARCIA DIAZ, 35, a citizen of Mexico, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Field Division.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie L. Dang is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Charlotte Men Are Charged with Using Their Vehicles to Assault, Resist, or Impede Federal Officers Conducting Immigration Enforcement OperationsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two men involved in separate incidents have been charged in federal court for allegedly using their vehicles to assault, resist, or impede federal officers conducting immigration enforcement operations in Charlotte, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Cristobal Maltos, 24, and Miguel Angel Garcia Martinez, 24, both of Charlotte, are each facing charges of felony assault, resist, or impede a federal officer. Maltos had his initial appearance in federal court today and was released on bond. Martinez’s initial court appearance was on Monday, and he remains in federal custody.
The U.S. Attorney made clear that these charges do not stem from the organized protests that have taken place in the Charlotte area: “Those who disagree with immigration enforcement actions have a right to peacefully protest, and I am proud that our citizens exercised their First Amendment rights without resorting to violence at organized protests over the weekend,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “I am also thankful to the law enforcement officers who were present to ensure everyone’s safety.”
“The charges against the defendants, however, allege acts of violence targeting law enforcement officers. As always, we will stand up for our law enforcement community and vigorously prosecute anyone who endangers them while they do their job,” U.S. Attorney Ferguson added.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint filed against Martinez, on November 16, 2025, federal law enforcement officers attempted to make contact with the defendant after his van was observed at two different locations where federal officers were conducting immigration related operations. The complaint alleges that as officers approached Martinez’s van, he fled the scene driving aggressively and a high rate of speed. Law enforcement used sirens and lights attempting to stop Martinez, but he allegedly continued to evade law enforcement, driving erratically and swerving in and out of traffic, crossing medians and sidewalks, and driving into oncoming traffic down North Tryon Street. Ultimately, Martinez rammed his van into a government vehicle that had its lights and sirens activated and was occupied by four federal officers. After striking the government vehicle, Martinez continued to flee until he was stopped and taken into custody.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint filed against Maltos, on Monday, November 17, 2025, federal officers with the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) were conducting an official operation when they observed a Black Honda Civic appearing to follow the agents. The federal officers attempted to make contact with the driver, later identified as Maltos. Maltos reversed his vehicle, and the officers did not pursue. According to allegations in the complaint, the federal officers observed Maltos had resumed following them. Shortly afterwards, five Border Patrol officers, dressed in their uniforms, asked the defendant to roll down his window. A Border Patrol officer leaned over the hood of the vehicle on the front driver’s side. The vehicle moved forward and struck the Border Patrol officer’s body with the driver’s side mirror. The vehicle then stopped and began to reverse slowly. Border Patrol officers removed Maltos from the vehicle and placed him under arrest.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is joined in making the announcement by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI.
The charges against the defendants are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tucson Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jason Felipe Gutierrez-Sandoval, 29, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 46 months prison to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Gutierrez-Sandoval pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and possession of firearms by a prohibited person.
In 2023, Gutierrez-Sandoval, the owner and operator of a local Tucson restaurant, delivered over 4,600 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 454.4 grams, to another person on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico. Investigators later arrested Gutierrez-Sandoval and searched his home with a warrant. He had in his possession twelve small baggies containing a pinkish-colored form of cocaine known as Lavada (weighing approximately 10.35 grams) and over $660 in cash. In a safe in Gutierrez-Sandoval’s residence, agents found a collection of firearms, ammunition, and magazines, along with a half kilogram of heroin. Some of the firearms were loaded, and one of the magazines was a circular .22 caliber drum magazine with a 70-round capacity, also fully loaded. Gutierrez-Sandoval is prohibited by law from possessing firearms.
As part of his sentence, Gutierrez-Sandoval was ordered to pay a money judgment in the amount of $2,500, equivalent to the sum of money that he obtained during the fentanyl transaction in 2023. The firearms, ammunition, and magazines also were seized and forfeited.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Tucson Police Department, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, as members of the Counter Narcotics Alliance, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, in Tucson, Arizona, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-01807-SHR-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-161_Gutierrez-Sandoval# # #
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.Tripoli Man Sentenced to over 38 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who sexually abused three children, and distributed, received, and possessed child pornography, was sentenced on November 14, 2025, to more than 38 years in federal prison. Austin Kingsbury, age 24, from Tripoli, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 20, 2025, guilty plea to distribution and possession of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that over many years, Kingsbury sexually abused three children. Kingsbury photographed himself sexually abusing one of the children. Kingsbury also distributed child pornography to multiple people in May 2023, and he downloaded child pornography between August 2022 and June 2023.
Kingsbury was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Kingsbury was sentenced to 460 months’ and 22 days’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $18,000 in restitution to victims in this case. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Kingsbury is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Tripoli Police Department, the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Anchorage, Alaska, Police Department, and the Alaska State Troopers Technical Crimes Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2049.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Three Sureño Street Gang Associates Charged with Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Three men associated with the Sureño street gang have been charged with felon in possession of a firearm after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) engaged in multiple undercover purchases of firearms and machine gun conversion devices.
Cesar Daniel Arevalo, 36, of Portland, Oregon and Jose Luis Brown Ceballos, 35, and Jose Luis Diaz Ceballos, 24, of Salem, Oregon, have been charged by criminal complaint with Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
According to court documents, from July 2025 through November 2025, ATF undercover agents engaged in multiple undercover purchase operations involving Arevalo and his associates. Undercover agents purchased a total of 15 firearms (four modified to machineguns), 58 machine gun conversion devices, and cocaine from Arevalo and his associates, including Diaz Ceballos.
On November 13, 2025, Arevalo, Brown Ceballos, Diaz Ceballos, and a juvenile conducted an armed protection of an undercover narcotics transaction in Salem. When the transaction was completed, the armed suspects were arrested by ATF agents. Four firearms were recovered from the scene.
The ATF and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Bockelman is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
Third Defendant Pleads Guilty for Fraudulently Obtaining Millions in Public Benefits and Laundering Proceeds to ChinaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brian R. Cleland, age 72, pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $46.4 million. Cleland is the third defendant to plead guilty in connection with this case, following the guilty pleas of Bruce Jin in January 2025 and Carlos A. Grijalva in May 2025. In April 2025, Cleland and Grijalva were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and other offenses, after charges were originally filed against all three defendants in August 2023.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cleland admitted that, from 2021 to early 2022, he, Grijalva, and Jin, along with other unnamed coconspirators, agreed to launder state unemployment compensation funds that they knew had been obtained through fraud. Cleland also admitted that he and the others entered into a series of agreements that made it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment while knowing that funds obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits.
Cleland also admitted to knowing that bank accounts of identity theft victims were unlawfully created and accessed across the United States and that fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts. Cleland also admitted to knowing that this fraudulent activity was being conducted by fraudsters located in China. Through this pattern of financial activity, tens of millions of dollars of fraudulent UC payments were issued to accounts by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department and other state treasuries around the United States.
Cleland also admitted that he and Grijalva then provided the bank account information of these identity theft victims to payment processing companies to generate ACH payments to accounts controlled by him and Grijalva. This bank account information, including account numbers and routing numbers, was from an individual in China, known in the superseding indictment as “COCONSPIRATOR 2.”
Cleland admitted that he and Grijalva transferred over $46 million through this pattern of unlawful activity and that he and Grijalva discussed, on a number of occasions, that the supposed sale of COVID-19-related PPE would be their cover story for it. They also used code language to hide the true nature of their financial activity. For example, they used the term “call center” to refer to the people conducting the fraudulent activity from China and “product” to refer to the fraudulent commercial activity that they conducted with those overseas criminal actors.
After that, Cleland and Grijalva, using a number of different bank accounts, transferred over $30 million to companies controlled by Bruce Jin, as well as transferring additional funds to an individual known as “COCONSPIRATOR 1” in the superseding indictment. Cleland admitted that he and Grijalva made transfers to Jin knowing that Jin would, in turn, transfer at least a portion of these funds to parties located in China.
Cleland also admitted that he and Grijalva each made an estimated $2.2 million dollars in personal profit from the scheme. Together, their profit represents approximately 10% of the funds that they were responsible for transferring.
Cleland agreed to certain property forfeitures as part of his plea agreement, including approximately $46.4 million in US currency, as well as the contents of several bank accounts and real properties located in Hawaii and California that were purchased using funds traceable to the charged offenses. One of these properties, located in California, was purchased in the name of one of Grijalva’s family members.
All three named defendants are now scheduled to be sentenced in 2026.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe and Trial Attorney Patrick B. Gushue of the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section, Bank Integrity Unit, are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney General previously established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Tennessee Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Coercing Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Terron Slatton, 26.
According to information presented to the Court, in late December 2022, Slatton used a messaging application to contact and persuade and entice a 10-year-old girl from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to engage in sexual activity. During their subsequent online conversations, Slatton discussed sex with the child and solicited the minor to send him sexually explicit images of herself. Slatton then suggested they meet in person to engage in sex. Slatton was arrested at his residence in Tennessee following the issuance of federal arrest and search warrants.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations–Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Slatton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Teen Shooter Arrested and Charged for October 2025 Shooting at Howard University’s HomecomingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kaevaughn Dudley, 17, of the District, was arrested November 14, 2025, and charged in a criminal complaint with twenty counts for the shooting at a Howard University Homecoming event on October 24, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Dudley appeared before Superior Court Judge Danya A. Dayson on Saturday and is charged with five counts each of assault with intent to murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for each of the five victims who were struck by gunfire. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for December 18, 2025.
According to the the arrest warrant, at approximately 8:22 p.m. on October 24, 2025, as people gathered for Howard University Homecoming in the 600 block of Howard Place, NW, a group of nine males, dressed in black clothing, some wearing black face masks, were observed walking in the area. The larger group encountered a smaller group of individuals, including a 13-year-old victim and his friends, who were also walking in the area. While walking, the larger group yelled to the victim’s group, “What’s up with y’all?” to which the victim’s group responded “Nothing” and continued to walk toward Georgia Avenue, NW. Shortly after, surveillance shows the defendant walking several paces away from the victim’s group and firing several shots at the group using a hand gun. Dudley shot five victims, including the 13-year-old. Metropolitan Police Department officers were already detailed in the area because of the homecoming event and responded to the scene immediately after hearing the gunshots.
Police located the five victims who were taken to nearby hospitals and each treated for gunshot wounds. One victim is a Morgan State University student, who is paralyzed from the chest down as a result of the shooting. Officers located three handguns at the scene including a privately made firearm Polymer 80, a Smith and Wesson SD9 2.0, 9mm handgun, and a Glock 19 9mm handgun. They also found a .40 caliber bullet and eight cartridge casings.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood and Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Metro Transit Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel Hampton.
A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
2025 CF1 015455
St. Francis Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota woman convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on October 20, 2025.
Jordan Fast Horse, age 24, was sentenced to 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.
Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. She pleaded guilty on July 23, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in August of 2024, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On the day in question, Fast Horse was arrested by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Officers and charged with child abuse and transported by an officer to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. While she was completing intake processing at the Adult Correctional Facility, Fast Horse kicked the leg of one corrections officer and slapped a second corrections officer across the face.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
South Berwick Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Berwick woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to theft of government money.
According to court records, Cori Godin, 46, falsely claimed to be unemployed in order to receive unemployment insurance benefits, including federally funded benefits intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment insurance is a joint state and federal program that provides monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. Payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in about March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded unemployment insurance eligibility and benefits. For a period of approximately 13 months in 2020 and 2021, Godin falsely claimed to be unemployed in order to receive benefits. She received approximately $37,105 in benefits.
Godin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of three years. She 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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
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Sioux Falls Teacher Sentenced to over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ronald A. Parsons, Jr. announced today that United States District Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a former middle school teacher from Sioux Falls, South Dakota convicted of four counts of Production of Child Pornography, three counts of Attempted Production of Child Pornography, and one count of Transfer of Obscene Materials to a Minor. The sentencing took place on October 14, 2025.
Justin Preuschl, age 29, was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison, 7 years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $1,000, a special assessment of $1,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Act of 2018, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $800. Upon release from federal prison, Preuschl must register as a sex offender.
Preuschl was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 15, 2025.
Between 2022 and 2024, Preuschl created multiple social media personas posing as a teenage boy. Using his personas on SnapChat and TikTok, Preuschl targeted and sexually groomed over 20 young teenage and preteen girls and convinced several of them to produce for him child sexual abuse materials. The victims included some of his own students, ages 13-15 years old, while he was a teacher at Whittier Middle School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Division of Criminal Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Preuschl was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Nearly 3 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 20, 2025.
Jacob Henry Leroy, 22, was sentenced to two 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.
Henry was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025.
On November 14, 2024, law enforcement arrested Leroy and found him in possession of a .38 Special Caliber, double-action revolver, inside his pant leg. Officers also found methamphetamine in Leroy’s pocket and sock. Leroy is prohibited from possessing the firearm because he has a prior felony conviction and because he was, at the time, a drug user.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.
Leroy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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.
Sioux Falls Man Convicted in Federal Trial of Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Elizeo Kalimba, age 33, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a 4-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 24, 2025.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to life in prison and/or a $10 million dollar fine, up to a lifetime term on supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. There is a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for the Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl charge and a mandatory minimum of sentence of 5 years for the Possession With Intent to Distribute Fentanyl charge.
Kalimba worked with another individual to obtain thousands of fentanyl pills from Arizona that he then distributed in Sioux Falls. Members of the Sioux Falls Police department used a confidential informant to conduct two controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Kalimba and then executed a search warrant at his home that led to the discovery of approximately 3,900 pills in his home. Investigators believe that Kalimba was responsible for trafficking over 10,000 fentanyl pills.
Kalimba was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota DCI, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for February 9, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Significant Case Activities During ShutdownRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announces actions taken during the recent lapse in appropriations when public affairs functions at the U.S. Attorney’s Office were significantly curtailed. This press release contains just a few examples of indictments, trial verdicts, and sentences that took place from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025.
“I extend my gratitude to the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office who have remained on duty throughout this government shutdown,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Many employees continued the unseen daily work that protects our communities. And those who were not permitted to work eagerly sought a return to service. Their steadfast commitment under challenging conditions exemplifies true public service.”
Sentences
Dakota Jeremiah Pevino, aka Dakota Jeremiah Viggiano, 37, of Sacramento, was sentenced on Oct. 21, to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. In 2022, Pevino took explicit photographs of a minor and distributed them along with video recordings of child sexual abuse. Pevino pleaded guilty on Aug. 20, 2024. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Druv Sharma and Kevin Khasigian prosecuted the case. The FBI is still seeking to identify potential victims of Pevino. Anyone with relevant information is asked to email the FBI at [email protected].
Andrew Michael Alonso, 36, of Fresno, was sentenced on Oct. 27, to 35 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and committing a felony offense involving a minor while being a registered sex offender, in addition to being on California parole supervision with GPS location monitoring. In 2021, Alonso repeatedly asked a 13-year-old victim to create and send to him images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.
On Nov. 10, Jamaine Barnes, 43, of Stockton, was sentenced to 31 years in prison for running a continuing criminal enterprise and related drug trafficking, firearms, and international money laundering offenses. Barnes was the lead defendant of a large organization who for years brought in fentanyl and other opioids from China, pressed them into counterfeit prescription pills, and sold them throughout Stockton, Sacramento, and elsewhere. He also made and sold meth-laced pills made to look like ecstasy pills. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Spencer prosecuted the case.
Trial Verdicts
On Oct. 15, a jury found Ranvir Singh, 42, of Sacramento, guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and ketamine and one count of distribution of cocaine. According to court documents, in April 2021, Singh and two others were indicted for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization based in Sacramento and extending to the greater Toronto Area in Canada. Between October 2020 and March 2021, they arranged multiple kilogram-level drug deals with a Canadian undercover officer, both in Canada and California, using encrypted applications on their cellphones. Singh faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer and Haddy Abouzeid are prosecuting the case.
On Oct. 30, a jury found Christopher Guilford, 54, formerly of Sacramento, guilty of one count of making a false claim against the United States and eight counts of filing a false tax return. Guilford had filed nine false tax returns with the IRS in which he reported false income and false tax withholdings. For one of the tax return filings, Guilford received a refund of $1,172,446. The charges against Guilford stem from his use of a convoluted “redemption” scheme, used by tax protestors and sovereign citizens that has been repeatedly rejected by the courts. For the one count of making a false claim against the United States, Guilford faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. For each of the eight counts of filing a false tax return, Guilford faces a maximum statutory sentence of three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Gunter and Arelis Clemente are prosecuting the case.
On Oct. 31, a jury found Stanislav Yelizarov, 35, guilty of threatening the family of a federal law enforcement officer during a recorded telephone call he placed while an inmate in U.S. Penitentiary, Atwater. According to evidence presented at trial, Yelizarov threatened to kill the “whole family” of a federal law enforcement office in Maryland during a phone call to his mother and in threatening letters sent to the victim. Yelizarov faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Joshua Banister are prosecuting the case.
Indictments
On Oct. 2, Anibal Hernandez Santana, 63, of Sacramento, was indicted for incidents involving the discharge and possession of a firearm. On Sept. 18, 2025, Santana allegedly discharged a 9 mm handgun within 1,000 feet of the grounds of a high school and an elementary school. On Sept. 19, 2025, while standing on the sidewalk around the block from the KXTV/ABC 10 station, in front of 2555 3rd Street, Hernandez Santana fired into the air in the direction of the station. He then drove to the front of the station and fired three shots directly into the building’s lobby. No one was injured. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Santana is also facing state charges. His next federal appearance, a status conference, is scheduled for June 1, 2026. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting the case.
On Oct. 23, Fresno restaurant operator Robert “Bobby” Salazar, 63, was charged in two indictments. The first indictment charges Salazar, Thomas Qualls, 40, and Shylo Badiali, 43, with engaging in a scheme to defraud an insurance company by setting fire to a commercial property. On April 2, 2024, a fire broke out at the vacant Bobby Salazar’s restaurant on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno. According to court documents, Salazar’s hired Qualls and Badiali to set the fire and then claimed to his insurance company that he had nothing to do with the arson. He was ultimately paid out more than $900,000 for his insurance claim. The second indictment charges Salazar with possession of a handgun with an obliterated serial number that was found during the execution of a search warrant at Salazar’s residence. A status conference is scheduled for the three defendants on Jan. 21, 2026. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Brittany Gunter are prosecuting the case.
The charges in an indictment are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
San Diego Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $8.5 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Ping “Jenny” Gao, a resident of Point Loma, has pleaded guilty in federal court, admitting that she embezzled more than $8.5 million from her employer by draining four bank accounts belonging to his U.S. companies.
According to her plea agreement, Gao funneled company funds into accounts she fraudulently created and then went on a spending spree, buying a $160,000 Porsche and a $2.9 million home with views overlooking San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline.
When her employer discovered the theft and sued in San Diego Superior Court, Gao falsely claimed her actions were authorized by the real owner of the companies in China and the person who sued her was an “imposter.” To support this false defense, Gao paid more than $100,000 of embezzled funds to people in China to fabricate evidence, which she then knowingly filed with the Superior Court to oppose a motion for a preliminary injunction. Gao also committed perjury at her deposition in the civil matter by claiming the funds in the companies’ bank accounts belonged to her.
Though the Superior Court issued multiple orders barring Gao from further spending, transferring, or dissipating the proceeds during the pendency of the civil case, Gao disregarded the orders and continued to make transactions with the embezzled proceeds. Those transactions included wiring $1.6 million overseas to a bank account in Hong Kong, China.
In September 2023, the civil case went to trial and Gao testified in her defense. Gao committed perjury again by claiming the funds were from her investments in China. She also falsely claimed that one of the managers of the companies was helping to move her funds into the United States using “underground banks” to avoid Chinese laws limiting overseas transfers.
The Superior Court ultimately ruled against Gao and converted the preliminary injunction into a permanent injunction. Despite the permanent injunction, Gao continued to dissipate proceeds in violation of court order. This included selling the $160,000 Porsche to CarMax for $75,000 and exchanging a $70,000 cashier’s check from proceeds of that transaction with another individual for cash.
According to her plea agreement, Gao admitted that she transferred more than $1 million of the embezzled funds to her personal bank accounts and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxuries and at high-end fashion stores. There is also more than $3.29 million of embezzled funds that were squandered or remain unaccounted for to date.
This plea hearing took place on November 13, 2025. This press release was slightly delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-CR-2380-JES
Ping Gao, aka Jenny Gao, Gao Ping Age: 55 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater
Concealment Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Rossiter Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Throwing Homemade Explosive Device at Estranged Wife’s ResidenceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Rossiter, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 97 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of possession of a destructive device, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Roam L. Beer, 51.
Beer was convicted of the offense at the conclusion of a jury trial on August 7, 2025. The evidence presented during the day-and-a-half trial established that, on January 5, 2024, Beer threw an ignited homemade explosive device, which had been weaponized with steel shot, at the side of the residence of his estranged wife, who was in the room immediately inside the wall of the house where Beer threw the device, but was uninjured in the incident.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Fischer spoke of Beer’s lengthy criminal history, during which Beer “moved from threats to making bombs,” and described Beer’s offense in this case as “a very dangerous act warranting a serious penalty.”
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Kensington Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Beer.
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.
Romanian national sentenced to prison for bank fraud crime related to ATM skimmingRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Romanian national was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati today to 12 months and one day in prison a federal crime related to ATM skimming.
According to court documents, Danut Valentin Urseiu, 32, conspired with others to commit bank fraud in the Southern District of Ohio in January and February 2023.
Urseiu conspired with others to place skimming devices onto a financial institution’s ATMs in the greater Cincinnati area, including in Cincinnati, Green Township and Liberty Township.
Co-conspirators used the fraudulent access devices to steal information from cardholders and defraud financial institutions.
The financial institution reported that multiple ATM locations were victimized during the timeframe Urseiu and his co-conspirators were operating in the Southern District of Ohio.
Fingerprints on cameras placed with the skimming devices in Ohio matched Urseiu’s prints from arrests in New York and Michigan.
Urseiu’s cell phones contained photos of ATM skimming devices, recording devices and large amounts of cash.
Urseiu pleaded guilty in May 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is representing the United States in this case.
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Raytown Man Sentenced for Possessing Machine GunsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing and transferring two machine gun conversion devices.
Darius R. Harris, also known as “D” and “D2,” 23, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, to twenty-one months in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing and transferring machine guns. That sentence was ordered to be served consecutively, or in addition to a seven-year, state sentence that Harris is serving for assault in the first degree.
On Oct. 30, 2023, Harris sold a silver, Glock-type switch to an undercover agent for $350. On Nov. 9, 2023, Harris sold a Glock 9mm handgun, Glock-type switch, extended magazine and twenty-three rounds of ammunition to an undercover agent for $960.
On Sept. 24, 2025, Harris’ brother, Demetrius Harris, also known as “Meech,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs, to two and a half years in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing and transferring machine guns. On Jan. 24, 2024, Demetrius Harris sold an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, multi-caliber firearm containing an AR-type machine gun conversion device, two AR-type machine gun conversion devices and ammunition to an undercover agent for $1,060.
Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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).
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 1, 2025.
Tyler Schmidt, 31, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Schmidt was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pleaded guilty on July 11, 2025.
Between October 2021 and November 2024, Schmidt and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Rapid City, SD, area. Schmidt routinely traveled to other states to purchase multiple pounds of methamphetamine at a time. Schmidt would then transport the methamphetamine into South Dakota and work with others to sell the methamphetamine in Rapid City. Law enforcement seized over eight pounds of methamphetamine during the investigation.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard Counter Drug Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Schmidt was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Registered Sex Offender from Honduras Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United States by a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Kevin Noel Ochoa Venegas (a/k/a Kevin Noel Ochoa-Venegas, a/k/a Kevin Noel Banegas Banegas, a/k/a Kevin Noel Banegas, a/k/a Kevin Banegas, a/k/a Kevin Noel Banega), 32, a citizen of Honduras, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry of a removed alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This criminal alien has demonstrated a brazen disregard for our national immigration laws, as evidenced by his repeated deportations and illegal returns to our country. He has also clearly shown he is a threat to our communities while unlawfully present here through his other criminal acts, including his commission of a sex offense. Thanks to the outstanding work of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, this criminal alien sex offender has been removed from our streets. My office stands ready to aggressively prosecute offenders like this to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the criminal aliens who mistakenly believe they can violate our national and state laws with impunity.”
Court documents reflect that on April 11, 2025, the defendant was arrested in Bay County, Florida, for driving without a valid license. Law enforcement determined that the defendant was a citizen of Honduras who was illegally present in the United States. An investigation revealed that the defendant was previously removed from the United States in 2016, and again in 2021 after he was convicted for a sex crime that required him to register sex offender. The defendant did not apply for or receive permission to reenter the United States since his last removal from the United States in 2021.
The defendant faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, and up to three years of supervision upon his release. An ICE detainer has been lodged against the defendant, and he will begin deportation proceedings after he serves his term of federal prison.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay 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 Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 5, 2025, at 3:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
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 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.
Portland Man Charged with Trespassing on Federal Property, Failing to Obey a Lawful Order, and Obstructing Federal PropertyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man made his initial appearance yesterday in federal court after trespassing on the grounds of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, failing to obey a lawful order, and obstructing federal property.
Christopher Griffin, 37, has been charged by information with Failing to Obey a Lawful Order, Obstructing Federal Property, and Trespassing on Federal Property.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2025, Griffin entered the grounds of the ICE building in Portland. Griffin remained on the grounds, failing to comply with the lawful direction of federal officers and was arrested. Griffin was also charged with failing to comply with an officer’s orders to leave the premises on October 22, 2025, and for obstructing the use and access to federal property on November 14, 2025.
Griffin made his first appearance in federal court yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered released pending further court proceedings. As part of his release conditions, Griffin was ordered to stay away from the ICE building.
The Federal Protective Service is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pascua Yaqui Tribal Member Sentenced to 10 Years Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Richard Alex Buitimea, 35, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, was sentenced last week by United States District Court Judge James A. Soto to 10 years in prison following a conviction for one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
According to evidence presented during trial, authorities were alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a Google Drive account belonging to Buitimea contained possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Acting on this tip, agents with the FBI obtained a search warrant for Buitimea’s account and discovered over 1,000 images and 21 videos of CSAM.
The FBI and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department executed a search warrant of Buitimea’s two residences located on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation. During searches of Buitimea’s residences, agents determined that the primary target smartphone of the investigation had been recently smashed, and factory reset, thereby preventing forensic review. Nevertheless, analysis of the Google Drive account established that Buitimea remained actively engaged with the account, which contained CSAM, throughout the period of the upload and retention of CSAM to the account.
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 www.justice.gov/psc.Agents with the FBI’s Tucson Division partnered with the Pascua Yaqui Police Department in handling the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Tucson, handled the prosecution along with a Special Assistant United States Attorney from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
CASE NUMBER: 23-CR-01973-JAS-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-162_Buitimea# # #
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.
Pensacola Felon Pleads Guilty to Narcotics and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Malcolm Terrell Louis, 39, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This successful prosecution is the result of the outstanding investigative work by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners who are committed to ending the flow of drugs and violence plaguing our communities. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these repeat offenders as we fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from violent drug traffickers and career criminals who have terrorized our streets for far too long.”
Court documents reflect that in December of 2024, law enforcement located an unattended, parked vehicle that was left running at a housing complex in Pensacola. Law enforcement could see multiple bags of narcotics and a firearm in the vehicle. The defendant’s fingerprints were located on the vehicle and on one of the bags containing methamphetamine and cocaine. Law enforcement later executed a search warrant at a residence in Pensacola. The defendant was present at the residence, and was found to be in possession of narcotics, including methamphetamine and cocaine, and firearms. The defendant is a multi-time convicted felon.
The defendant faces up to life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2026, at 10:00am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
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 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
Owner of Chelsea Painting Business Charged with Tax Evasion and COVID-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a painting company in Chelsea has been arrested and charged in connection with a five-year scheme to evade over $2.3 million in federal income taxes and with fraudulently obtaining $377,500 in COVID-19 loans.
Helcio Sperandio, 52, of Chelsea, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on charges of filing false tax returns, tax evasion and wire fraud. The defendant was arrested today and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. this afternoon.
According to the charging document, Sperandio owned and operated Aquarelle Painting & Services (Aquarelle). It is alleged that, from 2018 through at least 2022, Sperandio cashed hundreds of customer payment checks instead of depositing them into his business bank accounts. When tax time came, Sperandio allegedly gave his tax preparer Aquarelle’s bank statements, but he did not disclose information about the payment checks that he cashed. Using this information, the preparer filed Sperandio’s corporate and individual tax returns, unwittingly underreporting Sperandio’s income and allowing him to evade $2,309,466 in federal income tax.
It is further alleged that when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Sperandio obtained a $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) by providing false revenue numbers and falsely certifying that he was not engaged in any illegal activity, even though he was activity defrauding the U.S. Treasury. Later, Sperandio allegedly obtained an additional $277,500 from the SBA as a loan increase and used some of the money to start a new real estate company, a purpose prohibited under the EIDL program.
The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the monetary gain or loss, whichever is more, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Oregon Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Offense Related to Illegal Sexual Activity with Connecticut MinorRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CANYON BEASLEY, 22, of Gresham, Oregon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for a child exploitation offense involving his engaging in an online relationship and unlawful sexual activity with a minor in Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately January 2023, Beasley began communicating with a minor victim in Connecticut primarily through text messaging and Snapchat. In July 2023, he began requesting sexually explicit images and videos from the minor victim. In August 2023, he learned that the minor victim was 13 years old. For more than a year, Beasley and the minor victim exchanged sexually explicit images through these online platforms. In June 2024, Beasley traveled to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim and recorded the sexual activity using his phone.
Beasley was arrested on September 30, 2024. On April 25, 2025, he pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography.
Beasley, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 28.
Beasley pleaded guilty in Connecticut state court to a related charge and is awaiting sentencing in that matter.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Cheshire Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
One-time Seattle resident sentenced to 30 years in prison for scheme to kidnap children in Vietnam and sexually abuse themRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old former Seattle resident was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse imagery in his scheme to get images of sexually abused children from a coconspirator in Vietnam, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Richard Stanley Maness Jr. was convicted in August 2025 of two federal felonies following a three-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones focused on the 4 and 7-year-old children sexually abused at Maness’ direction saying, “These victims were not candy in a dish for you to take out the one you liked…. In the mind of that 7-year-old you were a monster directing the pain she suffered.”
“In recommending this 30-year-prison sentence, our office is doing everything it can to protect innocent children here and overseas. Mr. Maness remains a danger, unable to accept the harm he has done,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Instead, he insists he is the victim, but the jury and the judge saw through Maness’s fabricated claims of innocence.”
According to records filed in the case, law enforcement in Vietnam rescued two young children who had been kidnapped off the street in April 2024. The mother of the two sisters was distraught when she could not find them. The young girls were taken to an Airbnb by Maness’ female coconspirator. Records showed Maness rented the apartment. Messages between Manness and the coconspirator documented him directing sexual abuse of a child as young as 6-years-old. The coconspirator sent the images of the child sexual abuse to Maness over the internet. Maness had plans to travel to Vietnam for further child sexual abuse. Maness was arrested in a Seattle apartment after detectives in Vietnam contacted Homeland Security Investigations with information about the child kidnapping and abuse. Maness has remained in federal custody since his arrest on August 28, 2024.
Maness was convicted of conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse material and production of child sexual abuse material.
In asking for the 30-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “What Maness did was monstrous. And that he refuses to accept responsibility and clings to a preposterous and wholly incredible story to justify his claims of innocence is beyond the pale. The threat he poses to children is thus grave, particularly given his unwillingness to admit that his sexual interest in children led him to perpetrate unspeakable harm. Lengthy incapacitation through imprisonment and close supervision for the remainder of his life once released must be the order of the day.” Judge Jones sentenced Maness to 20 years of supervised release following the prison term.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in cooperation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided crucial assistance in obtaining evidence overseas.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Hampton and Cecelia Gregson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Douglas Lee Brown, also known as “Wiggles,” 56, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced on November 17, 2025, to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Brown on domestic battery and wanton endangerment warrants in Huntington and found he possessed a loaded Taurus model G2C 9mm pistol in his waistband. Officers determined the firearm was reported stolen.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Brown knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for burglary in Franklin County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court on November 15, 2012.
Brown has a long criminal history and was on a term of supervision as a result of the burglary conviction at the time of the current offense.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-168.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced an Ohio man to 16 years in prison for inducing a Missouri teen to send him nude images and videos.
Joseph Bauer, 27, of Cleveland, met a 14-year-old girl via an online social media app in roughly August of 2021.The two communicated regularly online until July 2023. In numerous chat messages Bauer told the victim to send him nude pictures of herself. He also discussed plans for her to leave her family and live with him. In July of 2023, the victim was in Ohio with family. Bauer picked her up and took her to his home. She was found later the same day by police.
Bauer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in August St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography
The Morrow County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office, the Cleveland Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Charles County Cyber Crimes Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards 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 the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
John Mangan, 79, of Lanoka Harbor, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On October 29, 2024, agents with Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence in Lanoka Harbor and discovered an electronic device containing over 250 images of children being sexually abused. Mangan was previously convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, including: (i) a New Jersey conviction for sexual assault against a minor, for conduct that occurred while Mangan was a school principal; and (ii) a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Mangan to a five-year term of supervised release and to pay restitution to his victims.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Defense counsel: Suzanne Axel, Hackensack, New Jersey.
Nurse Anesthetist Pleads Guilty to Stealing Fentanyl from Dubuque HospitalRead the Press Release
A man who was a certified nurse anesthetist working in a Dubuque hospital in January 2022 and stole fentanyl pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Benjamin K. Albert, age 53, from Round Lake, Illinois, was convicted of three counts of acquiring fentanyl through fraud.
In a plea agreement, Albert admitted that he worked at a Dubuque hospital as a certified registered nurse anesthetist from January 13, 2022, through January 27, 2022. A certified registered nurse anesthetist administers anesthesia and provides pain management to individuals undergoing surgical procedures. Over the five days that he worked, Albert administered fentanyl to 18 patients. Albert admitted that on each day he worked, he acquired fentanyl from the hospital by drawing extra fentanyl from the hospital pharmacy in a patient’s name. Albert then only administered a portion of the fentanyl to the patient. He stole the rest for his own use. Several of Albert’s patients who he charted as having received appropriate dosing of fentanyl exhibited signs of feeling significant pain during surgery.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Albert remains free on release pending sentencing. For each count, Albert faces a possible maximum sentence of four years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release following any imprisonment. As part of sentencing, Albert has agreed to forfeit his Iowa nursing license to the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Timothy Vavricek and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Investigative Division of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1045.
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New York Pair Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Possess, Distribute Some 40 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Vanessa Velez, 51, and Felix Mendez, 44, both of New York, New York, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage for conspiring to possess and distribute bulk amounts of powder cocaine shipped from El Paso, Texas, to Philadelphia.
Velez was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000, and Mendez to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000.
The defendants were charged by indictment in January of this year. In August, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine, and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine.
As detailed in court filings, Velez and Mendez traveled together to Philadelphia with a duffel bag containing approximately $325,000 in U.S. currency. On October 29, 2024, in a South Philadelphia parking lot, they exchanged the cash-filled bag for two other duffel bags, which they believed contained cocaine. The defendants then drove away.
Shortly thereafter, Philadelphia police stopped the defendants’ Range Rover in the area of 59 E. Oregon Avenue. Both Mendez and Velez were detained, and investigators recovered the two bags containing the “sham” kilograms of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Philadelphia Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.
New York Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Selling Counterfeit Xanax on Dark WebRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a man who sold counterfeit Xanax on the dark web, both before and after he was indicted for doing so, to 54 months in prison.
“I hope you understand that you put people’s lives at risk,” Judge Fleissig told John Cruz.
Cruz, 31, of Rochester, N.Y., pleaded guilty on two occasions in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to misbrand, introduce misbranded drugs and sell counterfeit drugs: Nov. 29, 2023, and July 1, 2024. Cruz admitted purchasing counterfeit Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, on the darknet and then reselling it from at least October 2019 through May 2021. He also admitted that while he was out on bond after his 2023 guilty plea, he operated a darknet website where he offered four different types of counterfeit/misbranded pills.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware, in court Tuesday, said Cruz’ continued sale of the drugs demonstrated “arrogance,” a “lack of remorse” and “deliberate anti-social behavior.”
Investigators seized $145,502 from an account Cruz held in the cryptocurrency Monero, representing the proceeds of his illegal pill sales. Cruz has agreed to forfeit the Monero.
“Any medication purchased online should be considered suspicious,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “More often than not, those selling these drugs, including repeat offender John Cruz, are fully aware that the product their pushing is counterfeit and often laced with fentanyl. Cruz is a threat not only to our St. Louis communities, but to anyone who has a computer and access to the dark web. Let today’s sentencing serve as a reminder that prescription medications should only be filled by a licensed pharmacist, not bought online from unknown and unreliable sources.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate those utilizing the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including the distribution of narcotics. Today’s sentencing reflects the diligent investigative work by Postal Inspectors, and our law enforcement partners,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Ware and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.