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14 November 2025
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Daviontae Lately, also known as “Dave,” 32, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 7, 2023, Lately sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Beckley residence where Lately was staying. As part of his guilty plea, Lately admitted to the transaction. Lately further admitted to selling a quantity of fentanyl to the same confidential informant on September 8, 2023.
On September 12, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Beckley residence where Lately was staying and seized additional quantities of fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and approximately $9,360, including $1,400 from the controlled buys involving the confidential informant. Lately admitted that he intended to distribute the seized fentanyl and crack, and that the seized cash represented proceeds of drug trafficking activity.
Lately has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer, armed robbery, and a weapons offense.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess 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. 5:24-cr-174.
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Department of Homeland Security Contractor Agrees to Pay $3.9M to Resolve Alleged Violations of the False Claims ActRead the Press Release
Zephyr Aviation LLC, located in Mineral, Virginia, and its owners Frederick Credno Jr. and Frederick W. Credno III have agreed to pay $3,901,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting inflated invoices for aviation contracts to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“Companies that do business with the government are expected to charge the United States accurately for the goods and services they provide,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to pursue those who knowingly overcharge the government at the expense of the American taxpayers.”
“With this settlement, we are sending a clear message that committing fraud in federal contracts will be met with significant sanctions against those defrauding the American taxpayer,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG). “I commend our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice’s Civil Fraud Section for tirelessly pursuing this investigation to hold these individuals accountable.”
“This settlement showcases CBP OPR’s ongoing commitment to accountability and integrity,” said Acting Assistant Commissioner Robert B. Danley of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Professional Responsibility. “Today’s settlement reaffirms our duty to protect taxpayers and hold accountable those who take advantage of our government programs.”
This settlement resolves allegations pertaining to contracts with DHS under which Zephyr chartered flights to transport persons in the custody of CBP between 2022 and 2025. In connection with these contracts, Zephyr subcontracted with various aircraft operators to fly the required flights, and Zephyr submitted invoices to CBP purportedly based on the required flight times. The United States alleged that Zephyr and its owners routinely submitted invoices to DHS that requested payment for flight hours that exceeded the actual flight times of the aircraft operators.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and DHS Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Daniel W. Kastner of the Fraud Section.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: The Settlement can be read here.
Defense Contractor Executive Sentenced in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Russell Thurston, a former executive vice president at Cambridge International Systems, Inc., a defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, was sentenced in federal court today to 18 months custody, followed by 12 months home confinement, after admitting that he participated in a bribery scheme with other Cambridge employees and former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano.
According to Thurston’s plea agreement, Cambridge – acting through Thurston and multiple other Cambridge employees – gave various things of value to Soriano, including expensive meals at restaurants in San Diego; a ticket to the 2018 Major League Baseball All Star Game held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.; and a job at Cambridge for Soriano’s friend, Liberty Gutierrez. According to Gutierrez’s plea agreement, Gutierrez did minimal work at Cambridge and gave Soriano $2,000 a month from her Cambridge salary.
In return, Soriano, acting in his position as a contracting officer’s representative at Naval Information Warfare Center, influenced the procurement process to ensure that Cambridge was awarded two large task orders. Soriano further ensured that Cambridge was able to capture a steady stream of government funds by influencing a series of projects on those task orders to be approved. According to Cambridge’s plea agreement, as a result of the conspiracy, the government obligated more than $32 million on one of the task orders and over $100 million on the other.
Soriano also allowed Cambridge employees to draft various procurement documents for him, even when Cambridge was competing for contracts against other bidders. Thurston and Soriano also worked together to remove document properties so that other government employees would not know of Cambridge’s involvement in drafting the documents.
Cambridge was separately charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in 24-cr-00759-TWR. Cambridge was ordered to forfeit the $1,672,102.23 in profits it obtained from the bribery conspiracy and pay a $2.25 million fine.
According to Thurston’s plea agreement, Thurston received periodic pay bonuses from Cambridge – which totaled between $150,000 and $250,000 – based on the profits Cambridge received from the bribery conspiracy.
“Defense contracting is built on trust, integrity, and a solemn duty to protect the nation, but this defendant and his accomplices shattered that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today’s sentence makes clear that those who corrupt the system for personal gain will face decisive consequences.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Thurston for his role in subverting the Department of Defense’s (DoD) procurement process should act as a deterrent to those seeking to enrich themselves through fraudulent contracting practices,” said John E. Helsing, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working jointly with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate public corruption affecting the DoD and the American taxpayer.”
“Today’s sentencing of Russell Thurston is a reminder that corruption in the federal contracting process carries serious consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “By conspiring to bribe a government official, Mr. Thurston not only violated the law - he also undermined the integrity of a system meant to serve our military and protect taxpayer dollars. IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to expose and dismantle these schemes, and to ensure that those who abuse positions of trust are held fully accountable.”
“Through his misdeeds, Mr. Thurston undermined the integrity of the Department of the Navy’s procurement process in order to line his own pockets with millions of dollars in contract awards,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS remains steadfast in our commitment to work with our partners to investigate and deter public corruption that would bring discredit to the Navy and Marine Corps.”
“This case demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud and corruption in government contracting,” said Tim Larson, SBA OIG Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge. “By exploiting the 8(a) program this scheme not only defrauded the government but also compromised the integrity of the program designed to uplift deserving entrepreneurs. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners for their continued pursuit of justice and holding accountable those who engage in fraudulent schemes.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Swan and Carling E. Donovan.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24-cr-0341-TWR-2
Russell Thurston Age: 52 Mt. Pleasant, SC
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a term of supervised release up to three years.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098
Defendants Face Justice for Distributing 3,200 Kilos of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A dozen defendants involved in a major methamphetamine ring operating between Mexico and a conversion site in Monroe, Georgia, responsible for converting and distributing thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine shipped in from Mexico and hidden in boxes of jalapeños, are being held accountable for their crimes at the federal level in an Operation Take Back America investigation.
“This Operation Take Back America case amplifies the kind of major law enforcement efforts occurring across the Middle District of Georgia, focused on breaking dangerous cartels and armed drug trafficking organizations that destroy lives,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I commend our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners who work side-by-side with our office to bring justice and make our communities safer.”
"This investigation is a prime example of the critical work being done to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations that operate with impunity, bringing dangerous narcotics into our communities,” said Paul Bown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Office. “The FBI’s role in this investigation, alongside our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners, has led to the disruption of a significant methamphetamine operation and the arrest of multiple individuals responsible for poisoning our communities.”
“Methamphetamine destroys families, fuels violent crime and erodes the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. By taking down this network of a dozen traffickers, we’re not just removing drugs, we’re removing the source of addiction, exploitation and tragedy in our communities.”
“This investigation underscores the power of collaboration between federal, state and local partners to dismantle large-scale drug trafficking operations that threaten our communities,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The sheer volume of methamphetamine seized in this case represents thousands of lives that could have been destroyed. The GBI remains committed to working alongside our partners to identify, investigate and stop transnational criminal networks operating in Georgia.”
“The vast amount of methamphetamine being supplied is truly alarming and serves as a strong reminder that even in safe, close-knit communities like Walton County, we must stay vigilant,” said Walton County Sheriff Keith Brooks. “Collaboration at all governmental levels is essential for operational success, and we appreciate the strong partnerships.”
“This investigation is another great example of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together toward the shared goal of keeping our community safe. I’m proud of the collaboration and teamwork invested in this case, which led to the seizure of a significant amount of dangerous drugs. These substances have devastating effects on our community and far too often claim lives unnecessarily. Because of the continued dedication of these men and women, there are fewer narcotics and violent offenders on our streets, and our community is safer as a result,” said Athens Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters.
The following co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2026:
James Len Ramey, 53, of Comer, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Oct. 14, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
Kendell Cawthon, 60, of Baldwin, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
Bonterris Turner, 45, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
Demetrius Appling, 38, of Crawford, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
Yirla Adame Gomez, 25, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
Rafael Gomez Flores, 22, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
Andrea Robinson, 42, of Cleveland, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The following co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2026:
Yuretzi Adame Gomez, 40, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10 million fine.
The following co-conspirators pleaded guilty and have been sentenced:
Christopher Hyatt, 46, of LaGrange, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 292 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Aug. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 1.
Uriel Garcia, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Aug. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine on May 2.
Jared Kenyatta Calhoun, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 8.
Ebony Jones-Tate, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to 90 days of home confinement and three years of supervised release after she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 8.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the FBI in Athens received information in January 2024 that Ramey was selling kilogram amounts of methamphetamine from Rapid Lube in Athens, where he worked. The FBI investigation revealed that Ramey was supplied with drugs by individuals operating a methamphetamine conversion lab inside a residence on Mountain Creek Church Road in Monroe, Georgia (Walton County). The FBI installed a pole camera outside the Mountain Creek house and frequently observed the occupants taking boxes out of the house and loading them into vehicles, which agents suspected contained kilogram amounts of methamphetamine. The FBI also used two confidential informants to make multiple purchases of methamphetamine from Ramey at his workplace, totaling more than six kilograms of pure methamphetamine and multiple ounces of cocaine between Jan. 19, 2024, and June 25, 2024.
The FBI identified Cawthon as Ramey’s courier, who he frequently directed to drive to various parking lots throughout metro Atlanta to retrieve large boxes containing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine from unidentified Hispanic males and females. After receiving the boxes, Cawthon would immediately transport them to Ramey at Rapid Lube, where the boxes were taken into the garage and stored. On the morning of Sunday, June 30, 2024, Ramey and Cawthon were observed over an FBI-installed pole camera arriving at Rapid Lube and loading boxes into the bed of Cawthon’s truck. Ramey and Cawthon left Rapid Lube driving in tandem.
FBI Task Force Agents surveilled the defendants as they drove towards Ramey’s house in Comer. GSP conducted a traffic stop on Cawthon’s truck; it was searched, and the boxes that he and Ramey had removed from Rapid Lube just minutes before and placed in the bed of his truck were found to contain approximately 20 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. Ramey was arrested on July 3, 2024, and admitted that he was being supplied multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. Ramey said he met his supplier while serving a prison sentence in Georgia. In the weeks and months following Ramey’s arrest, Rapid Lube employees found approximately six kilograms of suspected methamphetamine hidden in oil filter boxes in the Rapid Lube garage.
In August 2024, a federal search warrant was issued for the Mountain Creek House and for a Chevrolet Traverse observed by agents transporting drugs from the residence. On Aug. 13, occupants inside the Mountain Creek House were seen leaving the residence in the Traverse and travelling to a Home Depot parking lot in Monroe. An occupant in the Traverse carried a box from the Traverse to the occupants of a Chevrolet Camaro with an Alabama license plate. Certain that a drug transaction had just occurred in their presence, the FBI asked Walton County Sheriff's Office deputies to stop the Camaro. The deputy smelled marijuana inside the Camaro driven by Jones-Tate; Calhoun was a passenger. Officers found four kilograms of pure methamphetamine in the box inside the car.
Following the arrest of the Jones-Tate and Calhoun, agents stopped the Chevrolet Traverse as it left the Mountain Creek House. Inside the Traverse, agents found 983.3 grams of pure methamphetamine and $4,350 in U.S. currency. Garcia, Yuritzi Gomez, Yirla Gomez and Gomez Flores were arrested. Agents then executed the search warrant on the Mountain Creek House and found, as they suspected, an active methamphetamine conversion laboratory. Over four kilograms of "finished" crystal methamphetamine were found inside the house, while the bulk of the methamphetamine was in liquid form waiting to be converted. Based on measurements and samples obtained at the scene, the DEA estimates that the amount of seized liquid methamphetamine would produce over 300 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine.
The cell phones belonging to the occupants in the Traverse were seized and searched. The search of the phones revealed that drugs were sent to the Mountain Creek House from Mexico. concealed in truckloads of boxes of jalapeños, which explained why agents located hundreds of pounds of rotting jalapeños and discarded jalapeño boxes in the backyard of the house. More importantly, inside the residence, agents found a drug ledger which showed that from Feb. 28, 2024, until August 8, 2024, 1,546.5 kilograms of methamphetamine had been converted inside the Mountain Creek House. Approximately 3,200 kilograms of methamphetamine from four different shipments from Mexico arrived at the Mountain Creek House concealed in boxes of jalapenos.
The collaborative effort 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 Neighborhoods.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.
This press release about a case that occurred during the 43-day government shutdown is now available after the return to normal operations.
Dallas men convicted in East Texas federal drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – Two Dallas men were found guilty of federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Corey Buchea Grant, 31, and Calvin Autae Thompson, 36, were found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on November 3, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Grant worked at a “trap house” in East Dallas, which was managed by Thompson, where multiple types of drugs were sold, to include heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin laced with fentanyl. Drugs supplied by the two were believed to be responsible for a fentanyl overdose death in Lewisville, Texas.
According to information presented by prosecutors, drug dealers went to the Dallas “trap houses” to purchase the drugs, which would then be distributed in the Eastern District of Texas. Evidence presented by the court included cell phone messages, social media messages, cell phone location data, financial records, and testimony of cooperating defendants.
At sentencing, Grant and Thompson face up to life in federal prison. The statutory maximum sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
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 case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Dallas Police Department, U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Digital Evidence Forensics Lab, Lewisville Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Rattan and Eric Erlandson.
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Cryptocurrency Investment Firm Founder Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Defrauding Investors in $9.4M Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
An Oklahoma man was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in forfeiture and over $170,000 in restitution for his leading role in a cryptocurrency investment fraud conspiracy.
According to court documents and admissions, Travis Ford, 36, of Glenpool, Oklahoma, was the CEO, co-founder, and head trader of Wolf Capital Crypto Trading LLC, a cryptocurrency investment firm that raised $9.4 million from approximately 2,800 investors. From at least January 2023 through at least August 2023, Ford solicited investments through the company website and other social media and internet-based promotion activities. Ford held himself out as a sophisticated trader, able to deliver high returns of 1–2% per day (approximately 547% per year). As part of his guilty plea, Ford admitted that he did not believe those promised investment returns were possible to achieve consistently. Instead, Ford and his co-conspirators allegedly made such false promises to induce members of the public to invest money in the company. Ford then misappropriated and diverted investor funds to benefit himself and his co-conspirators, to the financial detriment of investors.
In January 2025, Ford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Acting Assistant Attorney Matthew R. Galeotti and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The USPIS is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John J. Liolos of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced for New Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Daniel Norman Pulley (60, St. Petersburg) to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, possession of CSAM, and penalties for registered sex offenders. The court also ordered Pulley to forfeit five cellphones, a PlayStation 4, and two flash drives, which are traceable as instrumentalities of the offense. Pulley was found guilty by a jury on July 30, 2025.
According to court documents, Pulley was a registered sex offender following a 2009 federal conviction for possessing CSAM. In 2022, Pulley used Snapchat to communicate with a minor online, coercing her to produce CSAM for him. He also specifically detailed the different ways he wanted to rape the teenage minor. Pulley also possessed various CSAM images on his cellphone, including depictions of young children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Muriel Moore.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
Contra Costa County Woman Indicted on Charges of Assaulting Crew Members During Flight and Assaulting Federal Officer and Security Personnel at SFORead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Reshma Kamath on two counts of interference with flight crew members and attendants, one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer, and one count of interference with security screening personnel.
According to an indictment filed on November 5, 2025, and unsealed yesterday, Kamath, 40, of Bethel Island, California, was a passenger on board Air India flight 173 flying from Delhi, India, to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on June 28 and 29, 2025. During the flight, Kamath allegedly assaulted and intimidated two flight crew members, including by verbally abusing, threatening, and striking them. Upon landing at SFO, Kamath allegedly assaulted an SFO employee with security duties and resisted arrest by and struck a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.
Kamath made her initial appearance in district court on November 13, 2025. She is next scheduled to appear in federal court on January 7, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Kamath faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of interference with flight crew members and attendants in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46504, eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a), and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the count of interference with security screening personnel in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46503. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only upon consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Yeh is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the San Francisco Police Department Airport Bureau, and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
Clearwater Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material of an InfantRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virigina M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced William Jack Filing (30, Clearwater) to 15 years in federal prison for receiving child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Filing to register as a sex offender and serve a lifetime of supervision following his release. A federal jury convicted Filing on July 15, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, using the online persona “Calcifer_Starflame,” Filing discussed his desire to sexually abuse a baby boy in a one-on-one chat with a co-conspirator on a social media platform. At Filing’s request, the co-conspirator sent videos of an infant child being sexually abused. In response, Filing said that it was his “daydream” to sexually abuse a baby himself and sent explicit photos of himself. When the co-conspirator asked about his preferred age, Filing stated, “1-4, maybe 5 or 6, less words the better.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations–Tampa, with substantial assistance from the Clearwater Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce of Central Florida. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Abigail K. King.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
Clearfield Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Possessing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
This release was issued following the 43-day government shutdown during which the sentencing occurred.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 168 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Jason Lentz, 31, on October 14, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, in and around January 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Lentz possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania State Police; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Lentz.
Clay County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Loaded Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Dustin Neil Haas (38, Clay County) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Haas faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and forfeiture of a Bryco Jennings 9mm pistol and ammunition used in the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Law enforcement arrested Haas on September 22, 2025, and he was subsequently detained.
According to court documents, on August 11, 2025, a deputy from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a motorcycle driven by Haas for driving without a tag. The deputy also determined that Haas was driving on a suspended license. Upon making contact with Haas, the deputy observed a large bulge in the vest Haas was wearing. During a subsequent search of the vest, the deputy located a black Bryco Jennings 9mm pistol, loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Haas had multiple prior felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
Citizen of Mexico Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edelicio Castillo-Ramos, age 34, a citizen of Mexico, received a time-served sentence of nearly four months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry on October 15, 2025, by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann. Castillo-Ramos was transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) custody for immediate deportation.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Castillo-Ramos faced one count of Illegal Reentry following his arrest in Clinton County on June 20, 2025, after previously being removed from the United States. Castillo-Ramos had been removed from the United States on July 12, 2012, through Calexico, California, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Robin Zenzinger prosecuted 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).
This matter occurred on date indicated but not issued at that time due to the government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
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Citizen of Guatemala Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Victor Manuel Mazariegos-Palacios, age 46, citizen of Guatemala, pled guilty to illegal reentry into the United States and was sentenced on October 15, 2025, to time-served, approximately four months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on or about February 8, 2023, Mazariegos-Palacios was found in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. Mazariegos-Palacios was removed from the United States in 2006 and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. Mazariegos-Palacios will be deported to his native country.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin prosecuted 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).
This matter occurred on date indicated but not issued at that time due to the government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
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Cherokee County felon charged with federal firearms violations in relation to the shooting of a Jacksonville police officerRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas –A Jacksonville convicted felon has been charged with federal firearms violations in connection with the shooting of a police officer in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Bobby Michael Dennis, 64, was named in a complaint in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and while being convicted of a crime of domestic violence.
According to information presented in court, on November 2, 2025, Dennis opened fire on a Jacksonville police officer, striking her twice, with an AR-15-style rifle when the officer attempted to identify him pursuant to multiple outstanding warrants. After firing numerous rounds at the officer, her K9, and her car, Dennis fled, leading to a multi-agency manhunt, during which Jacksonville-area schools canceled classes for two days. A search warrant executed at Dennis’ residence in Jacksonville discovered four additional firearms. Dennis was apprehended safely on the evening of November 5, 2025, during the execution of a search warrant at a bunker that Dennis had built near Cuney, Texas. An additional firearm was recovered from the bunker.
Dennis is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law as a three-time convicted felon, with previous convictions for aggravated robbery in Smith County and aggravated assault and possession of a controlled substance in Pulaski County, Arkansas.
If convicted of the federal firearms charges, Dennis faces up to life in prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; Jacksonville Police Department; Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division; and the Texas Rangers. The case is being prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker and Lucas Machicek.
A complaint or grand jury indictment are not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Cross City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking in MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Khiri Jackson, 31, of Cross City, Florida, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case exemplifies the excellent partnerships between our state and federal law enforcement partners that are forged in the unified commitment to rid our communities of deadly drugs and the criminals who traffic this poison. My office stands ready to aggressively pursue drug traffickers with the full force of the law.”
Court documents reflect that the Drug Enforcement Administration had been investigating the drug trafficking activities of Jackson since late 2024. On April 15, 2025, a traffic stop was conducted as Jackson returned to Old Town from the Ocala area, where officers believed his source of supply was located. After a canine alerted on Jackson’s vehicle, approximately a pound of methamphetamine was located in a vacuum sealed bag on the driver’s floorboard. Jackson has prior state convictions for selling methamphetamine.
"This sentence sends a clear message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated in Dixie County. Methamphetamine has devastated too many families in our community, and we will continue to work side by side with our federal, state, and local partners to hold offenders accountable and keep our neighborhoods safe," said Sheriff Darby Butler.
“Stopping drug traffickers and keeping deadly drugs out of our communities is our mission,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Every Mr. Jackson we bring to justice is one step closer to protecting our communities.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James A. McCain.
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.
Crawfordville Felon Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jason Rigdon, 44, of Crawfordville, Florida was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners did a great job removing this violent, drug-dealing felon from our streets, and my office will continue to support their efforts with aggressive federal prosecutions to keep our communities healthy and safe. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to Take Back America from the drug traffickers who have flooded our communities with deadly drugs, and this successful prosecution is yet another step toward achieving that goal.”
According to court records, in February 2025, investigators developed information indicating that the defendant, who was a multi-time convicted felon, was involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine and illegal firearms. After a series of controlled operations during which methamphetamine and a handgun were purchased from the defendant, investigators executed a search warrant in March 2025 at his residence. During the search of the residence and a vehicle the defendant was arrested in, thirteen firearms, two of which had been reported stolen, were recovered. Ammunition and methamphetamine were also seized. The defendant has prior felony convictions for Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Trafficking in methamphetamine, Carrying Concealed Firearms, Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement, and Possession of Methamphetamine.
“The Leon County Sheriff’s Office is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to protect our community,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil. “We will not tolerate dangerous crimes like drug trafficking and illegal firearms anywhere in our region, and we will continue to collaborate to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
“Protecting our community from violent offenders remains one of our highest priorities,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “This outcome demonstrates the strength of our partnerships and the determination of law enforcement to hold accountable those who traffic dangerous drugs and illegally possess firearms. Together, we are making Tallahassee a safer place for everyone.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
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.
Bloomsburg Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison in Fentanyl Overdose CaseRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tysheem Dunlap, age 28, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced on October 28, 2025, by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to 22 years in prison for a drug delivery resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Dunlap was convicted by a jury in May 2025 of three counts of drug delivery (fentanyl) resulting in death or serious bodily injury, and two counts of distribution of cocaine. The charges resulted from Dunlap distributing drugs on August 20, 2022, that were used by four individuals in Bloomsburg, PA, who believed they were using cocaine. The drugs distributed by Dunlap contained fentanyl, however, and resulted in the death of one individual and the non-fatal overdose of two others who were revived by paramedics.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bloomsburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey MacArthur and Alisan V. Martin prosecuted 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).
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.
This matter occurred on date indicated but not issued at that time due to the government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
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Beaufort County Men Charged with Child Sex Trafficking, Coercion, Child Sexual Abuse Material DistributionRead the Press Release
NOTE: This press release is about a case that occurred during the 43-day government shutdown and is now available after the return to normal operations.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a nine-count indictment charging four Beaufort-area defendants with sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking conspiracy, coercion and enticement, and child sexual abuse material offenses:
- Jaquan Duvall Barnes, 30, of Port Royal, was charged with human trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material, and coercion and enticement of a minor.
- William James Youmans 35, of Beaufort, was charged with human trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material, and coercion and enticement of a minor.
- Guy Frank Talley, 28, of Beaufort, was charged with coercion and enticement of a minor.
- Alban Bryan, 64, of Saint Helena Island, was charged with sex trafficking of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material, and coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, a minor female victim had particular vulnerabilities—including drug dependance and status as a runaway—which were known to one or more of the defendants.
Between December 2023 and January 2024, Bryan recruited, enticed, harbored, coerced, and trafficked a minor victim, knowing her status as a runaway, and obtained sex acts from the minor in exchange for drugs and housing. It is further alleged that Bryan received and distributed child sexual abuse material depicting the minor victim. At a detention hearing, evidence was presented that Bryan, who had a familial relationship with the minor, also produced child sexual abuse material of the minor.
Between January 2024 and March 2024, Barnes, Youmans, and Talley coerced and enticed the minor victim to engage in sex acts that violate federal and state law. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Barnes and Youmans trafficked the minor victim into the commercial sex trade in exchange for drugs, housing, and money, all while knowing the victim was a minor. Barnes and Youmans are accused of working together to exploit the minor, including by obtaining child sexual abuse material and compromising photographs of the minor, advertising her on the internet for commercial sex, communicating with customers to arrange commercial sex acts, transporting the minor to hotels, supplying the minor with illegal narcotics, and confiscating proceeds from the commercial sex scheme. Talley facilitated the exploitation by advertising the minor on the internet for commercial sex. The indictment further alleges that Youmans and Bryan received and distributed child sexual abuse material depicting the minor victim.
Each defendant faces a mandatory 10 years and up to life in federal prison. The defendants also face a lifetime supervision by the federal court system following any term of imprisonment, sex offender registration, and mandatory restitution payable to victims.
Barnes, Talley, Youmans were arraigned in federal court on Oct. 9 and were all ordered detained. Bryan was ordered detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker pending trial after a contested detention hearing on Oct. 16. U.S. District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks will preside over the case.
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.
The case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), with assistance from the Hardeeville Police Department, Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Highway Patrol, and Jacksonville (Florida) Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy F. Bower and Elliott B. Daniels are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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* 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.”
Athol Man Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Athol, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for sexually exploiting minors and receiving and possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Defendant allegedly convinced minors to send CSAM over Snapchat.
Michael Indelicato, 41, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, aiding and abetting; one count of sexual exploitation of a minor; two counts of receipt of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography. Indelicato was arrested on Oct. 7, 2025 and remains in federal custody.
According to court records, on or about Nov. 16, 2020, Indelicato told an individual over Snapchat that he would pay the individual $1,500 to make CSAM of the individual’s younger sibling, a pre-pubescent minor, and to send them to Indelicato. It is alleged that Indelicato convinced the individual to make the CSAM and Indelicato received it from the individual over Snapchat. Later, on or about Jan. 12, 2021, Indelicato allegedly convinced a different minor over Snapchat to make and send him CSAM of the minor, which Indelicato received from the minor over Snapchat. Further, on May 1, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Indelicato’s home, where allegedly a large amount of CSAM belonging to Indelicato was found.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 15 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Arizona Man Arrested in Undercover Fentanyl StingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was arrested after attempting to sell 10,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover agent.
According to court documents, in September 2025, an undercover agent from the Isleta Police Department began communicating with Daron Andrey Holmes, Jr., 35, of Arizona, via Facebook regarding the purchase of 10,000 fentanyl pills. Holmes and the agent agreed to meet at the Isleta Resort and casino on the Isleta Pueblo on the evening of October 29, 2025, to effectuate the sale. When Holmes arrived, he was arrested by a team of agents and officers from the Isleta Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, U.S. Marshal Service, New Mexico State Police and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office.
After Holmes was taken into custody, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office K9 Zara performed an open-air sniff of Holmes’ vehicle and alerted to the presence of the odor of narcotics. Agents and officers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. Inside they located a large amount of U.S. currency and approximately 4,102 grams of fentanyl pills.
U.S. currency and fentanyl seized from Holmes' vehicleHolmes is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Holmes faces up to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Shawn Stallo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
The Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from Isleta Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, U.S. Marshal Service, New Mexico State Police and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This press release was posted November 14, after the end of the federal government shutdown
Antifa Cell Members Indicted in Prairieland ShootingRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Fort Worth, Texas indicted nine North Texas Antifa Cell operatives, and seven more were charged by information, with offenses including rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer and unarmed correctional officers at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, 2025, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Yesterday’s twelve-count indictment charges Cameron Arnold, a/k/a Autumn Hill, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, a/k/a Meagan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada with multiple offenses for their roles related to the Prairieland attack. The defendants are set for arraignment on December 3, 2025, in front of a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Texas.
An information also filed yesterday charges Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas with one count of providing material support to terrorists. A sixteenth defendant, Seth Sikes, was charged by information in late October with one count of providing material support to terrorists. Guilty plea hearings for Baumann, Gibson, Thomas, Sharp, and Sikes will be held in front of a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Texas next week, with Morgan set to plead guilty the following week.
The indictment and informations follow on the heels of federal complaints brought against the defendants in July soon after the July 4 attack. According to the charges, the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. Antifa’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions. The indictment alleges that most of the Antifa Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader. As alleged, Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten are alleged to have been part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines.”
The charges reflect that, late at night on July 4, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement. According to the charges, after Antifa Cell members arrived at Prairieland, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property.
According to the charges, an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911. When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song allegedly yelled, “get to the rifles!” and then opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene. Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.
Collectively, the Antifa Cell allegedly acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4. As alleged in the indictment, members used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications. They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants. Members in this limited group allegedly conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks.
The nine individuals indicted yesterday are charged with the following offenses:
- Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
- Defendants charged: Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto
- Providing Material Support to Terrorists, including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation.
- Defendants charged: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive, and Using and Carrying an Explosive, during a riot.
- Defendants charged: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
- Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States, involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought Correctional Officers-1 and 2, and an Alvarado Police Officer.
- Defendants charged: Song, Arnold, Evetts, Morris, and Rueda
- Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer.
- Defendants charged: Song, Arnold, Evetts, Morris, and Rueda
- Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record, by transporting a box containing numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents and propaganda from Sanchez Estrada’s residence to a location in Denton, Texas, intending to conceal the box’s contents and impair its availability for use in a federal grand jury and federal criminal proceeding.
- Defendant charged: Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada
- Conspiracy to Conceal Documents and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility.
- Defendants charged: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda
If convicted, Song, Arnold, Evetts, Morris, and Rueda each face a minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Batten, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto each face a sentence ranging from a minimum of ten years up to fifty years in federal prison. Sanchez Estrada faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
The sole count of providing material support to terrorists brought in the information against Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and separately, Sikes’s information, mirrors the material support offense charged in yesterday’s indictment. If convicted, each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison.
Charges brought by indictment and information are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“This is the first indictment in the country against a group of violent Antifa cell members,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “The charges the Grand Jury has leveled against these defendants, including material support for terrorists, address the vicious attack perpetrated by an anti-ICE, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, anarchist group. I applaud the tenacious work of the FBI, ICE, our state and local law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors and staff in my office. They have tirelessly pursued justice in this case, and will continue to pursue justice in any cases like it. We are firm in our resolve to protect our law enforcement officers and federal facilities against organized domestic terrorist cells.”
“The updated charges in this case underscore the seriousness of the crimes committed at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4. We would like to thank our law enforcement partners for assisting us with this investigation. This collaborative effort reflects our collective commitment to holding these individuals accountable for this coordinated attack,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
“Four months ago, in an attempt to sow anarchy and chaos and to undermine the rule of law, a coordinated attack was carried out on the Prairieland Detention Center, leaving one of our local law enforcement officers injured and a community in disarray,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Acting Field Office Director Robert Cerna. “In response, the law enforcement community banded together to expose the cowardly thugs responsible for that heinous attack and hold them accountable. Yesterday’s indictments are a first step in that process, as we continue to work collectively to ensure that justice is served.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto and Shawn Smith are prosecuting the case.
- Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
Anchorage woman guilty of drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal jury convicted an Anchorage woman yesterday for her role in a local drug trafficking conspiracy to traffic cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and heroin.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Erica Elisoff, 51, and her boyfriend and co-defendant, Larry Kennedy, 65, were selling drugs out of adjacent apartments that they jointly occupied, as well as from Kennedy’s auto repair shop.
Between August and December 2021, law enforcement officials arranged multiple controlled purchases of cocaine base, aka crack cocaine, from both Kennedy and Elisoff. On three separate occasions in August, law enforcement purchased roughly seven grams of cocaine base from Kennedy, respectively. On one occasion in December, law enforcement executed a controlled purchase from Elisoff for 21 grams of cocaine base.
In May 2022, law enforcement officials executed search warrants at the apartments Elisoff and Kennedy shared. In one apartment, law enforcement discovered over $123,100 in cash, five heat sealed plastic bags containing over three kilograms of cocaine, over 745 grams of heroin, multiple scales, drug packaging materials, and other assorted drug paraphernalia. In the other apartment, law enforcement discovered over 20 grams of methamphetamine, over 15 grams of heroin, over $4,000 in cash, two scales, and other assorted drug paraphernalia.
Elisoff was convicted of one count of distribution of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. She faces between five years to life in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2026. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On March 31, 2025, Kennedy pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. On Sept. 29, 2025, Kennedy was sentenced to five years in prison and upon release, will serve three years on supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford of the District of Oregon and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the DEA Anchorage District Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.
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13 November 2025
Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting a Shotgun at Another ManRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man is facing an agreed-upon 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to the federal felonies of assault with a dangerous weapon and using a firearm during a crime of violence and discharging that firearm.
According to court documents, at about 9:50 p.m. on Sunday, February 2, 2025, Cody Laweka, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, drove with another person to a home on the Pueblo of Zuni. The person with whom Laweka drove had a shotgun in his truck bed. On the way to this residence, Laweka asked to use this shotgun. When Laweka arrived at the residence, he exited the vehicle with the shotgun and shot at least twice at a car occupied by John Doe. After this shooting, Laweka got back into the truck with the other person and left the scene. No one was hit by Laweka’s gunshots.
At the time Laweka committed these crimes crime, he was on supervised release for committing a prior federal crime. Sentencing in this case is not yet scheduled.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Pueblo of Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones and Nicholas Marshall are prosecuting this case.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Assault for Unprovoked StabbingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man admitted to stabbing another man without provocation, causing serious injuries
According to court documents, on June 16, 2025, Adrian Cheama, 37, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, stabbed John Doe in the abdomen with a sharp metal object, causing serious bodily injury to Doe.
Cheama pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. At sentencing, Cheama faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Cheama will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Zuni Man Indicted for Federal Charges in Triple HomicideRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has been indicted on federal charges in connection with the deaths of three individuals on July 4.
According to court documents, on July 4, 2025, Willis Kylestewa, 41, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, killed John Doe, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.
Kylestewa is charged with three counts of second-degree murder and will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Kylestewa faces any number of years up to life 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 Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department and Zuni Open Space. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Marshall and Amy Mondragon are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Zuni Man Charged for March 2025 ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has been charged after he opened fire in a residential area, seriously wounding the victim, then lied to police about his involvement.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2025, Shane Austin Loretto, 31, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, discharged a shotgun from the front seat of a vehicle, hitting the victim, who was seated in another vehicle across the street, in the face and neck with buckshot. A witness drove the victim to a local hospital where he was treated.
During a subsequent interview, Loretto claimed he had heard about the gunshots but did not know where where they came from. Law enforcement located the shotgun and ammunition in a safe inside a shed adjacent to Loretto's residence.
Loretto is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing. If convicted of the current charges, Loretto faces 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Worcester College Student Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Cyber ExtortionsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Assumption University student was sentenced on Oct. 14, 2025 for hacking into the computer networks of two U.S.-based companies and extorting them for ransoms.
Matthew D. Lane, 20, of Sterling, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to four years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $25,000, restitution of $14,075,540.58 and forfeiture. In June 2024, Lane pleaded guilty to cyber extortion conspiracy, cyber extortion, unauthorized access to protected computers and aggravated identity theft.
Lane was sentenced in connection with two separate cyber extortion incidents. Between April and May 2024, Lane agreed with others to extort a $200,000 ransom payment from a telecommunications company by threatening to publicly disseminate data that had previously been stolen from the company’s computer network. When the victim company questioned whether a ransom payment would in fact end the threat of its customer data being leaked, Lane responded, “We are the only ones with a copy of this data now. Stop this nonsense [or] your executives and employees will see the same fate . . . . Make the correct decision and pay the ransom. If you keep stalling, it will be leaked.”Between August and December 2024, Lane used stolen login credentials to access the computer network of a second victim company – a software and cloud storage company that served school systems in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Lane caused personally identifying information of students and teachers stored on that company’s networks to be transferred to a computer server Lane leased in Ukraine. Later, the second victim company and others received threats that the names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical information, residential addresses, parent and guardian information, and passwords, among other data, of more than 60 million students and 10 million teachers would be “leak[ed] . . . worldwide” if the company did not pay a ransom of approximately $2.85 million in Bitcoin.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. The Assumption University Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Woman Admits Embezzling $305,000 from St. Louis County CompanyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The former head of payroll for a St. Louis County company on Thursday admitted paying herself an extra $305,000 in salary and bonuses.
Deborah Stinebaker, 49, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of fraudulently effecting transactions. She admitted that while the head of the company's payroll department, she used the company’s financial software to pay herself an extra $305,469 from January 2016 to March of 2024. Her employer discovered her crime when an audit revealed that the company’s financial instability resulted from the embezzlement.
Stinebaker is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 17, 2026. Stinebaker’s charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. She will also be ordered to repay the money.
The FBI and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Wheeling Attorney Guilty of Money Laundering and FraudRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A Wheeling attorney was convicted today of fraud and money laundering for fraudulently handling client funds and using client funds to conduct unlawful monetary transactions, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
A federal jury found Paul J. Harris, 62, of Wheeling, guilty of 29 counts today. The jury heard testimony that Harris used client funds for personal expenses, such as the purchase of his home and paying for his law office, without the clients’ permission. Harris received and moved funds from his client trust account to his law firm operating account, at times using one client’s money to pay funds he had misappropriated from other clients.
“Attorneys are meant to relieve clients of their stressors. Mr. Harris preyed on vulnerable clients who trusted him with their money and legal matters, betraying that trust through unethical acts. I commend the jury for their verdict and for delivering justice to the victims,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey.
The government is seeking a monetary judgement, restitution for the victims, as well as the forfeiture of the property of Harris Law Offices in Wheeling.
Harris faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each of the mail and wire fraud counts and up to 10 years in prison for each of the unlawful monetary transaction counts.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Jennifer T. Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, and the matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Westfield Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Westfield man was sentenced on Oct. 17, 2025 in federal court in Worcester for his role in a conspiracy to traffic drugs from California to Massachusetts and launder the proceeds.
David Cruz, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to nine years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. On Sept. 6, 2017, Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon.
Between approximately 2015 and his arrest on Sept. 12, 2016, Cruz conspired to – and did – import cocaine, heroin and fentanyl from Mexico into California, and then transport it across the United States and distribute it to local dealers in western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. According to court records, Cruz distributed approximately 32 kilos of cocaine and approximately 1 kilo of fentanyl. Cruz also used various methods to launder the proceeds to his organization in California and Mexico, including through wire transfers and cash money drops. Lastly, Cruz possessed a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol to protect his drugs and drug proceeds.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. DEA’s Carlsbad Resident Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the Westfield Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Ammunition as a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed ammunition as a prohibited person was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Nicholas Edward Schubich, age 45, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 8, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
At the guilty plea, Schubich admitted he possessed the ammunition knowing that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year as well as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. On April 20, 2025, following a traffic stop on a car that Schubich was a passenger in, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, and a box of ammunition in Schubich’s backpack.
Schubich was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Schubich was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Schubich is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody 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.
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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2032.
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Waterbury Drug Distributor Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS MUNOZ, also known as “P.R.” and “Puerto Rico,” 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a Waterbury drug trafficking organization.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization was headed by Angel Quiros and operated in the area of William Street, and the other was headed by Daniel Diaz-Rivera and operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. The organizations shared sources of supply, worked together to further their operations, and sold narcotics all hours of the day and night.
Munoz distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl as part of the Quiros organization.
Munoz, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and 14 associates were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. Munoz, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash. Investigators seized from Munoz approximately 234 grams of cocaine, 22 grams of fentanyl, and $2,100 in cash.
On March 7, 2025, Munoz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Released on $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on January 16.
Quiros and Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty to related charges. On August 19, 2025, Quiros was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment, and on June 23, 2025, Diaz-Rivera was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Warwick, ND, Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
FARGO – On October 7, 2025, Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, sentenced Jordain Jaden Smith, age 26 of Warwick, ND, to 20 years in prison for Sexual Abuse of an Incapacitated Victim and Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Smith is also known by the following aliases: Jordain Jaden Smith, Jourdian Smith, Jordain Thompson, and Jordan Thompson.
Smith’s prison sentence will be followed by 25 years of supervised release following his prison sentence which will include many conditions. As part of the plea agreement in this case, Smith was also advised of the requirement that he must comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
In 2023, Smith was charged by Indictment with five counts alleging Smith sexually abused two minor females and possessed materials involving the sexual exploitation of one of the minors. Smith pled guilty to two of the charged offenses involving two minor females. The sexual abuse alleged in the Indictment occurred within the boundaries of the Spirit Lake Reservation.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s actions and reaffirms our office’s commitment to protecting children,” said United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase. “We will continue to pursue justice for victims of exploitation and hold offenders fully accountable.”
"Today's sentence of is one more step forward in the pursuit of justice for the two minor females who were viciously abused by Jordain Jaden Smith," said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. "Those who sexually exploit children will meet the full force of the law. The FBI has no higher calling than to protect innocent children from sexual predators like Smith. We are proud of our work with our Federal, State and Local partners on this investigation."
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), helps federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from: Grand Forks Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned.
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Warwick Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Enticement of a Minor and ObscenityRead the Press Release
A Warwick man who used multiple online accounts to communicate with underage girls, including an 11-year-old in New Jersey, was sentenced today in federal court in Rhode Island for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and for transmitting obscene material to a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Jeffrey Locke Slinn, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 15 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Slinn pleaded guilty on October 30, 2023, to attempted enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor.
According to court documents, in July 2023, Slinn engaged in a series of sexually explicit online communications with an 11-year-old girl in New Jersey, attempting to entice her to engage in sexual conduct and exchanged sexually explicit images and videos with her.
Slinn was arrested on October 26, 2023, charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with attempted enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, the Ocean Township, New Jersey, Police Department, and the Warwick, Rhode Island, Police Department.
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Ukranian National Sentenced to 7 Months for Human Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Taras Kosmirak, age 35, was sentenced on October 9, 2025, for Transportation of an Individual to Engage in Prostitution.
According to court documents, a Soviet-born Russian citizen provided law enforcement with information that she was aware of an individual who manages a human trafficking organization in Brooklyn, New York. During her work with law enforcement, the Russian citizen began communicating with this person to see if they would employ her to work as a sex worker for her. The individual in New York agreed that the Russian could come work for her as a commercial sex worker. The individual in New York arranged for Kosmirak to come and pick up the Russian citizen and bring her to New York. The Russian citizen then began communicating directly with Kosmirak. He explained travel information and coordinated a pick-up location. On March 14, 2025, Kosmirak arrived at the pick-up location in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Law enforcement officers apprehended Kosmirak at the pick-up location.
Kosmirak has been in custody since March 14, 2025. Judge Moorer imposed a time-served sentence. Kosmirak will be placed on a 5-year term of supervised release after incarceration, will be required to register as a sex offender, and will be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations, Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources
Ukrainian Pleads Guilty in DC in Laptop Farm Scheme That Generated Income for North Korean IT WorkersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Oleksandr Didenko, 28, of Kyiv, Ukraine, pleaded guilty November 10 in U.S. District Court in connection with a years-long scheme that stole the identities of U.S. citizens and sold them to North Korean IT workers so they could fraudulently gain employment at 40 U.S. companies, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Didenko, aka “Alexander Didenko,” pleaded guilty before Judge Randolph D. Moss to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. Didenko agreed to forfeit more than $1.4 million, which includes approximately $181,438 in USD and cryptocurrency seized from Didenko and his co-conspirators.
Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for Feb. 19, 2026.
According to court documents, Didenko ran a website using a U.S.-based domain, "Upworksell.com," designed to help overseas IT workers buy or rent stolen or borrowed identities. Beginning in 2021, the IT workers used the identities to get hired on online freelance work platforms based in California and Pennsylvania. The work platforms allowed users to advertise themselves as contract gig workers, create free accounts, advertise their skills, and bid on IT work contracts.
Didenko paid individuals in the United States to receive and host computers at residences in Virginia, Tennessee, and Califomia.
In September-October, 2023, one of Didenko’s customers was unhappy with the services provided by his laptop farm in Virginia. The customer directed Didenko to send the computer to a laptop farm operated in Arizona by Christina Chapman. Chapman was sentenced on July 24, 2025, to 102 months of imprisonment for her involvement in a similar scheme involving IT workers from North Korea.
Through his company Didenko managed as many as 871 proxy identities and facilitated the operation of at least three U.S.-based “laptop farms.” He enabled his overseas clients to access the U.S. financial system through Money Service Transmitters rather than having to physically open an account at a bank within the United States, which was then used to facilitate the transfer of employment income to foreign bank accounts.
The IT worker clients were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their work, much of which was falsely reported to DHS, the IRS and Social Security Administration in the names of actual U.S. persons whose identities had been stolen.
On May 16, 2024, the Justice Department seized the online domain, Upworksell.com, and diverted all traffic to the FBI. Polish authorities arrested Didenko and on Dec. 31, 2024, extradited him to the United States.
This case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Norfolk, San Diego, and Knoxville Field Offices..
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Steven Wasserman for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of California, Eastern District of Tennessee, and Eastern District of Virginia, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Trial Attorney Jacques-Singer Emory of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.
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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming Announces Rescission of Marijuana Charging GuidanceRead the Press Release
CHEYENNE, WY – On September 29, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice rescinded previous guidance concerning the prosecution of simple marijuana possession. U.S. Attorney Smith promptly notified federal law enforcement agencies that marijuana offenses occurring on federal land, such as national parks, will now be rigorously prosecuted.
This comes after President Biden pardoned certain U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents for offenses related to simple possession, attempted possession, or use of marijuana and directed U.S. Attorney’s not to prosecute those offenses. This significantly curtailed federal prosecutions of misdemeanor marijuana offenses.
U.S. Attorney Smith stated, “Marijuana possession remains a federal crime in the United States, irrespective of varying state laws. The detrimental effects of drugs on our society are undeniable, and I am committed to using every prosecutorial tool available to hold offenders accountable.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming remains steadfast in its mission to uphold the rule of law, including the enforcement of federal statutes prohibiting the possession of marijuana and other controlled substances.
U.S. Attorney's Office Highlights Federal Prosecutions During Lapse in AppropriationsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson today released a summary of notable prosecutions and enforcement actions pursued during the recent lapse in federal appropriations. During that time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continued uninterrupted its core mission to protect public safety, uphold the rule of law, and ensure justice for the people of the Western North Carolina.
“Our work never stops,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “During the longest shutdown in U.S. history, the majority of the Office’s prosecutors and staff continued to perform their duties without pay and despite personal challenges. The safety of our communities and our mission to uphold justice were never compromised, which speaks to the dedication of the public servants working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Below are select cases federal prosecutors handled during the lapse in appropriations, where defendants were charged, pleaded guilty, or were sentenced to prison. This work was carried out under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Office also remained focused on protecting vulnerable populations and safeguarding public dollars that fund federal programs and institutions.
The following cases reflect the Office’s continued focus on its mission during the shutdown:
U.S. v. Decarlos Brown: A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment, charging Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr., 34, with committing an act of violence causing death on a railroad carrier and mass transportation system, for the fatal attack of Iryna Zarutska on the city’s light rail system.
U.S. v. Kelvin Simmons: Kelvin Wayne Simmons, 49, is charged with first-degree murder of an officer for killing Cherokee County Detention Officer Francisco Paul Flattes II. A grand jury sitting in Asheville returned the indictment on October 7, 2025, also charging Simmons with attempted carjacking resulting in death; escape; attempted carjacking; carjacking; use of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence; assaulting, resisting and impeding an officer; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
U.S. v. Derick Cucumber: A federal grand jury in Asheville indicted Derrick Alan Cucumber, 45, of Cherokee, N.C., charging first degree murder in Indian country and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence for killing Mario Sanchez Nino.
U.S. v. Wyatt Salus: Wyatt Austin Salus, 26, of Cullowee, N.C., pleaded guilty to making interstate threats to kill and injure United States Senator Thom Tillis. Sauls called Senator Tillis’s office and left a message threatening to injure and kill Senator Tillis. Salus said in his message that Senator Tillis “should not feel safe in North Carolina,” adding, “I will kill you if I see you.”
U.S. v. Vance Lewis: Vance Deangelo Lewis, 33, of Charlotte, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a felon. It is alleged that on or about October 2, 2025, Lewis knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute nearly half a kilogram of fentanyl and half a kilogram of methamphetamine. The indictment also contains a forfeiture notice that gives notice the defendant must forfeit to the United States 14 firearms and ammunition recovered during the investigation.
U.S. v. Eunorio Cortez-Cortez: Eunorio Cortez Cortez, 52, of Mexico, has been sentenced to 64 months in prison for illegal reentry by a deported alien and violating the terms of his federal supervised release. At the sentencing hearing, the presiding judge granted the government’s motion for an increased sentence based on Cortez’s extensive criminal history, including a conviction for Indecency with a Child by Exposure and multiple convictions for Assault Causing Bodily Injury to Family Member.
U.S. v. Madison Winslow: Madison Dare Winslow, 26, of Lincolnton, N.C., was sentenced on October 2, 2025, to 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for selling fentanyl that caused a teenage victim to fatally overdose. Winslow, who was trafficking fentanyl in and around Catawba County, sold fentanyl-laced pills to a 17-year-old victim that were pressed to appear as prescription pills containing oxycodone hydrochloride. Later the minor ingested one or more of the pills causing the victim to fatally overdose.
U.S. v. Xana Dove: On October 8, 2025, Xana Dayanae Dove, a 28-year-old former Gastonia police officer pleaded guilty to straw purchasing a firearm. According to filed plea documents and the court hearing, on May 25, 2023, Dove purchased a Springfield Hellcat Pro, 9mm pistol from a licensed firearms dealer located in Belmont, North Carolina. In completing the purchase, Dove made a false and fictitious written statement when she falsely stated on ATF’s Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm when the defendant knew this statement was false and fictitious.
U.S. v. Marian Dumitru, et al.: Two Romanian nationals residing unlawfully in the United States are facing federal charges for a multistate fraud scheme involving over $760,000 in stolen SNAP benefits funds. Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 38, and Catalin Dumitru, 36, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States; possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices; illegal possession of device-making equipment; two counts of wire fraud; and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
U.S. v. Shubh Patel: On October 22, 2025, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment charging Shubh Ketankumar Patel, 23, an Indian citizen residing in Waxhaw, N.C., with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and false impersonation of an employee or officer of the United States, for his role in a scheme to steal millions from elderly victims, by posing as a federal law enforcement officer.
U.S. v. Jason Speier: Jason Nathaniel Speier, 42, of Arden, N.C., pleaded guilty on October 22, 2025, to wire fraud for a scheme to defraud customers who purchased log cabin kits. Speier admitted to receiving more than $2.5 million in customer payments and defrauding at least 24 customers located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.
U.S. v. Shabazz McCarthan: On October 6, 2025, Shabazz Emmanuel McCarthan, 38, of Indian Trail, N.C., was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for committing fraud using the stolen identities of military service members, some of whom were deployed overseas. In addition to the prison term imposed, McCarthan was ordered to pay $175,544.45 in restitution to the victims.
“Our message is simple,” U.S. Attorney Ferguson added. “Those who threaten public safety, pollute our neighborhoods with deadly drugs, exploit the vulnerable, or steal taxpayer dollars will face the consequences. No matter the circumstances, we will always work hard to protect the people of Western North Carolina.”
For additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office and to view additional details for each case please visit our website.
U.S. Attorney highlights essential public safety work continued during shutdownRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today numerous arrests, indictments, guilty pleas and sentencings that occurred during the recent 43-day lapse in government appropriations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remained active during the shutdown, completing excepted duties related to national security, violations of federal law and essential public safety functions.
“The arrests and case proceedings detailed below provide just a small snapshot of the work continued by this office during the lapse in federal funding. The Southern District of Ohio is comprised of committed public servants dedicated to our office’s essential function of protecting public safety at all times. Our staff came to work each day and continued the mission of pursuing justice,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II.
- On Oct. 2, three defendants from Colorado and Oregon were indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus for allegedly operating an online drug trafficking business that shipped methamphetamine, cocaine, and a host of other controlled substances to buyers around the country. Jesse Wasson, 27, of Parker, Colorado, Amandra Heffelfinger, 40, and Jennifer Blake, 39, both of Lebanon, Oregon, were arrested on Oct. 6.
- In Dayton, on Oct. 2, the former commander of a local AMVETS Post pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Danny Dale Gordon, 49, of Kettering, defrauded AMVETS Post #24 in Dayton of approximately $622,000. He used the money at various local gambling casinos, for travel and hotel expenses, and frequenting a Dayton-area “gentlemen’s club.” He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and will be sentenced at a future date.
- Drey E. Lewis, 30, and Tyler J. Watkins, 35, of Middletown, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for narcotics and money laundering crimes. Lewis, an inmate, coordinated drug activity from federal prison, including with a Mexican source of supply, and Watkins handled the drugs and money outside of prison.
- On Oct. 6, Timothy Farr, 43, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to armed robbery. Farr was indicted in January 2025 and charged with 12 armed robberies throughout southwest Ohio in December 2024. His plea agreement recommends a sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison.
- In Cincinnati, on Oct. 7, Darias Jackson, 35, of Cheviot, was sentenced in federal court to more than 13 years in prison. Jackson was a convicted felon and on supervised release for a federal drug-trafficking crime when he tried to murder his friend. Jackson shot the victim multiple times before leaving him in an apartment complex parking lot. Jackson tried to bribe the friend with $15,000 to recant his report to law enforcement that Jackson had shot him. The defendant obstructed justice and attempted to tamper with multiple witnesses.
- Eric L. Bell, 36, of Columbus, is a convicted felon who was on community control when he engaged in methamphetamine trafficking. He was sentenced in federal court in Columbus on Oct. 7 to more than 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Myron Nichols, 29, of Mt. Healthy, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati to fentanyl and firearms crimes. When stopped by Cincinnati police in November 2024 for multiple traffic violations, Nichols fled in the stolen vehicle he was driving and later fled on foot. Officers located fentanyl and a pistol in the vehicle.
- On Oct. 8, William Kisor, 57, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus to attempted coercion and enticement. Kisor had served more than 11 years in federal prison for child pornography crimes. After being released from prison, Kisor contacted the same online undercover agent with whom he communicated prior to his 2012 conviction, never realizing that the person was an agent of law enforcement. The undercover agent used the persona of an adult mother with minor daughters. The defendant contacted the agent in hopes of beginning an incestuous relationship with the “mother” and “daughters.”
- In federal court in Columbus on Oct. 8, a Morrow County man pleaded guilty to two armed bank robberies. James T. Scurlock, 45, of Cardington, admitted to robbing the same bank, Huntington Bank on Gemini Place, on two different occasions in March and May 2025. His plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 144 to 171 months in prison.
- Anicleto Olvera-Sanchez, 35, of Columbus, was the target of a drug trafficking investigation. When law enforcement officers searched his residence, they recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. A search of Olvera-Sanchez’s cell phone revealed evidence that he paid a teenage girl to create and send him sexually explicit videos and images. On Oct. 8, he pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus to sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. His plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 188 to 206 months in prison.
- Ronald Allen Meadows, 54, of Chillicothe, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Columbus on Oct. 8 to 10 years in prison for drug and firearms crimes. Meadows was convicted in this district in 2017 for drug and firearm offenses and was on supervised release during the commission of his latest crimes.
- Federal agents arrested Rooble D. Adan, 31, of Minneapolis, on Oct. 10, on charges alleging he robbed a bank in Columbus on Oct. 8. According to the charging documents, at approximately 9am, Adan entered the Chase Bank on Cleveland Avenue and handed a financial advisor a note claiming Adan had placed bombs on himself and on the building. The note also indicated a link to foreign terrorists. Adan allegedly smacked a female teller in the face and took nearly $3,000 in cash from tellers’ drawers before fleeing the bank. Adan was arrested by Columbus police officers shortly after leaving the bank.
- On Oct. 20, Dwayne K. Funderburke, 41, of Columbus, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati on charges alleging he caused damage to federal property by breaking into the U.S. Courthouse in Columbus. Funderburke allegedly crashed his car into the pop-up vehicle barriers outside the Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse on Marconi Blvd. on Sept. 22. After crashing, Funderburke allegedly broke into the courthouse garage, picked up a trash can and used it to smash a glass door leading into the courthouse. Officers located him in a lower garage stairwell and took him into local custody.
- Shaheed Russell, 29, of Columbus, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus on Oct. 21. Surveillance video shows Russell allegedly fleeing the scene of a homicide near North High Street and East 4th Avenue. Russell is currently on supervised release following a conviction in the Southern District of Ohio for a federal firearm offense. He was charged on Oct. 21 with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in prison.
- An indictment was filed in Cincinnati on Oct. 22 charging two defendants in a violent carjacking. Trevor J. Lancaster, 20, of Covington, Kentucky, and Deondre A. Burgin, 21, of Cincinnati, allegedly aided and abetted each other in the theft of a Mercedes-Benz in June 2025. The defendants allegedly used force, violence and intimidation – including the use of a firearm – resulting in serious bodily injury.
- In Cincinnati, on Oct. 22, a local man admitted to committing federal crimes when he defrauded victims out of more than $6.5 million through an online laundry and dry-cleaning pickup and delivery business. Benjamin Cantey, 41, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud. Cantey lied about his business experience and prior business success to recruit and defraud investors. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris announced this guilty plea.
- On Oct. 30, Ramiro Mendoza, 29, of Santa Maria, California, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that involved more than 300 pounds of methamphetamine. In January 2025, Mendoza drove a box truck to pick up six pallets of narcotics that had been shipped to Middletown as purported paver stones imported from Mexico. Mendoza faces at least 10 years in prison.
- Four co-defendants pleaded guilty throughout the month of October to crimes committed as part of a multi-state narcotics conspiracy involving nearly $25 million in laundered drug proceeds. Charles Wooden, 47, of Pickerington; Courtney Musick, 38, of Pickerington; Alexis Ortega, 32, of Columbus; and Gregory Fountain, 30, of Columbus and Chicago, pleaded guilty to participating in fentanyl and cocaine trafficking conspiracies and money laundering. The narcotics conspiracy in this case is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Money laundering carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
- On Oct. 31, Ciriaco Garcia-Yerena, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus to illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Garcia-Yerena has a prior drug trafficking conviction in the Southern District of Ohio.
- Hussein Mohamed, 27, of Dublin, Ohio, was sentenced on Nov. 3 to more than 10 years in prison for committing three bank robberies in Columbus. During the third robbery, Mohamed possessed a firearm.
- On Nov. 4, Wilbert Romero-Natera, 25, of Columbus, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for committing a string of armed robberies of hotels in 2021. The defendant committed four robberies in Grove City, Columbus and Hebron, and brandished a firearm during three of those robberies.
- Also in Columbus, on Nov. 4, Mexican national Jose Adin Benjume-Gutierrez, 45, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States and to distributing cocaine. Benjume-Gutierrez was arrested after fleeing from immigration officers. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the federal drug crime and up to two years in prison for the immigration offense.
- On Nov. 6, Jermaine Dorsey, 25, of Hamilton, was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati to 96 months in prison for conspiring to and attempting to traffic firearms and illegally possessing machine guns. In a two-week timeframe in November 2024, Dorsey sold 15 firearms, two machinegun conversion devices and more than 150 rounds of ammunition.
- Eric Campbell, 48, of Groveport, was sentenced on Nov. 6 in Columbus to 15 years in prison for child pornography crimes. Campbell was on supervised release in this district for a prior conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor when he committed new offenses, namely, receiving and possessing child pornography.
- On Nov. 6, former Kroger head replenishment buyer, Mark Disbennett, 40, of West Chester, pleaded guilty to charges related to a kickback scheme that caused consumers to pay higher prices for produce. Disbennett disclosed to co-conspirator produce vendors Chris Farley, 66, of Happy Valley Oregon, and Craig Sono, 68, of Portland, Oregon, the highest price Kroger was willing to pay for certain produce. During the height of the pandemic, Disbennett received more than $147,000 from the co-conspirators.
- Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus on Nov. 7 to her involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
- On Nov. 10, federal agents arrested a Dayton man on federal charges alleging he participated in a shootout on the University of Dayton campus on Nov. 1. Dylan Hiner, 19 is charged with illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment of another felony crime.
- Myron Billups, 46, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in federal court on Nov. 12 to 126 months in prison for possessing 26 pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers observed Billups receive a plastic storage bin and place it in the trunk of a car. Billups was stopped for a traffic violation and a K9 alerted to the vehicle, leading officers to discover approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine in the storage bin.
- On Nov. 12, a criminal complaint was unsealed in Columbus that charges Hector Velandia-Anaya, 18, with forcibly assaulting federal officers and resisting arrest. The Venezualan national allegedly attempted to flee from immigration officials, dragging two officers with his vehicle while he began to drive away, before stopping.
Indictments and criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones Receives Key to the City of Miami from Mayor Francis SuarezRead the Press Release
MIAMI – At the City of Miami Commission meeting on October 23, 2025, Mayor Francis Suarez presented U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones with the Key to the City of Miami in recognition of his deep hometown roots and more than 22 years of service to the community and nation.
A proud Miami native and the son of a Cuban political refugee, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones has devoted his career to protecting and serving the people of South Florida, as a national security official, prosecutor, military officer, trial judge, and now as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Florida. Mayor Suarez commended him for his steadfast dedication to justice and for leading one of the nation’s busiest and most impactful U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
“This is an incredible honor from our incredible city, and I’m proud to serve the people who make Miami safe,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “The safety of our community is a shared responsibility between state, local, and federal partners. Mayor Suarez’s leadership and unwavering commitment to public safety have made our city stronger, and I’m deeply grateful to accept this recognition on behalf of all who dedicate their lives to serving our community.”
Mayor Suarez praised Reding Quiñones for his long record of integrity, professionalism, and commitment to safeguarding Miami’s residents. He highlighted the partnership between the City of Miami and federal law enforcement in addressing violent crime, public corruption, and emerging public safety challenges.
The Key to the City of Miami is among the city’s most distinguished honors, tracing its roots to the medieval tradition of granting trusted individuals freedom to enter the city’s gates. Today, it symbolizes the highest civic gratitude, bestowed on those who, through leadership, sacrifice, and public service, have earned the confidence and respect of the community. Recipients are recognized not only for their professional accomplishments, but for their lasting impact on the city’s safety, integrity, and spirit.
As United States Attorney, Reding Quiñones leads one of the largest and most complex federal districts in the nation, overseeing offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Fort Pierce. Before his presidential appointment and Senate confirmation, he served as a state court trial judge presiding over civil and criminal domestic violence cases in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.
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U.s. Attorney Heap Announces Forfeiture of over $1 Million in Cryptocurrency as a Result of a Fraud and Money Laundering InvestigationRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, today announced that, through a civil asset forfeiture action, the government has seized and forfeited approximately $1,185,922.91 of cryptocurrency, which was recently liquidated into U.S. currency, as a result of a financial investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Forfeiture Unit and United States Secret Service (USSS).
“The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and United States Secret Service worked diligently to locate, seize, and forfeit these funds, and are now working to identify eligible victims who may be compensated with forfeited funds,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “This forfeiture is a testament to the drive and ingenuity of the investigative team, and the partnership between our office and the United States Secret Service.”
The case was opened following a report of a sophisticated fraud attempted against a real estate agent in Richmond Hill, Georgia, near Savannah. The Secret Service had previously spoken with realtors in the area about fraud targeting the real estate industry and received the report based on their outreach. The investigation exposed a global fraud and money laundering operation and resulted in the disruption of an international criminal organization.
“With the continued evolution of cryptocurrency fraud, our outreach efforts are crucial to preventing unsuspecting Americans from falling victim to these crimes,” said USSS Savannah Resident Office Agent in Charge James Reno. “It was through these outreach efforts that the fraud in this case was identified, and we remain committed to educating the public and working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice.”
As set forth in the civil complaint, in April 2023, a real estate agent and resident of Richmond Hill, Georgia, contacted the USSS Savannah Resident Office regarding communication with a person claiming to be a potential home buyer. The purported home buyer made out to have an extensive financial background with cryptocurrency. The real estate agent recognized the hallmarks of fraud and contacted the Secret Service. Using the information the fraudster gave to the real estate agent and the Internet Crime Complaint Center referenced below, the Secret Service identified another real estate agent in North Carolina who had more than $200,000 in cryptocurrency stolen by the same criminal organization. The North Carolina victim was persuaded to download a cryptocurrency application, which was a fake version of a real cryptocurrency exchange. The Secret Service traced the cryptocurrency transactions and identified a larger money laundering operation involving more than $100 million laundered over a short period, leading to the United States seizing over $1 million.
In 2024, the property was forfeited through a federal civil forfeiture case in Savannah. The Secret Service is continuing its investigation and is working to identify victims eligible for consideration for compensation with the forfeited funds.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center, is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. Visit www.ic3.gov to report a crime, and for updated information and other cyber fraud schemes.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. The United States was represented by Senior Litigation Counsel J. Bishop Ravenel.
Civil Complaint Order of ForfeitureTwo vendors plead guilty to conspiring with former Facebook diversity program manager to defraud companyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Brice E. Anderson and Terrance Lockett have pleaded guilty to conspiring with Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former diversity program manager at Facebook, to steal from the company. The defendants’ fraud schemes involved fraudulent vendors, fictitious invoices, and cash kickbacks.
“These defendants conspired with a DEI executive at Facebook to steal significant sums from the company, based on false claims that they had worked on various DEI projects,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Instead, the defendants did little to no work, paid kickbacks to the Facebook executive, and lined their pockets with stolen money. They are now being held accountable for their brazen fraud.”
“Furlow-Smiles created a complex web of lies, all for her personal gain. Anderson and Lockett joined in this fraud for their own excessive greed,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to root out financial fraud.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Barbara Furlow-Smiles served as Lead Strategist, Global Head of Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Engagement at Facebook, Inc., now known as Meta Platforms, Inc., doing business as Meta. From January 2017 to September 2021, she led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at Facebook and was responsible for developing and executing DEI initiatives, operations, and engagement programs. She later held a similar position at Nike, Inc. At both companies, Furlow-Smiles had access to corporate credit cards and was able to submit purchase requisitions and approve invoices for authorized vendors.
Furlow-Smiles used her positions at Facebook and Nike to cheat and defraud the companies. She caused the companies to pay friends, relatives, and others associates for goods and services that were never provided, and she then directed those individuals to kick back the fraudulent proceeds to her, often in cash. Anderson and Lockett were two of the individuals who conspired with her at Facebook.
Anderson owned a business called Titan Branding LLC. Using that business, he conspired with Furlow-Smiles to fraudulently obtain nearly $1.2 million from Facebook. First, Furlow-Smiles used her Facebook credit cards to pay Titan Branding for work that was never done. She then submitted fraudulent expense reports to Facebook to cover up the bogus charges. Second, Furlow-Smiles caused Facebook to approve Titan Branding as an authorized vendor. She then approved fraudulent and inflated invoices for fake work. Furlow-Smiles and Anderson fraudulently claimed that Titan Branding had provided media services related to a Juneteenth event, for example, and other DEI projects.
After Anderson received fraudulent payments from Facebook, he kicked back substantial sums to Furlow-Smiles. He paid the kickbacks in cash and through transfers to accounts held in the names of Furlow-Smiles’s husband and others. Anderson sometimes wrapped cash in other items, such as T-shirts or hats, which he sent by FedEx to Furlow-Smiles. When Furlow-Smiles was in Los Angeles, California, Anderson flew there with cash and drove with Furlow-Smiles to ATMs and banks to withdraw cash to pay her.
In a separate conspiracy, Lockett conspired with Furlow-Smiles to steal over $243,000 from Facebook. Lockett hosted a podcast called the “Officially Outed Podcast” and owned a business called Officially Outed Media. Using her Facebook credit cards, Furlow-Smiles paid Lockett for services that were not provided. She also caused Facebook to approve Officially Outed Media as an authorized vendor. Furlow-Smiles and Lockett fraudulently claimed that Officially Outed Media had provided marketing services related to a Global Pride Initiative project, for example, and other DEI events. Lockett paid kickbacks to Furlow-Smiles by returning a substantial portion of the fraudulent proceeds that he received from Facebook to her.
On November 13, 2025, Brice E. Anderson, 31, of Fairburn, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Sentencing for Anderson is scheduled for March 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg.
On November 5, 2025, Terrance Lockett, 52, of College Park, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Sentencing for Lockett is scheduled for February 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr.
Barbara Furlow-Smiles, 40, of Marietta, Ga., previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She stole more than $5 million through her schemes. On May 13, 2024, Judge Grimberg sentenced her to five years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,981,783.58 to Facebook and $121,054.50 to Nike, for a total of $5,102,838.08.
These cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Bernita B. Malloy are prosecuting the cases.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Mexican Nationals Unlawfully Residing in the United States Arrested Transporting 72 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— Two Mexican nationals illegally in the United States have been charged with trafficking 72 pounds of methamphetamine.
Alejandra Diaz-Alcantar, 45, and Juan Alberto Alvarado-Gonzalez, 41, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents, an Oregon State Police K9 trooper stopped the white Chevrolet pickup on Interstate 5 in Lane County as part of an ongoing investigation. A search of the vehicle pursuant to a warrant revealed two duffel bags under the rear passenger seat. They contained 56 plastic bags and bindles of suspected methamphetamine, collectively weighing approximately 72 pounds.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Huynh is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Law enforcement (They wish to not be named specifically.)Two Men Charged with Firearm Possession in School ZoneRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Las Cruces men have been charged with possession of a firearm in a school zone after being arrested with weapons near an elementary school.
According to court documents, on the night of September 6, 2025, Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) responded to reports of shots fired at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico. There, officers recovered numerous shell casings from the parking lot.
Shortly after the shooting, police received reports of two males walking through a neighborhood near Hermosa Heights Elementary School carrying firearms. An LCPD sergeant made contact with John Anthony Orta, 24, and Steven Mendoza, 21, directly across from the school. At the time, Orta had a handgun in his waistband and Mendoza was concealing a partially disassembled AR-15 style pistol in his pants. Both men were intoxicated and were initially arrested for Negligent Use of a Deadly Weapon under state law.
During subsequent interviews, Orta admitted carrying the handgun for protection but denied involvement in the shooting. Mendoza acknowledged being at the park and later walking near Hermosa Heights Elementary School with the AR-15 style pistol.
Young Park displays posted signage indicating it is a Safe School Zone where firearms are prohibited. The shooting scene was approximately 540 feet from Lynn Middle School, and the arrest location was approximately 100 feet from Hermosa Heights Elementary School grounds. Ballistic analysis determined the shell casings recovered from Young Park did not match either firearm possessed by Orta or Mendoza.
Orta and Mendoza are charged with possession of a firearm in a school zone. If convicted of the current charges, each faces up to five years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting both cases.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Two Local Harvesters Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jacinto Luna (54, Immokalee) and Marcelino DeLeon (45, Felda) each to 24 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, after they both pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and engaging in illegal monetary transactions in connection with the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
In April 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP provided relief to farmers and ranchers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents, in August and September 2020, DeLeon and Luna conspired with others to defraud CFAP by each submitting two different fraudulent CFAP applications on behalf of their harvesting companies. DeLeon and Luna’s applications misrepresented crop production, crop revenue, and ownership interests.
In total, DeLeon’s fraudulent representations in his CFAP applications caused the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency to approve his applications and deposit $1,051,710.11 into a bank account controlled by him. Following the disbursement of the CFAP proceeds, DeLeon engaged in an illegal monetary transaction by using some of the fraudulent CFAP proceeds to purchase a vehicle. Prior to sentencing, DeLeon cooperated with the government and fully paid his restitution and forfeiture obligations totaling $2,103,420.22.
In total, Luna’s fraudulent representations on his CFAP applications caused the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency to approve his applications and provide him a total of $994,216,96. Some of these funds were deposited into a bank account controlled by Luna. Following the disbursement of CFAP proceeds, Luna engaged in an illegal monetary transaction by using some of the fraudulent CFAP proceeds to purchase a vehicle. Prior to sentencing, Luna cooperated with the government and fully paid his restitution and forfeiture obligations totaling $1,988,433.92.
Anyone who suspects fraud or other wrongdoing related to the pandemic should report it to the COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud Hotline at www.pandemicoversight.gov/contact/about-hotline, by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Twice-Convicted North Carolina Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice 11-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Geoffrey Lee Dudding (39, Concord, NC) has pleaded guilty to using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Dudding faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 14, 2026. Dudding, a registered child sex offender who was previously convicted in North Carolina of indecent liberty with a minor (2007) and solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful sex act (2024), was arrested by FBI agents in Concord, North Carolina on May 8, 2025.
According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation to identify adults seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted several short messages in a public chat room on a particular online social messaging platform (app). An individual using the app name “metalh34d321,” who was subsequently identified as Dudding, contacted the UC by private text message on the app and expressed sexual interest in the UC’s “daughter.” Dudding told the UC, “Let me know if ya ever down to let me do her.” Despite being advised several times that the “child” was 11 years old and lived in Florida, Dudding stated that he wanted to meet the “child” to “[h]ave a good time and sex.” Dudding described sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child” and sent the UC an explicit video of himself to show to the “child.” Dudding and the UC also communicated by cellphone text messaging. They discussed plans for Dudding to travel to Jacksonville so that he could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Dudding told the UC that he intended to book a hotel room in Jacksonville.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Twenty-one alleged Arlington, TX street gang members charged with RICO conspiracy, murder, drug and gun crimesRead the Press Release
Twenty-one alleged violent members of a criminal street gang in Arlington, Texas have been federally charged with racketeering, murder and assault in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, and gun crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
The defendants were charged by complaint on Tuesday, November 4. As of Friday, November 7, all were in custody, and 17 began initial appearances that day before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Texas. The rest had their initial appearances today.
Court documents reflect that the FBI and Arlington Police Department began investigating the Arlington-based criminal street gang known as “Kiccdoe” in April 2024 after a Kiccdoe gang member was shot and killed on the campus of an Arlington high school. The murder resulted in multiple alleged retaliation shootings between Kiccdoe and other Arlington gangs. According to court records, Kiccdoe members committed a lengthy pattern of murder, drive-by shootings, robberies, assaults, firearm offenses, and trafficking of fentanyl, marijuana, and other narcotics in Arlington and other North Texas cities. Over a three-year period from approximately early 2022 through this year, Kiccdoe members terrorized many parts of Arlington’s communities with these violent offenses and threats of violence.
Social media post of alleged Kiccdoe member Blake Scott with “600” gang clothing.
The Kiccdoe gang originated from the 600 block of East Arkansas Lane on the eastside of Arlington. To demonstrate their association with the gang, members used words such as “kiccdoe,” “KDN” (for “Kiccdoe Nation”), “6,” or “600” on public social media accounts. They also wore clothing bearing the same inscriptions and produced and distributed online songs and videos about their gang activities and crimes.As alleged in Tuesday’s complaint, violent acts that Kiccdoe members called “stripes” were required to join the gang, remain in good standing as a gang member, and maintain the gang’s violent reputation in the community. Specific crimes identified in the complaint in furtherance of racketeering include a murder, six attempted murders, nine robberies, numerous assaults with dangerous weapons, ongoing sales of fentanyl and marijuana, and continuing threats of violence, all undertaken to obtain and preserve the profits, power, and territory of Kiccdoe members while keeping victims in fear of the gang and its members.
Marijuana advertised for sale on social media by alleged gang member Kyron Oates. Photos of alleged gang member LaMarion Austin posted on social media with a gun, large quantities of marijuana, and cash.
Those charged in the complaint include:• Michael Mensah, 18, of Grand Prairie, Texas, charged with conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering (RICO conspiracy), assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Raphael Opare, 19, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Dillen Opare, 20, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Isaiah Wiley, 21, of Dallas, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Kyron Oates, 22, of Grand Prairie, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Vernell Woods, 19, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• DeMarco Westmoreland, 19, of Mansfield, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Cortez Atkinson, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Bradley McArthur, Jr., 21, of Fort Worth, Texas charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• DaTraven Warren, 18, of Mansfield, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
• Sadedrick Wilson, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Joseph Hill, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Chauncey Ross, 22, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Marcus Shaw, 20, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• KeyShawn Burton, 20, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• LaMarion Austin, 21, of Dallas, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Blake Aaron Scott, 22, of Arlington, Texas, charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Sir James Mack Williams, 21, of Arlington, Texas, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
• Jaylen Jeshawn Franklin, of Arlington, Texas, 22, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
• JaMarion Manogin, 20, of Forney, Texas, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in aid of racketeering.
• Jakayla Totten, 21, of DeSoto, Texas, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
“The outstanding, collaborative work of our law enforcement partners has made Arlington residents safer today, because 21 alleged violent gang members and associates have been arrested and taken off the streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with federal and local law enforcement agencies, will continue to pursue justice against brazen offenders, who organize and terrorize our communities with relentless acts of violence.”
“The FBI is committed to working with our state and local law enforcement partners on the Tarrant County Safe Streets Task Force to protect our communities. Alongside the Arlington Police Department, we made a significant impact on violent crime through the arrest of violent gang members and the seizure of firearms and drugs. These arrests demonstrate the importance of partnerships in combatting the violence that plagues our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
“The members of this gang have been involved in numerous violent offenses in our community, including shootings, aggravated assaults, robberies, and more,” said Chief Al Jones of the Arlington Police Department. “By getting these individuals off our streets, we are making Arlington safer. I’m extremely proud of the outstanding investigative work that got us to this point. I’m also incredibly grateful to our federal partners for helping us combat violent crime in our city.”
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants face statutory maximum sentences ranging from ten years in federal prison up to life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and Arlington Police Department, with assistance in apprehending and arrests by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Garland Police Department, the North Richland Hills Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, NORTEX Metro SWAT (comprised of Carrollton, Farmers Branch, and Coppell Police Departments), and the North Tarrant Regionals SWAT (comprised of Hurst, Euless, Bedford, and Grapevine Police Departments). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Beck.
This investigation 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 OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Transportation company agrees to settle allegations of impersonating military members to obtain Department of War moving businessRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Denali Group, Inc. (“Denali”) has agreed to pay $3.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false customer satisfaction surveys while posing as U.S. Department of War and Coast Guard personnel.
“Denali’s fake surveys gave them an unfair advantage over other contractors and shortchanged our military families moving through Scott Air Force Base,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Companies doing business with the federal government are expected to act with honesty and integrity, and we will use all our criminal and civil tools to protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Denali, an Alaskan-based transportation company, participated in the Defense Personal Property Program (DP3) as a transportation service provider. DP3 provides moving and storage services to Department of War (DoW), formerly the Department of Defense (DoD), and Coast Guard personnel, including coordinating the movement of service members’ personal property when they relocate. DP3 is administered by the United States Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
During the relevant period, transportation service providers competed for DP3 shipments, and the number of shipments awarded by the Government to each company depended heavily upon scores in customer satisfaction surveys. These surveys were to be completed by DoW and Coast Guard personnel, or members of their households, after their personal property items were shipped through DP3.
"This outcome demonstrates the steadfast collaboration and determination by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our investigative partners to ensure the integrity of the contracting process associated with the Defense Personal Property Program," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch, DCIS Southwest Field Office. "We remain committed to safeguarding those programs that contribute to elite military readiness, as well as the wellbeing of our warfighters and their families."
The United States alleges that, between January 2015 and March 2019, Denali employees submitted false customer satisfaction surveys to the Government with perfect scores for Denali. Evidence collected in the investigation showed that Denali employees called the customer survey line using call spoofing applications to mask their phone numbers and impersonated DoW or Coast Guard personnel during the surveys by disguising their voices, speaking with accents, or using voice changing technology through the spoofing applications.
“This settlement highlights the strong collaboration between Army CID and our law enforcement partners in protecting U.S. Army Soldiers and assets,” said Special Agent in Charge John McCabe, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Midcentral Field Office. “This outcome underscores our unwavering commitment to identifying those who defraud the U.S. Government.”
“Defrauding the Government through falsified surveys is an affront to America and Air Force families, directly undermining the very communities they inhabit,” said Special Agent William A. Rouse, Special Agent in Charge, Department of the Air Force (DAF), Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Procurement Fraud (PF) Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. “Justice has been served, and we extend our gratitude to the investigative team for their diligence.”
According to allegations, Denali submitted false surveys with perfect scores, even when service members were unsatisfied with the moving services. The United States claims that by submitting false customer satisfaction surveys to the Government and inflating its performance scores, Denali fraudulently induced the Government into awarding Denali more DP3 shipments than it otherwise would have received. USTRANSCOM administratively removed Denali from DP3 in 2022.
"Integrity is essential to the contracting process, and collaboration among investigative agencies plays a critical role in upholding it," said Jennifer Desautel, Director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency. "When contractors falsify records, it not only undermines Americans' trust in their government but also highlights the need for accountability. DCAA auditors are proud to work alongside investigative partners to provide assurance throughout the contracting process."
The investigation was conducted by the DoD Office of Inspector General, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The United States was represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Barke.
To report fraud, waste, and abuse within the DoW, visit www.dodig.mil/hotline or call 1-800-424-9098.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Tohatchi Man Indicted on Federal Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Tohatchi man has been indicted on federal charges in connection with a violent assault.
According to court documents, on June 23, 2025, Jeremy Yazzie, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted the victim with a knife. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered serious bodily injury.
Yazzie is charged with assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Yazzie faces up to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Tiverton Man Sentenced for Enticing, Transporting a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Tiverton man was sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for enticing a 13-year-old girl to travel with him from her home in Pennsylvania to his family’s residence in Rhode Island, to engage in criminal sexual activity with her, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
William C. Stewart, 22, was sentenced on November 13, 2025 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 15 years’ imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. The court also ordered the defendant to pay $5,000 in restitution to his victim and her family. Stewart pleaded guilty on April 1, 2024 to enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, on June 17, 2021, Stewart began communicating with a minor victim via Snapchat, quickly learning that she was 13 years old. During his ongoing communications, he persuaded the young girl to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
Stewart admitted that in the middle of the night on June 30, 2021, he picked the girl up from outside her home and began to drive with her to his home in Tiverton, Rhode Island for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with her. Stewart drove with the girl through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. While enroute to Rhode Island, Stewart stayed at a hotel in New London, Connecticut, where he engaged in sexual activity with the minor victim and provided her drugs. After arriving in Rhode Island, Stewart continued to engage in sexual activity with the victim.
According to information presented to the court, upon arrival at his family’s Tiverton residence on July 4, 2021, Stewart introduced the minor victim to his family members, using a false name for her and falsely stating that she was 19 years old. On July 7, the young girl contacted a friend via Snapchat and asked for help, after which the Tiverton Police identified the minor victim’s location and responded to Stewart’s home.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys G. Michael Seaman and Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Tiverton Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police.