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13 November 2025
Former Customs and Border Protection Officer Sentenced for Allowing Drug-Laden Vehicles to Enter the U.S.Read the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Diego Bonillo was sentenced in federal court to 15 years in prison for allowing vehicles containing methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl to enter the U.S.
In his plea agreement, Bonillo acknowledged that he worked for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization wherein he agreed to accept payment for using his official position as an officer to allow drug-laden vehicles into the U.S. from Mexico without inspection. Bonillo admitted that as part of the conspiracy he allowed at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, and over 1 kilogram of heroin, into the United States.
According to the government’s sentencing documents, during the investigation, agents discovered that Bonillo was using a second phone that was unknown to law enforcement to transmit his lane assignments to members of the drug trafficking organization so they would know which lane and what time to send their smugglers to ensure their entry. Eventually, agents determined that Bonillo’s role in the scheme began no later than October 2023 and continued until April 2024, allowing at least 15 vehicles to enter uninspected. According to the sentencing materials, Bonillo used his proceeds to travel internationally, purchase luxury gifts, buy tickets to the Canelo versus Munguia boxing match, attempt to purchase property in Mexico, and spend time at the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club in Tijuana, Mexico.
“This sentence holds Bonillo accountable for betraying the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “He weaponized his badge for personal profit, funneling deadly narcotics through a port of entry and putting communities at risk. Corruption like this will be met with the full force of the law — and we will not hesitate to pursue and punish those who trade duty for dollars.”
“Corrupt Customs and Border Protection officers betray their oath and endanger our national security,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D. “This sentence sends a clear message that such betrayal of public trust will not be tolerated.”
“Former CBP Officer Diego Bonillo allowed massive amounts of drugs into the U.S. without regard for the deadly consequences it could have on our communities,” said Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Diego Field Office. “He disgraced the badge and violated his oath to protect the American people. This conduct betrays the public’s trust and is contradictory to the values and standards expected of a federal law enforcement officer. FBI San Diego and our partners will not tolerate such dishonorable behavior. This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who corrupts their role at the expense of our citizens’ safety.”
The sentencing took place on November 7, 2025. This press release was delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark, Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza, and Shauna Prewitt.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr0908-RBM
Diego Bonillo Age: 31 Chula Vista, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960, and 963
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum
Importation of Controlled Substances - Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952 and 960
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation – Border Corruption Task Force
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility
U.S. Border Patrol – San Diego Sector Intelligence Unit
Homeland Security Investigations - SDNET
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations – Hermosillo Attaché
Former Colombian Army Officer Sentenced in DC in Scheme to Distribute 10 Kilos of Cocaine in the U.S.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jairo Aldres Alzate Milan, 36, a former intelligence officer in the Colombian National Army, was sentenced October 8, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 65 months in prison in connection with a scheme to export 9.85 kilograms of cocaine from South America to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Milan, aka "Llorente" and “Andres Millan,” pleaded guilty on May 13 to an Information charging him with unlawful distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine for importation into the United States. In addition to the 65-month prison sentence, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Milan to serve four years of supervised release.
Joining in the sentencing announcement was Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
According to plea agreement, on Jan. 29, 2019, Milan met with an individual to build a drug trafficking relationship. Milan discussed specifics with this individual who asked, “You know that cargo is going to the United States. All of it, yes?” Milan answered, “Yes.” The two also confirmed a price that included the added cost with transporting the “cargo” to the United States. The cargo was to be cocaine.
On Feb. 2, 2019, Milan met again with the same individual. Milan and the individual discussed further details about the logistics of and the eventual transportation costs of shipping the cocaine to the United States, including details of cargo planes being used for the transportation. The individual explained that a plane in Santa Marta, Colombia, would be used to transport the cocaine first to Guatemala and then on to the United States. The individual further explained that he would need the details of the weight beforehand to ensure customs manifest forms would match.
On Mar. 5, 2019, Milan met with the same individual in Cali, Colombia. The interaction was recorded on audio and video. Milan told the individual that “had the 10,” referring to 10 kilograms of cocaine. Milan confirmed he understood that “this one is going to New York.”
Milan provided ten bricks of cocaine weighing a total of 9.85 kilos. In exchange, Milan received 45 million Colombian Pesos valued at about $13,000 USD.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Mid-Atlantic Laboratory tested nine of the 10 bricks and confirmed in all nine units the presence of cocaine.
Milan was arrested in Colombia on May 22, 2021. He was extradited to the United States on Sept.12, 2024.
In his plea, Milan admitted that he was responsible for distributing 9.85 kgs of cocaine and intended that amount to be imported into the United States.
This case was investigated by the by the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Peter Roman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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.
Former CFO convicted at trial of four counts of wire fraudRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Mercer Island, Washington man was convicted November 7, 2025, of four counts of wire fraud for taking and misusing some $35 million from his former employer, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Nevin Shetty, 41, was found guilty after a nine-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated about ten hours before reaching the guilty verdict. Judge Tana Lin scheduled sentencing for February 11, 2026.
“This defendant exploited his position of power and trust in an attempt to profit from his crime and then lied to cover it up,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “I am proud of the work of our attorneys and support staff, who calmly and carefully helped the jury see through film of lies the defense used to try to justify what was, at its core, theft.”
According to records in the case, Shetty was hired as the CFO of a private software company in March 2021. The company was raising capital for its work in multiple rounds of funding. The company, with Shetty, drafted a policy governing how the money raised should be kept safe while the company worked to grow its business. The company adopted an investment policy statement that called for company cash to be invested only in money market accounts or other conservative investments. The company’s overriding objective was to preserve its capital for use in operating and growing the business, which is why the company’s capital was placed exclusively in FDIC insured treasury and operating bank accounts.
Even though Shetty helped draft the policy and disseminate it to the board of directors for approval, he secretly moved approximately $35 million in company funds to a cryptocurrency platform he controlled as a side business. Shetty created that side business, called HighTower Treasury, in February 2022—it had no other outside customers. In March 2022, he was told he could not continue as CFO at his employer due to concerns about his performance. Shortly after he got this news, Shetty secretly transferred the funds out of the company’s account.
Between April 1 and 12, 2022, Shetty transferred $35,000,100 of his employer’s money to an account for HighTower Treasury. No other executives or board members at the company knew of these transfers. Shetty, through HighTower, then placed the money in a realm of cryptocurrency sometimes referred to as decentralized finance or “DeFi.” Shetty chose high-yield DeFi lending protocols that promised to generate 20% interest. Shetty’s idea was that HighTower would pay Shetty’s company 6% of that interest and keep the remainder of any interest earned from the cryptocurrency investments for HighTower, which could have been substantial. As an owner of HighTower, Shetty stood to keep those profits. In the first month, Shetty’s scheme earned roughly $133,000 of profit for himself and his HighTower business partner.
However, the cryptocurrency investments soon began declining and by May 13, 2022, the value of the $35 million investment was nearly zero. After the money was essentially gone, Shetty told two of his fellow executives what he had done. He was immediately fired.
The company reported the embezzlement to the FBI, who launched an investigation.
In closing arguments Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski told the jury, “Why did he do this? Greed – to line his own pockets. That is what explains his lying, sneaking around, and telling half-truths.”
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Kopczynski and Grace Zoller.
Former Bank of America Employee Sentenced for Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was sentenced on Oct. 27, 2025 for his involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.
Rongjian Li, 38, of Staten Island, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to three years of probation, with the first year to be served on home confinement. Following home confinement, Li will be required to perform 100 hours of community service. In February 2025, Li pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
In May 2023, a federal grand jury in Boston returned a superseding indictment charging 12 individuals from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization. The network was identified in the greater Boston area in 2021 along with the leader of the organization, Jin Hua Zhang, based in Staten Island, New York, and a number of his criminal associates. The investigation revealed that, for a fee, Zhang laundered bulk cash for drug dealers and laundered profits from other illegal businesses. In less than one year, Zhang and his organization laundered at least $25 million.
A large portion of the laundered funds were generated by criminal groups operating overseas who tricked U.S. victims into falling for a variety of internet-based frauds. These frauds included tricking victims into sending money to purchase or extend warranties or soliciting victims to invest in cryptocurrencies and then stealing the invested funds. In order to help these criminal groups launder these funds, Zhang needed U.S. bank accounts.
Rongjian Li was a Bank of America employee in New York who became friendly with Zhang. In 2021-2022, Zhang directed his runners to meet with Li at Li’s Bank of America branch. Li knew some of Zhang’s accounts were opened with runners using fraudulent passports and knew that the accounts were intended for use to launder “scam” money. When the bank’s financial auditing systems flagged or froze accounts for suspicious activity, Li misused the branch customer information system to help Zhang move illicit funds elsewhere. Finally, Li was seated next to Zhang at a lengthy recorded dinner in New York with undercover agents where Zhang discussed the different fee percentages he charged various criminal groups for drug trafficking and scams.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Admissions Director for Emmanuel College Pleads Guilty to Soliciting a College Applicant to Engage in Commercial SexRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Assistant Admissions Director for Emmanuel College in Boston pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2025 to soliciting an underage college applicant to engage in commercial sex with him.
Jacob Tyler Henriques, 27, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and one count of cyberstalking. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2026. Henriques was arrested and charged in May 2025.
Henriques used his position as an Assistant Admissions Director to gain access to the personal information of various admitted or prospective students, who he later contacted to solicit to engage in commercial sex with him. Specifically, on April 25, 2025, Henriques met with multiple admitted or prospective students. After meeting with at least three such students, Henriques gained access to their personal information and began contacting them, offering to “pay them for some fun,” offering to provide them with pornography, and, in some instances, sending them pornographic videos or images. Henriques began contacting a fourth victim after she formally committed to attend the college on April 25, 2025. He offered to pay her for “some fun” and began sending pornographic videos to her.
Henriques attempted to traffic a 17-year-old victim, who was a prospective student after he reviewed the victim’s tour registration form, which contained her date of birth, just before giving her a tour of the college on or about April 25, 2025. Henriques asked the victim what grade she was in and the victim told Henriques what local high school she attended. Within hours of finishing the tour, Henriques began texting the victim on her phone number provided on her admissions form. Henriques offered to pay the victim $400 for “some fun” and told her that he had pornographic videos and pictures for her. Henriques continued to contact the minor victim that night, refusing to tell her who he was or how he got her number. He told the victim that “porn” and “$” was ready for her. Henriques then sent the minor victim five pornographic videos depicting men and women engaged in sex acts and asked her whether or not she wanted to participate in a “gangbang” and whether or not she wanted to have sex with him. Despite the victim rejecting Henriques’s offer multiple times, Henrique continued to text her telling her to let him know if she changed her mind and that he would buy her anything she wanted. Between April 25, 2025 and April 28, 2025, Henriques accessed the minor’s profile 47 times. After the victim blocked his phone number, Henriques began soliciting the victim via email.
The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence of up to five 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Emmanuel College Campus Police and the Boston, Ware, Lunenburg, Agawam, Springfield, Ludlow and Easthampton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case.
If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact [email protected].
Folsom Man Indicted for Possessing a Firearm in a School Zone and Possessing a Firearm While Subject to a Restraining OrderRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Curt Michael Taras, 53, of Folsom, charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and possessing a firearm within a school zone, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 24, 2025, Taras was found to be in possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of the Folsom High School campus. Further investigation revealed that he possessed several firearms and ammunition in his vehicle and in his residence. Taras is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he is subject to a court order in Sacramento County Superior Court that restrains him from harassing, stalking, and threatening an intimate partner.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Folsom Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Ng are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Taras faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing a firearm within a school zone, and 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing a firearm while subject to a court order retraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Florida Woman Sentenced for Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida woman was sentenced on Oct. 15, 2025 in federal court in Boston for her involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems. Over the course of the investigation, approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine were seized at sea, in addition to 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized from shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia.
Dawnett McGee, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 21 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. On Dec. 12, 2024, McGee pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and three counts of laundering of monetary instruments.
McGee was among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy.
Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilos of cocaine seized at sea, 60 miles south of Jamaica, in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilos of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia in March 2019.
In or about October 2016, an investigation began into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.
Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the BMPE.
Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover and arrange meetings for the undercover and the undercover’s purported associates to collect bulk cash throughout the world. Individuals, such as McGee performed the role of money courier. McGee delivered bulk cash on two occasions in Florida. That cash was then deposited into the undercover bank account in Massachusetts, and then subsequently wired to accounts and repatriated back to drug traffickers in Colombia. Over the course of the conspiracy, McGee was responsible for the laundering of over $330,000 in drug proceeds.
McGee is the 15th defendant to be sentenced. All 20 defendants have been convicted either at trial or by pleading guilty.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe, and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Thousands of Counterfeit “Scotty Cameron” Golf Putter GripsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Glenn Thomas Berger (50, Lehigh Acres) has pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit golf putter grips. Berger faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to a $2 million fine. Berger has agreed to forfeit $170,570.45 in proceeds obtained from the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Berger, who owns and operates a company that manufactures and sells sporting goods, sold thousands of counterfeit “Scotty Cameron” branded golf putter grips utilizing an online selling platform. Berger then shipped the counterfeit products through the U.S. mail. From November 2020 through at least August 2024, Berger sold and shipped more than $170,000 worth of counterfeit goods.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection 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.
Five-Time Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Calvin Allen, 35, a five-time felon residing the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on October 15 to 36 months in prison for illegally carrying a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Allen pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Allen to serve three years of supervised release.
Allen, who is also awaiting trial in a 2021 homicide, has been jailed at the Central Detention Facility since Nov. 2021 for violating the terms of a previous supervised release for prisoner escape and assault with intent to commit robbery while armed.
On Nov. 9, 2021, a D.C. Superior Court Judge signed a warrant for Allen’s arrest in the June 2021 slaying of 28-year-old Delonte Johnson.
On Nov. 10, 2021, members of the U.S. Marshal’s Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located Allen using information obtained from his GPS ankle monitor, which he was wearing as a condition of his supervised release resulting from a previous conviction of illegal possession of a firearm.
The Task Force apprehended Allen as he was sitting in the driver’s seat of a white Ford Explorer near a Southeast apartment complex. During a pat down, a Task Force officer discovered a Glock 23 pistol with an extended magazine that Allen had secreted between two pairs of compression shorts.
This case is Allen’s sixth felony conviction and his second conviction for possessing a firearm in the District of Columbia. His previous convictions in the District of Columbia also include assault to commit robbery while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and inmate in possession of a weapon. He was also convicted in Maryland for armed carjacking.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago.
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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.
Five-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL –A resident of Robertsdale, Alabama, was sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment on October 31, 2025, for his second federal conviction for felon in possession of a firearm. Albert Emil Tillman, 46, pleaded guilty to his two new federal charges, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of Ammunition in July of 2025. According to court documents, Tillman had been previously convicted in state court for Robbery First Degree in 2000 and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance in 2009. Most recently, he was convicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in federal court in 2013.
Court documents show that Tillman was on supervised release from his prior federal convictions when his probation officer received information that Tillman was distributing methamphetamine in the Atmore, Alabama, area. Officers obtained a search warrant for Tillman’s motel room in Atmore and incriminating evidence was discovered in the room, including digital scales and smoking devices used to consume methamphetamine. The officers also discovered a shotgun and shotgun ammunition in the room. Tillman was arrested outside the room in his truck, where numerous additional rounds of shotgun and rifle ammunition were seized. Tillman was indicted for the two new counts, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of Ammunition, as a result of this investigation.
United States District Court Judge Kristi Dubose imposed a 28-month sentence in Tillman’s cases and ordered that the sentences run concurrently. The judge further ordered that Tillman serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of Tillman’s supervision, he will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse and will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the Judge ordered that Tillman pay $200 in special assessments. Judge Dubose also ordered the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition that Tillman illegally possessed.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County (Alabama) Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell 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).
Five Albuquerque Men Plead Guilty to Federal Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Five Albuquerque men have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a firearms and drug trafficking conspiracy that involved selling machine gun conversion devices and cocaine.
According to court records, between February 2024 and July 2024, Micah Maestas, 20, Dominic Ramirez, 22, Daniel Garcia, 19, Oscar Ruiz Salmeron, 20, and his brother, Jesus Ruiz Salmeron, 20, sold firearms equipped with machine gun conversion devices, commonly known as "Glock switches," along with cocaine. During the investigation, the defendants sold modified firearms and distributed controlled substances to an undercover law enforcement officer in multiple transactions.
Law enforcement linked firearms sold by the defendants to multiple shooting incidents in the Albuquerque area through ballistics evidence. Jesus Ruiz Salmeron was captured on video firing a fully automatic weapon near Albuquerque High School.
Maestas pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine, using firearms in drug trafficking crimes, trafficking firearms, dealing firearms without a license and using firearms in drug trafficking crimes and possession and transfer of a machinegun. Ramirez and Garcia pleaded guilty to dealing firearms without a license, distribution of cocaine and using a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. Oscar Ruiz Salmeron pleaded guilty to trafficking firearms. Jesus Ruiz Salmeron pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun.
Under the terms of their plea agreements, Maestas, Ramirez, and Garcia each face a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years. Oscar Ruiz Salmeron and Jesus Ruiz Salmeron faces up to 10 years imprisonment. Maestas is scheduled to be sentenced November 6, 2025. Sentencing hearings for the remaining defendants have not been scheduled.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Shawn Stallo, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Federal Pandemic Fraud Unemployment Benefits SchemeRead 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. – The final defendant charged in a 17-member conspiracy who defrauded the United States, committed program fraud and mail fraud in connection with a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits was sentenced October 14 in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
On October 9, 2025, Jason Dale Worley, 47, of Meadowview, Virginia, was sentenced to serve 12 months and 1 day in prison for filing a fraudulent claim for pandemic unemployment benefits. Worley was also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission in the amount of $9,698, which represents the total pandemic unemployment benefits for which he filed fraudulent claims or recertifications.
Earlier this year, Crystal Shaw was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy. Shaw, one of the lead organizers of this conspiracy, was sentenced to the statutory maximum term of imprisonment. She was also ordered to pay $287,459 in restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for her role in this conspiracy.
Previously sentenced as part of the conspiracy were 15 other co-defendants: Joseph Hass, 27 months; Brian Addair, 24 months; Russell Stiltner, 24 months; Daniel Horton, 21 months; Christopher Webb, 20 months; Cara Camille Bailey, 19 months; Jessica Lester, 19 months; Justin Meadows, 18 months; Terrence Vilacha, 18 months; and Clinton Michael Altizer, Stephanie Amber Barton, Jeramy Blake Farmer, and Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day. Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with recruiting others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution. Josef Brown, another incarcerated individual who recruited others to file fraudulent claims, was sentenced to 35 months in prison and was ordered to pay $119,660 in restitution.
In total, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief funds to which they were not entitled.
All defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for the fraudulent claims and fraudulent recertifications.
According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi and Abingdon, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General were charged with identifying major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. According to the United States Department of Labor, Virginia paid approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Ian Kaufman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, Syreeta Scott, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences.
Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Section Chief of the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Felon Sentenced to Prison for 41 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Domestic IncidentRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced in late October 2025 to serve 41 months in prison for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.
According to court documents, Marcus Leon Sanders Jr., has five prior felony convictions which prohibits him from possessing a firearm. On October 6, 2024, Mobile Police Department (MPD) responded to a domestic incident. Witnesses reporting hearing a loud dispute. Upon officers’ arrival, Sanders was slashing the tires of a truck belonging to an intimate partner. When he was taken into custody, a loaded pistol was found in his pocket.
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. Attorney Tandice H. 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).
Felon Sentenced to 33 Months for Possession of Pistol While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON– Cedric Carr, 34, a previous convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 33 months, on October 7, 2025, for his unlawful possession of a semiautomatic pistol while drinking in public and on supervised release for another felony firearms offense, announced U.S Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On Feb. 20, 2025, Carr pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 33-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Contreras ordered Carr to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Oct. 27, 2024, about 8:30 a.m., Carr was drinking from an open bottle of red wine outside of the entrance to the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. Two Metropolitan Police officers saw the wine bottle, approached Carr, and asked for identification. Officers took the bottle. Carr handed them a bank card, then turned his back to the officers. As Carr reached for his waistband, one of the officers grabbed Carr’s right hand, felt a hard object, and saw the handgrip of a pistol tucked in Carr’s waistband.
Officers cuffed Carr and recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P 40, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. The gun had been reported stolen by the Atlanta Police Department.
At the time of this offense, Carr was on supervised release for a 2018 conviction for using a firearm during a crime of violence. Carr was sentenced to 84 months in that case.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Michael L. Barclay.
Carr’s Smith and Wesson M&P 40, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol.
Police Body-Worn-Camera photo of Cedric Carr holding a wine bottle at the entrance to the Gallery Place - Chinatown Metro station on Oct. 27, 2024.
In a body-worn-camera photo, Cedric Carr turns away from a police officer and reaches for a Smith & Wesson pistol tucked in his waistband on Oct. 27, 2024, at the Gallery Place-Chinatown.
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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.
Felon Sentenced to 24 Months for Unlawful Possession of Pistol and Ammo Found in an Abandoned Crashed CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Demontra Harris , 31, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 24, 2025, to 24 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of a .40 caliber pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition that police discovered after he had abandoned a vehicle following a car crash, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On April 15, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 24-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Harris to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2024, at 10 p.m., officers were responding to an unrelated case when they saw a black Toyota RAV-4 run a red light. A nearby detective in another car witnessed the RAV-4 lose control and crash on the 1800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Harris, who was the sole occupant, abandoned the disabled vehicle.
At the scene of the crash, officers immediately spotted a Glock 22, .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine that had been left on the driver’s seat and a nearly empty open bottle of tequila. During a search of the vehicle officers found one shoe on the driver side. Officers also found a D.C. Driver’s License, a D.C. identification card, and a rental agreement that all had the name “Demontra Harris” on them.
Soon after the accident, an officer saw a man nearby wearing one shoe. The shoe matched the other half of the pair found in the crashed vehicle.
Police placed Harris under arrest and learned Harris had prior felony convictions for weapons counts. As a previously convicted felon, Harris is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Schneider and Rachel Craft.
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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.
Felon Sentenced to 15-Months Incarceration for Illegal Possession of a Loaded Glock 9mm PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Trevon Timothy Vines, 33, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Vines pleaded guilty June 6, 2025, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 15-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Vines to serve three years of supervised release.
This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
According to court documents, on March 15, 2025, about 12:45 a.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers were on the 1800 block of 7th Street NW when they observed a white Chevrolet make a U-turn over double yellow lines. Moments later, officers stopped the vehicle.
As officers approached the driver, they spotted an open bottle of tequila inside the car and noted the scent of alcohol. Officers ordered all the occupants out of the car include Vines, who was sitting in the front passenger’s seat holding a clear plastic cup containing yellow liquid.
While attempting to place Vines in handcuffs, an officer recovered a loaded Glock 43 9mm pistol from Vine’s front left pocket. Officers ran the serial number of the firearm and learned it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland.
Vines was previously convicted in 2016 of attempted robbery in DC Superior Court. He was convicted again in 2017 of armed robbery in Superior Court for which he was sentenced to 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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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.
Federal Jury finds Millington Man Guilty of Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On October 30, 2025, after a four-day trial, a federal jury found Michael Fruitticher, 37, of Millington, guilty of production and attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, between at least July 2011 and continuing through May 2014, Fruitticher video-recorded a child nude in the shower, photographed the child nude and in lingerie in sexually lascivious poses, and photographed himself raping the child. DNA results revealed Fruitticher’s and the child’s DNA on an item of lingerie worn by the child in one series of photographs. In May 2019, federal and state law enforcement officers investigating the case found devices containing the child sexual abuse material in Fruitticher's possession.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Violent crimes against children, including the production of materials depicting child rape and sexual abuse, are heinous violations of the rule of law. We are committed to removing child sex offenders from our community and to protecting our children from those who would do them harm.”
Sentencing is set for Wednesday, February 4, 2026, before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris. Fruitticher is facing a sentence of 15 to 40 years of imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative that marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.
The case was investigated by the Millington Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Delery and P. Neal Oldham, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Federal Jury Finds Tampa Man Guilty of Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Shane Valmont (45, Tampa) guilty of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Valmont faces a minimum prison term of 10 years, up to life. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, on December 27, 2022, Valmont sold approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Clearwater Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Muriel Moore.
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.
Federal Correctional Officer Indicted for Receipt of A Bribe by A Public OfficialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Karen Torres (50, St. Cloud) with one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official. If convicted, Torres faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also specifies that the United States will seek an order of forfeiture for $43,550—an amount representing the proceeds of the criminal offense.
According to the indictment, Torres was a public official employed by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer. She worked at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County. Between May 2022 and March 3, 2025, Torres received monetary payments in return for being influenced to smuggle contraband into the prison.
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 United States Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Farmington Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old child.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in February 2019, Daniel Washburn, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual act with a 14-year-old minor when he was 24 years old.
Washburn pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Washburn will be subject to ten 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Jesse Pecoraro and Mia Ulibarri-Rubin are prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Farmington Couple Sentenced for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man was sentenced to 46 months in prison, while his wife received probation for aiding and abetting in connection with a violent assault in 2023.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on July 28, 2023, during an argument, Renauldo Sandoval, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, slammed Jane Doe into a wall and strangled her, causing her to fall to the ground and lose consciousness. Lisa Sandoval, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, then pinned Jane Doe to the ground.
Upon his release from prison, Renauldo Sandoval will be subject to three years of supervised release. Lisa Sandoval received a sentence of five years of probation at sentencing.
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 Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Federal Jury Convicts Pensacola Man for Shooting at DEA Special AgentRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Austin James McCastler II, 36, was convicted by a federal jury on two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, attempted prevention of the government’s authority to take property during an authorized search and seizure, assault with a deadly weapon of a Special Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. John Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the verdict today.
US Attorney Heekin said: “This case exemplified the extreme dangers faced by the brave men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe from violent criminals. I am incredibly proud of the outstanding trial work by the talented prosecutors in my office that resulted in this successful verdict.”
Trial testimony and evidence revealed that, after undercover law enforcement purchased methamphetamine from McCastler’s Pensacola residence on two occasions, a search warrant was obtained to search for and seize illicit narcotics from his home. On March 7, 2025, law enforcement attempted to execute the lawful warrant. McCastler would not comply with orders to surrender to law enforcement, and he armed himself with his American Tactical Imports assault rifle. As law enforcement surrounded the residence, McCastler opened fire, including one shot intended for the DEA Special Agent. McCastler then fled from the residence, jumped in his vehicle, and a high-speed chase ensued. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was immediately on the tail of McCastler and eventually immobilized his vehicle in traffic. McCastler then tried to flee on foot, but law enforcement captured him. A search of his residence ultimately revealed the loaded assault rifle, a second firearm, dozens of rounds of ammunition, fentanyl, and marijuana, amongst other things.
McCastler is scheduled for sentencing on February 10, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. McCastler, who has more than five prior state felony convictions, faces up to life imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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 available 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.
Federal Jury Convicts Panama City Beach Man of Possessing Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jerry Thomas McCarigie, 49, of Panama City Beach, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly proud of this successful prosecution, which was made possible by the excellent investigative work of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office with the support of our federal law enforcement partners. Methamphetamine has been a scourge on our communities for far too long, but my office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting these crimes to deliver on the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the criminals who have flooded our streets with drugs and violence.”
Evidence and testimony admitted at trial established that on November 15, 2023, the Bay County Sheriff's Office’s Special Investigations Division conducted a drug trafficking investigation at a motel located in Panama City Beach. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s motel room. During the execution of the warrant, the defendant was detained and searched. Law enforcement located fentanyl, multiple baggies containing more than 48 grams of methamphetamine, and a digital scale in the defendant’s pockets.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. The defendant faces a minimum mandatory term of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment.
The verdict was the result of a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
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.
Española Man Pleads Guilty to String of Armed Robberies that Led to Shooting DeathRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Española man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a 2022 crime spree that left one person dead.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2022, Ricky Eddie Martinez, Jr., 34, robbed the Dandy Burger restaurant, taking over $100. The next day, Martinez robbed a Shell gas station and took $352. On August 11, 2022, Martinez robbed a Walgreens, firing his weapon toward liquor cabinets when the cashier could not open the register, then forcibly took the register and its contents.
On August 16, 2022, Martinez attempted to rob a Blake's Lotaburger, jumped over the counter, struggled with cashier John Doe 2, and shot and killed him. Martinez also struck John Doe 3, another employee and brother of John Doe 2, with his firearm and shot at him but missed. As a previously convicted felon, Martinez is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Martinez pleaded guilty to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and, as part of a global plea agreement with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, also agreed to plead guilty in state court to offenses related to the murder of John Doe 2 and other crimes against John Doe 3.
Additional robberies committed during the crime spree, including incidents at a Chevron Gas Station, 420 Emporia Smoke Shop, Chalupp's Pizza, Family Dollar, and Dollar General, were not charged federally but are being considered for restitution.
At sentencing, Martinez faces not less than 10 years and up to life in prison on the federal charges.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Española Police Department, Taos Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Brittany DuChaussee are prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
El Salvadoran National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An El Salvadoran national, unlawfully residing in Chelsea, was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2025 in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Juan Carlos Gil-Ochoa, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to a time served sentence (approximately five months). The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. In August 2025, Gil-Ochoa pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. In June 2025, Gil-Ochoa was indicted by a federal grand jury. He was arrested by immigration authorities on May 12, 2025.
Gil-Ochoa was deported from the United States to El Salvador on April 29, 2013. Sometime after his April 2013 removal, Gil-Ochoa illegally reentered the United States without permission. On May 12, 2025, he was arrested by immigration authorities in Chelsea.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith E. Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Education for Just Peace in the Middle East d/b/a US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Settles PPP Loan Case for $353,000Read the Press Release
FARGO: United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced the United States entered into a settlement agreement with Education for Just Peace in the Middle East doing business as US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (“EfJP”), a Washington, DC non-profit participating in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). EfJP paid the United States $353,000 to settle the case.
In March 2020, Congress created the CARES Act to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable PPP loans—known as First Draw and Second Draw loans—to small businesses, including certain non-profit organizations, struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. EfJP applied for, received, and obtained forgiveness for First Draw and Second Draw loans with a value of $308,905.28.
To receive a First Draw loan, an applicant had to certify eligibility for a loan under the rules in effect at the time. Among the rules in effect at the time of EfJP’s First Draw application was 13 CFR § 120.110(r) which provides that, “Businesses primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities” are ineligible for SBA loans. To apply for a Second Draw loan, an applicant had to certify eligibility, including that it was not “primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” 15 U.S.C. § 636(a)(37)(A)(iv)(III)(bb).
Under the settlement agreement, EfJP paid $353,000 to the United States to resolve a whistleblower lawsuit brought against EfJP by TZAC, Inc., a New York non-profit, pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. TZAC’s allegations included the claim that EfJP was ineligible to participate in the Second Draw loan. As a result of the investigation conducted by the United States, the parties reached a settlement whereby EfJP paid the United States an amount sufficient to (1) fully reimburse SBA for the principal, interest, and lender processing fees associated with the First Draw and Second Draw loans; (2) pay TZAC, Inc. its share of the recovery consistent with the False Claims Act; and, (3) cover certain expenses associated with the resolution of the case. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case and EfJP denies any wrongdoing.
The case is United States of America ex rel. TZAC, Inc. v. Education for Just Peace in [the] Middle East a/k/a United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights, U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota Case No. 1:22-cv-00137-DLH-CRH. The United States is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys James Patrick Thomas and Michael D. Schoepf of the District of North Dakota. US Attorney Chase commended SBA Office of Inspector General Special Agent Sandra E. Mazzoni and SBA Office of General Counsel Trial Attorney Kandace Zelaya for their assistance in the investigation and settlement of the matter. “Investigations like this one reflect collaboration of the Small Business Administration, including SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. When whistleblowers uncover potentially fraudulent conduct, we work to recover SBA funds improperly obtained,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
For more information about the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Ecuadorian woman pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ana Castro Castro, 38, a citizen and national of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. She was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in July 2021, Castro was physically removed from the United States. On August 1, 2025, she was found in in Erie County, NY, by Border Patrol Agents and did not have any documents allowing her to be legally present in the United States.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
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East Granby Woman Who Stole in $1.1 Million Pandemic Relief Program Scheme is SentencedRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KAREN GASTON, 45, of East Granby, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to three years of probation for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 million. During her probation, Gaston was ordered to serve four weekends of incarceration, 10 months in home detention, and 500 hours of community service.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. The CARES Act also authorized SBA to distribute Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietors, to meet operating expenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Gaston controlled certain entities including LNK, Elegant Clinical, Ruby Red LLC, and Diamond Shine LLC. LNK and Diamond Shine LLC were operational, but shared resources and employees. Ruby Red LLC had only one client and Gaston was its sole employee. Elegant Clinical was no longer operational. Beginning in approximately April 2020, Gaston submitted loan applications to the PPP and EIDL programs that falsely represented the status of the operations, resources, and employees of these entities. She also filed loan applications at separate financial institutions in order to disguise the true nature of her criminal activity.
Specifically, Gaston’s loan applications falsely represented that her businesses were all active and operating concerns; falsely represented the number of employees and the amount of wages purportedly paid by the businesses; included copies of fraudulent tax returns and tax related documents; and falsely represented that a family member, used as an applicant on an application, was a part owner of one of her entities. As least one loan application was submitted after Gaston was arrested for state offenses related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.
Gaston received $1,163,910 in PPP and EIDL loan funds through this scheme. Instead of using the funds for payroll or other operating expenses, she spent the money on personal expenditures, including, cares, travel, food, luxury home goods, expensive jewelry, and paying off her home mortgage.
Judge Russell ordered Gaston to pay full restitution. She also forfeited a ring she purchased in July 2020 from the jeweler Harry Winston for $39,521.63.
On June 12, 2025, Gaston pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making illegal monetary transactions.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Dorchester Man Charged with Robbery of Local BankRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester man has been arrested and charged in connection with the robbery of a local bank. The defendant has a prior federal conviction for bank robbery and state convictions for armed and unarmed robberies.
Joseph Wilcox, 58, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 23, 2025 on one count of bank robbery in relation to the robbery of Santander Bank in East Boston. Wilcox was initially arrested on a criminal complaint on Oct. 1, 2025. He remains detained in federal custody.
According to the charging documents, at approximately 11:40 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2025, a male, allegedly later identified as Wilcox, approached the bank teller, showed a note stating “give me all 20’s and stated “don’t **** with me.” It is alleged that after the teller stated that he did not have many $20 bills, the suspect told the teller to take the money out of the box and give it to him. The teller ultimately gave Wilcox cash totaling $4,150.
A subsequent investigation allegedly identified Wilcox depositing nine $100 bills into his own Santander account at another branch, with his face visible on surveillance. A query of Wilcox through the Registry of Motor Vehicles (“RMV”) revealed a photograph of an individual that resembled the suspect caught on surveillance and matched the description of the suspect provided by the victim teller.
According to court records, Wilcox has a prior federal conviction from 2015 for three counts of bank robbery; a 2010 state conviction for unarmed robbery; and 2004 state conviction for armed robbery.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, who unlawfully resided in Lawrence under a false name, was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2025 in federal court in Boston for conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances.
Eduardo Morales-Perez, a/k/a “Yenni Rafael Guerrero Aybar,” 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 27 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In September 2025, Morales-Perez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances.
In March 2018, law enforcement arranged an undercover cash pickup as part of a money laundering investigation. An individual arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location for the controlled purchase and provided $275,090 in cash to undercover law enforcement. That individual was driving a white Volvo registered to Morales-Perez’s girlfriend.
Following the transaction, the white Volvo was observed at a property in Peabody. Morales-Perez was observed exiting a truck with a can of acetone – a chemical commonly used in the illicit manufacturing process of fentanyl analogues – and carrying it into the Peabody residence. A subsequent search of the Peabody property in May 2018 resulted in the recovery of one kilo pill press; drug distribution paraphernalia; over 2.8 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues; over five kilograms of ANPP (a controlled substance that is frequently used in the manufacturing process of fentanyl); and $130,000. The drugs and cash were located in a hidden compartment above a light fixture.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Medford, Peabody and Ipswich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.Dominican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Unlawful Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, unlawfully residing in Chelsea Mass., was sentenced on Sept. 30, 2025 in federal court in Boston for selling five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent after unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Luis Alberto German-Peguero, a/k/a “Alberto Chirry,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025, German-Peguero pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl,and one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
German-Peguero is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and, in November 2020, was removed from the United States following a state drug trafficking conviction in Plymouth Superior Court, for which he served more than one year in prison.Sometime after his removal, German-Peguero unlawfully reentered the United States. On March 22, 2023, German-Peguero sold five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent in Peabody. German-Peguero was subsequently arrested in Newton on April 14, 2023 and determined to be unlawfully present in the United States.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted 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.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2025 to trafficking thousands of fentanyl pills.
Waner Bernabel Presinal, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2026. In September 2024, Bernabel Presinal was charged with three co-conspirators.
On April 12, 2024, an undercover agent allegedly ordered 2,000 pressed fentanyl pills and a sample of methamphetamine from Andujar Echavarria for $4,000. It is alleged that Bernabel Presinal delivered the fentanyl pills and methamphetamine to Andujar Echavarria at his home in Dorchester. Andujar Echavarria then proceeded to Medford where he delivered the fentanyl pills and sample of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. It was later confirmed that the bags Andujar Echavarria handed the undercover allegedly contained 222 grams of fentanyl and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine.
In May 2025, Guerro Soto was sentenced to 30 months in prison and six years of supervised release. Andujar Echavarria has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl carry a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison; at least four years of supervised release; and a fine of up to $5 million. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of an imposed sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Sentenced to Nearly 29 Years for Two Murders Committed One Month Apart in 2020Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Mason, 21, was sentenced October 31, 2025, to 28 years and eight months in prison in connection with the shooting death of Brea Moon in April 2020 in Southeast Washington and the shooting death of Antwuan Roach in May 2020 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Mason pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder while armed on October 31, 2025.
With respect to the April 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, Mason was riding in a stolen white vehicle that pulled into the BP gas station located at 4101 Alabama Avenue SE shortly before 10:30 p.m. on April 7, 2020. Minutes later, a gray sedan pulled into that same gas station with the victim, Brea Moon, in the front passenger seat. When the gray sedan left the gas station, the white vehicle followed. Shortly thereafter, the white vehicle pulled up beside the gray sedan and the defendant fired multiple gunshots at the gray sedan, including one that struck the victim and killed her.
With respect to the May 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, on May 22, 2020, defendant Mason learned of Mr. Roach’s location and tracked him to the unit block of Anacostia Road NE shortly before 5:00 p.m. After locating Mr. Roach, the defendant’s vehicle pulled into an alley behind the 3800 block of East Capitol Street NE. As Mr. Roach stepped into the alley, the defendant fired at him and killed him.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Julia Cosans, Sarah Folse, Yasmin Emrani, and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy.
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.
District Man Sentenced to 28 Years of Incarceration for Killing Innocent Bystander and Torching Getaway Vehicle ThereafterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kylee Palmer, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on November 7, 2025, to 336 months in prison for the 2020 murder of Barron Goodwin in Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Palmer was found guilty by a jury on September 11, 2024, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, felony destruction of property, and tampering with evidence.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 11, 2020, Palmer got into an argument with an ex-girlfriend and stole her cell phone. After exchanging calls with the ex-girlfriend’s brother in the early hours of February 12, 2020, at approximately 11:01 a.m., Palmer drove a stolen black Nissan Altima, with another individual inside, past 843 51st Street Southeast, where they fired six bullets into the ex-girlfriend’s family home. One of those shots broke through a living room window and struck Barron Goodwin, a 60-year-old innocent bystander, in the head as he slept on a couch in the living room. About an hour later, after Palmer fled the scene, he burned the vehicle used in the shooting in an alley near the 800 block of Chesapeake Street Southeast.
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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Charlie Bruce, Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams, and Victim/Witness Coordinators Maenylie Watson and Katina Adams-Washington.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Christopher Carson, Lisa Lindhorst, and Julia Cosans, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
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.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Pornography and Sexually Abusing a Young GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Hilton, 40, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 24, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 25 years in federal prison in connection with producing child pornography and sexually abusing a young girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hilton pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, before Judge Ana C. Reyes to a criminal Information charging him with one count of coercion and enticement of a child and one count of first degree sexual abuse of a child with aggravating cirmcumstances.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Reyes ordered Hilton to serve 15 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On November 21, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received three separate tips regarding possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM). The reports referenced more than 1,000 files of child pornography stored on a server connected with accounts linked to Hilton. About 20 of the CSAM files appeared to have been homemade. The tipster provided Hilton’s name, phone number, email address and mailing address to the NCMEC.
On Nov. 26, 2024, law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Hilton, as well as a warrant to search his residence in Northeast. Officers recovered numerous digital devices from the residence.
In an interview with investigators, Hilton initially claimed his accounts had been hacked. Investigators confronted Hilton with a specific video showing the sexual abuse of a minor victim. Hilton then admitted to having made it.
Investigators recovered text messages from Hilton’s devices. The texts indicated that Hilton blackmailed the minor victim. In them, Hilton coerced the victim to engage in sexual activity by threatening to share embarrassing information about her. Hilton eventually produced photos and videos of himself sexual abusing the minor victim.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard S. Kelley and Jocelyn Bond.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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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.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child Pornography and Sexually Abusing a Young GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Hilton, 40, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 7, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 25 years in federal prison in connection with producing child pornography and sexually abusing a young girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hilton pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, before Judge Ana C. Reyes to a criminal Information charging him with one count of coercion and enticement of a child and one count of first degree sexual abuse of a child with aggravating cirmcumstances.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Reyes ordered Hilton to serve 15 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On November 21, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received three separate tips regarding possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM). The reports referenced more than 1,000 files of child pornography stored on a server connected with accounts linked to Hilton. About 20 of the CSAM files appeared to have been homemade. The tipster provided Hilton’s name, phone number, email address and mailing address to the NCMEC.
On Nov. 26, 2024, law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Hilton, as well as a warrant to search his residence in Northeast. Officers recovered numerous digital devices from the residence.
In an interview with investigators, Hilton initially claimed his accounts had been hacked. Investigators confronted Hilton with a specific video showing the sexual abuse of a minor victim. Hilton then admitted to having made it.
Investigators recovered text messages from Hilton’s devices. The texts indicated that Hilton blackmailed the minor victim. In them, Hilton coerced the victim to engage in sexual activity by threatening to share embarrassing information about her. Hilton eventually produced photos and videos of himself sexual abusing the minor victim.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard S. Kelley and Jocelyn Bond.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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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.
District Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Killing a Disabled Elderly Man in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Terry Thompson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 24 years of incarceration on October 31, 2025, for shooting a disabled elderly man in a 7-Eleven parking lot in Southwest Washington D.C. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Thompson pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed on April 4, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. On October 31, the Honorable Rainey Brandt sentenced Thompson to 24 years for murdering the victim, Christopher Callahan, 64.
According to court documents, at 4:15 p.m., on May 15, 2023, the defendant emerged from a group of a men hanging out in the 7-Eleven parking lot, located at 3900 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Southwest. Thompson approached Mr. Callahan, who was sitting on his walker next to his car. The defendant had a rifle concealed in a duffle bag, and he began pointing it in Mr. Callahan’s face. Mr. Callahan feebly rose from his walker and attempted to swat the rifle away. The defendant then stepped back and fired a single round into Mr. Callahan’s neck, killing him instantly. Thompson then slowly walked off as onlookers stood by in shock. As people started to disperse from the area, the defendant walked back over to Mr. Callahan’s lifeless body, pointed the rifle at him, but then slowly walked off again without pulling the trigger a second time.
The next day, the defendant was arrested in the same location wearing the same shoes that still had the victim’s blood on them.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hall, supported by Paralegal Specialist Lisa Speight, and Victim Assistant Latrice Washington-Williams.
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.
District Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing a RelativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 23-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced October 24, 2025, to a 17-year prison term for sexually abusing his grandmother, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon 17-year prison term. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. The Court ordered a lifetime period of supervised release to follow his prison term, and the man will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 28, 2023, the defendant entered the victim’s bedroom, carrying a knife. The defendant dragged the victim to his bedroom, where he held her against her will for several hours. During that time, he subjected her to numerous acts of physical and sexual abuse.
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 and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Crocetti and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Houck, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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.
Diagnostic Laboratory Agrees to Pay More Than $9 Million to Settle Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Patients Choice Laboratories (PCL), a diagnostic laboratory headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, agreed to pay the United States $9,620,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, and Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced the settlement with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge, HHS-OIG – Chicago Regional Office.
The government alleges that PCL knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for respiratory pathogen panels (RPPs) that were either medically unnecessary or obtained through kickbacks. PCL also paid commissions to independent sales representatives and marketing firms (1099 representatives) based on the volume or value of referrals.
Specifically, the United States alleges that on November 20, 2020, PCL entered into a Marketing Services Agreement (MSA) with a purported infection prevention company (the Company). Through the MSA, PCL agreed to pay $5,000 per month in exchange for “marketing and management services” in long-term care facilities. In reality, according to the United States, the MSA served as a pretext for paying the company for laboratory test referrals, which PCL then billed to Medicare.
Additionally, the United States alleges that PCL paid the Company to perform services in long-term care facilities, including specimen collection for infectious disease testing. The Company swabbed residents for COVID-19, and PCL used the same specimens to conduct and bill Medicare for medically unnecessary RPPs. In some cases, PCL billed for RPPs without performing any COVID-19 tests at all.
Between December 1, 2020, and May 11, 2022, PCL paid the company approximately $1.86 million in exchange for RPP referrals. During this time, PCL billed Medicare for thousands of RPPs conducted at 43 long-term care facilities nationwide, receiving more than $6 million in reimbursement.
Additionally, from January 1 to March 31, 2021, PCL contracted with 1099 representatives to promote its laboratory tests to health care providers. The United States alleges that these individuals were not bona fide employees. PCL paid them a percentage of the revenue generated from testing they facilitated. The representatives helped arrange referrals and orders for tests billed to Medicare in violation of the AKS. PCL’s commission payments to these representatives totaled at least $372,000.
“Providing impermissible compensation to induce patient referrals that then lead to medically unnecessary diagnostic tests is simply unacceptable,” Hayes said. “We’re committed to taking the necessary actions to protect patients and taxpayer-funded government health programs.”
“Kickback arrangements that drive unnecessary testing waste taxpayer dollars and undermine the integrity of our healthcare system,” Wheeler said. “This settlement reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to profit at the expense of federal healthcare programs and the patients they serve.”
“Entities who submit false Medicare claims destroy public trust in federal health care programs and divert taxpayer-funded resources away from vulnerable citizens who truly need them,” Dixon said. “We are unwavering in our dedication to safeguarding the integrity of the Medicare trust fund and the services provided to enrollees.”
“Wasteful spending fueled by kickback arrangements undermines the public’s confidence in our health care system and depletes valuable resources that should be used to improve patient care,” Pinto said. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to identify and investigate alleged violations of federal law.”
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tarra DeShields, District of Maryland, and Adriana Figueroa, Southern District of Indiana; and Trial Attorneys Kelly McAuliffe and Asha Natarajan, DOJ Civil Division – Fraud Section, who jointly handled this case.
The United States’ settlement in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Detroit Man Sentenced After Meticulously Plotting and Secretly Sending Cryptocurrency to Help ISISRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Jibreel Pratt, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 9 years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing cryptocurrency donations he intended to make to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.
According to court records, in February 2023, Pratt initiated a conversation with a Confidential Human Source (CHS) who Pratt believed was an ISIS member who could facilitate overseas travel to join ISIS. Over the next several months, Pratt communicated his desire to travel overseas to join ISIS and recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS’s leader. Pratt also provided ideas, information, documents and handwritten notes on a variety of subjects, including how ISIS could use drones and remote-controlled cars to deliver explosives, how ISIS could organize intelligence operations, and how ISIS could improve its air defense systems. And, in March and May 2023, Pratt sent cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) to the CHS, intending that the money would be used to help pay for the travel of other individuals who were purportedly traveling to join ISIS and/or to help fund an individual who Pratt believed would commit an act of violence in support of ISIS. Pratt concealed the nature and source of his Bitcoin transfers by using a privacy focused VPN and an app that encrypted private keys and transaction data.
“Over these last years, our office has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the FBI to protect Americans from hardened ISIS supporters in our midst. Mr. Pratt is the latest traitor who—in his own words—operated ‘in the shadows.’ And we will continue to stand guard because he may not be the last,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Today’s sentencing of Jibreel Pratt is a testament to the hard work of FBI Detroit’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in keeping Michigan safe from homegrown violent extremists,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “It should send a strong message to anyone seeking to support foreign terrorist organizations, via financial means or otherwise, that the FBI will not stand idly by and allow this activity to occur within the United States. FBI Detroit remains committed to protecting the American people and will work relentlessly to disrupt any plot that threatens the security of our nation.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Salzenstein and Jennifer Burke, Trial Attorney, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
DC Man Found Guilty in Armed Robberies of Three Businesses in Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Thomas Moore 34, of the District of Columbia, was found guilty on November 6 following a bench trial in U.S. District Court in connection with the three armed robberies, including a U.S. Post Office, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Judge Amit P. Mehta found Moore guilty of two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery) and one count of armed postal robbery. Each count of Hobbs Act robbery carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Armed postal robbery carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Judge Mehta scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2026.
According to the government’s evidence, Moore committed three armed robberies over a 30 day period in October and November 2022. Specifically, Moore entered a McDonalds, a 7-Eleven, and a U.S. Post Office while masked and armed with an imitation firearm. Each time, Moore held store employees at gunpoint and demanded money from the cash register. Store employees testified at trial that they feared for their lives—each believing that Moore possessed an actual firearm and was prepared to shoot them.
Moore was arrested on Nov. 28, 2022, following a robbery of a CVS store in Arlington, Virginia. When Moore was arrested, he possessed clothing and items that tied him to earlier robberies. A subsequent residential search recovered additional distinct clothing worn by Moore during the robberies. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service also determined that Moore left a fingerprint inside the cash register drawer during the postal robbery.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caelainn Carney, Jared English, and Jason B.A. McCullough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin. The case was investigated and indicted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney.
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Crownpoint Man Pleads Guilty to Fatal DUI CrashRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint man pleaded guilty to federal charges after a fatal crash involving alcohol and prescription opioids.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Joey Martin, 55, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving on State Highway 371 in Crownpoint, New Mexico, when he swerved to avoid a semitruck and lost control. His passenger was killed in the crash. After the crash, Martin admitted to taking opioid pain medication an hour or two prior.
Martin pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. At sentencing, Martin is subject to a sentence of up to eight years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Martin will be subject to up to three years to life of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pahl is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Court Sentences Man to 22 Year Prison Term for Broad Daylight Killing of a Man Outside a Northeast DC Gas StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damon McQuarters, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced October 24, 2025, to 22 years in prison for the August 2024 shooting murder of Michael Simpson, on the sidewalk in front of a gas station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On May 30, 2025, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In sentencing McQuarters, the Honorable Danya Dayson accepted the agreed-to sentencing range of 21 to 25 years and sentenced the defendant to 22 years of in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:35 p.m., on August 24, 2024, McQuarters approached Mr. Simpson, who was sitting in a tree box in front of the Citgo gas station, located at 3820 Minnesota Ave. NE, Washington, socializing with friends. McQuarters retrieved a handgun from his shorts pocket and shot Mr. Simpson a single time in the head. The defendant placed the handgun back into his front right shorts pocket and walked away. Mr. Simpson was transported from the scene of the shooting to an area hospital where he died the following day.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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.
Court Sentences Ecuadorian Drug Smuggler Caught on the High Seas with Approximately 1,092 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
On October 22, 2025, United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Walter Alejandro Hedrera, an Ecuadorian national, to 108 months’ imprisonment for smuggling 1,092 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean following his prior guilty plea on the charges.
Court documents show that on September 24, 2024, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO located a drug smuggling vessel operating in international waters, approximately 160 nautical miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. The vessel displayed no indicia of nationality, was operating northbound at a high rate of speed in a known drug trafficking area with visible suspect packages on deck. The U.S.C.G. helicopter fired warning shots which were ineffective in stopping the vessel. The helicopter then used disabling fire and shot out the engines to stop the smuggling boat. The MUNRO helicopter then observed and recorded video of the drugs smugglers jettisoning packages in the ocean while the boat was disabled.
During a later boarding of the vessel, U.S.C.G. personnel recovered 24 bales from the water surrounding the vessel which yielded an at-sea weight of approximately 1,092 kilograms of cocaine.
Herera and four other smugglers were taken into custody and brought to the United States for prosecution under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. The vessel was deemed a danger to navigation due to no suitable tow points and its distance from land. Consequently, the vessel was sunk upon completion of law enforcement activities.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney George F. May 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).
Convicted felon gets 15-year maximum sentence after pointing gun at law enforcement officerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Robstown resident has been sentenced to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Guadalupe Calderon III pleaded guilty July 31.
U.S. District Judge Davis S. Morales has now ordered Calderon to serve 180 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing, the court saw footage of Calderon pointing and attempting to fire a handgun at a local sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he would have sentenced Calderon to a higher sentence, but the statutory maximum penalty was 180 months.
On July 26, 2024, law enforcement had conducted a traffic stop on Calderon’s truck. When asked for his license and insurance, he pointed a Ruger pistol at the officer’s face and pulled the trigger. When the gun did not fire, Calderon fled the scene in his truck.
Authorities located him approximately six hours later riding in another vehicle. A search resulted in the discovery of the firearm in the back seat where he had been sitting along with over 30 rounds of ammunition and a high-capacity drum magazine.
Calderon admitted the gun was his and that he had pointed it at the officer earlier that day.
He has multiple prior felony convictions. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.
Calderon has been and will remain in custody.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Nueces County Sheriff’s Department and Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vankese Russell, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for his illegal possession of a pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Russell pleaded guilty on July 21 before Judge Carl J. Nichols to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Russell to serve three years of supervised release.
The prosecution was part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Joining in the annoucement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on Jan. 28, 2025, about 6:37 p.m., MPD officers were patrolling Chinatown on foot when they observed a cloud of smoke coming from behind a bus stop on the 600 block of H Street NW. They smelled burning marijuana and walked toward the bus stop, where numerous pedestrians were present.
The officers observed Russell holding a hand-rolled cigarette. As the officers approached, Russell attempted to extinguish the cigarette and dropped it to the ground. Officers cuffed Russell and told him he was under arrest. The officers searched Russell and recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson SW40VE from his waistband.
Russell previously pleaded guilty in 2017 to first degree attempted child sex abuse in D.C. Superior Court, was sentenced to four years in prison, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case was investigated by the MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Tobacco, Washington Field Division. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.
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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.
Convicted Felon with a Glock Sentenced to 46 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daron Keith Brown, 30, a previously convicted felon who resides in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 46 months in federal prison in connection with his possession of a loaded semiautomatic pistol that had been modified to fire as a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Brown pleaded guilty on March 25 before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich.to being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the 46-month prison term, Judge Friedrich ordered Brown to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on Jan. 10, 2024, members of the MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were on patrol on the 700 block of Florida Ave. NW when they saw a silver VW stopped on a crosswalk and impeding traffic. Officers attempted a vehicle stop, but the VW fled. The VW subsequently was seen on the 900 block of R Street, NW. Officers again attempted a traffic stop, however, this time the driver, later identified as Robert Williams, exited the car and fled on foot. As officers followed Williams, another officer stayed with the VW and ordered the front seat passenger, Daron Brown, to get out of the car.
As the officer approached, he spotted a gun on the front driver’s seat. Brown exited the vehicle and had a blue coat in his lap. As Brown was pulled out of the vehicle he put the coat back onto the seat. Once outside the vehicle Brown attempted to run but was eventually restrained. Another investigator searched the vehicle and located a second gun, a Glock 21, .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm with a converter switch, under the blue coat on the front passenger seat where Brown had been sitting.
The Glock was found under a blue coat where Brown had been sitting.
Brown was on supervised release for a 2021 firearms offense in 2021. Brown pleaded guilty in July 2022 and served 36-months. He also has previous convictions for assault with a dangerous weapon offense committed while on release and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the ATF. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Shehzad Akhtar and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Haley Pennington.
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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.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 37 Months for Unlawful Possession of a 9mm PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Davon Benson, 32, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today, October 31, in U.S. District Court to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a 9mm firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Benson pleaded guilty July 1, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to an indictment charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 37-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Benson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2025, about 1:45 a.m., Metropolitan Police officers were on patrol in the U Street Corridor when they spotted Benson holding a red Solo cup in his hand. As officers parked and exited their cruiser, Benson noticed their approach and tossed the cup to the ground. He walked away and then took headlong flight.
Benson ran into the alleys off the 200 block of Vermont Ave, NW. While running, he withdrew a large firearm from his waistband and threw it over a fence in the 900 block of U Street, NW. Police eventually caught and detained him.
Investigators recovered Benson’s Cobray M-11 9mm pistol and 28 rounds of ammunition. Benson was previously convicted in Superior Court for a 2016 charge of Aggravated Assault and Carrying a Pistol Without a License. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison and, as a convicted felon, forbidden from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Strong.
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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.
Colombian National Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for Participation in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man was sentenced on Oct. 28, 2025 in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems.
Oscar Rodriguez-Camargo, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 87 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In March 2025, Rodriguez-Camargo pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and 18 counts of money laundering.
Rodriguez-Camargo was among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy. Rodriguez-Camargo is the 16th defendant to be sentenced. All 20 defendants have been convicted either at trial or by pleading guilty.
Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine seized at sea 60 miles south of Jamaica in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia in March 2019.
In or about October 2016, an investigation began into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.
Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the BMPE.
Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover and arrange meetings for the undercover and the undercover’s purported associates to collect bulk cash throughout the world. Members of the money laundering organization would then direct where the money was to be sent, and facilitators, such as Rodriguez-Camargo, would facilitate the payout of the laundered proceeds in Colombia for the benefit of the drug suppliers. Over the course of the conspiracy, Rodriguez-Camargo was personally responsible for the laundering of over $2.4 million in drug proceeds.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe, and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – William Charles Jones, 34, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for his involvement in the distribution of cocaine in Idaho, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, Jones was a high-volume cocaine distributor in the treasure valley. He would travel to Missouri to purchase kilos of cocaine, ship the cocaine to himself at a residence in Idaho, and then distribute the cocaine into the community through several mid-level distributors. On one occasion, Jones traveled to Canada, purchased two kilos of cocaine, and shipped it to himself in Idaho. Through the efforts of Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration, that shipment was seized at the U.S./Canadian border.
After his indictment, investigators executed a federal search warrant at his residence and located a workstation in his garage consisting of a scale, packaging material, and a heat sealer. Investigators also found one and a half kilos of cocaine in brick form, an additional five one-ounce bundles of cocaine, several psilocybin mushrooms bars, and sixteen unlawfully possessed firearms strategically placed throughout the residence to afford him quick access to a firearm in the event he needed to protect his drugs or illicit proceeds.
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Jones to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, which led to the charges and arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.
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