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13 November 2025
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Attempting to Kill an Escambia County Sheriff’s DeputyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Darrion K. Finley, 21, of Pensacola, Florida, has pled guilty in federal court on charges related to a shooting incident in late 2024. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the guilty plea.
The Indictment charged Finley with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Attempting to Kill an Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy to Prevent Certain Communications, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case shows the deadly threats our brave men and women in law enforcement face every day as they fight to remove violent criminals from our communities. My office remains firmly committed to aggressively prosecuting those violent offenders, and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners in the fight to keep our streets safe.”
Court documents reveal that on December 17, 2024, the defendant was driving in Pensacola in a stolen vehicle. When the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the defendant, he accelerated and law enforcement began its vehicle pursuit. The defendant was eventually stopped when a Deputy Sheriff conducted a precision immobilization technique on the stolen vehicle. As the defendant and his vehicle were being stopped, he fired a 9 millimeter round into the Deputy’s vehicle. The defendant then attempted to escape on foot, with his Glock 9 millimeter pistol and loaded extended magazine still in hand, but the Deputy released his K9 partner, who put the defendant down onto the ground. The defendant, still armed, then tried to run but was shot by the Deputy. The defendant survived his wounds and was thereafter indicted by a federal grand jury for his crimes.
Sentencing is scheduled on January 13, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II. Finley faces up to life imprisonment.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the State Attorney’s Office; and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
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.
Owner of Memphis Barbering and Cosmetology School Convicted of GI Bill FraudRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Quannah Fields Harris, 53, of Germantown, was convicted after a jury trial on October 29, 2025 of conspiracy to defraud the United States and wire fraud.
According to the facts presented at trial, Harris was the owner of Last Minute Cuts School of Barbering and Cosmetology, a purported barbering and cosmetology school located at 2195 South Third Street in Memphis, from 2014 to 2019. During this period, Harris engaged in a scheme that defrauded the GI Bill, a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) designed to help veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, out of over $625,000.
Harris billed the VA for numerous veterans she enrolled at Last Minute Cuts who attended few, if any, classes, who received no instruction, did no practical exercises, took no tests or exams, and never obtained a state barbering or cosmetology license. Her school was, in reality, a sham. Many of the veterans Harris enrolled at Last Minute Cuts never set foot in the school again after the day Harris enrolled them; yet, Harris billed the VA for years thereafter for their purported attendance.
"Protection of the United States Treasury and the integrity of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is a top priority for the Department of Justice and this office. This guilty verdict demonstrates our ability and resolve to expose fraudulent schemes against the government, hold offenders accountable for their dishonest criminal conduct, and to recover ill-gotten proceeds on behalf of the United States," said D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds reserved for deserving veterans remains a priority, and our investigators are working diligently to ensure these programs are not exploited for financial gain and greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkammer with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General's Mid-Atlantic Field Office. "The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of VA's education benefits programs.”
“This guilty verdict sends a clear message to those who attempt to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance benefits programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John Abram, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS CI’s collaborative investigative efforts alongside our law enforcement partners led to justice against those stealing from the federal government and subsequently the taxpayers.”
Harris is set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. on January 27, 2026. She faces a maximum sentence of 45 years.
This case was investigated by the VA-OIG and IRS-CI with assistance from Veterans Benefits and Education Services.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tony R. Arvin on behalf of the government.
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Owner of Lake Sammamish restaurant pleads guilty to wire fraud and false tax return related to embezzlement from former elderly customerRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former owner of a Lake Sammamish restaurant pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud and filing a false tax return in connection with his theft from a former customer, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Richard Dale Radcliffe, 62, admitted on November 12, 2025, that he illegally took $515,000 from the financial accounts of an elderly woman he befriended for the purpose of personally benefiting from her wealth. U.S. District Judge Lauren King scheduled sentencing for February 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
According to the facts admitted in the plea agreement, Radcliffe cultivated a friendship with a widow who lived near his restaurant. The widow was elderly and suffering cognitive decline. Radcliffe arranged for a friend of his to serve as the power of attorney for the victim, with Radcliffe still having access and control over the victim’s bank accounts. The victim had no surviving family members, and trusted Radcliffe to assist her with her finances and take care of her bills. Radcliffe abused his access to her accounts and used her money for his own real estate purchases, gambling, travel, and restaurant operation expenses. He convinced his friend, as power of attorney, to liquidate over $800,000 from the victim’s retirement account to fund the purchase a home for himself in North Carolina by falsely claiming that he was entitled that amount as reimbursement for money that he spent on the victim’s care and for remodeling her home.
The victim ultimately moved into an assisted living facility and passed away in November 2020. Radcliffe moved into her waterfront home and later inherited her estate.
When Radcliffe filed his taxes in February 2021, he failed to report the $437,000 he embezzled from the victim’s accounts. That additional income resulted in a tax liability of $124,000 he did not report to the IRS. As part of his plea agreement Radcliffe will pay the $124,000 to the IRS.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 46 months or a term within the sentencing guidelines when Radcliffe is sentenced in February 2026.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca and Grace Zoller.
Orlando Middle School Employee Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for distribution and possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM). Regan pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025.
According to court documents, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s home on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of CSAM in the phone gallery. Regan told law enforcement that he was employed by a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and added that he taught the chess club and gave music lessons to children. A subsequent review of Regan’s social media applications by law enforcement revealed Regan had distributed two videos of CSAM on June 24, 2024.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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 and rescue 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.
Orange County Man Sentenced to 170 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced David Andrew Ogden (40, Winter Park) to 170 years in federal prison for production and possession of child sexual abuse material. Ogden pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025.
According to court documents, on September 8, 2024, Ogden entered an apartment without permission where three minor children were sleeping. He began touching two of the children and used his cellphone to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of them. Following Ogden’s arrest later that night, a search warrant was executed on his cellphone which revealed additional CSAM Ogden had produced in 2022 and 2024 involving two other minor children. Ogden’s phone also contained more than1,000 AI-generated CSAM images and 10 AI-generated videos, some of which portrayed the abuse of children between the ages of 2 and 6 years old.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Winter Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Andrejko.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Operation “No Limits” Apprehends 96 Wanted Violent Felons, Seizes Drugs, Guns, and CashRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations
DANVILLE, Va. – Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Robert Tracci, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, the Danville Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, Danville Department of Probation and Parole, and the United States Marshals Service announced on November 3 the conclusion of Operation Washout – “No Limits,” a weeklong collaborative law enforcement operation targeting violent crime in Danville, Virginia.
Operation “No Limits” resulted in the apprehension of 96 offenders on outstanding felony arrest warrants, plus 23additional offenders located incarcerated in other jurisdictions with active arrest warrants. The coordinated operation also advanced multiple investigations into violent crime and drug trafficking networks, and recovered one missing child.
Local, state, and federal partners collaborated to open multiple federal and local investigations and seized substantial quantities of narcotics, firearms, and cash, including:
- Over 55 grams of Fentanyl (enough to kill more than 27,600 Virginians)
- 15 firearms
- 28 grams of cocaine
- Over 5 pounds of ammunition
- 65 grams of K2
- Over $14,000 in U.S. Currency
Violent offenders were arrested for crimes including: Homicide, Drugs, Failure to Appear, Identity Theft, Probation Violation, Cruelty Toward Child, Malicious Wounding, Burglary, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Assault, Indecent Liberties with a Child, Larceny, Weapons Offenses, Obstruction of Justice, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, Rape, Armed Robbery, Abduction by Force, and Federal Supervised Release Violations.
“I am grateful for the extraordinary work of our federal, state, and local partners who made No Limits a clear victory for Danville and the citizens we serve. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District is determined to build on the success of No Limits to target, prosecute, and ultimately eradicate violent crime, drug trafficking, and transnational criminal threats to our citizens and communities,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said.
“Operation No Limits is an exceptional example of our tireless work with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to make Virginia communities safer, demonstrating once again the effectiveness of Ceasefire Virginia. We will continue partnering with law enforcement across the Commonwealth, particularly in our Ceasefire cities, to hold violent, dangerous, and repeat offenders accountable. My sincere thanks to all law enforcement who collaborated to the success of this operation and to U.S. Attorney Robert Tracci for continued partnership with our office,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.
Ohio Man Indicted on Attempted Murder of a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – An Ohio man now faces additional charges—including attempted murder of a federal officer—in connection with an Oct. 15 incident that resulted as federal officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant.
On Oct. 29, a federal grand jury in Cleveland returned a four-count indictment charging Larry Leon Dwight Wiley, 55, of Cleveland, with:
- Count 1 - Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer
- Count 2 - Assault on Federal Officers with a Deadly Weapon
- Count 3 – Using, Carrying, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence
- Count 4 - Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, for prior convictions that include Felonious Assault in 2010; Domestic Violence in 2009; Aggravated Robbery with Firearm Specification in 2000; Burglary in 1999; and Assault on a Police Officer in 1998.
According to the criminal complaint affidavit, on Oct. 15, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force went to an apartment unit in Cleveland to execute an arrest warrant on Wiley, who was wanted for felonious assault. Officers announced their presence as law enforcement and breached the door of the unit. Wiley, who was inside, allegedly fired a handgun in the direction of the officers, striking a deputy U.S. Marshal in the arm with a .380 caliber round. The deputy U.S. Marshal was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he received treatment for his injuries. Wiley then barricaded himself in the apartment, leading to a standoff that lasted several hours until he surrendered and was taken into custody.
If convicted, Wiley faces up to 20 years in prison for Counts 1 and 2; up to life in prison for Count 3; and up to 15 years in prison on Count 4. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including prior criminal record, role in the offense, and characteristics of the violation.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Cleveland Division of Police. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Sweeney, Scott Zarzycki, and James P. Lewis for the Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ocala Man Who Pointed A Laser at A Marion County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter Faces Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Adam Santiago Lugo (41, Ocala) with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. If convicted, Santiago Lugo faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on August 2, 2025, Santiago Lugo knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. The specific aircraft was a helicopter operated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Air Marshals, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
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.
Ocala Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to A MinorRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Nicholas Robert Davis (30, Ocala) to two years in federal prison for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. Davis previously entered a guilty plea on May 7, 2025.
According to court documents, during an undercover operation on July 24, 2024, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent posed online as a 13-year-old girl (UC). The agent received a message from Davis on a social media platform. After learning the UC’s age, Davis had a video call with an undercover detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office who also was posing as the minor. During the call, Davis exposed his genitalia to the detective and, afterward, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the UC. Davis also sent the UC a sexually explicit video of himself.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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 and rescue 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.
Newton Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newton man was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2025, in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing two firearms and ammunition.
James Welch, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In June 2025, Welch pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Welch was charged in February 2025.
On Feb. 28, 2025, during a search of Welch’s Newton residence, a pistol and a rifle, as well as ammunition were recovered. Welch is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions.
The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of a $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 Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. The Newton Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Neo-Nazi Guilty of Hate Crimes Targeting Georgia Rabbi, State House Rep.Read the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes this month tried and won a hate crime conviction against a neo-Nazi who mailed separate antisemitic threats from North Carolina to Georgia’s only Jewish State House Representative and Temple Beth Israel’s Rabbi after both women publicly supported the passage of Georgia House Bill 30, the state’s first legislation defining antisemitism.
Ariel E. Collazo Ramos, 32, of High Point, North Carolina, was found guilty of one count of mailing threatening communications with the addition of a hate crime enhancement on Nov. 4, following a two-day trial that began on Nov. 3, before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. The defendant faces a maximum of five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2026. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The defendant was not exercising his free speech when he mailed antisemitic postcards to Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar and Georgia House Representative Esther Panitch—this neo-Nazi delivered a true threat to life and liberty,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Antisemitic threats and all threats made against the federally protected freedoms of our citizens will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia. We will utilize the full power of the federal government to protect our civil rights.”
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Georgia or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats are clearly a crime,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “No person and no community should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. The conviction of Ariel E. Collazo Ramos shows the FBI’s commitment to root out these threats and ensure all people are protected in the expression of their faith.”
According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, a neo-Nazi group gathered outside of Temple Beth Israel in Macon in 2023 as the congregation was inside observing the start of Sabbath. In January 2024, Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel testified before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Georgia House Bill 30, a bill defining antisemitism. The bill was co-sponsored by State Representative Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia House of Representatives. The bill was signed into law on Jan. 31, 2024. Rep. Panitch received an antisemitic postcard from Ramos at her home the morning of the bill signing; Rabbi Bahar received an antisemitic postcard from Ramos at her home the following day, on Feb. 1, 2024.
At the time, Ramos sold candles, postcards and other products depicting racial, antisemitic and white nationalist themes through his at-home business, “Patriot Candle Company.” Ramos mailed a threatening postcard to Rabbi Bahar’s home address from North Carolina. The postcard contained the handwritten statement, "Is there a child rape, torture, and murder tunnel under your house? We have the Zyklon B. Use Code ‘GASTHEJEWS’ for 10% off!" The reverse side of the postcard displayed a hand-drawn image depicting a purported Jewish male wearing a rat costume and the words “JEWS ARE RATS.” Rep. Panitch received an identical postcard to her home address. Both Rabbi Bahar and Rep. Panitch testified at trial the steps they took for their own safety in response to receiving the threatening postcards. Rabbi Bahar and Rep. Panitch had family members murdered by Nazis using Zyklon B during the Holocaust.
The case was investigated by FBI.
U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government with assistance from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
This press release about a case that occurred during the 43-day government shutdown is now available after the return to normal operations.
Naples Man Indicted for $1.2 Million Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Targeting Elderly Hurricane Ian VictimRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Emilio Hernandez (45, Naples) with two counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud an elderly victim following Hurricane Ian. If convicted, Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each money laundering count. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of more than $1.2 million and other assets traceable to the proceeds of the offenses.
According to court records, following Hurricane Ian in 2022, Hernandez falsely represented himself as a licensed contractor who would repair the victim’s home after it was damaged by the storm. Relying on these misrepresentations, the 85-year-old victim wrote multiple checks to Hernandez for construction supplies, equipment, inspections, and other repair services. Hernandez continued to induce payments from the victim even after the house was sold and demolished in 2023. In reality, Hernandez performed no work on the home and, instead, diverted over $1.2 million for his own personal use.
The money laundering counts allege that Hernandez used the stolen funds to purchase and resell vehicles at car dealerships throughout the area in an effort to conceal the source of the money.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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.
Nantucket Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Dealing Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nantucket man who is an associate of the transnational criminal organization 18th Street Gang, pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2025, to drug distribution charges.
John Angel, 32, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. United States District Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Feb. 19, 2026.
In March 2024 and July 2024, Angel met with a cooperating witness to sell narcotics. Specifically, on March 27, 2024, Angel directed the cooperating witness to meet him in East Boston, where he sold approximately 50 grams of powder fentanyl. Later, on July 10, 2024, Angel met the cooperating witness on Nantucket and sold more powder fentanyl together with a quantity of cocaine.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred Wyshak and Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOISE – William Walls, 52, of Nampa, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for attempted sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, Walls used his cellphone to surreptitiously record three female children in the bathroom of his apartment. Walls was babysitting the victims at the time. The video captured one of the children showering and the other two children changing their clothes. Walls was convicted of three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child following a jury trial in May of this year.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Walls to serve ten years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Walls will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction.
“Our office remains steadfastly committed to protecting Idaho’s children from abuse and exploitation,” U.S. Attorney Davis said. “I am grateful for our partnership with local agencies like the Nampa Police Department. We are united in our efforts to hold sexual offenders accountable and bring justice to victims.”
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of Nampa Police Department, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Nageezi Man Sentenced for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Nageezi man was sentenced to 13 years prison for engaging in non-consensual sexual acts with a minor.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2024, and April 30, 2024, Patrick Wayne Platero, 47, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in a sexual act with the minor victim without their consent.
Platero pled guilty to one count of sexual abuse. Upon his release from prison, Platero will be subject to three years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Multi-Agency Investigation Leads to Multiple Arrests for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Multi-Agency Investigation Leads to Multiple Arrests for Child Exploitation Offenses
SWAINSBORO, GA: United States Attorney Meg Heap announced today that after a multi-agency investigation, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the District Attorney’s Office for the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia (MJC), the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Candler County Sheriff’s Office, the Swainsboro Police Department, the Savannah Police Department, and the Sandy Springs Police Department, four individuals were arrested and charged by federal complaint with various offenses against children, including sex trafficking of a child, the production of child sexual abuse images, and enticement of a minor.
The complaints name the following defendants:
- Jhirmichael Williams, a 34-year-old male, charged with sex trafficking of a minor and production of child pornography.
- Bryon Willis, a 53-year-old male, charged with sex trafficking and attempted sex trafficking of a minor, enticement and attempted enticement of a minor, and possession of child pornography.
- Samantha Reese, a 35-year-old female, charged with the production of child pornography, and aiding and abetting.
- Samantha Bradford, a 30-year-old female, charged with the production and attempted production of child pornography, and aiding and abetting.
“This investigation is a great example of multi-agency cooperation leading to the identification and arrest of those who sexually exploit children and to ensuring no continued harm came to their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We will continue to partner with our federal, state, and local counterparts to ensure perpetrators are identified and children saved from further unspeakable sexual acts.”
“Few crimes are more disturbing than those that target children,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The exploitation these victims endured is heartbreaking, but these arrests show what can be accomplished when dedicated law enforcement partners come together to protect the most vulnerable among us. The FBI will continue to stand with our partners and our communities to ensure those who harm children are held accountable.”
“There is no greater purpose as District Attorney than protecting children from abuse,” said MCJ District Attorney Tripp Fitzner. “This case was a textbook example of multi-agency cooperation and demonstrates what can be accomplished when we work together. My sincere thanks to United States Attorney Heap and her Assistant United States Attorneys and the FBI for their dedication to assisting us in protecting children in Emanuel County and beyond.”
“When MJC DA Fitzner and I were briefed by our staff, we realized this investigation would span several jurisdictions. Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Meg Heap and the FBI were contacted. They immediately responded with all their resources, uncovered a tremendous amount of evidence, and arrested four individuals quickly. I appreciate their willingness to respond and their speed in resolving this case,” said Emanuel County Sheriff Jeffrey L. Brewer. “These are horrendous acts against innocent children who have absolutely no control over their circumstances. These acts carry a lifetime of devastating consequences for these children. There will be no tolerance for this!”
Criminal complaints contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation continues. The FBI urges anyone with information about this case, or similar activities, to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Mother Sentenced to Forty-One Years Incarceration for Felony Murder of Her 16-Month-Old DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Faneisha Scott, 39, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced October 24, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court, to forty-one years in prison for the murder of her 16-month-old daughter, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Scott was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on June 11, 2025 of first-degree cruelty to children, first-degree felony murder with aggravating circumstances, and second-degree cruelty to children for the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Rhythm Fields, in March 2017.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:45 p.m., on March 21, 2017, Scott’s friend, who is the child’s godmother, went over to the defendant’s home in the 5400 block of C Street, SE. While there, the friend’s eight-year-old child asked to play with Rhythm. The defendant then found Rhythm in her playpen, unresponsive, and cold. The defendant went out and flagged down a mail carrier, who called 911 and followed the defendant back to the apartment and observed Rhythm on the couch, lifeless. The child’s body was cold, stiff, and her eyes were fixed. While on the phone with 911, the mail carrier followed the operator’s instructions when two other individuals entered the residence to administer CPR – one was an experienced former firefighter and knew that the child was dead immediately upon seeing her. First responders were surprised to learn that the defendant claimed to have no contact with the child since 9:00 a.m. that morning. The child was pronounced dead.
On March 22, 2017, the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on Rhythm’s remains and ruled on February 5, 2018 that the manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The blunt force injuries included: (1) contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso, and extremities; (2) subdural hemorrhage; (3) cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hypoxia-ischemia; (4) retinal and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage; and (5) 23 bilateral rib fractures (there was evidence of both healing and new rib fractures).
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Andrea Antonelli.
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.
Morgan Lake Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Morgan Lake man has been charged with assaulting an officer using his vehicle.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2025, officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a report of a suspected drunk driver. When they arrive in the area, the driver, Kendall Benally, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, refused to obey commands and attempted to flee in his vehicle, striking and injuring an officer and a marked unit in the process. Benally then exited the vehicle and fled on foot and attempted to hide from officers. Benally was found and arrested a short time later.
Benally is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing. If convicted of the current charges, Benally faces 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 Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead 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.
Mobile Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – In late October 2025, a Mobile man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Lorenzo Robert Warren, 41, was arrested by Mobile Police Department narcotics investigators during the execution of a search warrant at a house in Mobile on April 4, 2023. When officers arrived to execute the warrant, they found Warren in the backyard area of the house. Agents searched Warren’s pickup truck, which was parked nearby the house. Agents found a loaded and stolen 9mm pistol lying on the front seat of Warren’s truck. In an ashtray of the truck near the pistol, agents also located and seized a baggie containing crack cocaine. At the time Warren possessed the pistol, he previously had been convicted of several felony drug-distribution crimes. Warren’s convictions rendered his possession of the pistol illegal under federal law.
In addition to the 48-month prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Warren to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Warren to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mobile Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced in late October 2025 to 27 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2025, a Mobile County Sheriff’s Office Deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for an expired license plate. After the vehicle came to a stop the driver, later identified as Teague, exited the vehicle. The Deputy instructed Teague to return to his vehicle, but he ignored the commands. Teague was detained and the Deputy conducted a cursory search of Teague for officer safety and discovered a firearm inside of his waistband. Following his arrest, a search of the vehicle revealed 429 various rounds of ammunition. Teague has several prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Teague was ordered to a 3-year supervised release term upon release from incarceration and must pay a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mobile Man Sentenced to 10 Years for RobberyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced on October 29, 2025, to 120 months in prison for robbery of a convenience store.
According to court documents, Andre` Lionel Nettles, 40, robbed a Mobile area Circle K store of cigarettes on March 28, 2024. He was wearing a black jacket, black face mask, and pointed a gun at the clerk. The robbery was captured on store surveillance. While stealing the cigarettes, Nettles broke a plexiglass case, leaving blood and fingerprints on the scene. Forensic analysis of the fingerprints and DNA matched Nettles.
After serving 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons, Nettles will be placed on a supervised release term of three years. He was also ordered to pay restitution and fines.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms along with Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys George May and Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mobile Man Sentenced to 10 Years for RobberyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced on October 29, 2025, to 120 months in prison for robbery of a convenience store.
According to court documents, Andre` Lionel Nettles, 40, robbed a Mobile area Circle K store of cigarettes on March 28, 2024. He was wearing a black jacket, black face mask, and pointed a gun at the clerk. The robbery was captured on store surveillance. While stealing the cigarettes, Nettles broke a plexiglass case, leaving blood and fingerprints on the scene. Forensic analysis of the fingerprints and DNA matched Nettles.
After serving 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons, Nettles will be placed on a supervised release term of three years. He was also ordered to pay restitution and fines.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms along with Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys George May and Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 18-months for Distribution of Unprocessed Poppyseeds Used to Manufacture Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 2, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper sentenced Antony Graziano to 18-months imprisonment for his role in selling unprocessed poppyseeds through his internet-based business, Fireseed Bakery.
Graziano was sentenced after pleading guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute a material or chemical that may be used to manufacture a controlled substance, and a substantive count of distributing such a material or chemical in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 843(a)(7).
According to court records, starting in September 2020, and for a period of approximately two years, Graziano marketed and sold unprocessed (or “unwashed”) poppyseeds over the internet with the intent that his customers soak the product in liquids intended to extract opium alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, and thebaine from the seeds. As part of his business, Graziano compared the strength of the “poppyseed tea” that resulted from soaking his product with opiates such as Oxycodone, and he acknowledged that consuming the product carried a significant risk of overdose and death.
At his sentencing hearing, Judge Pepper focused on the serious nature of the offense and the tremendous risk and harm created by Graziano’s conduct.
Graziano will serve his 18-month sentence consecutive to a 50-month sentence imposed by the Eastern District of Missouri in a separate case. Graziano was also sentenced to 1-year of supervised release to follow his sentence and ordered to forfeit his home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as well as approximately $20,000 in cash seized from his bank accounts.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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Miami Man Indicted for Murdering Ex-Wife and Boyfriend in Frederick County, MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted David Turner, 35, of Miami, Florida, charging him with interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in death and use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; J. Charles Smith, State’s Attorney for Frederick County; and Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
As alleged in the indictment, Turner traveled to Maryland from another state to kill his former spouse, Crimea Baker. During and in relation to that offense, Turner shot and killed both Ms. Baker and a second victim, Sean Lange.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Miami Dade Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Hialeah Gardens Police Department, Ft. Lauderdale Police Department, and Bartow County (Georgia) Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Y. Hagan and James G. O’Donohue III who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Miami Lakes Attorney Charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering in Connection with Multi-Million Dollar Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami Lakes attorney made his initial appearance in federal court on Oct. 28 to face charges in connection with a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars in investment funds entrusted to his attorney trust account.
According to court documents, Rodolfo Mario Blanco, 60, was retained to serve as an escrow agent for an investment fund. Between September and December 2023, Blanco received several million dollars from corporate and individual investors into his attorney trust account under the false pretense that he would securely hold the funds on behalf of investors and the fund.
Beginning in November 2023 and continuing through July 2024, Blanco allegedly made a series of large teller transfers, cash withdrawals, and wire transfers from his trust account, including two substantial transfers used to purchase a residence in the Miami area. During this time, Blanco is alleged to have made multiple false representations to investors and fund directors regarding the status and balance of the trust account.
It is alleged that in February and April 2024, Blanco emailed fund directors falsely claiming that he could not release the investment funds because his trust account was subject to diligence and compliance reviews. Blanco allegedly included fabricated bank communications and falsified account screenshots to support these misrepresentations.
Blanco is charged with 11 counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted, Blanco faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and ten years for each money laundering count.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20465.
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Miami Influencer Sentenced to More than 2 Years in Prison for COVID Relief Loan Fraud and Fake Check SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A popular social media influencer and singer has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for orchestrating a years-long fraud scheme that began with COVID-19 relief loan fraud and ended with attempts to use fake checks to pay for luxury cars.
On Sept. 11, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced Scott Lee Huss, 28, to 27 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
“Pandemic relief programs were designed to help struggling businesses and families—not to fund luxury lifestyles,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Those who exploited these programs for their personal gain stole from the American people. Our Office will continue holding anyone accountable who defrauded COVID-19 relief funds, regardless of status or notoriety.”
According to court documents, Huss fraudulently applied for and received six Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling more than $600,000. Instead of using the funds for business expenses and employee payroll, Huss spent the money on cryptocurrency and luxury cars.
In 2023, Huss mailed fraudulent “payment vouchers” purporting to be checks to car finance companies in an effort to discharge loans on his vehicles. In total, Huss sent more than $300,000 in false checks in an attempt to fraudulently obtain a Lamborghini and a Mercedes-Benz.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Miami, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McSeveney of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Miami and DSS Miami Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General, the Sunny Isles Police Department, and the Aventura Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Berger prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20087.
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Mexican national charged in August robbery spree involving casinos, and a bankRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 32-year-old Mexican national who was residing in Federal Way, Washington was detained today at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. He is charged with robbery and attempted robbery of three tribal casinos and a Shoreline, Washington, bank branch in August 2025. Edgar Oswaldo Gonzalez Barragan was arrested by Kent Police just hours after he allegedly robbed the U.S. Bank branch in Shoreline. The bank robbery was the last in a string of robberies or attempted robberies that began on August 1, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, on the evening of August 1, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan allegedly brandished a silver handgun when he approached the cashier window at the Tulalip Quil Ceda Creek Casino and demanded money from the till. The cashier pressed the panic button and refused to hand over any money despite the gunman’s threat to shoot guests. Gonzalez Barragan ran from the scene.
Two days later, on August 3, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan was identified as the person who robbed the Silver Reef Casino on the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation in Ferndale, Washington. Again, he allegedly used a silver handgun to demand cash from the cashier. He fled from the casino on foot.
On August 9, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan allegedly attempted to rob the Little Creek Casino on Squaxin Island Tribal land in Shelton, Washington. Gonzalez Barragan is alleged to have removed a gun from his pocket and demanded cash. After the teller told him there was no cash in the till, he ran the from the scene.
Later that same day, the Riverside Fire Authority reported that a $12,000 piece of equipment called the “Jaws of Life” was stolen off their fire truck. Surveillance video helped law enforcement identify a vehicle associated with the theft. Ultimately, law enforcement was able to connect the vehicle with Gonzalez Barragan.
Finally, two days later, August 11, 2025, Gonzalez Barragan walked into the U.S. Bank branch in Shoreline and demanded money. The teller heard what sounded like a large object hit the counter and was fearful the man had a gun. The teller handed him money from the till, and he left. When Gonzalez Barragan was arrested that day, he was wearing the same clothing he wore during the bank robbery.
Cell phone location data and other evidence place Gonzalez Barragan in the vicinity of all the robberies and attempted robberies.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from many law enforcement agencies, including the Kent Police Department, the Ferndale Police Department, the Federal Way Police Department, the Marysville Police Department, the Centralia Police Department,, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, the Lummi Nation Police Department, the Tulalip Police Department, the Squaxin Island Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee. Ms. Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s office, Western District of Washington.
Mexican National and Son Charged for Allegedly Trafficking More than 75 Firearms and Bulk AmmunitionRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national and his son were charged by Criminal Complaint for Trafficking Firearms purchased from a gun show.
Andres Avila, 48, a Mexican national, is charged with Trafficking Firearms and being an Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. His son, Anthony Avila, 22, of Houston, Texas, is also charged with Trafficking Firearms.
Agents saw two individuals, later identified as Andres Avila and Anthony Avila (“Andres” and “Anthony”), allegedly engaging in activities consistent with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Andres and Anthony were seen wearing backpacks and working together to purchase firearms. When their backpacks were full, it is alleged that they emptied their bags into large totes kept beneath a specific vendor’s table. Court documents show that they paid cash to purchase firearms from private sellers in an attempt to avoid law enforcement detection.
After making several purchases and spending more than six hours at the gun show, agents observed Andres and Anthony leaving in a vehicle with a Texas license plate. When law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, they found large quantities of bulk ammunition marked in the vehicle, consistent with ammo purchased at the gun show. A records check showed that Andres was not in the United States legally and is a prohibited person from receiving or possessing firearms. A second records check showed that Anthony was the son of Andres.
Agents interviewed the vendors sitting at the booth where the guns were stored in totes. They explained that Andres is not legally inside the United States and discovered that there were more than 75 firearms in the totes. Apparently, the vendors met Andres and Anthony through a Texas pawn shop and explained they would pay cash to purchase firearm magazines.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL –A Mexican national was sentenced on October 31, 2025, for illegally re-entering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
According to court documents, Eric Vasquez-Gomez, 24, of Mexico was found to have illegally reentered the United States after prior removal.
Vasquez-Gomez was sentenced by a District Court Judge to the time he’s served since his arrest on September 8, 2025. After the sentence was announced, the Judge ordered that Vasquez-Gomez be delivered to a duly authorized immigration official for deportation consideration.
U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 120 MonthsRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations
ABINGDON, Va. – A Wise, Virginia man who conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia was sentenced October 23 to 120 months in federal prison.
Keith Edward Payne, Jr., 46, previously pled guilty to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Payne conspired with Ashley Beverly, Brandon Boggs, Bradley Chester, Cody Rose, James Gamble, Thomas Houston Jr., and others, to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia.
Payne served as a major distributor for the conspiracy, regularly supplying multiple co-conspirators with up to one-fourth a pound of methamphetamine at a time. Most of Payne’s drug sales took place at his residence in Wise. Payne also combined drug distribution with the possession of firearms. A search warrant executed at Payne’s residence on the day of his arrest revealed 24 firearms, 2,954 rounds of assorted ammunition, digital scales, and drug packaging materials.
In April, co-conspirator Gamble was sentenced to 151 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Bradley Chester was sentenced to 84 months and Cody Rose to 49 months for their roles in the conspiracy. Early this year, Houston was sentenced to 72 months.
Acting U.S. Robert N. Tracci and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, and Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Assault and StrangulationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man admitted to assaulting and strangling a victim, leaving them with serious injuries.
According to court documents, on March 13, 2025, Philman Sam Pike, 24, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted the victim by punching, strangling and suffocating them, causing them to lose consciousness and causing them extreme physical pain.
Pike pleaded guilty to assault by strangling. At sentencing, Pike faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Pike will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Mescalero Man Charged with Child AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has been charged with child abuse after firing a weapon near his two young children and placing them in a situation that endangered their lives.
According to court documents, on August 26, 2025, Emilio Morales, 24, a non-Indian, went to a residence located within the exterior boundaries of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. Upon arrival, Morales fired a weapon into the air multiple times and forced entry into the home. Once inside, he took his two-year-old son from his crib while armed and threatened to harm himself in front of the child. Morales then seized his four-year-old daughter and continued making threats of self-harm. When officers arrived on scene, Morales demanded that they shot him while he was holding his daughter. The children’s safety was secured after a brief standoff.
Both children are enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
Morales is charged with child abuse and will remain in custody pending trial. If convicted of the current charges, Morales faces up to three years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V 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.
Mescalero Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man has been charged for allegedly assaulting a woman by dragging her beneath a moving vehicle, causing serious bodily injuries.
According to court documents, on September 14, 2024, Thurman Allen Paz, 46, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and Jane Doe were in a vehicle when Paz began to strike her in the face and head. Jane Doe attempted to get out of the vehicle while it was moving and was dragged underneath. As a result, Jane Doe sustained serious bodily injuries.
Paz is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the current charge, Paz faces up to 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V 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.
Massachusetts Woman Who Leaked Federal Grand Jury Information SentencedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dracut, Mass. woman was sentenced on Oct. 2, 2025 in federal court in Boston for disclosing information presented to a federal grand jury to unauthorized individuals.
Jessica M. Leslie, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to two years of supervised release, with two months to be served in home detention. In August 2025, Leslie pleaded guilty to one count of criminal contempt after being charged on July 11, 2025.
Beginning in May 2022, Leslie was sworn as a federal grand juror and was advised of the obligation of secrecy imposed by the federal rules. On various dates between Aug. 11, 2022 and March 4, 2024, Leslie disclosed sealed information to unauthorized individuals, including the names of various witnesses appearing before a federal grand jury, the substance of witness testimony and other evidence presented to the grand jury, in violation of the Federal Rules and court order. Leslie talked explicitly about two matters in the grand jury to a friend, who then publicly posted about and engaged in private chats on those matters, sharing specific details passed on by Leslie. In one instance, the friend posted about a sealed indictment before the targets were arrested.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Chief of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Knowingly Concealing the Source of Material Support or Resources to ISISRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wakefield, Mass. man has pleaded guilty to knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources intended for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
Mateo Ventura, 20, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2025 to one count of concealment of financing of terrorism. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper set sentencing for Jan. 8, 2026. Ventura was charged by complaint in June 2023 and was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023.
According to the charging documents, Ventura provided multiple gift cards to an individual he believed was an ISIS supporter, with the intention that they be sold on the dark web for a little less than face value, and with the profits being used to support ISIS. Ventura stated that he wanted the proceeds to go to ISIS “for war on kuffar,” (disbelievers). In total between January and May 2023, Ventura made donations totaling $705.
The charge of attempting knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, 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; Assistant Attorney John A. Eisenberg for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Massachusetts Couple Sentenced for Multi-Million-Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A couple from Randolph, Mass. was sentenced on Oct. 14, 2025 in federal court in Boston for running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded dozens of individual investors out of millions of dollars.
Milendophe Duperier, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to five years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Judge Joun sentenced Vanessa Joseph, 27, to time served (one day), to be followed by two years of supervised release. Restitution for both defendants will be determined at a later date. In July 2025, both Duperier and Joseph pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Duperier and Joseph were charged in May 2025.
Duperier acted as an investment advisor, soliciting investments from individuals and advising them that their funds would be invested in the securities markets. Joseph was Duperier’s girlfriend and business partner. Between early 2018 and December 2022, Duperier and Joseph defrauded dozens of individual investors by falsely representing that Duperier would use the entirety of their investments to purchase securities. However, instead of investing the funds in the securities markets as promised, Duperier and Joseph used the funds to pay prior investors and for personal purchases and expenses – including payments for luxury vehicles and mortgage and credit card debt.
Duperier and Joseph defrauded individual investors, many of whom had invested their life savings, of more than $3.2 million. As part of the scheme, Duperier and Joseph applied for and received small business loans for various entities and used the loan proceeds to pay purported investment returns to victim investors. In addition, Duperier made false statements and excuses to investors as to why he had not made promised interest payments and/or could not return the investors’ principal.
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. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Marion County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of A MachinegunRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Sean Rayvon Hubbard, Jr. (19, Ocala) to three years in federal prison for possession of a machinegun. Hubbard pleaded guilty on May 22, 2025.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2024, officers from the Ocala Police Department approached Hubbard to place him under arrest for outstanding warrants. Hubbard fled from the officers on foot but was ultimately apprehended. On August 7, 2024, officers received a call from an apartment complex about a firearm that had been discovered along the path where Hubbard had been running. The firearm, a black handgun with a tan extended ammunition magazine, had been modified with a “switch” that allowed it to fire more than one round of ammunition with a single pull of the trigger. Officers obtained a search warrant for Hubbard’s cellphone and recovered a video of Hubbard handling the same modified handgun just prior to his arrest on July 28, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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.
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.
Marijuana-Dealing Felon Sentenced to 32 Months for Illegal Possession of a GlockRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darnell Earl Christian, 34, a felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 32 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded Glock 45 pistol as he attempted to distribute marijuana in the Kingman Park neighborhood of Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Christian pleaded guilty on June 3 to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and to unlawful possession with intent to distribute marijuana. In addition to the 32-month prison term, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Christian to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents on March 26, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were patrolling in the Kingman Park neighborhood when they spotted Christian on the 1800 block of Benning Road NE. Christian was crouching between cars. taking marijuana out of a large plastic bag and placing it onto a digital scale.
An officer approached Christian. Christian tried to flee with a large bag of marijuana in hand. A second officer intercepted and detained Christian, and observed a pistol in the defendant’s waistband. Christian struggled with the officers as they cuffed him.
Following Christian’s arrest, officers recovered 429 grams marijuana, a digital scale, and a baggie containing 14 grams of a white rock-like substance that tested positive for cocaine.
Officers also recovered a Glock model 45, 9mm handgun with one round of ammunition chambered and 16 additional rounds in an extended magazine.
Christian previously was convicted in District of Columbia Superior Court of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, sentenced to 16 months incarceration, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case was investigated by the MPD with valuable help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Wynn for the District of Columbia.
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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.
Marengo County Men Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud Conspiracy Involving Theft of More Than $1.2 Million in Building MaterialsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Two Marengo County men were sentenced to 27 months and 13 months in prison for their roles in a wire fraud conspiracy involving theft of building materials worth more than $1.2 million.
According to court documents, Bryan Keith Gracie, 40, of Demopolis, and Ellis Tyrone Miller, 35, of Dixons Mills, conspired with one another to steal building materials from a company in Thomasville between June 2021 and March 2022. To carry out the conspiracy, Gracie and Miller coordinated to provide unique delivery and shipment numbers for legitimate orders, intended for the victim company’s customers, to individuals who were not authorized to accept the shipments. Thereafter, Gracie and Miller made false entries and reversals of information into the victim company’s database, which communicated with servers outside of Alabama. Gracie and Miller also signed fraudulent bills of lading for shipments of stolen building materials to unauthorized third‑party trucking companies.
Federal agents obtained numerous incriminating text messages between Gracie, a former employee of the victim company, and Miller, who worked at the company in a position of trust. For example, in November 2021, Miller instructed Gracie, “Wear hard hat and act like u signing in but don’t put nothing down please deliver the message.” In December 2021, Miller warned Gracie that an employee of the victim company had “been watching the cameras” and suggested that they should “chill for a minute.” Later, in February 2022, Gracie and Miller texted each other about what each was owed for illicit sales of stolen building products. During the conspiracy, Gracie and Miller facilitated at least 54 shipments of stolen products from the victim company to unauthorized third parties. The value of the stolen materials was at least $1,213,524.16.
U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Gracie to 27 months in prison. Upon his release from prison, Gracie will serve a three-year term of supervised release, during which time he will be subject to credit restrictions and will be prohibited from being on or around the victim company’s property. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Gracie to pay $100 in special assessments and $1,213,524.16 in victim restitution, jointly and severally with Miller.
For his role in the scheme, Ellis was sentenced to 13 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock. Upon his release from prison, Miller will serve a three-year term of supervised release, during which time he will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Miller to pay $100 in special assessments and $1,213,524.16 in victim restitution, jointly and severally with Gracie.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Thomasville Police Department, and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Man Sentenced to over 21 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Zachary Norris, age 35, was sentenced on October 14, 2025, to 262 months in prison for Distribution of Child Pornography and Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.
According to court documents, a social media platform reported that an account associated with Norris contained child pornography. Investigators obtained the content of that account and discovered multiple instances of Norris chatting with users about his attraction to children and conversations during which Norris would send videos of child pornography to other users. A search warrant was executed at Norris’s residence and his cell phone was seized and examined. Investigators found over 90 images and videos of child pornography, including a photo where it appeared an image of adult pornography had been altered so that a child’s face had been superimposed over the adult’s face.
Norris will be placed on a 15-year term of supervised release after incarceration and is prohibited from possessing internet capable devices. He is also ordered to have no contact with minors. Norris will be required to register as a sex offender. Norris was ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution to the victims of his offense.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mobile 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
Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Multiple Convenience Stores and Coercing a Woman to Travel Across State Lines for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty on Oct.1, 2025 in federal court in Boston to coercing a woman to travel across state lines to engage in commercial sex and robbing multiple Massachusetts convenience stores, some at gunpoint.
David Walker, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution and five counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Jan. 7, 2026. Walker was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024.
Walker met the victim on social media and initiated a romantic relationship. When they struggled financially, Walker coerced and pushed the victim to engage in commercial sex, requiring the victim to make $800 per day. Walker threatened to kill the victim and her family members if she disobeyed him. Walker coerced and forced the victim to travel from Massachusetts to Maine for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex.
Additionally, on different dates in October 2023, Walker robbed four separate 7-Eleven convenience stores in West Roxbury, Cambridge, Watertown and Pepperell and attempted to rob a fifth location in Everett. In some of the robberies, Walker brandished a firearm.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The charge of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years 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 Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Boston, Cambridge, Watertown, Everett and Pepperell Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
Man Charged with Assaulting BIA Officer on Mescalero Apache ReservationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A man was charged with assaulting a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer who responded to a report of property damage on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
According to court documents, on May 29, 2025, Dominic James Isaac Sandoval Peralta, 23, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted and resisted an officer from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services when the officer arrived at a residence on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in response to reports of a male breaking windows. When the officer approached Peralta, he was acting erratic and yelling. Peralta then advanced on the officer, leading to a physical confrontation during which Peralta punched the officer in the head several times, forcing the officer to stun Peralta with a taser in order to place him under arrest.
Peralta is charged with assault, resistance and opposition of an officer of the U.S. resulting in physical contact and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Peralta faces eight 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens 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.
Man Admits Stealing, Using Credit Cards in St. Louis AreaRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Rene Arviso Velasquez on Thursday admitted to a cross-country crime spree involving his theft and use of credit cards.
Velasquez, 51, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Velasquez admitted stealing at least $47,000 from victims in the St. Louis area and across the country in “cross-country credit card theft expeditions.”
Three examples are listed in the plea agreement. On Aug. 25, 2024, Velasquez stole one victim’s Lululemon belt bag, which was hanging from her seat while she was eating at a restaurant in Cottleville, Missouri. Less than an hour later, Velasquez used the victim’s credit card to purchase five Visa gift cards and a pack of salted nuts for $1,031. That same day, Velasquez stole a different victim’s purse at a Brentwood restaurant. Less than an hour later, he bought $1,445 worth of gift cards. On Nov. 3, 2024, Velasquez stole a woman’s wallet at a St. Peters restaurant. Less than an hour later, he used one of her credit cards to buy five Visa gift cards and a Pepsi for $1035.
Velasquez, who has used the names Miguel Antonio Carrasco-Gomez and Henry Diaz, was living in Tarzana, Calif., but is a Chilean national. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 17, 2026. The access device fraud charges carry a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The aggravated identity theft carries a penalty of two years in prison, consecutive to the other charges.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Make DC Safe and Beautiful Taskforce Members Arrest D.C. Man Wanted for Labor Day Murder at Recreation CenterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Spencer, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with a homicide that occurred in the afternoon of September 1, 2025, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Spencer made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Eric Glover earlier today, where Judge Glover found probable cause that Spencer committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), and ordered that Spencer be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing on November 19, 2025, before Judge Rainey Brandt.
According to court documents, on September 1, 2025, Spencer approached the victim, Francois Adkins, in broad daylight at the Brentwood Recreation Center and opened fire. Spencer continued to shoot as the victim attempted to crawl away. Adkins died as a result of the injuries.
On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at approximately 6:20 p.m., members of the Fifth District Crime Suppression Team (CST) were engaged in the “Make DC Safe and Beautiful Taskforce” Operations. MPD Officers were part of a federal task force which included HSI, ATF, FBI, DEA, Secret Service Police, and United States Park Police. The Taskforce was actively patrolling PSA 504 when they observed Spencer loitering with other individuals. Upon observing officers, Spencer dropped a white hand rolled cigarette. After smelling odor consistent with marijuana, Taskforce officers stopped Spencer and identified him for smoking marijuana in public. Their active police efforts led to Spencer’s active arrest warrant for murder being confirmed and Spencer’s arrest.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Galloway.
These charges are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lynn Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Threatening an Elected OfficialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn was sentenced on Oct. 24, 2025 in federal court in Boston for making threats to an elected official.
Justin David Gaglio, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Sept. 9, 2025, Gaglio pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats. He was charged in October 2024.
Beginning in or around January 2023, Gaglio began contacting the elected official via online submissions through the elected official’s website. Between January 2023 and September 2024, Gaglio submitted over 80 separate messages to the elected official via the website – sometimes sending multiple messages within minutes of each other.
On or about Sept. 8, 2024, Gaglio submitted a contact request to the elected official’s website in which he threatened to violently murder the elected official and their family. Specifically, Gaglio said that the elected official’s entire family would “die a horrific death,” and that he was “contemplating going [to the elected official’s] home and butchering” the elected official’s family.
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. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capital Police, the United States Secret Service, the Massachusetts State Police and the Lynn and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Lowell Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Asian Boyz GangRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2025 for distributing thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, including to a member of the Asian Boyz gang.
Scott Fournier, a/k/a “S.G.,” 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In June 2025, Fournier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; two counts of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine; and three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, a long-term investigation identified that Asian Boyz gang members and associates had access to a plentiful supply of dangerous, homemade pills pressed with varying doses of methamphetamine and caffeine designed to resemble pharmaceutical-grade Adderall.
Between March 2, 2023 and May 12, 2023, Fournier supplied an Asian Boyz gang member with more than 2,000 methamphetamine pills to be used in street deals. Fournier’s fingerprints were identified on one of the bags containing the pills.
The investigation subsequently traced Fournier’s supply operation to a storage unit in Tyngsborough. Security video recordings from the facility showed Fournier routinely accessing the storage unit, including at the times in which he delivered methamphetamine pills to the Asian Boyz gang member. During a search of the storage unit in October 2023, 13,464 counterfeit “Adderall” pills containing methamphetamine were found – with a combined weight of over four kilograms – as well as other types of pills. Upon being approached by law enforcement, following the search of his storage unit, Fournier was found in possession of a bag that contained an additional 1,684 counterfeit “Adderall” pills made with methamphetamine.
Additionally, over the course of five separate occasions between April 2024 and October 2024, Fournier sold approximately 8,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine – with a combined weight of over two kilograms – in recorded deals to a cooperating witness.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lowell Man Arrested on Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was arrested and charged on Oct. 1, 2025 for allegedly distributing cocaine base (crack cocaine).
Marc Sanchez, 31, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The defendant made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Oct. 1, 2025 and remains detained in federal custody.
According to court filings, Sanchez was allegedly dealing crack cocaine out of his residence in a large apartment complex in Lowell. Specifically, it is alleged that on Sept. 17, 2025, a cooperating witness arranged to meet Sanchez at his apartment to purchase an ounce and a half of crack cocaine. It is also alleged that at the time of meeting Sanchez was observed meeting with an unknown drug supplier in a car outside his apartment building to acquire powder cocaine. Sanchez then allegedly returned to his apartment with the cooperating witness, where Sanchez “cooked” the powder cocaine into crack cocaine, separated and weighed the substance, and then sold it to the cooperating witness. It is further alleged that Sanchez used phone numbers and cars registered in other people’s names to deal crack cocaine. According to court documents, there are at least four outstanding arrest warrants for Sanchez in connection with open criminal cases in Derry District Court in New Hampshire, and in Boston, Lawrence and Lowell District Courts in Massachusetts.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Greg C. Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and Salem (Mass.) Police Departments and the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 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.
Long Island Investment Advisors Convicted of Defrauding Clients out of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a federal jury in Central Islip convicted investment advisors and twin brothers Adam and Daniel Kaplan of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, investment advisor fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. Adam Kaplan was additionally found guilty of another count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank and wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering, and attempted obstruction of justice while on pre-trial release. The verdict was returned after an eight-week trial before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“With today’s verdict, Adam and Daniel Kaplan stand convicted of stealing millions of dollars from clients, some of whom were elderly and disabled, who trusted the defendants to invest their money, but instead were betrayed by these ruthless thieves,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Adam Kaplan is facing additional, very serious consequences for seeking to undermine the criminal justice process by attempting to threaten victims and witnesses and bribe Department of Justice officials. I commend the prosecutors from our Office and the FBI Special Agents who worked tirelessly to unravel the defendants’ fraudulent schemes and bring them to justice for the harm their greed has caused.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Chicago Regional Office, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for their work on the case.
“Adam and Daniel Kaplan demonstrated a pattern of deceit to steal millions of dollars from trusting investors, while the former threatened victims in an attempt to obstruct the federal investigation into the brothers’ misconduct. These defendants exploited the trust, vulnerability, and, at times, health of more than 100 victims to selfishly enrich themselves. May today’s conviction reflect the FBI’s continued promise to hold accountable those who target the wallets of others out of personal greed,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
Fraudulent Scheme While Working as Investment Advisors
As proven at trial and set forth in other public filings, between May 2018 and July 2021, Adam and Daniel Kaplan acted as investment advisors at an investment advisory firm, IHT Wealth Management, for hundreds of clients. The defendants used their positions of trust to steal at least $10 million dollars from those clients, and used the stolen funds for personal expenses and to purchase luxury goods.
The defendants used various schemes to steal from their victims. For example, the defendants consistently sent clients contracts to begin their client-advisor relationship. The defendants promised these clients that their fees would be approximately 1% per year, and sometimes less. The contracts that the defendants sent their victims, however, did not include the specific fee percentage that they promised. Instead, it was blank. Based on the defendants’ lies, and the victims’ trust in the defendants, the victims signed the contracts with the fee portion of the contract blank. The defendants then filled in the fee percentage at a much higher rate than what was promised, sometimes more than four times as high.
The defendants also siphoned money from their victims’ bank accounts without any authorization or approval. The defendants hid these charges from their victims by, before charging the victims, transferring money to the victims’ bank accounts from the victims’ own brokerage accounts in the exact amount that the defendants charged so that the balance of the victims’ bank account appeared unchanged.
To conceal their years-long fraudulent scheme, the defendants repeatedly lied to their clients about the fraudulent charges, forged their clients’ signatures on documents, and lied to financial institutions. As part of the government’s investigation, the government recovered over a dozen fake contracts purportedly between the defendants and their victims for services such as “life coaching” or “divorce consultation” but the defendants never provided any of these services to their victims.
The defendants’ victims included individuals who were elderly and disabled, as well as family and friends. For example, the defendants took out a loan in an elderly victim’s name while she was caring for her dying husband; stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent loans; and left the victim to pay the lender on her own. As another example, the defendants stole from a family in Arizona, including a 100-year-old grandmother; specifically, Daniel Kaplan tricked the family into sending him checks and then altered the checks and deposited them into his own account.
Additional Fraud Schemes
After IHT uncovered the defendants’ fraud, IHT fired the defendants in July 2021. However, Adam and Daniel Kaplan continued to steal from victims after July 2021. Among those victims included a woman with dementia who, at the time that the defendants stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her, could not recognize her husband of decades. As part of his fraud, Adam Kaplan befriended the woman and escorted her to a bank in Manhattan to have her sign documents that would enable him to steal additional money from her, as depicted below:
Adam Kaplan also participated in other fraud schemes. Between 2023 and 2024, Adam Kaplan, working with a co-conspirator (Co-Conspirator), stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims, including some of the same individuals he had stolen from previously. Adam Kaplan promised those victims that he would invest their money, but instead used those funds for his own expenses. As the scheme unraveled, Adam Kaplan paid back prior victims by charging his own parents’ credit cards for thousands of dollars, and had the charges disputed to avoid repayment. The bank ultimately lost funds.
Adam Kaplan’s Obstruction of Justice
In addition, between April 2023 and September 2024, while aware of a federal grand jury investigation into the defendants’ conduct, Adam Kaplan attempted to influence, obstruct, and impede the underlying investigation, including through attempts to threaten, injure, and pay off witnesses, and destroy evidence.
Between April 2023 and September 2023, Adam Kaplan believed that Co-Conspirator was a violent felon with connections to the mafia and on the dark web. Adam Kaplan paid Co-Conspirator over $75,000 to tamper with, threaten, and violently injure victims of the defendant’s fraud schemes. While using a burner phone, in one text, Adam Kaplan told Co-Conspirator that one of Adam Kaplan’s victims needed “to fear.” In another text, Adam Kaplan told Co-Conspirator that a victim should be “peeing blood / missing teeth and another visited / scared”. Adam Kaplan also ordered Co-Conspirator to “put [a victim’s] phone on fire . . . Seriously, please blow it up.” Adam Kaplan also ordered Co-Conspirator to send skull-and-crossbones imagery in texts to Adam Kaplan’s victims to scare them, and Co-Conspirator sent those text messages. Finally, Adam Kaplan also ordered Co-Conspirator to attempt to dig up “dirt” on a prosecutor from the Eastern District of New York so that Adam Kaplan could blackmail the prosecutor into not charging Adam Kaplan.
After Adam Kaplan and Daniel Kaplan were arrested, and while on release pursuant to a multimillion-dollar bond, Adam Kaplan continued to obstruct justice. For example, Adam Kaplan ordered Co-Conspirator to bribe Department of Justice officials on several occasions. The attempted bribes were never paid.
* * * * *
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Toporovsky, Paul Scotti, and Rebecca Urquiola are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson and Victim Witness Specialists Stephanie Marroquin and Maryyam Jaffery.
The Defendants:
ADAM S. KAPLAN
Age: 36
Great Neck, Long IslandDANIEL E. KAPLAN
Age: 36
Great Neck, Long Island
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-293 (S-1) (JMA)Lexington Attorney Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Embezzling More Than $3.5 MillionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lexington, Mass. attorney was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2025 in federal court in Boston for defrauding multiple Massachusetts victims, including two relatives.
David Smerling, 75, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $3,534,316 and forfeiture. In June 2025, Smerling pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Smerling was sentenced in connection with three separate schemes. Between January 2016 and May 2020, Smerling worked as a bookkeeper for three Massachusetts companies and embezzled more than $2.8 million from the companies and their owners. He did so by transferring funds first to a bank account owned by one of the victims that Smerling controlled before moving the money to bank accounts in his own name, or directly from the companies’ accounts to bank accounts in his own name. Smerling concealed his scheme by changing the mailing address on victims’ bank statements to his home address and refusing to share the online banking password for the victims’ accounts. In April 2020, a victim discovered Smerling had transferred $350,000 from one of the companies to himself without authorization. After these funds were returned, Smerling changed the banking passwords and again transferred $350,000 from the company to himself.
Between May 2020 and August 2021, Smerling embezzled more than $475,000 from a trust established for the benefit of a relative with special needs for which Smerling served as the trustee. Smerling transferred trust funds to bank accounts he controlled before sending the funds to bank accounts in his wife’s name or using the funds to pay for personal expenses. He concealed his scheme by making lulling payments to the beneficiary so he would not discover the trust had been depleted.
Between May 2023 and April 2025, Smerling embezzled more than $175,000 from a relative with dementia for whom Smerling served as the financial power of attorney, including while he was on pretrial release after his January 2025 arrest in this matter. Smerling transferred funds from the victim’s accounts to accounts he controlled, used a credit card in the victim’s name for personal purchases and took out a loan in the victim’s name. To conceal this scheme, Smerling misrepresented the purpose of the transfers to the financial institutions in which the victim’s accounts were held.
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 today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Lee County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. (44, Lee County) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Maldonado faces an enhanced minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison because he has a qualifying prior conviction for a serious drug felony. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, DeJesus Maldonado worked with his three co-defendants, Esequiel Maldonado (Esequiel), Ron Ramirez, Jr., and Schuyler Jordan Thompson to distribute cocaine. Esequiel was the Texas-based leader of the conspiracy. He authorized sales of cocaine, served as the conspiracy’s broker, and set cocaine prices. On behalf of Esequiel, Ramirez arranged for Thompson to deliver cocaine to DeJesus Maldonado who then distributed it in the Middle District of Florida and arranged for drug proceeds to be paid back to Esequiel. On November 30, 2023, DeJesus Maldonado sold one kilogram of cocaine in Lee County to a confidential human source.
Ramirez pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025. Thompson and Esequiel are set for trial in January 2026.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
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).
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.