Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 8 September 2025
Luzerne County Man Sentenced on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Joseph Nieves, age 32, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 4, 2025, to 105 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. for possession with intent to distribute five grams of fentanyl.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in October of 2024, members of the Pittston City Police Department used a confidential informant to purchase fentanyl from Nieves on multiple occasions. On November 1, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Nieves’ home and seized fentanyl, drug trafficking paraphernalia, $1,274 in cash, and body armor from the residence. This is Nieves’ fifth drug trafficking conviction.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittston City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
# # #
Lowndes County Woman Sentenced in Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking and Gun Possession CaseRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Lowndes County woman was sentenced today to over 12 years in prison for distributing drugs and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, Jaquelyne Leiataua, of Columbus, Mississippi pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crimes. Leiataua was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson on Monday to 85 months in prison for the illegal drug charges and 60 months on the firearm charges to run consecutively. She was further sentenced to three years supervised release following her release from prison.
“There are consequences for bringing deadly narcotics into our community and for using firearms to protect that illegal trade,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud to stand with our partners at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, DEA, and ATF in protecting our citizens from dangerous narcotics and from those that sell them.”
“Thanks to strong partnerships with state and federal law enforcement partners and thorough investigative efforts, our community is safer with the removal of dangerous drugs and dealers from our streets,” stated Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins. “Methamphetamine is a substance that devastates individuals and families; those who traffic and sell this poison are contributing to death and destruction. This situation highlights the significance of collaboration in law enforcement. Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we have successfully prosecuted these offenders and kept them off the streets.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.
This investigation and resulting case are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Los Angeles couple charged with drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Tevin Williams, 31, and Zakyia Williams, 25, both of Sherman Oaks, California, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGrath, who handled the case, stated that according to the complaint, in December 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Tevin Williams and the associates in his drug trafficking organization. Since December 2021, and March 2023, the organization has distributed large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Rochester area and elsewhere. Williams resides in Sherman Oaks, California with his girlfriend and co-defendant Zakyia Williams. The two shipped drug parcels through the United States Postal Service to co-conspirators in the Rochester area. Fentanyl is distributed in the form of pressed pills, which bear markings resembling 30mg Percocet pills, known as fake “Perc 30s.” Subsequent investigation determined that Tevin Williams also traveled to Rochester regularly to resupply his co-conspirators.
Between February and August of 2022, investigators conducted eight controlled purchases of fentanyl from Tevin Williams and his associates. In December 2022, investigators intercepted a package containing approximately 800 grams of cocaine addressed to a residence in Webster, NY, associated with the drug trafficking organization. The cocaine was replaced with sham and a controlled delivery of the package was conducted. Once the package was delivered and subsequently opened, a search warrant was executed at the residence. No narcotics were seized but investigators did recover drug trafficking paraphernalia. In January 2023, another package was intercepted, which contained approximately 718 grams of cocaine and 555 grams of blue pills containing suspected fentanyl. In March 2023, a third package was intercepted, which contained approximately one kilogram of fentanyl pills.
The defendants made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and were detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward. The defendants fled to Trinidad and Tobago after being charged and were located and apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Lieutenant in Sinaloa and Beltran-Leyva Cartels Detained in Atlanta After Years of Hiding in MexicoRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Roberto Lopez, a/k/a Shrek, a/k/a NWA, was arraigned and detained in federal court on Friday following his transfer from Mexico to face federal charges of cocaine importation and distribution and money laundering. Lopez, who was hiding in Mexico for more than a decade before his capture, allegedly smuggled hundreds of machineguns and assault weapons and helped manage a vast cocaine smuggling network in support of high-level cartel leaders.
“Lopez allegedly moved tons of cocaine and millions of dollars through Atlanta and other cities while supplying machineguns and other tools of war to fuel cartel bloodshed in Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Though it took years to find and arrest him, he will now finally be held accountable for his crimes.”
“This violent cartel member is part of a ruthless criminal network that profits from drugs, guns, and bloodshed,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will not stop until every member of these organizations is taken off of our streets.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In the early 2000s, Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a “La Barbie,” was an infamous and ruthless enforcer for the Sinaloa and Beltran-Leyva Cartels in their war against the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas. Valdez also partnered with U.S.-based trucking businessman Carlos Montemayor to operate a distribution network that moved up to 300 kilograms of cocaine per week to Atlanta, Memphis, and other cities while smuggling cash back to Mexico in shipments carrying no less than $1 million per load. In just a six-month period, the organization distributed 1,500 kilograms of cocaine in Atlanta alone.
In 2018, a federal judge in Atlanta sentenced Valdez to 49 years and one month in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. In 2019, Montemayor was sentenced to 34 years and three months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Lopez is alleged to have been the primary lieutenant for Valdez and Montemayor’s network, handling various logistics, including payments to truck drivers and stash house operators and the repackaging and transportation of money over the border. Lopez is also alleged to have been in charge of supplying weapons and other equipment to the cartels, obtaining high-powered rifles, silencers, ammunition, magazines, night vision goggles, ballistic vests, helmets, and other gear in the United States and smuggling them into Mexico. He also allegedly developed skills to convert semiautomatic rifles to function as fully automatic machineguns and manufactured silencers for handguns. He is estimated to have smuggled over 1,000 rifles, 100-200 converted machineguns, and over 1,000 magazines and ammunition drums into Mexico from the United States. As part of the cartel’s intimidation campaign and reign of terror, Lopez is also alleged to have played a critical role in distributing a video of the assassination of one of Valdez’s rivals to media and law enforcement in the United States and Mexico.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker detained Lopez, 45, of Texas, on Friday after he pled not guilty to charges of conspiring to import, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute cocaine; possessing cocaine with intent to distribute; distributing cocaine; and conspiring to commit money laundering. A federal grand jury indicted Lopez for those crimes on December 15, 2009, nearly 16 years ago. Lopez faces a statutory maximum of life imprisonment for each of the drug counts and up to 20 years of imprisonment for the money laundering count.
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.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Elizabeth M. Hathaway are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood
This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Laboratory CEO, Marketers, and Physicians to Pay over $6M to Settle Allegations of Management Service Organization and other Lab Testing KickbacksRead the Press Release
One-time laboratory CEO Christopher Grottenthaler, formerly of Frisco, Texas, has agreed to pay $4.25 million to resolve False Claims Act litigation with the United States alleging illegal payments to doctors for laboratory referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Two physicians — Hong Davis, M.D., of Plano, Texas, and Elizabeth Seymour, M.D., of Denton, Texas — and seven marketers — Courtney Love, of Dallas, Texas, Stephen Kash, of Winnie, Texas, Laura Howard, of Lucas, Texas, Jeffrey Parnell, of Tyler, Texas, Stanley Jones, of San Antonio, Texas, Jordan Perkins, of Conroe, Texas, and Ruben Marioni, of Spring, Texas — have agreed to pay an additional $1,818,462 to settle the United States’ laboratory kickback allegations against them in the case. The settling parties have agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s investigations of, and litigation against, other participants in the alleged schemes. With these settlements, the Department of Justice has secured over $59 million in civil False Claims Act settlements for kickbacks to healthcare providers disguised as managed service organization (MSO) investment distributions, including recoveries from 50 physicians.
“The Department of Justice will continue to pursue and prioritize healthcare fraud, including redressing illegal kickbacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickbacks to doctors can undermine medical decision-making, subject patients to wasteful medical treatments, and squander taxpayer money.”
“These settlements reflect the firm commitment of the Eastern District of Texas to punish those who use fraudulent means to profit at the expense of federal healthcare programs funded by the hard-working taxpayers of the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “We will continue to pursue those who steal from federal healthcare programs through these types of schemes to pay improper kickbacks to providers.”
“Laboratory testing is an essential part of patient care, not a vehicle for greed and exploitation,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate kickback schemes and false claims made to federal healthcare programs.”
“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare benefit program for military members, retirees, and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of DCIS’s Southwest Field Office. “Decisions that prioritize financial gain over patient health erodes taxpayer trust and negatively affects military readiness. DCIS, alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue those who commit fraud and exploit this critical healthcare program.”
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs. It seeks to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.
Christopher Grottenthaler, the former Chief Executive Officer of True Health Diagnostics, LLC (True Health), a laboratory in Frisco, Texas, agreed to pay $4.25 million to resolve allegations that he caused false claims for laboratory testing to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from January 2015 to May 2018. Grottenthaler allegedly agreed to a kickback scheme in which marketers, including True Health’s own employees, offered and paid doctors kickbacks disguised as MSO distributions to induce the doctors’ laboratory testing referrals. Grottenthaler allegedly facilitated True Health’s continued participation in the MSO kickback scheme after receiving warnings that the marketers “are a powder keg waiting to explode on us” and that “people are gonna go to prison.” The settlement also resolves allegations that Grottenthaler arranged for True Health to pay kickbacks disguised as consulting fees, processing and handling fees, and waivers of copayments and deductibles, to induce laboratory testing referrals.
The settlement with Grottenthaler resolves certain allegations in a lawsuit originally filed by STF LLC under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The False Claims Act permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it did here with respect to Grottenthaler. STF LLC, whose members are Christopher Riedel and Felice Gersh, M.D., will receive a $148,750 share of the Grottenthaler settlement. The United States also added claims to the lawsuit against additional defendants and some of those are resolved in the settlements announced today. The lawsuit, which continues as to other defendants, is captioned United States, et al. ex rel. STF LLC v. True Health Diagnostics LLC et al., No. 4:16-cv-547 (E.D. Tex.).
The settlements announced today resolve the United States’ allegations in the lawsuit that two physicians took kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute from laboratory marketers’ purported MSOs in return for laboratory testing referrals. Dr. Hong Davis agreed to pay $124,627 to resolve allegations that from October 2015 to March 2017, she received thousands of dollars in payments from two purported MSOs, Ascend MSO of TX LLC (Ascend MSO) and Herculis MG LLC, in return for ordering laboratory tests from Little River Healthcare (Little River), a critical access hospital in Rockdale, Texas, and Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation (Boston Heart), a clinical laboratory in Framingham, Massachusetts. Dr. Elizabeth Seymour agreed to pay $234,215 to resolve allegations that from April 2016 to January 2018, she received thousands of dollars in payments from two purported MSOs, Ascend MSO and Eridanus MG LLC, in return for ordering laboratory tests from Little River, True Health, and Boston Heart. The civil settlement amounts that Drs. Davis and Seymour agreed to pay are in addition to amounts they were ordered to pay in a criminal proceeding captioned United States v. Susan Hertzberg, et al., No. 6:22-cr-3-JDK (E.D. Tex.).
Lastly, the following seven marketers and their associated entities agreed to pay a total of $1,459,620 to resolve the United States’ allegations in the civil litigation that they paid kickbacks disguised as MSO payments to doctors to induce the doctors’ laboratory testing referrals: Former True Health Account Executive Courtney Love; former True Health Director of Strategic Accounts Stephen Kash; former Boston Heart Area Sales Manager Laura Howard; former Boston Heart sales representative Jeffrey Parnell; Stanley Jones, part-owner with Parnell of Texas marketing company LGRB Management Services LLC; and Jordan Perkins and Ruben Marioni, co-owners of Texas marketing company Next Level Healthcare Consultants LLC. The settlement amounts for Kash and Howard were based on their ability to pay. The civil settlement amounts for Kash, Howard, Parnell, and Perkins are in addition to amounts they were ordered to pay in criminal proceedings captioned United States v. Susan Hertzberg, et al., No. 6:22-cr-3-JDK (E.D. Tex.), and/or United States v. Christopher Grottenthaler, et al., No. 6:22-cr-135-JDK (E.D. Tex.).
The settlements announced today were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DCIS. They were handled by Trial Attorneys Christopher Terranova and Gavin Thole in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Betty Young for the Eastern District of Texas.
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of civil liability.
Johnston County Resident Sentenced for Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lance Alden Whelchel, age 31, of Wapanucka, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Harris County Texas Sheriff’s Office.
On February 20, 2025, Whelchel pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, Whelchel is required to register as a sex offender because he was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma on May 24, 2023. From July 5, 2024, until September 12, 2024, Whelchel failed to register or update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Whelchel will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Long Running Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A Jamaican national, who was previously extradited to the United States from Jamaica, pleaded guilty on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota in connection to a long running scheme to defraud a California woman.
Dwayne Anderson, 35, of Hannover, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges. Anderson was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and was extradited to the United States, where he has remained incarcerated pending trial.
As part of this plea agreement, Anderson admitted that, from as early as 2010 until September 2017, he participated in a scheme to defraud an American woman. Using phony names, Anderson contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes. He persuaded the victim, who believed his false representations, to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the sweepstakes. He instructed her on how, and to whom, to send these payments. Anderson repeatedly contacted the victim with additional requests to pay money and told her that her winnings would be forthcoming if she paid the requested money. The victim paid the purported fees, losing more than $181,000, but never received any of the purported winnings.
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting Americans from the threats posed by transnational criminals and will vigorously pursue them, wherever they are located,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Anderson is the latest example in the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat these kinds of foreign based schemes and hold those involved accountable.”
“Americans are increasingly falling victim to devastating fraud schemes perpetrated by transnational criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “Whether it happens in a rural community or a metropolitan area, the Department of Justice will ensure these criminals are held to account for their shameless targeting of vulnerable individuals and their hard-earned savings.”
“If you target vulnerable Americans with schemes designed to steal their hard-earned money, you will become our target,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the USPIS Criminal Investigations Group. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service knows no boundaries when it comes to protecting our communities. We will find you, we will stop you, and we will hold you accountable.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and August 2024 extradition of Anderson.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director J. Matt Williams, Senior Trial Attorney Brandon Robers, and Trial Attorney Edward E. Emokpae, of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Hoffman for the District of South Dakota.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-sd. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Long Running Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Jamaican national, who was previously extradited to the United States from Jamaica, pleaded guilty on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota in connection a long running scheme to defraud a California woman.
Dwayne Anderson, 35, of Hannover, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges. Anderson was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and was extradited to the United States, where he has remained incarcerated pending trial.
As part of this plea agreement, Anderson admitted that, from as early as 2010 until September 2017, he participated in a scheme to defraud an American woman. Using phony names, Anderson contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes. He persuaded the victim, who believed his false representations, to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the sweepstakes. He instructed her on how, and to whom, to send these payments. Anderson repeatedly contacted the victim with additional requests to pay money and told her that her winnings would be forthcoming if she paid the requested money. The victim paid the purported fees, losing more than $181,000, but never received any of the purported winnings.
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting Americans from the threats posed by transnational criminals and will vigorously pursue them, wherever they are located,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Anderson is the latest example in the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat these kinds of foreign based schemes and hold those involved accountable.”
“Americans are increasingly falling victim to devastating fraud schemes perpetrated by transnational criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota. “Whether it happens in a rural community or a metropolitan area, the Department of Justice will ensure these criminals are held to account for their shameless targeting of vulnerable individuals and their hard-earned savings.”
“If you target vulnerable Americans with schemes designed to steal their hard-earned money, you will become our target,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the USPIS Criminal Investigations Group. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service knows no boundaries when it comes to protecting our communities. We will find you, we will stop you, and we will hold you accountable.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and August 2024 extradition of Anderson.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director J. Matt Williams, Senior Trial Attorney Brandon Robers, and Trial Attorney Edward E. Emokpae, of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Hoffman for the District of South Dakota.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for South Dakota visit their website at www.justice.gov/usao-sd. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Agreeing to Launder over $250,000Read the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Mauricio Chahine (53, Jacksonville) to four years and two months in federal prison for engaging in money laundering. The court also ordered Chahine to forfeit $12,000 in proceeds from his money laundering enterprise. Chahine pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025.
According to court documents and evidence presented at Chahine’s sentencing hearing, a confidential source notified the Drug Enforcement Administration that Chahine was a money launderer with the ability to launder funds from the United States to other countries. Prompted by this information, an undercover federal agent contacted Chahine and asked to meet in person. Chahine agreed. During a meeting in March 2024, a pair of undercover agents played the role of cocaine traffickers and told Chahine that they needed help moving money around. Without hesitating, Chahine said he needed to know how much money, where it was going, and how fast they needed it at the destination. When one of the agents asked if Chahine knew what they did, Chahine replied that he did not care. The agent then told Chahine that he sells some of the “white stuff,” referring to cocaine. Chahine responded that he did not want to know. The undercover agent explained that due to his work, he had large amounts of bulk currency in different places. Chahine reiterated that all he needed to know was where the money was going and how they wanted it, including “big bills or small bills,” and identified his fee as 12% for amounts over $200,000 and 15% for amounts under $200,000.
Chahine suggested that he had been in the business since 1999 and advertised his abilities to launder money in various states and countries, including Brazil, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, China, France, and Spain. Chahine suggested that they may need to create invoices to make it appear as though they were buying or selling merchandise. He also explained how he had multiple businesses and offered to move money through his bank accounts. During the meeting, Chahine mentioned that he would not deposit currency he received all at once; instead, he would split it up and deposit the money in increments like $5,000 per day.
A series of meetings followed between Chahine and additional undercover agents during which Chahine accepted money to launder. Over the course of five transactions, Chahine accepted $217,975 in cash and $50,000 in fake currency. He divided and deposited the money into seven different corporate accounts at various banks before being wired back to an undercover government account in different increments. On different occasions, Chahine asked an undercover agent to supply him with a fake invoice to make it appear as if they were engaged in legitimate business.
Chahine has been in custody since November 12, 2024, when he was arrested and detained by the court as a flight risk.
“Drug traffickers often rely on others to launder the profits from their drug running,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronald Loecker, IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to devote our financial expertise to identify, investigate and bring to justice those who engage in sophisticated money laundering techniques that facilitate the distribution of narcotics and the concealment of proceeds.”
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – Wilbert Lindsay Ransom, 45, pleaded guilty today to bank robbery.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Wilbert Lindsay Ransom pleaded guilty today after being indicted by a federal grand jury. Ransom pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Robbery. Ransom’s charges stemmed from the May 27, 2025, robbery of the Trustmark National Bank branch location on Woodrow Wilson Avenue in Jackson. Security footage from the incident showed Ransom enter the bank and approach the teller window with a hand-written demand note. In one angle of the security footage, Ransom is shown reaching into his pocket and removing a folding knife while making his demand. Ransom fled from the bank and was later arrested in Brandon the same day.
Ransom is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2026. Ransom faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff made the announcement.
The Jackson Field Office of the FBI investigated the matter with assistance from the Capitol Police Department and the Brandon Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Justice Department Awards over $350,000 in Grants to Area FoundationsRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has awarded $353,303 collectively to the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, Inc. and Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc.
The Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, Inc. was awarded $243,213 to: (a) work with local sexual assault programs and other providers of direct services to encourage appropriate responses to sexual assault within the state or territory; (b) work with judicial or law enforcement agencies to encourage appropriate responses to sexual assault cases; (c) work with courts, child protective services agencies, and children’s advocates to develop appropriate responses to child custody and visitation issues when sexual assault has been determined to be a factor; (d) design and conduct public education campaigns; (e) plan and monitor the distribution of grants and grant funds to their state or territory; and (f) collaborate with and informing federal, state, or local public officials and agencies to develop and implement policies to reduce or eliminate sexual assault.
The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. was awarded $110,090 to coordinating state and territory victim services activities and collaborate and coordinate with federal, state, territory, and local entities engaged in violence against women activities.
For more information about this award, contact the Office on Violence Against Women at 202-307-6026 and ask for the Policy, Communication, and Evaluation Division.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gustavo Olivares-Ramirez, a/k/a Rogelio Madrigal, a/k/a Gustavo Olivares, a/k/a Gustavo Ramirez Olivares, age 54, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Heavener Police Department.
The Indictment alleged that on June 3, 2025, Olivares-Ramirez, an alien previously removed on November 12, 1997, was found in the United States without having obtained the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Olivares-Ramirez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – John Ladelle Puryear, 49, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 16, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Puryear’s apartment in Huntington and seized approximately 299 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of fentanyl and 8 grams of crack, a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol, a Colt MK IV Series 80 .45-caliber pistol, a Ruger LCF .380-caliber pistol, digital scales and approximately $6,487. As part of his guilty plea, Puryear, admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances. Puryear further admitted that he possessed the seized firearms to protect the controlled substance and the proceeds from distributing them.
Puryear is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-125.
###
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dyson Lamont Woody Jr., also known as “DC Sosa,” 33, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 17, 2021, Woody sold approximately 27.28 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $430. As part of his guilty plea, Woody admitted that he conducted that transaction, that he arranged it beforehand, and that it occurred in a Huntington motel room.
Woody is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-81.
###
Humboldt County Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Lawrence Moore, 37, from Bode, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2025, to 96 months’ imprisonment. On April 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Moore pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Moore was previously convicted of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Battery (three times) in Cook County, Illinois. The convictions prohibited Moore from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Moore was involved in negotiations for the buying and selling of firearms to other people. During the fall of 2024, Moore communicated with an undercover agent, attempting to buy or trade a firearm with the agent. Moore also discussed selling marijuana to the agent. On November 18, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Moore’s residence. Law enforcement located and seized a Smith & Wesson Model 59 semi-automatic pistol, which Moore had referenced previously to the agent. The fully loaded firearm was located inside a void cut into the mattress in the bedroom shared by Moore and his wife. Law enforcement also located and seized marijuana and drug use paraphernalia in the residence, including in the bedroom.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Moore was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and must serve three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Moore remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3050. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced on Drug Trafficking Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel was sentenced today to over 31 years in prison for conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. He was also ordered to pay $26.5 million in forefeiture.
“Eleazar Medina-Rojas used extreme violence to rise through the ranks of Los Zetas, and, as a plaza boss, ensured that the cartel maintained control over key drug trafficking routes used to direct cocaine and marijuana into the United States, devastating our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence is a powerful reminder that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and bring to justice violent cartel members and hold them accountable for the death and destruction they have committed here in the United States and abroad.”
“For four years, Medina-Rojas had a tight grip on routes where he was able to smuggle more than 3,000 tons of drugs into our Southern Texas border,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan C. Pullen of the Houston Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Medina-Rojas controlled the routes leading to Brownsville, Laredo, and McAllen, eliminating anyone who stood in the way of his profit. DEA Houston agents' relentless work disrupted his drug trafficking routes, which eventually led to his capture, weakening the ruthless Los Zetas drug trafficking organization.”
According to court documents, Eleazar Medina-Rojas, also known as El Chelelo, 53, of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was a member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised primarily of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Medina-Rojas was responsible for enforcement actions and protection of drug trafficking routes, which he often carried out through violence, threats of violence, and the use of weapons. For example, Medina-Rojas participated in acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes. Medina-Rojas rose through the ranks of The Company and held important leadership roles, including directly facilitating cocaine and marijuana trafficking into and within the United States. Between 2006 and 2007, he served as regional leader, known as a “plaza boss,” in Monterrey, Mexico, commanding dozens of members of The Company in drug trafficking activity and acts of violence. Rojas was personally responsible for the importation of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana into the United States.
The DEA Houston Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and July 2023 extradition of Medina-Rojas.
Trial Attorneys Jayce Born, Kirk Handrich, and Hunter Smith of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Harrison County Man Sentenced for Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jessie Levi Pumphrey, age 31, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 92 months in federal prison for filing false insurance claims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pumphrey worked with others to stage vehicle accidents in Preston County. Pumphrey and others then submitted false insurance claims for property damage and medical bills that were fraudulent.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner – Office of Inspector General investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Government Announces Settlement with Manhattan Pharmacist for Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead 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 Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Frank A. Tarentino, announced that the United States has settled a civil Controlled Substances Act lawsuit against JANELLE HARRIS, the owner and supervising pharmacist of THE PHARMACY @ LCC (“THE PHARMACY”), a now-defunct pharmacy that previously operated in Manhattan. The settlement resolves claims that THE PHARMACY, under HARRIS’s supervision and direction, repeatedly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that contained “red flags”—warning signs that should have created a reasonable suspicion that the prescriptions were not legitimate.
The Government’s Complaint alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act and asked the Court to order HARRIS to pay penalties pursuant to that statute. Under the settlement, which was approved on Friday, September 5, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, HARRIS agreed to pay a total sum of $100,000. The settlement amount is based on the Office’s assessment of HARRIS’s ability to pay based on financial information she provided. HARRIS has also executed a Consent Judgment in the amount of $16,700,000, which may be enforced if she does not make the payments required under the settlement agreement. As part of today’s court-ordered settlement, HARRIS is also barred for five years from serving as a supervising pharmacist, and for seven years from owning, controlling, operating, or managing a pharmacy that purchases, stores, or dispenses controlled substances. HARRIS also made extensive factual admissions regarding her conduct.
“Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals cannot turn a blind eye to opioid abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Pharmacists who recklessly ignore warning signs of diversion will be held accountable.”
“Pharmacists are not exempt from their regulatory responsibilities, especially when dealing with controlled substances and the dangerous effects they have when misused,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino. “This settlement reflects DEA’s commitment to making sure measures are in place to safeguard the community and hold DEA registrants accountable. I commend our Diversion Investigators for bringing this matter to a resolution.”
As alleged in the Complaint:
Between 2014 through 2018 (the “Covered Period”), HARRIS, a pharmacist licensed in the State of New York, owned and operated THE PHARMACY and served as its head pharmacist. As THE PHARMACY’s owner and head pharmacist, HARRIS had a duty to ensure that prescriptions filled at THE PHARMACY for controlled substances, including Schedule II controlled substances, were for a legitimate medical purpose before dispensing those drugs. As part of this duty, HARRIS was required to look for “red flags” indicating that the prescribed controlled substances were at risk for abuse or diversion, or not for a legitimate medical purpose.
However, during the Covered Period, The Pharmacy, under HARRIS’s supervision and direction, repeatedly filled prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances, such as Oxycodone, that presented significant red flags. Such red flags included cash payments by customers for Schedule II controlled substances, numerous prescriptions for a Schedule II controlled substance written by a single doctor, and prescriptions with semi-consecutive prescription numbers. HARRIS and her supervisees ignored these red flags and failed to take sufficient steps to resolve them before filling the prescriptions. Some of THE PHARMACY’s prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances, such as Oxycodone, were ultimately determined to be issued without a legitimate medical purpose.
As part of the settlement, HARRIS admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the United States, including the following:
- HARRIS, as a pharmacist and owner of THE PHARMACY, had a duty to ensure that prescriptions filled at THE PHARMACY for controlled substances were for a legitimate medical purpose before dispensing. As part of this duty, HARRIS was required to look for “red flags” indicating that the controlled substances prescribed were at risk for abuse or diversion and/or not for a legitimate medical purpose. Such red flags include but are not limited to: prescriptions for high dosage strengths and/or for large quantities of controlled substances; cash payments for controlled substances; sequential prescription numbers; and multiple prescriptions for controlled substances to a single individual within a short period of time.
- During the Covered Period, HARRIS and/or employees of THE PHARMACY under her supervision filled prescriptions paid for in cash at THE PHARMACY for Schedule II controlled substances, such as Oxycodone, that were ultimately determined to be issued without a legitimate medical purpose and contained numerous red flags.
- For example, HARRIS, and/or employees of THE PHARMACY under her supervision, filled prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances that contained the following indicia of invalidity: over a four-month period, 114 of the 115 prescriptions written by a single doctor were for 120 tablets of Oxycodone 30mg. During this period, no one from THE PHARMACY called this doctor to confirm the validity of these prescriptions.
* * *
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob M. Bergman is in charge of the case.
u.s._v._harris_settlement_stipulation.pdf u.s._v._harris_complaint.pdfGirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Sentenced to 27 Years for Sex Trafficking Hundreds of WomenRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Michael Pratt, the mastermind of the sprawling GirlsDoPorn sex trafficking empire, was sentenced in federal court today to 27 years in prison for orchestrating a scheme that deceived and exploited hundreds of women and left a trail of broken lives.
Pratt, the owner and operator of GirlsDoPorn.com and GirlsDoToys.com, built a multimillion-dollar criminal empire by luring young women into pornography through lies, coercion, and manipulation, and then broadcasting their abuse to millions online.
At today’s hearing, 40 women urged the court to hand down the maximum sentence, some tearfully describing their ordeals in San Diego hotel rooms where they were exploited, coerced, raped, abused and trapped. Some talked about the aftermath of trauma that included many years of suicide attempts; diagnoses of depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; lost jobs and relationships; stalkers and threats and harassment; and the heavy burden of shame and fear they still carry. Some told of having cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance; several testified that they changed their names; others spoke of substance abuse and alcoholism; one said she had a glass of wine for breakfast just to make it to court today. Most of the victims were 18-21 years old when they were exploited.
Pratt and his co-conspirators posted misleading modeling ads, preyed on vulnerable women, and promised their sex videos would never be seen online. In reality, Pratt’s employees posted the videos onto his websites – which featured young women appearing in their first pornographic videos - and even promoted them on free pornography platforms like PornHub to drive traffic. Victims were coerced into finishing shoots under threats of lawsuits, cancelled flights, and exposure. Some were effectively trapped in hotel rooms by camera equipment blocking the exits.
“Pratt has caused me to fear my own name,” one woman said.
“The life I was meant to have, died in that hotel room,” another told the court.
“Profit over people. Cruelty over humanity,” another said.
Many spoke directly to Pratt:
“I am not your victim. I’m your reckoning…I am the girl who took you down,” said a victim who was a 21-year-old law student at the time. “Look around! We are an army of survivors sharing our truth and we have won.”
Another woman, who was a 19-year-old dance teacher to children but was fired, told Pratt: “You are evil. You are a predator. You are a rapist. This is who you are. Your ego was too big to believe you’d ever get caught but karma comes around. It is your turn now to suffer.”
A woman who was a 21-year-old college student studying to become a teacher said: “This crime dismantled my identity. I lost my voice and sense of safety…The shame and despair were unbearable.”
Another woman who was a college-bound high school senior but dropped out because of her ordeal said: “This was a theft of my identity, my safety, my dreams and my peace.”
After hearing about five hours of testimony from the women, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino told the defendant that his position as the leader, organizer and mastermind of the massive trafficking organization compelled her to add time to the sentence. “I’ve been doing this a very long time and I’ve never had a case like this before, of this magnitude…The sheer scope and magnitude of this offense causes this court to vary upward.”
Throughout the conspiracy, GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys received millions of views. To promote the websites, video content from both sites was posted on free porn sites such as Pornhub.com, one of the world’s most visited websites. The videos from GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys posted on PornHub were often viewed millions of times according to PornHub’s own view counters. The websites charged visitors a subscription fee to access content, and generated millions of dollars in revenue for Pratt.
To recruit young women to appear in videos for the websites, Pratt and some of his employees (at Pratt’s direction) often told the prospective models that their sex videos would never be posted on-line, that the videos would never be released in the United States, and that no one who knew the women would ever find out about their video, representations that Pratt and other members of the conspiracy knew were false. Women from various places throughout the United States and Canada were recruited to appear in videos based on these material misrepresentations.
Even after Pratt learned that victims’ names and personal details were being doxxed on pornwikileaks.com, he pressed forward with his scheme, reaping millions in profit while ignoring desperate pleas from women begging him to take their videos down.
“Pratt was a calculating and cruel predator,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “He lured young victims, caused others to abuse them on video, and then taunted them for years as they sought to reclaim their names. Afterwards these victims suffered each day the cruelty of the internet and social media. As one victim said today during sentencing, ‘Pratt caused me to fear my own name.’ We as a society failed these women. They were forced to walk alone. But today as they confronted Pratt, they personified courage and grace. They showed everyone what should have been apparent when they first were victimized - they don’t need society’s forgiveness, we need theirs.”
“Pratt admittedly engaged in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, making millions off a deliberate and reprehensible scheme, showing no regard for the suffering he caused,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “At his direction, Pratt and his co-conspirators manipulated women into participating in pornographic videos and then bullied, lied, or threatened them when they tried to leave. He then cowardly fled the country in an attempt to avoid prosecution, but the FBI and our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners were determined to hold Pratt accountable for the harm he inflicted on his victims’ lives. Today’s sentence reflects that investigative persistence, ensuring justice was rightfully served.”
The GirlsDoPorn investigation and prosecution spanned years, involving FBI agents, FBI analysts, the U.S. Marshal Service, victim advocates, and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to secure justice for the victims. Multiple co-conspirators have been convicted in connection with the scheme, but Pratt’s sentencing marks the most significant step in dismantling the criminal network he created.
Pratt was charged in October 2019 in the Southern District of California with sex trafficking crimes in connection with the scheme to deceive and coerce young women to appear in pornographic videos. Pratt liquidated his assets and fled the United States in mid-2019. He was named to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list and lived as an international fugitive for more than three years until his arrest in Spain in December 2022 and extradition to San Diego in March 2024.
Pratt pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025, to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion; and Committing Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion. Prosecutors argued for the longest sentence given the serious nature of the offenses, Pratt’s leadership role, and the length of the conspiracy.
For more information on Pratts’ plea, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/girlsdoporn-owner-michael-pratt-pleads-guilty-sex-trafficking.
Pratt has received the longest sentence so far of all the conspirators. Ruben Andre Garcia was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 14, 2021. Theodore Gyi was sentenced to four years in prison on November 9, 2022. Matthew Wolfe was sentenced to 14 years in prison on March 20, 2024. Valorie Moser, the office manager, is set for sentencing on September 12, 2025.
One of the women said: “Today is the day we all get to reclaim our lives. As I stand here, I feel something I haven’t felt in years: Empowerment. After today I choose healing. I choose to reclaim the dreams I once had.”
Another testified: “For years I carried shame that never belonged to me…Today I will walk out of this courtroom an empowered woman. You will walk out in shackles.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19cr4488-JLS
Michael Pratt Age: 42 Sentenced to 27 years on September 8, 2025
Matthew Wolfe Age: 43 Sentenced to 14 years on March 20, 2024
Ruben Andre Garcia Age: 36 Sentenced to 20 years on June 4, 2021
Theodore Gyi Age: 47 Sentenced to 4 years on November 9, 2022
Valorie Moser Age: 43 To be sentenced on September 12, 2025
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Sex Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1594
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine
Sex Trafficking – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591
Mandatory Minimum: Fifteen years in prison
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
FBI – Southern District of California and Legal Attaché in Spain
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
U.S. Marshals Service
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
Spanish National Police
Spain’s Ministry of Justice
Spain’s Ministry of Interior
Former U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier Sentenced to 5½ Years in Federal Prison for Stealing More Than $10 Million Worth of Checks from the MailRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former United States Postal Service letter carrier from Orange County was sentenced today to 66 months in federal prison for stealing from the mail more than $10 million in Treasury and other checks over a four-year span.
Rashad Deon Stolden, 34, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $1,627,291 in restitution.
Stolden pleaded guilty on April 14 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Stolden worked at the Bicentennial Post Office, located in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles.
According to his plea agreement and court documents previously filed in this case, from 2020 through August 2024, Stolden stole mail containing large value checks, as well as debit cards from the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which manages the state’s unemployment insurance program.
Stolden worked alongside another letter carrier and friends, Charlie Green, 37, of the Wellington Heights area of East Los Angeles, who is scheduled for sentencing on September 14. Stolden and Green sold the checks they stole to co-conspirators who then used counterfeit identity documents to negotiate them. Stolden and his co-conspirators purchased the identifying information of victims so that they could activate their stolen EDD cards.
In June 2022, Stolden stole a $7.3 million Treasury check. He then sold the check to a co-conspirator, who negotiated it at a bank in Tennessee, writing him, “I need you man,” “I’m trying to retire,” according to court documents. The co-conspirator was able to withdraw more than $1 million from the deposit of this check.
Some of Stolden’s co-conspirators have been prosecuted in separate court proceedings. Both Stolden and Green remain free on $50,000 bond.
“Nowhere in [Stolden’s] voluminous communications throughout this conspiracy did he express any empathy for his victims even as he stole their EDD cards containing their disability and unemployment benefits,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Stolden] seemed to think only of his own profits, trying to decide whether he should use his thefts to pay for a $13,000 hotel stay in Bora Bora, or if he should upgrade to a $20,000 stay in the Presidential Villa at the Conrad.”
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Department of Treasury for Tax Administration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and the Coast Guard Investigative Services investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Former Executives Sentenced in $1.9 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Michael Vergato, 52, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and fined $20,000 for his role in a scheme that defrauded a Colorado-based data management company of nearly $2 million. His co-defendant, Mark Perlstein, 60, received a 25-month prison sentence and a $15,000 fine.
Perlstein pleaded guilty to wire fraud in June 2025, while Vergato was convicted on six counts of wire fraud following a six-day trial in May 2025. The court ordered restitution of $1,949,023, for which both men are jointly liable. After their prison terms, Vergato and Perlstein will each serve three years of supervised release.
According to Perlstein’s plea agreement, and evidence presented at the trial of Vergato, from 2013 to 2020, Vergato served as a vice president at Arrow Electronics, where he oversaw performance tuning of the company’s Oracle EBS databases, including work performed by Perlstein’s company. Vergato and Perlstein devised a scheme to bill the data management company for performance tuning services purportedly to be completed by a shell company created by Vergato, Oracle Performance Tuning and Optimization, LLC (“OPTO”). Posing as a legitimate contractor, OPTO submitted 21 fraudulent contracts and invoices to the data management company for database performance tuning services that were never performed. Perlstein, in his position as CEO, approved the invoices and wired payments to OPTO.
The scheme funneled nearly $2 million in company funds into OPTO. Perlstein and Vergato divided the proceeds, concealing their involvement by using personal email accounts, other corporate entities, and fake identities. To conceal his role, Vergato used his stepdaughter’s identity to conduct business on behalf of OPTO. At trial, the data management company’s current CEO testified that the company could not substantiate any work performed by OPTO or identify any actual employees or contractors related to that entity. Tax records confirmed OPTO paid no salaries and issued no contractor forms.
In total, the data management company paid OPTO $1,949,023. Of that amount, Vergato retained approximately $874,000, using the funds for luxury vehicles, credit card payments, retirement accounts, and rent. Perlstein personally received more than $1 million through the scheme.
“These defendants’ greed has earned each of them years in federal prison, and they have to pay back every dollar they took,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Corporate fraud of this magnitude undermines confidence in our business community and harms employees, customers, and shareholders alike. These sentences send a clear message: executives who abuse their authority for personal gain will be held accountable.”
"These two individuals plotted to defraud their companies of nearly $2 million, falsifying work that was never requested nor performed," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “They lined their own pockets until their fraudulent scheme was uncovered, and now they will pay the consequences."
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Cassidy, Bradley Giles, and Bob Brown.
Case Number: 1:23-cr-00302-NYW
Former Dubois County Nonprofit Director Sentenced for Embezzling over $161,000 from Youth Mentorship ProgramRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Ellen L. Corn, 50, of Petersburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud. Corn has also been ordered to pay $121,439.72 in restitution.
According to court documents, from March 2017 to August 2022, Ellen Corn served as the Executive Director for a Dubois County nonprofit that facilitates a youth mentoring program and provides college scholarships for local high school students. During her employment, Corn had various financial responsibilities including entering all income and expenses into the organization’s accounting software and had access to the organization’s credit card.
Over that five-year period, Corn stole a total of $161,344.85 via several methods, including by using the organization’s credit card to pay for personal expenses at various businesses and restaurants, such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart, and to make tuition payments to colleges for her children. She made approximately 1,226 unauthorized transactions with the credit card. Corn also stole funds by making unauthorized transfers from the organization’s PayPal account to her personal PayPal account. Additionally, Corn made unauthorized purchases directly from the nonprofit’s checking account via debit card and check.
Corn ensured that the organization’s accounts had enough funds to pay for her illegitimate expenses by reducing funding for certain departments and programs. In 2022, she also failed to notify a first-generation college student that the student had been selected to receive a scholarship.
To conceal her fraud, Corn deliberately omitted the unauthorized transactions from the nonprofit’s accounting records, which she regularly presented to the Board of Directors and the organization’s tax preparer.
“Ellen Corn abused her position of trust and stole from an organization dedicated to serving and mentoring local youth. Her crimes not only harmed the program and its ability to serve young people but also betrayed the trust of the public who support and rely on its mission,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This sentence holds her accountable and demonstrates our commitment to protecting community nonprofits from fraud and financial exploitation.”
“The sentencing in this case holds Ellen Corn accountable for violating the trust she held as the executive director of an organization focused on mentoring youth. It also reinforces the U.S. Secret Service’s commitment to pursuing officials who shamefully break the public’s trust by illegally enriching themselves through fraud and deception,” said Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “Thanks to the Jasper Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Indiana for pursuing this case.”
“This case is a testament to the dedication and diligence of Detective Sergeant Greg Brescher, whose thorough investigation uncovered a serious breach of public trust. Thank you to those that came forward to provide the initial information as it your courage to contact us played a vital role in bringing this case to light. We are proud of the strong collaboration between the Jasper Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice, which ensured that justice was served. Our agency remains steadfast in its commitment to holding individuals accountable, no matter their position, and to protecting the integrity of programs that serve our community’s youth.”
The U.S. Secret Service and Jasper Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
###
Florida Man Sentenced for Defrauding Missouri Company, Others out of More Than $250,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a man who defrauded three companies out of $257,000 to 15 months in prison and ordered him to repay his victims.
Nadeem Gul, 54, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of wire fraud. He admitted claiming to represent wholesale distributors of merchandise including grocery items and electronics. The companies used the names Mega Liquidations Group, Mega Liquidations Warehouse and Mega Liquidations Corp.
In late 2021, an employee of a Maryland Heights company began communicating by email with someone claiming to be an “executive senior partner” at Mega Liquidations Group. The victim submitted nine purchase orders and wired a total of $112,000 but never received any merchandise.
A Phoenix, Arizona company responded to a solicitation email from Mega Liquidations Group by submitting two purchase orders and wiring $30,376 in November of 2021. They never received any merchandise from Mega Liquidations Group.
In June of 2021, a Ft. Worth, Texas company received a solicitation email from Mega Liquidations Warehouse, submitted five purchase orders and wired a total of $115,000. They also never received any product.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case.
Five Members of Violent Crew Sentenced for 2020 Homicide and Shootings That Occurred in 2020 and 2021Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Five members of the Avenue Crew a.k.a. the 1080 Clickas a.k.a. Simple City of Washington, D.C., were sentenced for their roles in the April 2020 murder of 21-year-old Brea Moon and shootings that took place in May 2020 and June 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
DaJuan Jones, 24, pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025, to one count of second-degree murder while armed for his role in the April 2020 murder of Brea Moon and one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for his role in the May 2020 shooting in the 5000 block of H Street Southeast. On September 3, 2025, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Jones to 23 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Charles Hill, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed for his role in the April 2020 murder of Brea Moon and one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for his role in the June 2021 shooting in the 3200 block of 34th Street Northwest. On September 3, 2025, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Hill to 23 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Dominique Franks, 24, Melvin Morris, 27, and Nkobia Edwards, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed for their roles in the June 2021 shooting on the 3200 block of 34th Street Northwest. On August 22, 2025, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Franks to 13 years in prison, Morris to 12 years in prison, and Edwards to 11 years in prison, each of which will be followed by five years of supervised release.
With respect to the April 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, Jones was driving, and Hill was riding in a stolen white vehicle that pulled into the BP gas station located at 4101 Alabama Avenue SE shortly before 10:30 p.m. on April 7, 2020. Minutes later, a gray sedan pulled into that same gas station with the victim, Brea Moon, in the front passenger seat. When the gray sedan left the gas station, the white vehicle intentionally followed closely behind. Shortly thereafter, the white vehicle pulled up beside the gray sedan and multiple gunshots were fired by the occupants of the white vehicle at the gray sedan, including one that struck the victim in the head and killed her.
With respect to the May 2020 shooting, according to the government’s evidence, Jones rode in a silver car toward the 5000 block of H Street Southeast shortly before 4:00 p.m. on May 2, 2020. After the car stopped nearby, Jones exited the vehicle and fired multiple gunshots in the direction of numerous individuals who were in the front yard of 5023 H Street SE. Two individuals were hit by Jones’ gunshots, suffering gunshot wounds to their leg and arm, respectively. When Jones was done shooting, he got back into the silver car and the car drove off.
With respect to the June 2021 shooting, according to the government’s evidence, on June 17, 2021, at approximately 1:35 p.m. Hill, Franks, Edwards, and Morris were inside a stolen silver Dodge Charger that stopped on the 3200 block of 34th Street Northwest, immediately adjacent to John Eaton Elementary School, which was undergoing renovation. After the car came to a stop, the defendants got out of the car, brandished their firearms, and fired multiple gunshots at an individual, who was standing just 50 to100 feet from the defendants. As a result, the individual suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Julia Cosans, Sarah Folse, Yasmin Emrani, and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Machine Gun in Chicago ParkRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on a federal firearm charge for allegedly illegally possessing a loaded machine gun in a Chicago park.
EDDIE ARGUELLES possessed the firearm on May 14, 2025, in Riis Park in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago, according to an indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. The Glock handgun was equipped with a conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch” or “auto sear,” allowing the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Chicago Police officers responded to the scene after receiving calls of a person with a gun firing a shot in the park, the charges allege. When officers approached Arguelles, he tried to drive away on a moped but lost control and fell to the ground on a football field in the park, the charges allege. The officers took Arguelles into custody and discovered the firearm in his possession, the charges allege. He remains detained without bond.
The indictment charges Arguelles, 20, of Chicago, with one count of possession of a machine gun, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. Arraignment is set for Sept. 17, 2025, at 11:30 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek Arguelles’s continued pre-trial detention.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wesley Morrissette.
The investigation is being conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. The CGIC is an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and intelligence analysts to move quickly to investigate and prosecute violent crimes.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
arguelles_indictment.pdf arguelles_complaint.pdfFederal Charges Filed in Assault CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two men have been indicted on federal charges for an assault that left one victim seriously injured.
According to court documents, on January 10, 2025, Myron Scott, 34, of Navajo, New Mexico, and Eric Scott, 34, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, both enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John and Jane Doe with a baseball bat and a large stick, resulting in serious bodily injury to John Doe.
Myron and Eric are both charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury for the attack on John Doe. Myron faces an additional count of assault with a dangerous weapon for the attack on Jane Doe. Myron and Eric will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Myron and Eric both face up to 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Scott)_0.pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fairfax man pleads guilty to threatening to kill Veterans Affairs and U.S. Postal Service employeesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man pled guilty today to making threatening communications over interstate commerce and threatening to kill a federal official.
According to court documents, on April 29, Kenneth R. Woodard, 57, called the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) crisis line and demanded to be connected to a VA hospital and, specifically, a VA police officer that he interacted with earlier in the day. During the call, Woodard stated he was on his way to the VA hospital with an armor-piercing firearm to kill the officer.
On May 13, Woodard made three calls the United State Postal Service (USPS) Customer Care Center, speaking with a different USPS employee each time regarding a package he was waiting to receive. Woodard threatened to kill one of the employees with whom he spoke. He stated the next time he saw a mailman he was going to “kill him,” and that if the package was not delivered that day, he would travel to the post office with a firearm. Woodard claimed that he was a U.S. Marine sniper and that if he had to go to the post office, he would bring a gun.
During a phone call later that day with Postal Inspectors from the United States Postal Inspection Service, Woodard stated he would sit outside a local post office and put a bullet in someone’s head if he did not receive his package. Woodard claimed to possess three firearms and told the Postal Inspectors that if they came to his house they should come with firepower.
On May 28, during a phone call with the VA crisis line, Woodard told a VA Crisis Specialist that he was going to find and rape the specialist’s husband and children.
Woodard is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Cheryl L. Mason, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Mercer is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-204.
Federal Charges Filed in Wire Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Salvatore John Carpanzano, 66, and Heather Gayle Fisher, 54, both of Pensacola, Florida, have been indicted in federal court on charges related to a multi-year scheme to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Carpanzano and Fisher appeared in federal court for their initial appearances on September 3, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for October 20, 2025, at 8:30 am before Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. in Pensacola, Florida.
The Indictment charges Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
If convicted, Carpanzano and Fisher each face up to fifty years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy charges.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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.
Eight MS-13 Gang Members Plead Guilty to Multi-Year Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Murders and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Eight members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a multi-year racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders and acts of witness tampering. The defendants—identified as Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia, 28, aka “Mejia,” Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia, 29, aka “Discreto,” Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa, 40, aka “Darki,” and Marlon Miranda-Moran, 26, aka “Chinki,”—are all citizens of El Salvador and were unlawfully residing in Houston, Texas at the time of the offenses.
According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia, and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years of imprisonment while Miranda-Moran will be sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment.
“These defendants carried out brutal murders in the name of MS-13, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats, and their bare hands, and then sending photos of the victims’ bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants committed these unthinkable acts to maintain their status in a gang that spread fear in local neighborhoods and targeted those brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement. Today’s guilty pleas send a powerful message that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and hold accountable MS-13 members who use violence and murder to terrorize our communities.”
On August 11, four additional MS-13 members—Defendants Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, 33, aka “Destino,” Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez, 35, aka “Largo,” Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora, 27, aka “Garcia,” and Wilman Rivas-Guido, 29, aka “Inquieto” —also pleaded guilty to the same racketeering conspiracy. All four are citizens of El Salvador and were residing in the Houston area. The parties stipulated to a sentencing range of 40 to 45 years of imprisonment for Carbajal-Peraza, and 45 to 50 years for Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora, and Rivas-Guido.
According to court documents and statements made in court, MS-13 is a violent international street gang involved in a variety of violent criminal activities across the United States, including Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and California. MS-13 also has a large international presence in El Salvador and Honduras. To protect MS-13’s power, reputation, and territory, members and associates must use intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, such as machetes.
As part of their plea agreement, the defendants admitted to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery, and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston, Texas area from 2017 through 2018. High-ranking MS-13 leaders based in El Salvador ordered and approved of the murders, sometimes listening by phone as MS-13 members carried out the murders. MS-13 members participated in the murders to increase or maintain their own position within MS-13’s ranks. MS-13 targeted the murder victims because they were believed to be members of rival gangs, cooperating with law enforcement, or working against MS-13’s interests. MS-13 members committed the murders using machetes, a baseball bat, and strangling. After the murder, MS-13 members sent photos of the victims’ bodies to high-ranking MS-13 members in El Salvador, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the victim’s body before sending the photos.
According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia, and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison while Miranda-Moran will receive a 35-year-term of imprisonment. Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora, and Rivas-Guido have agreed to a term from 45-50 years, while Carbajal-Peraza is expected to receive 40-45 years of imprisonment.
Sentencing hearings for all eight defendants are scheduled to take place later this year. A federal district court judge will consider the sentencing stipulations and impose any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Galveston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, the United States Marshal Service, and the Texas Office of the Attorney General led or contributed to the lengthy and complex investigation of this case.
Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Edmond Man Pleads Guilty after Filing Fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program Loan ApplicationRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – RUSSELL KIM, 63, of Edmond, has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a financial institution and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, in 2020, Kim was the owner of R&D 2 Investment Group (R&D) in Oklahoma City. On April 3, 2020, Kim submitted an application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, administered by the Small Business Administration, to support the ongoing operations of a restaurant operated by R&D. The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. Court documents show R&D’s restaurant had in fact closed in March 2020, and that Kim submitted payroll information for employees who no longer worked for R&D. As a result of Kim’s false statement, the bank approved a PPP loan in the amount of $174,000. On August 12, 2025, Kim was charged by Information with making a false statement to a financial institution and money laundering.
On September 4, 2025, Kim pleaded guilty to the Information, and admitted he knowingly made a false statement to a bank in order to influence the bank to approve a PPP loan, and that he knowingly engaged in a monetary transaction of a value greater than $10,000 with funds derived from the unlawful activity of making a false statement on a PPP loan application.
At sentencing, Kim faces up to 40 years in federal prison, and fines of up to $1,250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle London is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ecuadorian National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STANLIN DANIEL VASQUEZ-SALINAS, also known as “Stalin Vasquez-Salinas” and “Stalin Vasquez,” 25, a citizen of Ecuador last residing in Danbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2025, Danbury Police arrested Vasquez-Salinas and charged him with conspiracy to commit commercial sexual abuse of a minor between the ages of 15 and 17 years old. Vasquez-Salinas identified himself as “Stalin D. Vasquez” at the time of his arrest. Analysis of Vasquez-Salinas’ fingerprints confirmed his true identity, and the investigation revealed that Vasquez-Salinas had illegally entered the U.S. in December 2019 and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas. He was removed to Ecuador in May 2020.
On March 14, 2025, Vasquez-Salinas was released from state custody on bond. That same day, after a brief vehicle chase and subsequent foot pursuit, he was taken into ICE custody and has been detained since his arrest.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Vasquez-Salinas faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years. His state charges are pending.
This matter has been investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj. N. Patel.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Dulce Man Charged in Federal Court for AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has indicted a Dulce man on a charge of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate or dating partner.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2025, Shelton Atole, 35, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, assaulted the victim and the assault resulted in substantial bodily injury.
Atole will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Atole faces up to 5 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Atole).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Murders Committed in April and May 2020Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Mason, 21, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025, to two charges of second-degree murder for the shooting death of 21-year-old Brea Moon in April 2020 in Southeast Washington and the shooting death of 18-year-old Antwuan Roach in May 2020 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
His guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a range of 27-31 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Jason Park accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for October 31, 2025.
With respect to the April 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, defendant Mason was riding in a stolen white vehicle that pulled into the BP gas station located at 4101 Alabama Avenue SE shortly before 10:30 p.m. on April 7, 2020. Minutes later, a gray sedan pulled into that same gas station with the victim, Brea Moon, in the front passenger seat. When the gray sedan left the gas station, the white vehicle intentionally followed closely behind. Shortly thereafter, the white vehicle pulled up beside the gray sedan and defendant Mason fired multiple gunshots at the gray sedan, including one that struck the victim and killed her.
With respect to the May 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, defendant Mason learned of Mr. Roach’s location and tracked him to the unit block of Anacostia Road NE shortly before 5:00 p.m. Mr. Roach was walking alone and was unarmed. After locating Mr. Roach, the defendant’s vehicle pulled into an alley behind the 3800 block of East Capitol Street Northeast. As Mr. Roach stepped into the alley, the defendant fired at Mr. Roach killing him.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Julia Cosans, Sarah Folse, Yasmin Emrani, and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy.
District Man Arrested in Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Richard J. Pavel III, 34, of the District of Columbia, was arrested and charged last week with distribution and receipt of child pornography in the context of actively discussing the sexual abuse of young boys, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Following his initial court hearing on September 4, Pavel was ordered to be held until his September 9 detention hearing.
On Sept. 4, 2025, law enforcement executed warrants at Pavel’s residence in Northwest Washington, D.C., seized multiple electronic devices, and arrested Pavel.
Pavel communicated with another individual regarding his sexual interest in children. During the course of that conversation, he traded multiple images of child pornography.
The case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen.
25mj197
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun, Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Terrance Demetrius Bass, 34, of Columbia, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for being a felon possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Dec. 16, 2022, Columbia Police Department officers approached Bass in a vehicle after concerned citizens reported that individuals were selling drugs out of the vehicle. Officers smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and conducted a probable cause search. Officers found a bag containing 295 pills which contained methamphetamine, and 91 grams of marijuana packaged for distribution. Officers also found a firearm in the glove compartment and a scale in the center console. Bass admitted the firearm and marijuana belonged to him.
Bass has prior convictions for conspiracy to commit burglary and armed robbery, assault and battery and domestic violence, all of which prevent him from possessing a firearm under federal law.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Bass to 80 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. 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.
This case was investigated by the City of Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.
###
Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Material PossessionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — John Edward Prigmore, 40, of Fort Lawn, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material.*
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in May 2023, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) executed a search warrant on Prigmore’s residence after receiving a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to the cyber-tip, accounts associated with Prigmore contained child sexual abuse material. Several electronic devices that belonged to Prigmore were searched pursuant to the warrant and found to contain child sexual abuse material.
Prigmore was previously convicted on state charges of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Prigmore to 120 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews is prosecuting the case.
###
* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Chicago Man Sentenced for Role in Scheme to Transport Contraband into FCI McDowell with DroneRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Miguel Angel Aleman-Piceno, 23, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation for conspiracy to commit the felony crime of attempting to introduce contraband into a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 1, 2024, Aleman-Piceno traveled on foot with co-defendant Francisco Alejandro Gonzalez to the fence surrounding Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell. Aleman-Piceno and Gonzalez possessed a backpack and a duffle bag containing a drone and two camouflaged packages containing four cell phones, chargers, phone cards, marijuana, and tobacco. As part of his guilty plea, Aleman-Piceno admitted that they intended to fly the packages onto the grounds of FCI McDowell using the drone and were stopped by law enforcement as they prepared to launch the drone.
Aleman-Piceno further admitted to traveling to McDowell County, West Virginia, from Chicago with Gonzalez and co-defendant Arturo Joel Gallegos, believing that he would be paid $3,000 to deliver the packages into the prison by drone. Aleman-Piceno also admitted that he and his two co-defendants stayed an area motel where law enforcement seized marijuana, tobacco and materials used to make the camouflaged packages.
Gonzalez, 24, of Chicago, pleaded guilty on July 7, 2025, to conspiracy to commit the felony crime of attempting to introduce contraband into a federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2025. Gallegos, 26, of Chicago, pleaded guilty August 26, 2025, to conspiracy to introduce or attempt to introduce contraband into a federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-126.
###
Carteret County Man Arrested After Threatening to “Shoot up” Black Children at a PreschoolRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Federal agents, working with local deputies, arrested Zachary Charles Newell on Monday, September 1, 2025, for a criminal complaint charging him with making vile threats, including to “shoot up a black pre school,” in social media posts.
“The defendant’s alleged threats deeply disturb us as federal law enforcement agents and have no place in our society, certainly not in Eastern North Carolina. We will meet this evil with the full force of the federal law enforcement apparatus.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will not tolerate using the internet to spread fear or target communities, especially innocent children, with heinous threats of violence.”
“Every child in North Carolina deserves go to school without fear. Your FBI will work with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate threats directed at schools. This federal charge should be a warning to anyone who believes they can sit behind a keyboard and make violent threats, anonymously. FBI Charlotte commends the Carteret County Sheriff's Office for taking immediate action to make an arrest. And we are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of North Carolina to levy federal charges as well,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
According to court documents, on August 31, 2025, Google notified the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center of threatening comments posted by YouTube user “CommentatorsHateMe.” Investigators identified the account as belonging to Newell.
On August 26 and 27, 2025, Newell allegedly used the account to post threats directed at public YouTube channels discussing a wrestling match involving Raja Jackson. In one instance, Newell wrote, “I’m gonna shoot up a black pre school. 20 black babies will be shot.” The affidavit also alleges that Newell directed additional racist threats promoting violence against Black individuals.
If convicted, Newell faces up to five years in federal prison.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.4:25-MJ-01076.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
###
Canadian national sentenced to over 11 years in prison for facilitating cocaine shipments from South America to CanadaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 35-year-old man who illegally resided in the Heights area in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a transnational drug trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jack Kasjaniuk pleaded guilty May 27.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now ordered Kasjaniuk to serve 135 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Kasjaniuk’s role in operating a waypoint for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine coming from Mexico and South America and destined for Canada. Not a U.S. citizen, Kasjaniuk is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
Kasjaniuk came to the United States for the express purpose of receiving the shipments of cocaine, repackaging them and sending them on to the drug trafficking organization in Canada. Kasjaniuk operated the cocaine distribution point in the Heights neighborhood of Houston for approximately two years.
The investigation revealed that in one three-month span alone, Kasjaniuk handled at least 620 kilograms of cocaine on behalf of the organization.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Alberta, Canada, Law Enforcement Response Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced for Role in Global Digital Asset Investment Scam Conspiracy Resulting in Theft of More than $36.9M from VictimsRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for his role in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims in an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia. The court also ordered him to pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution to victims.
“The defendant was part of a group of co-conspirators that preyed on American investors by promising them high returns on supposed digital asset investments when, in fact, they stole nearly $37 million from U.S. victims using Cambodian scam centers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Foreign scam centers, purporting to offer investments in digital assets have, unfortunately, proliferated. The Criminal Division is committed to bringing to justice those that steal from American investors, wherever the fraudsters may be located.”
“This defendant will spend years in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy in which victims lost tens of millions of dollars, starting with the simple step of responding to unsolicited messages on their phones,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The public should always remember to be vigilant and wary of strangers marketing promising investment opportunities. Your retirement fund or children’s college money may depend on it.”
Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente, California, a former co-owner of the Bahamas-based Axis Digital Limited, pleaded guilty in the Central District of California to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business on April 10.
According to court documents, He was part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators who then laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets.
As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas would contact U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services to gain the victims’ trust. The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, the funds the victims sent to the scammers had been stolen. More than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited. He and other co-conspirators directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li, a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers. Li and Zhang each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov.12, 2024, and May 13, 2024, respectively.
He co-founded Axis Digital with defendant Jose Somarriba. Chinese national Jingliang Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds. Somarriba and Su each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business on April 14, and June 9, respectively.
USSS’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maxwell Coll and Alexander Gorin of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section, and Trial Attorney Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov.
Crawfordville Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lisa Marie Ezell, 39, of Crawfordville, Florida, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
United States Attorney Heekin said, “Our law enforcement partners work hard every day to take dangerous drugs and guns off our streets, and this successful prosecution is another step in keeping our communities safe. My office is committed to aggressively pursuing criminals like this defendant with the full force of the law to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the dangerous drug traffickers who have flooded our streets with deadly narcotics.”
Court documents reflect that in July 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ezell’s residence after previously conducting several controlled purchases of large quantities of methamphetamine from her. During the search, officers recovered large quantities of methamphetamine, 18 firearms, and several thousand dollars believed to be the proceeds of her drug trafficking operations. Due to her prior criminal record, including for a previous serious drug felony, Ezell was prohibited from possessing firearms and now faces a minimum term of fifteen years’ imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute count, and up to fifteen years’ imprisonment on the possession of firearm by convicted felon count. Additionally, Ezell is subject to a consecutive sentence of a minimum term of five years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense count.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Harley W. Ferguson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The 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.
Broken Bow Resident Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of A ChildRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dylan Hansen Yazzie, age 29, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Broken Bow Police Department.
On February 13, 2025, Yazzie pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, between July of 2023 and September of 2023, Yazzie coerced or induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction to transmit in interstate or foreign commerce. The crime occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
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.
We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Yazzie will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Allan Shaw, 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to a federal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person charge.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, on December 31, 2024, BPD officers conducted Citi-Watch camera surveillance on the 300 block of Monroe Street in Baltimore. As law enforcement surveilled the block, they saw Shaw offering controlled substances to individuals on the street. Officers also saw Shaw enter his red Dodge Ram truck multiple times, which was parked on the street.
Law enforcement specifically saw Shaw conduct a hand-to-hand drug transaction in which he removed an orange pill bottle from his coat, opened the bottle to retrieve one or more pills, dropped one or more pills in a customer’s hand, and then accepted money from the customer. Officers then arrested Shaw. When law enforcement searched Shaw, they found an orange prescription bottle consistent in appearance with the bottle seen on the Citi-Watch surveillance. The bottle contained 18 oxycodone pills.
Additionally, officers searched Shaw’s truck, finding cocaine base, a tan-and-black Polymer80 9mm semi-automatic handgun bearing no serial number, and approximately four rounds of 9mm ammunition. Due to a prior felony conviction, Shaw is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
At the time of his arrest, Shaw was on supervised release in connection with a separate federal conviction for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. As part of his plea agreement, Shaw also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release when he committed another federal crime.
Shaw and the government agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, he will be sentenced to five to eight years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson scheduled sentencing for Monday, January 5, 2026, at 10 a.m.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Levin 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.
# # #
Baltimore Man Arrested in Traveling with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Young GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andrew Juarez, 28, of Baltimore, was arrested last week and charged with travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a nine-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Juarez was arrested Sept. 5, 2025, at a bar in the District where he had gone to meet who he thought was the mother of the girl. He was taken into custody by members of FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Juarez was found to be in possession of two cell phones at the time of his arrest. During an interview with task force agents, Juarez indicated that there was child pornography on one of his phones.
The case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from the region The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
25mj207
April 2023 Murder at a Southeast Apartment Complex Results in Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darrell Hinkle, 36, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed for the April 2023 shooting of Dajuan Blakney, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hinkle’s guilty plea on September 4, 2025, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a sentence of between 17 and 21 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Jason Park accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2026.
According to the proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, at 12:01 a.m. on April 21, 2023, Hinkle parked his vehicle in front of an apartment complex located at 1511 19th Street SE. Thereafter, the defendant approached the victim, who was seated on the steps leading to the entrance of the complex. When Hinkle was within a few feet of the victim, he shot him with an assault-style rifle, killing him. He then fled the scene in his vehicle.
Hinkle was arrested in October of 2023 and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Carson.
Alamo man guilty of smuggling illegal aliensRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 62-year-old Alamo resident has admitted he illegally transported two Mexican citizens in a tractor-trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Lazaro Rosendo Vega drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint in a maroon tractor-trailer May 30. At primary inspection, authorities noticed him sitting unusually high in his seat and acting abnormally loud and excited. When asked what he was hauling, he claimed “avocados loaded about two hours ago.”
A subsequent x-ray scan revealed two illegal aliens hidden under blankets on the top bunk of the sleeper cab. Both were citizens of Mexico. Vega claimed he was unaware of the two men hiding just feet behind him.
As part of his plea, Vega acknowledged one of the illegal aliens had claimed to have entered the United States about a month earlier, was led to a warehouse and later placed in Vega’s tractor-trailer. He had paid $9,000 to be smuggled into Fort Worth and was hidden inside the cab with another man for extended periods before the truck continued north.
Vega had blocked the dash camera view before picking up the aliens.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 10, at which time Vega faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Vega was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Izaak Bruce and Patrick Overman are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Adel Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – An Adel man was sentenced on Friday, September 5, 2025, to 108 months in federal prison for transportation of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that an account, later determined to be associated with Douglas Harsh, 55, received files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Harsh’s Adel residence. The investigation showed that Harsh was a member of an online chat group whose members shared images and videos of child pornography including content of prepubescent children.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Harsh will be required to serve a seven-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Harsh was also ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children, and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Saturday 6 September 2025
Undocumented Mexican National Sentenced for Drug and Immigration Crimes in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Kevin Enrique Sanchez-Carrillo, 25, a native and citizen of Mexico, who had been living in Draper, Utah, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment by Senior U.S. District court Judge Dale A. Kimball.
In addition to Sanchez-Carrillo’s term of imprisonment, upon his release, he will be remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $7,750 in U.S. currency; a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun; and associated ammunition.
According to court documents and admissions made at Sanchez-Carrillo’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, an investigation into the defendant began in March 2025 when a confidential informant purchased methamphetamine from Sanchez-Carrillo. On April 3, 2025, law enforcement executed search warrants on Sanchez-Carrillo’s apartment and his vehicle. During the search of his apartment, law enforcement recovered, 1,249 grams of fentanyl, 571 grams of heroin, 11,099 grams of methamphetamine, and 15 grams of cocaine, along with a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, and $7,750 in United States currency. Sanchez-Carrillo admitted that he knowingly possessed and intended to distribute the narcotics for profit and that he knew he was restricted from possessing the firearm, which affected interstate commerce because he was in the United States illegally.
Additionally, court documents reveal that Sanchez-Carrillo admitted that he entered the United States on or after December 14, 2023, and eluded examination and inspection by immigration officers until his apprehension on April 3, 2025. Sanchez-Carrillo also admitted that after being in the United States illegally for 30 days or longer, he deliberately failed to apply for registration. Court documents reveal that Sanchez-Carrillo had not applied for registration at the time he was found by immigration officers in Salt Lake County, Utah, and remains unregistered.
“Pumping poison in the form of illegal narcotics into our communities will not be taken lightly, said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Sanchez-Carrillo’s sentence sends a clear message to the defendant and others willing to break federal laws, that if you choose to engage in drug trafficking, illegally possess a firearm in the United States or unlawfully enter the United States you will face serious criminal consequences.”
“Individuals like Sanchez-Carrillo seek to profit while our communities are left to bear the cost of addiction, violence, and death,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI will relentlessly pursue and investigate drug traffickers who threaten public safety.”
“The sentencing of Sanchez-Carrillo sends a clear message to anyone involved in bringing drugs into our community: you will be caught, prosecuted, and held accountable,” said Lester R. Hayes, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Las Vegas. “We’re proud of the hard work and strong teamwork of our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who are committed to bringing criminals like Sanchez-Carrillo to justice.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Kennebec County Man Pleads Guilty to Accessing Child Pornography with Intent to ViewRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A China, Maine, man pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Portland to one count of Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.
According to court records, in June 2024, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit began investigating a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding Kik, a free instant messaging mobile app. According to the Cybertip, a Kik user, later identified as Jeffery Furlong, 53, uploaded multiple videos of child sexual abuse material. Based on further investigation, a search warrant was executed at Furlong’s residence in October 2024. During the execution of the search warrant, Furlong admitted that he had obtained multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his cellular telephone via Kik. A search warrant on Furlong’s Kik account revealed child sexual abuse material and the defendant’s expressed sexual interest in children 6-to-12 years old.
Furlong faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, NCMEC received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: 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’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
###
Friday 5 September 2025
Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers indicted in $900,000 wire fraud schemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two former Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers with stealing $900,000 from the Court.
According to court documents, Julia Roberts, 65, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Vicki Robinson, 63, of Bonner Springs were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy as well as individual counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
As part of their duties, Roberts and Robinson were responsible for collecting and depositing funds into the Wyandotte County Clerk Office’s bank account.
Roberts and Robinson are accused of devising a scheme to steal incoming cash between January 2018 and February 2023. They allegedly concealed the ongoing thefts by using the clerk of court’s signature on fraudulent checks that they generated without authorization. According to court documents, the fraudulent checks appeared to be facially valid and were drawn on and deposited into the county clerk office’s bank account, creating a corresponding debit and credit—which eliminated fluctuation in the deposit amount on the bank statements but concealed the stolen cash in the Court’s accounting system.
Roberts and Robinson made their initial court appearances on September 3, 2025, and September 5, 2025, respectively, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan J. Huschka and Michelle McFarlane are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###