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3 November 2025
Four individuals charged in COVID-19 loan fraud schemeRead the Press Release
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.
HOUSTON – A 13-count indictment has now been unsealed alleging a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and Paycheck Protection Program-affiliated lenders during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Decarla Conner, 42, Bastrop, Louisiana, has now made her initial appearance in federal court. Previously arrested were Randy Delrosario, 55, Katy, and Darrell Foster, 58, League City, while Enjoli Jeffrey, 44, Pearland, had surrendered to authorities.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment Sept. 24, charging all four individuals with conspiring to commit wire fraud. According to the indictment, they had devised a scheme to submit fraudulent PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program loan applications to the SBA and banks authorized to approve and fund PPP loans. They allegedly submitted false tax documents, including fake business tax returns, to support the loan applications.
Delrosario, Conner and Jeffrey are also charged with money laundering offenses. The conspirators are alleged to have used fraudulent loan proceeds to make large cash withdrawals and to pay for non-business expenses such as house payments, mortgage payments, personal travel, vehicles and jewelry. Some of the money was also used to pay kickbacks to another person for submitting the fraudulent loan applications, according to the indictment.
If convicted, each faces up to 20 years imprisonment for conspiracy and wire fraud as well as a $250,000 maximum possible fine. For his money laundering counts, Delrosario faces up to 10 and 20 years, while Conner and Jeffrey could receive up to 10 years for their counts. Convictions of money laundering also carry as a possible penalty either a $250,000 or $500,000 fine or twice the amount of property involved in the transaction.
Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General,
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Small Business Administration – OIG and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – OIG conducted the investigation with the assistance of Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct One, League City Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Shirin Hakimzadeh are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Final man sentenced in million-dollar stolen mail credit card fraud schemeRead the Press Release
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.
HOUSTON – The final person in a large-scale mail theft and credit card fraud scheme has been ordered to prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Bradley Kane Zarco, 39, of Houston, pleaded guilty April 28.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now imposed a 60-month-term of imprisonment for Zarco. He must also serve three years of supervised release following his sentence. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Hanen noted Zarco’s extensive criminal history involving violent offenses and identity theft.
Zarco admitted to obtaining stolen U.S. mail containing new credit cards and bank statements for intended account holders. They called financial institutions to activate the stolen credit cards, increased credit limits and changed information. The stolen credit cards were used to purchase goods, services, gift cards, cash and merchandise at retail stores.
Over a six-month period, they fraudulently activated at least 120 stolen credit cards and caused approximately $1 million in losses to Chase Bank.
Four others had also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges – Dennis Christopher McGee, 45, and Daniel Sanchez, 37, Travis Castaneda Qawasmeh, 28, all of Houston, and Nigerian citizen Omokehinde Muyiwa Oyegoke-Tewogbade, 64, who illegally resided in Houston.
McGee, the leader in the conspiracy, was previously ordered to serve 72 months in prison. Sanchez received a sentence of 41 months, and Qawasmeh and Oyegoke-Tewogbade received sentences of 24 months each. All were ordered to pay $839,555.75 in restitution to Chase Bank.
Zarco will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden prosecuted the case.
Federal Grand Jury returns Second Superseding Indictment against Memphis GynecologistRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee returned a second superseding indictment charging Sanjeev Kumar, 44, with crimes related to his performance of medically unnecessary gynecologic procedures with medical devices he held under unsanitary conditions and reused on patients, when he was required to dispose of or properly reprocess those devices. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the second superseding indictment today.
According to the second superseding indictment, Kumar also billed Medicare and Medicaid as if the procedures were medically necessary, and as if he had used a new or properly reprocessed device for each procedure. The second superseding indictment alleges that Kumar engaged in this conduct from September 2019 to April 2024.
Kumar was originally indicted in February 2025, and then in June 2025 in a superseding indictment. In each of Counts 5-9, 12-13, 16-18, 21-22, and 25 of the superseding indictment, the government charged Kumar with adulteration or misbranding of one device type during a period of time. Kumar filed a motion to dismiss these 13 counts, arguing that they improperly combined multiple instances of conduct occurring over multiple months or years, even though the statute under which he is charged, 21 U.S.C. § 331(k), prohibits only single acts of conduct.
On October 17, 2025, Chief U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman dismissed these counts from the superseding indictment, holding that an adulteration and misbranding charge must consist of an individual, distinct act, and it cannot sweep up thousands of acts of adulteration and misbranding incidents over a continuous course of conduct. Judge Lipman also noted that the government has discretion to present to the jury the thousands of acts of adulterating and misbranding that it has alleged; but it must do so through properly charged counts.
The second superseding indictment returned charges Kumar with 27 additional counts of adulteration and misbranding of medical devices. Each of these counts alleges a single, discrete act of adulteration or misbranding, in compliance with the Court’s October 17, 2025 order.
The trial in this case is scheduled for December 1, 2025.
The case is being investigated by the United States Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum, Scott Smith, and Sarah Pazar Williams are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The charges and allegations contained in the second superseding indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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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.
Alabama Men Convicted of Sex Trafficking Multiple Women and GirlsRead the Press Release
Defendants’ Extensive Sex Trafficking Enterprise Used Physical and Sexual Violence, Addictive Drugs, and Threats Against Victims’ Children to Coerce and Control Victims for Defendants’ Profit
WASHINGTON – Following a 4-day trial, a federal jury in the Middle District of Alabama convicted Kimani Jones, 32, also known as “Statik,” of Montgomery, Alabama, and Tremayne Lambert, 50, also known as “Bayrock,” of Montgomery, Alabama, on multiple charges of sex trafficking several victims. Specifically, the jury found that Jones compelled seven victims, including two minors, to commit commercial sex acts between August 2016 and November 2020. The jury also found that Jones transported and caused to be transported two victims, including one minor, across state lines for prostitution purposes. The jury found Lambert guilty of sex trafficking one victim between August 2017 and February 2018 and two other victims between July 2019 and November 2020. Three additional co-defendants previously pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the sex trafficking enterprise.
“The defendants targeted vulnerable women and girls before using physical and sexual violence, along with threats of violence against them and others, to create a climate of fear that terrified the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and enforcing the federal human trafficking laws, and this prosecution is a testament to the courageous young women who detailed the coercive scheme these defendants perpetrated for years on scores of women and girls.”
“These defendants exploited the vulnerabilities of women and young girls for their own profit, showing complete disregard for human dignity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Every victim deserves justice, and we will continue our efforts to ensure that those who prey on others are held accountable for their crimes.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Jones organized and led an extensive commercial sex operation. Jones rented hotel rooms where commercial sex acts occurred; provided food, clothing, and drugs to the victims; constructed advertisements for commercial sex that he then posted online to solicit customers; communicated with potential customers regarding the sex acts and prices involved for them; dictated in which cities the victims would live and engage in commercial sex acts, and set rules that he required the victims to follow, which included, for example, the minimal amount of money that they needed to earn per day. Jones did not have a lawful job during the years he ran his sex trafficking operation but instead subsisted off the earnings of the victims. Jones frequently flaunted the money that he made from the victims on social media.
The evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Jones used extensive violence against the victims and others in the victims’ presence. For instance, Jones grabbed one victim, who was a minor at the time, by the throat and dragged her for moving too slowly. Jones routinely struck women in the face, knocking out one victim’s teeth, breaking another’s jaw, and striking one so hard she urinated on herself. Jones also sexually assaulted the victims to assert his dominance and control over them, and threatened to hurt them and, in some instances, their family members, telling one victim that her son would not be able to play sports if his legs were broken. Jones, who has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, also intimidated the victims by possessing, brandishing, and shooting firearms within the victims’ presence. He further manipulated the victims’ withdrawal from drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, to compel their continued commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.
Co-defendant Lambert, the biological father of Jones and who also has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, facilitated his son’s coercive scheme by serving as a monitor of the victims and rule enforcer. Three other co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with this case. Joseph Keon Bowe, 39, and Daryle Gardner, 32, each pleaded guilty to sex trafficking while Aleccia Scott, 29, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony.
Both defendants face a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DHS-HSI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, WASHINGTON – Following a 4-day trial, a federal jury in the Middle District of Alabama convicted Kimani Jones, 32, also known as “Statik,” of Montgomery, Alabama, and Tremayne Lambert, 50, also known as “Bayrock,” of Montgomery, Alabama, on multiple charges of sex trafficking several victims. Specifically, the jury found that Jones compelled seven victims, including two minors, to commit commercial sex acts between August 2016 and November 2020. The jury also found that Jones transported and caused to be transported two victims, including one minor, across state lines for prostitution purposes. The jury found Lambert guilty of sex trafficking one victim between August 2017 and February 2018 and two other victims between July 2019 and November 2020. Three additional co-defendants previously pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the sex trafficking enterprise.
“The defendants targeted vulnerable women and girls before using physical and sexual violence, along with threats of violence against them and others, to create a climate of fear that terrified the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and enforcing the federal human trafficking laws, and this prosecution is a testament to the courageous young women who detailed the coercive scheme these defendants perpetrated for years on scores of women and girls.”
“These defendants exploited the vulnerabilities of women and young girls for their own profit, showing complete disregard for human dignity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Every victim deserves justice, and we will continue our efforts to ensure that those who prey on others are held accountable for their crimes.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Jones organized and led an extensive commercial sex operation. Jones rented hotel rooms where commercial sex acts occurred; provided food, clothing, and drugs to the victims; constructed advertisements for commercial sex that he then posted online to solicit customers; communicated with potential customers regarding the sex acts and prices involved for them; dictated in which cities the victims would live and engage in commercial sex acts, and set rules that he required the victims to follow, which included, for example, the minimal amount of money that they needed to earn per day. Jones did not have a lawful job during the years he ran his sex trafficking operation but instead subsisted off the earnings of the victims. Jones frequently flaunted the money that he made from the victims on social media.
The evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Jones used extensive violence against the victims and others in the victims’ presence. For instance, Jones grabbed one victim, who was a minor at the time, by the throat and dragged her for moving too slowly. Jones routinely struck women in the face, knocking out one victim’s teeth, breaking another’s jaw, and striking one so hard she urinated on herself. Jones also sexually assaulted the victims to assert his dominance and control over them, and threatened to hurt them and, in some instances, their family members, telling one victim that her son would not be able to play sports if his legs were broken. Jones, who has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, also intimidated the victims by possessing, brandishing, and shooting firearms within the victims’ presence. He further manipulated the victims’ withdrawal from drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, to compel their continued commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.
Co-defendant Lambert, the biological father of Jones and who also has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, facilitated his son’s coercive scheme by serving as a monitor of the victims and rule enforcer. Three other co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with this case. Joseph Keon Bowe, 39, and Daryle Gardner, 32, each pleaded guilty to sex trafficking while Aleccia Scott, 29, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony.
Both defendants face a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DHS-HSI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Ratz for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Ratz for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeremy Lee Poafpybitty, age 40, of Bunch, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on May 6, 2025, that Poafpybitty knowingly possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service, and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Poafpybitty will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.
31 October 2025
Sex Offender Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CAMERON MCEWEN was sentenced to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern for the receipt of sexually explicit photographs of a 16-year-old minor via a social media application and for committing this offense after having previously committed a state crime related to sexual abuse of a minor.
“Child pornography is a scourge on our society,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “It leaves deep and lasting scars. It turns the stomach of every parent. Cameron McEwen met his victims via social media coercing them online to send him sexually explicit pictures and videos. Wherever predators lurk, including online, our Office will use every tool available to find and prosecute them.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Cameron McEwen extorted a minor female victim with threats against her friends and family to force compliance with his perverted sexual demands. Not only did McEwen sexually exploit a teenage girl across the country, but he continued to seek additional victims for twisted gratification. May this sentencing emphasize the FBI’s commitment to protecting our vulnerable populations from sexual predators, regardless of where they may be located.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
MCEWEN was convicted in Orange County Court on January 13, 2022, of rape in the second degree where he, being eighteen years old or more, engaged in sexual intercourse and oral sexual conduct with a person less than fifteen years old.
In April 2023, MCEWEN used multiple Snapchat accounts to communicate with and coerce a 16-year-old girl (the “Victim”) to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself. MCEWEN initially threatened the Victim’s eighteen-year-old friend, telling the friend that he would release her sexually explicit photographs and harm her if she did not get another person to send him additional explicit material. The friend sought out the Victim, who connected with MCWEN on Snapchat, where MCEWEN demanded sexually explicit material from the Victim. In addition, MCEWEN engaged in similar schemes with other victims.
Individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are urged to call 1-800-Call-FBI.
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In addition to the prison term, MCEWEN, 23, of Middletown, New York, was sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in both Alaska and New York, the New York State Police Troop F, and the Middletown Police Department. He also thanked the Ketchikan Police Department for its participation and support.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Wheelock is in charge of the prosecution.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Surreptitiously Taking Explicit Photos, Videos of a Child Through Her Bedroom WindowRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that David Bolwell, 59, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 235 months in prison, 15 years of supervised release, and $43,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for the manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, arising from Bolwell’s surreptitious photographing and video-recording of a 14-year-old child through her bedroom window for approximately three years, his production of hundreds of sexually explicit images of the child, and his collection of more than 1,200 sexually explicit images and videos of children that he downloaded from the internet.
The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in February of this year, charged by indictment in March, and pleaded guilty in May.
As detailed in court filings, on February 3, 2025, the 14-year-old victim reported that she was walking home from school when an unknown man approached her from behind, called her by name, and gave her a handwritten letter, whispering that she should “open it in private.” The child did not open the letter and instead turned it over to her mother, who contacted the Philadelphia Police Department after reading the sexually explicit contents.
Subsequent investigation by Philadelphia police located video footage confirming the identification of the defendant, and search warrants led to the seizure and search of his cell phone.
An FBI forensic review found more than 3,800 images of the child victim, over 400 of which were found to constitute child pornography; at least 300 additional images of minor girls, including two of the victim’s friends, which appear to have been taken from online social media accounts; and more than 1,200 additional images of child pornography taken from the internet, depicting mainly prepubescent children being sexually abused by adult men.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
New York Man Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Hate Crimes After Repeatedly Assaulting Jewish VictimsRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that TAREK BAZROUK was sentenced on October 28, 2025 to 17 months in prison for committing hate crimes in connection with his repeated assaults of Jewish victims in New York City between 2024 and 2025. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
“Tarek Bazrouk repeatedly attacked Jewish victims at protests relating to the Israel/Hamas war,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He targeted these New Yorkers based on their religion and national origin. And he was undeterred by multiple arrests following these assaults, instead quickly returning to violently targeting Jews. The prosecution of this case and the sentence imposed make clear that New Yorkers will not tolerate hate-based violence and that this Office will aggressively prosecute those who perpetrate senseless crimes of hate.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Despite repeated arrests, Tarek Bazrouk continued to attack Jewish victims while shamelessly expressing his hatred for those of the Jewish faith and demonstrating his support for anti-Semitic terrorist organizations. Bazrouk’s relentless torment violated these New Yorkers’ ability to safely express their beliefs through protests and religious outerwear. May this sentencing highlight the FBI’s intolerance of any individual who allows hate and prejudice to justify violent rhetoric and actions against others.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “Tarek Bazrouk not only targeted and assaulted his victims because of their faith — he attacked every Jewish New Yorker who should be able to practice their religion freely and without fear,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “This sentencing sends a clear message: antisemitism or any act of violence driven by hate will never be tolerated in our city, and the NYPD will continue to hold accountable anyone who threatens the religious identity of New Yorkers. I thank the NYPD investigators, the FBI, and the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their unwavering work in bringing Tarek Bazrouk to justice."
According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:
Over the course of approximately nine months, BAZROUK physically assaulted three Jewish individuals at protests concerning the Israel/Hamas war. First, on April 15, 2024, BAZROUK—while wearing a green headband typically worn by Hamas terrorists—attended a protest concerning the Israel/Hamas war in Lower Manhattan, outside the New York Stock Exchange. During the protest, BAZROUK was arrested by officers from the NYPD after lunging at a group of pro-Israel protestors. As BAZROUK was being escorted to an NYPD vehicle, BAZROUK kicked a different individual—Victim-1, a Jewish college student—in the stomach. At the time of the assault, Victim-1 was standing near other Jewish protestors, who were wearing kippahs (that is, brimless skullcaps traditionally worn by Jewish men), carrying Israeli flags, and singing Jewish songs.
Approximately eight months later, on December 9, 2024, BAZROUK assaulted another individual at a protest relating to the Israel/Hamas war next to Columbia University. The victim of the second assault—Victim-2—is a Jewish student who attended Columbia. On the date of the assault, Victim-2 and his brother were wearing kippahs, Victim-2 had an Israeli flag draped around his shoulders, and Victim-2 was singing Jewish songs. As the protest continued, BAZROUK—with his mouth covered—stole an Israeli flag from Victim-2’s brother and fled. After Victim-2 and his brother followed BAZROUK through a crowd to retrieve the flag, BAZROUK snuck up beside Victim-2 and struck him in the face with a closed fist.
Roughly one month later, on January 6, 2025, BAZROUK assaulted a third Jewish victim—Victim-3—at a protest concerning the Israel/Hamas war near 1st Avenue and East 18th Street in Manhattan. At this protest, Victim-3 was wearing an Israeli flag around his shoulders, a hat with an Israeli flag, and a chain with a Jewish star. During the protest, BAZROUK, who was wearing a keffiyeh on his face, made contact with Victim-3’s shoulder and wrapped his foot around Victim-3’s ankle. Victim-3 attempted to push BAZROUK away and cursed at him. BAZROUK then punched Victim-3 in the nose with a closed fist.
Pursuant to judicially authorized warrants, law enforcement subsequently searched cellphones used by BAZROUK. Evidence from those devices revealed BAZROUK’s anti-Semitic bias and his support for anti-Jewish terrorist groups including Hamas, demonstrating his motivation for repeatedly assaulting Jewish victims. In text messages, for example, BAZROUK identified himself as a “Jew hater,” labeled Jews as “worthless,” extorted “Allah” to “get us rid of [Jews],” called an acquittance a “Fucking Jew,” and told a friend to “slap that bitch” in reference to a woman with an Israeli sticker on her laptop. BAZROUK also told a friend that he was “mad happy” to have learned that certain of his family members overseas are part of Hamas. BAZROUK’s phones also contained extensive pro-Hamas and pro-Hizballah propaganda, showing his support for organizations that have murdered thousands of Jews and Israelis.
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In addition to his prison term, BAZROUK, 20, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
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Member of Deadly Human Smuggling Organization Extradited from CanadaRead the Press Release
A dual Canadian American citizen made her initial appearance in court in Plattsburg, New York today after being extradited to New York from Canada to face charges relating to her role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two small children, dead in the St. Lawrence River.
In June 2024, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of New York returned an indictment against Stephanie Square, 52, of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR), Canada, for conspiring to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Square was arrested in Canada in August 2024 at the request of the U.S. government. Her extradition followed extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement authorities. Co-conspirator Timothy Oakes, 34, from the AMIR, was arrested on June 15, 2025, and remains detained pending trial for his role in the deadly conspiracy. U.S.-based co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne, New York, and Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, Oct. 8, 2024, and March 6, 2025, respectively.
According to court documents, Square allegedly was the U.S.-based leader of an alien smuggling organization (ASO), that regularly smuggled aliens across the U.S.-Canada border via the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation. During the week of March 27, 2023, a prolific Canadian smuggler contacted Square to smuggle a Romanian family of four across the St. Lawrence River into the United States. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Square is alleged to have recruited multiple co-conspirators to assist with the smuggling of the family, though one refused to assist due to the high winds on the St. Lawrence River that night. Undeterred by the dangerous weather conditions, as alleged, Square enlisted one of her regular drivers, Dakota Montour, to transport the family via automobile to Timothy Oakes’ residence on Cornwall Island, a notorious staging area for cross-border smuggling operations.
The family of four arrived at the Oakes’ residence on March 29, 2023, at approximately 3:35AM, and stayed there until evening. On March 29, 2023, at approximately 9:29PM, Timothy Oakes’ vehicle with a light blue boat in tow, is recorded traveling eastbound away from the Oakes’ residence towards a public boat launch.
On March 29, 2023, between 10:09PM and 10:50PM, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS) received multiple calls from citizens on Cornwall Island reporting hearing cries for help on the St. Lawrence River. The callers also reported the terrible weather conditions. At the same time, Square instructed Montour to search the banks of the St. Lawrence River for the missing family. On March 30, 2023, at approximately 3:36AM, Square instructed Montour to delete all their messages.
Between March 30 and 31, 2023, AMPS conducted a riverine search and recovered the bodies of the Romanian family of four, including two small children. AMPS also recovered Oakes’ light blue boat. The body of the boat captain, Case Oakes, was found eight months later.
HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.
The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border, including the Northern District of New York. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 420 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 370 U.S. convictions; more than 315 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case. OIA Trial Attorney Trish Maskew provided significant assistance with the extradition.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Justice Department Announces Removal of Baltimore County from Sanctuary Jurisdiction List following Memorandum of Understanding with ICE to Collaborate on Immigration EnforcementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the removal of Baltimore County, Maryland, as a designated sanctuary jurisdiction after the County recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ICE to collaborate on immigration enforcement. This follows the Department publishing a list of sanctuary jurisdictions on August 5th, 2025, in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14287.
The list initially included Baltimore County and has now been updated following work between the Administration and the County – the second removal since the list’s publishing. Following Baltimore County’s removal from the list, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward released the following statement:
“Despite restrictions from state leadership, Baltimore County has shown a willingness to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. This is a small step toward restoring public safety and we appreciate the county’s commitment to updating its policies.”
High Level Drug Trafficker Extradited to the United States from Colombia to Face Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, Colombian authorities extradited Consolidated Priority Organizational Target (CPOT) Jose Orlando Buitrago-Rodríguez, also known as “Tito el Borracho” or “Tito” or “El Borracho,” to the United States to face drug trafficking charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico. United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, made the announcement.
On January 27, 2023, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an Indictment against Buitrago-Rodríguez charging him with international conspiracy to distribute cocaine for the purpose of unlawful importation, importation of cocaine, and attempt to import cocaine. The Indictment also includes a narcotics forfeiture allegation regarding 14 real properties and five vehicles.
Buitrago-Rodríguez was the leader of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) based in Colombia. This TCO sent many shipments totaling over ten thousand kilograms of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela to Puerto Rico and the continental United States, often through the Dominican Republic. Once successfully smuggled into Puerto Rico, drug traffickers then smuggled the majority of the cocaine into the continental United States for further distribution.
The Attorney General designated Buitrago-Rodríguez as a CPOT in 2022. The Attorney General’s Interagency CPOT list is comprised of leaders who exercise “command and control” of the elements of the most prolific drug trafficking/money laundering organizations that have the greatest impact on the United States’ illicit drug supply. The CPOT list represents the “most wanted” of the cartel leadership and ensures that the full capabilities of the U.S. government are focused, in a coordinated and clear manner, on a group of agreed-upon high-level targets.
“This prosecution and extradition demonstrate the Department of Justice’s relentless efforts to eliminate international drug cartels flooding our streets with deadly drugs and to bring their leaders to justice,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “This case also highlights the strategic and critical role that Puerto Rico plays in defending our nation against TCOs, cartels, and foreign terrorist organizations.
“This capture is another step in our fight to crush violent crime. It reflects what our mission demands—relentless pursuit, disciplined execution, and zero tolerance for those who threaten our communities,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “We will hunt down the drivers of violence—wherever they run, however long it takes.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the collaboration of partner agencies Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, United States Coast Guard, Internal Revenue Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations HSI, and the San Juan Puerto Rico Municipal Police.
On January 22, 2024, in coordination with foreign officials, Buitrago-Rodríguez was located and arrested in Colombia at the request of the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Colombia. The Department of Justice also recognizes the significant collaboration provided by authorities in Colombia.
In July 2025, the government of Colombia conducted an asset seizure operation related to Buitrago-Rodríguez based, in large part, on the United States Indictment and investigation, seizing 18 properties, including vehicles, land lots, farms, houses, and commercial establishments. The value of all the items seized was approximately $6,769,988.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio L. Pérez-Alonso under the supervision of Chief Myriam Y. Fernández-González and Deputy Chief María L. Montañez-Concepción from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering, & Transnational Organized Crime Section.
If convicted, Buitrago-Rodríguez faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison for all the drug trafficking charges.
This prosecution and extradition are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the below-listed federal agencies with the prosecution in this case being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico:
(1) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; (2) U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations – SAC San Juan; (3) the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of Puerto Rico and the District of the United States Virgin Islands; (4) the United States Marshals Service for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; (5) U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations San Juan Field Office; (6) U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Caribbean Air and Marine Branch; (7) U.S. Border Patrol – Ramey Sector; (8) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Caribbean Division; (9) U.S. Coast Guard – Sector San Juan; (10) U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; (11) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) - Puerto Rico / Virgin Islands; (12) Internal Revenue Service; (13) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Miami Field Division – RAC San Juan; (14) U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Miami Division, San Juan Field Office; (15) United States Secret Service – RAC San Juan; (16) Transportation Security Administration – Federal Air Marshal; and (17) Federal Aviation Administration.
In addition, the following state and local law enforcement agencies participate with and provide resources to the HSTF: (1) Puerto Rico Police Department; (2) San Juan Municipal Police Department; (3) Carolina Municipal Police Department; (4) Guaynabo Municipal Police Department; (5) Barceloneta Municipal Police Department; (6) Ponce Municipal Police Department; (7) Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; (8) Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; (9) Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); (10) Puerto Rico Port Authority; and (11) Virgin Islands Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former American Embassy Employee Convicted of Sexually Abusing Minors in Burkina FasoRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Fode Sitafa Mara, 40, of Takoma Park, Maryland, on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse perpetrated against two minors, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of obstruction.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, Justice Department, Criminal Division, and Deputy Assistant Director George Semertsidis, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mara, on multiple occasions, forcibly raped two teenage Burkinabé girls at his Embassy-leased residence in Ouagadougou. Since the residence was reserved for use by U.S. diplomatic personnel, it fell under the United States’s special maritime and territorial jurisdiction.
The minor victims lived in abject poverty a short distance from Mara’s residence. Mara repeatedly sexually abused them for approximately one year, beginning when the victims were 13 and 15 years old. Additionally, Mara was convicted for sending sexually enticing messages to one of the minor victims and for attempting to persuade his housekeeper to lie to U.S. investigators to help him conceal his crimes.
Mara faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years in federal prison and a maximum of life in federal prison for aggravated sexual abuse of a minor charges. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Honorable Lydia Kay Griggsby scheduled sentencing for Thursday, February 26, 2026.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DSS’s Office of Special Investigations and its Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ranganath Manthripragada and Brooke Oki, along with Trial Attorney Adam Braskich, Department of Justice – Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Five Foreign Nationals Sentenced in October for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that five foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.
Santos Belen-Paredes, aka Angel Medina Vargas, 44, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Belen-Paredes had previously been removed from the U.S. in February 2012, after completing a 60-month state prison sentence for distribution of heroin and conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In February of this year, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force encountered Belen-Paredes while executing a narcotics search warrant in Northeast Philadelphia. After confirming Belen-Paredes was illegally in the U.S., Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers took him into custody.
The defendant was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in March and pleaded guilty in July.
Daniel Herrera Pavon, aka Fanny Leonardo Velasquez-Jerez, Mario Paulino, and Aldrin Pavon, 56, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston to 14 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Herrera Pavon had been removed from the U.S. twice before, in April 2000 and May 2005.
In May of this year, investigators with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and HSI agents encountered Herrera Pavon, pursuant to a narcotics operation in Northeast Philadelphia. After confirming that the defendant was in the country illegally, they took him into custody.
Herrera Pavon was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in June and pleaded guilty in August.
Victor Aneudi Mota-Garcia, 41, aka Jesus Nieves-Rivera, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Anita B. Brody to time served, approximately seven months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Mota-Garcia had previously been removed from the U.S. in November 2019, after being convicted in the Superior Court of Kent County, Delaware, of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
ICE received information that Mota-Garcia had returned to the United States and was residing in Philadelphia.
After conducting surveillance of his reported residence, ICE officers took him into custody in February of this year. Mota-Garcia was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in March and pleaded guilty in July.
Nicolos Tum Gregorio, 41, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Anita B. Brody to time served, approximately five months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Gregorio had previously been removed from the U.S. in October 2020, following his arrest that March by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.
In January 2024, the defendant was arrested in Montgomery County, Pa., for driving under the influence and causing an accident involving injury, with his blood alcohol content found to be more than three times the legal limit. Gregorio was ultimately convicted of DUI in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.
ICE took Gregorio into federal custody in June of this year. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty in August, waiving prosecution by indictment.
Carlos Manuel Torres Jimenez, aka Rafael Antonio Vasquez Rosario, 43, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry.
Torres Jimenez had previously been removed from the U.S. in December 2001 and April 2022, after encounters with immigration authorities.
In June of this year, ICE agents and deputies of the United States Marshals Service encountered Torres Jimenez in Philadelphia, while executing a criminal arrest warrant targeting another individual. After confirming Torres Jimenez was illegally in the U.S., ICE personnel took him into custody.
The defendant was charged by information with illegal reentry in September and pleaded guilty this month, waiving prosecution by indictment.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Schopf, Patrick Murray, Shayna Gannone, Ashley Martin, and Sarah Wolfe.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Defendant Convicted of Sex Trafficking Women at the Sayville Motor Lodge on Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a federal jury in Central Islip convicted Michael Johnson, also known as “Wise,” on four counts of a superseding indictment charging him with sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking, and interstate prostitution. Johnson and his co-conspirators operated a sex trafficking business out of the Sayville Motor Lodge, a motel located near Sunrise Highway on Long Island. The verdict was returned after a two-week trial before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. When sentenced, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the verdict.
“Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for all of the cruelty and violence to women caused by his depraved sex trafficking,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Johnson and his co-conspirators exhibited utter disregard for the human lives they destroyed by profiting off the backs of vulnerable women. It is my hope that Johnson’s conviction brings some measure of comfort to his victims, including those who bravely testified at the trial.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their work on the case.
“Michael Johnson trafficked multiple women into sexual slavery to profit off their bodies, while maintaining their subservience through social isolation, physical abuse and threats of death, and addictive drugs,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “For years, Johnson demonstrated extreme depravity as he physically and emotionally traumatized numerous women to satisfy his own greedy desires. May today’s conviction not only provide his victims a glimmer of comfort but also reflect the FBI’s commitment to protecting all vulnerable victims from sexual predators seeking to exploit them for financial gain.”
“Johnson took advantage of vulnerable women, using violence and drugs to control and exploit his victims, forcing them into sex trafficking for his own financial gain,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “This case serves as a warning to anyone who seeks to manipulate or abuse others — justice will find you. This sentence represents not only accountability, but also a recognition of the courage and strength of the victims who came forward. I commend the dedicated efforts of our detectives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.”
The Sayville Motor Lodge was a property at the center of a sex trafficking conspiracy based on Long Island. In November 2022, an indictment was unsealed in the Eastern District of New York charging Johnson, Timothy Bullen, motel owners Narendarakuma Dadarwala and his wife Shardaben Dadarwala, their son Jigar Dadarwala, Ashokbhai Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. d/b/a Sayville Motor Lodge with sex trafficking conspiracy. The Dadarwalas, Patel and Himanshu were also charged with managing a drug premises, and Narendarakuma Dadarwala was charged with distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses. In September 2025, a superseding indictment charged Johnson with three additional counts of sex trafficking.
As proven at trial, from approximately 2014 to 2022, Johnson, a pimp, conspired with others to further his sex trafficking business out of the Sayville Motor Lodge. Johnson forcibly sex trafficked multiple women, some of whom were addicted to drugs, and compelled them to commit commercial sex acts through a combination of force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion. Johnson controlled the victims by confiscating all the proceeds they earned from commercial sex acts; posting advertisements for them on various websites and setting the rates they would charge; using drugs — by both giving and withholding drugs — to induce them to stay and continue performing sex acts; isolating them from others; and physically, mentally, and emotionally abusing them. The women Johnson trafficked observed his close relationship with the Dadarwalas, and how the Dadarwalas facilitated and protected Johnson’s illegal activities.
Co-defendants Narendarakuma Dadarwala and Shardaben Dadarwala pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy in April 2025, and co-defendant Patel pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy in September 2025. All three defendants are awaiting sentencing. The case remains pending against co-defendants Timothy Bullen and Jigar Dadarwala.
In connection with the November 2022 indictment and the arrests of Johnson and his co-conspirators, the United States seized the Sayville Motor Lodge. In October 2023, the United States facilitated the sale of the Sayville Motor Lodge to a company that was partially owned by a principal of a neighboring business with longstanding ties to the community. A portion of the proceeds of the sale were earmarked for forfeiture to the United States government, which enabled the Office to seek compensation for the victims of the charged conduct through the Department of Justice’s remission procedures.
The government’s case is being handled by the Long Island Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine M. Mirabile, Anthony Bagnuola, and Samantha S. Alessi are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Adam Bernard and Kerry Ucci, Legal Assistant Katherine Szewczyk, and Victim Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin.The Defendant:
MICHAEL JOHNSON (also known as “Wise”)
Age: 36
Selbyville, DelawareDefendants Previously Convicted:
NARENDARAKUMA DADARWALA (also known as “Naren,” “Pa” and “Dad”)
Age: 79
Sayville, Long IslandSHARDABEN DADARWALA (also known as “Sharda,” “Ma” and “Mom”)
Age: 72
Sayville, Long IslandASHOKBHAI PATEL (also known as “BG”)
Age: 61
Omaha, NebraskaDefendants Pending Trial:
TIMOTHY BULLEN (also known as “Trouble,” “T” and “Tiervoni”)
Age: 38
Bay Shore, Long IslandJIGAR DADARWALA (also known as “Cobra”)
Age: 47
Sayville, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-494 (S-1) (JS)
Arizona Man Sentenced to 49 Months in Prison for Sending Antisemitic Death ThreatsRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Stefanie Roddy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that DONOVAN HALL was sentenced on October 30, 2025, to 49 months in prison for making interstate threats and the interstate stalking of Jewish victims in New York City. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden.
“Donovan Hall targeted Jewish victims with a sustained campaign of intimidation, terror, and harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The approximately 1,000 threats he sent to these New Yorkers were alarming and brazen. The prosecution of this case and the sentence imposed make clear that this Office will aggressively bring to justice those who perpetrate senseless crimes of hate.”
Special Agent in Charge Roddy said: “Hall’s sentencing speaks volumes about the severity of his crimes, and the seriousness with which the law takes them. After being remanded for approximately 10 months, Hall’s guilty plea still resulted in the near-maximum sentence allowed for his calculated campaign of anti-Semitic rhetoric. His reign of fear is over and serves as a reminder to those who think they can hide behind computers, phone lines, and texts - the FBI treats all threats of violence with the utmost seriousness. The FBI will not relent in seeking justice for the victims of these egregious crimes.”
According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:
Over a period of three months, HALL contacted several individuals located in New York, New York (the “Victims”) approximately 1,000 times and made anti-Semitic and violent threats to torture, mutilate, rape, and murder them and their families. In particular, starting in August 2024, HALL made dozens of threatening phone calls—many of which were anti-Semitic in nature—to the Jewish owner of a hotel located in Manhattan, the owner’s family members, and hotel staff. During these calls, HALL threatened numerous times to kill the Victims.
In October 2024, HALL escalated his threatening conduct by texting photographs of two firearms and a machete to the hotel owner, along with threats to use those weapons to harm the owner and his family. During a search of HALL’s residence in Arizona conducted on November 22, 2024, the firearms depicted in the text messages, among other weapons and ammunition, were recovered. The two firearms—neither of which is registered in HALL’s name—were located alongside his wallet in his backpack. One of the firearms was loaded.
HALL’s threats toward the Victims were part of a larger pattern of death threats sent to various other individuals. The targets of his threats are located throughout the U.S. In these communications, HALL consistently used violent and threatening language, and often targeted Jews.
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In addition to his prison term, HALL, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI’s Newark Field Office. Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the FBI Phoenix Field Office, the Mesa Police Department, and the Clifton Police Department in Clifton, New Jersey.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Adelsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
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Alabama Men Convicted of Sex Trafficking Multiple Women and GirlsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Following a 4-day trial, a federal jury in the Middle District of Alabama convicted Kimani Jones, 32, also known as “Statik,” of Montgomery, Alabama, and Tremayne Lambert, 50, also known as “Bayrock,” of Montgomery, Alabama, on multiple charges of sex trafficking several victims. Specifically, the jury found that Jones compelled seven victims, including two minors, to commit commercial sex acts between August 2016 and November 2020. The jury also found that Jones transported and caused to be transported two victims, including one minor, across state lines for prostitution purposes. The jury found Lambert guilty of sex trafficking one victim between August 2017 and February 2018 and two other victims between July 2019 and November 2020. Three additional co-defendants previously pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the sex trafficking enterprise.
“The defendants targeted vulnerable women and girls before using physical and sexual violence, along with threats of violence against them and others, to create a climate of fear that terrified the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and enforcing the federal human trafficking laws, and this prosecution is a testament to the courageous young women who detailed the coercive scheme these defendants perpetrated for years on scores of women and girls.”
“These defendants exploited the vulnerabilities of women and young girls for their own profit, showing complete disregard for human dignity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Every victim deserves justice, and we will continue our efforts to ensure that those who prey on others are held accountable for their crimes.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Jones organized and led an extensive commercial sex operation. Jones rented hotel rooms where commercial sex acts occurred; provided food, clothing, and drugs to the victims; constructed advertisements for commercial sex that he then posted online to solicit customers; communicated with potential customers regarding the sex acts and prices involved for them; dictated in which cities the victims would live and engage in commercial sex acts, and set rules that he required the victims to follow, which included, for example, the minimal amount of money that they needed to earn per day. Jones did not have a lawful job during the years he ran his sex trafficking operation but instead subsisted off the earnings of the victims. Jones frequently flaunted the money that he made from the victims on social media.
The evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Jones used extensive violence against the victims and others in the victims’ presence. For instance, Jones grabbed one victim, who was a minor at the time, by the throat and dragged her for moving too slowly. Jones routinely struck women in the face, knocking out one victim’s teeth, breaking another’s jaw, and striking one so hard she urinated on herself. Jones also sexually assaulted the victims to assert his dominance and control over them, and threatened to hurt them and, in some instances, their family members, telling one victim that her son would not be able to play sports if his legs were broken. Jones, who has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, also intimidated the victims by possessing, brandishing, and shooting firearms within the victims’ presence. He further manipulated the victims’ withdrawal from drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, to compel their continued commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.
Co-defendant Lambert, the biological father of Jones and who also has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, facilitated his son’s coercive scheme by serving as a monitor of the victims and rule enforcer. Three other co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with this case. Joseph Keon Bowe, 39, and Daryle Gardner, 32, each pleaded guilty to sex trafficking while Aleccia Scott, 29, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony.
Both defendants face a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DHS-HSI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Ratz for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
30 October 2025
Warm Springs Man Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs, Oregon, man made his first appearance in federal court yesterday after being charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury following a shooting on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
Carlos Ralph Miller-Smith, 31, has been charged by criminal complaint with involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to court documents, on October 25, 2025, Warm Springs Police Department officers were dispatched to a shooting at a residence within the exterior boundaries of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the temple. A witness identified Miller-Smith as the shooter. Miller-Smith was detained and placed in a patrol vehicle. The victim succumbed to their injuries the next morning.
Miller-Smith made his first appearance in federal court yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Warm Springs Police Department are investigating the case. Pamela Paaso and Kate Rochat, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Ukrainian National Extradited from Ireland in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
Following his extradition from Ireland, a Ukrainian man had his initial appearance today in the Middle District of Tennessee on a 2023 indictment charging him with conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected victim computers and networks, encrypting their data.
According to court documents, from in or around 2020 and continuing until about June 2022, Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 43, of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. Court filings allege the conspirators hacked into victims’ computer networks, encrypted their data, and demanded a ransom to restore the victims’ access to their files and avoid public disclosure of the hacked information. The conspirators allegedly extorted more than $500,000 in cryptocurrency from two victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, and published information stolen from a third victim in that District.
Conti was used to attack more than 1,000 victims worldwide, including victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, approximately 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and approximately 31 foreign countries. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, Conti ransomware attacks resulted in at least $150 million in ransom payments. According to the FBI, in 2021, Conti ransomware was used to attack more critical infrastructure victims than any other ransomware variant. Court documents further allege that Lytvynenko controlled data stolen from numerous Conti victims and was involved in the ransom notes deployed on the victims’ systems.
At the request of the United States, An Garda Síochána—the Irish national police—arrested Lytvynenko in July 2023. An Irish court then detained him pending extradition proceedings which concluded this month. In addition to his involvement in Conti, filings allege that he engaged in cybercrime up until days before his arrest in Ireland in 2023.
“The defendant allegedly participated in a conspiracy to extort approximately $150 million in ransomware payments responsible for defrauding victims in almost every U.S. state and from over two dozen countries worldwide,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ransomware is a significant threat to the safety, security, and prosperity of American citizens and business. The Department will continue to pursue ransomware actors all over the world in its efforts to hold them to account for the damage they have inflicted on victims.”
“We will continue to work diligently to hold ransomware actors accountable for their actions which victimize American businesses and harm Tennesseans,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court.”
“Lytvynenko conspired to deploy Conti ransomware against victims in the United States and across the globe, extorting millions in cryptocurrency and amassing a trove of stolen data,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “His extradition demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Irish law enforcement and the FBI’s commitment to counter cyber criminals who threaten American infrastructure. We urge every organization to remain vigilant and quickly report ransomware intrusions to your local FBI field office.”
Lytvynenko is charged with computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the computer fraud conspiracy and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s Nashville, San Diego, and El Paso field offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips of the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
The extradition was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with the cooperation of the Irish government and assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Ireland.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. CCIPS leads the Department of Justice’s fight against ransomware. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ukrainian National Extradited from Ireland in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Following his extradition from Ireland, a Ukrainian man had his initial appearance today in the Middle District of Tennessee on a 2023 indictment charging him with conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected victim computers and networks, encrypting their data.
According to court documents, from in or around 2020 and continuing until about June 2022, Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 43, of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. Court filings allege the conspirators hacked into victims’ computer networks, encrypted their data, and demanded a ransom to restore the victims’ access to their files and avoid public disclosure of the hacked information. The conspirators allegedly extorted more than $500,000 in cryptocurrency from two victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, and published information stolen from a third victim in that District.
Conti was used to attack more than 1,000 victims worldwide, including victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, approximately 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and approximately 31 foreign countries. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, Conti ransomware attacks resulted in at least $150 million in ransom payments. According to the FBI, in 2021, Conti ransomware was used to attack more critical infrastructure victims than any other ransomware variant. Court documents further allege that Lytvynenko controlled data stolen from numerous Conti victims and was involved in the ransom notes deployed on the victims’ systems.
At the request of the United States, An Garda Síochána—the Irish national police—arrested Lytvynenko in July 2023. An Irish court then detained him pending extradition proceedings which concluded this month. In addition to his involvement in Conti, filings allege that he engaged in cybercrime up until days before his arrest in Ireland in 2023.
“The defendant allegedly participated in a conspiracy to extort approximately $150 million in ransomware payments responsible for defrauding victims in almost every U.S. state and from over two dozen countries worldwide,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ransomware is a significant threat to the safety, security, and prosperity of American citizens and business. The Department will continue to pursue ransomware actors all over the world in its efforts to hold them to account for the damage they have inflicted on victims.”
“We will continue to work diligently to hold ransomware actors accountable for their actions which victimize American businesses and harm Tennesseans,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court.”
“Lytvynenko conspired to deploy Conti ransomware against victims in the United States and across the globe, extorting millions in cryptocurrency and amassing a trove of stolen data,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “His extradition demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Irish law enforcement and the FBI’s commitment to counter cyber criminals who threaten American infrastructure. We urge every organization to remain vigilant and quickly report ransomware intrusions to your local FBI field office.”
Lytvynenko is charged with computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the computer fraud conspiracy and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s Nashville, San Diego, and El Paso field offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips of the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
The extradition was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with the cooperation of the Irish government and assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Ireland.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. CCIPS leads the Department of Justice’s fight against ransomware. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Russian Mob Leaders Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Murder-For-Hire Targeting a Journalist on Behalf of the Iranian GovernmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,” a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” were each sentenced yesterday to 25 years’ in prison for their participation in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist, on behalf of the Government of Iran. In March 2025, Amirov and Omarov were found guilty of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed today’s sentences.
“The defendants and their criminal associates came chillingly close to gunning down an Iranian-American journalist on the streets of New York.” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Tehran has long sought to silence Ms. Alinejad, and after multiple failed kidnapping attempts, turned to Omarov and Amirov and their organization to stalk and murder her. This case is part of a well-documented and disturbing rise in plots involving criminal networks paid by Iran to target dissidents in the United States and around the world. We are committed to holding accountable those who join forces with this vile regime to violate our national sovereignty or threaten U.S. citizens.”
“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, brazenly brought its efforts to murder Masih Alinejad to New York,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. “The plot exposed at trial involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn. Yesterday’s sentences send a clear message: the DOJ and our partners will expose and severely punish those who target U.S. citizens and bring terror to our community.”
“This sentencing marks a victory for justice and a clear warning to those who seek to export repression onto U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The plot, orchestrated by the Iranian government to assassinate a dissident living in America, demonstrates the lengths to which authoritarian actors will go to silence voices of freedom. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the homeland from anyone who participates in transnational repression and threatens our democratic values.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two highly ranked members of the Russian Mob, attempted to assassinate Masih Alinejad to permanently silence her criticism of the Iranian government and public advocacy of human rights. These defendants operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil. May yesterday’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans against any foreign actor seeking to inflict terror and physical harm to further a political agenda.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:
AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azerbaijani faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Ms. Alinejad has previously been the target of multiple plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses, especially its discriminatory and oppressive treatment of women, repression of political expression, and killings of Iranians engaged in peaceful protests against the regime. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.
After its efforts to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from the U.S. failed in 2020 and 2021, the IRGC turned to AMIROV—a Vor, or Thief-in-Law, the highest rank in the Russian Mob—and OMAROV—the cousin of a powerful Vor who aspired to become a Vor himself—to locate, surveil, and murder her. The IRGC offered AMIROV $500,000 for Ms. Alinejad’s murder and provided him with targeting information about Ms. Alinejad, including her home address. Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent this targeting information to OMAROV. OMAROV, in turn, communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Ms. Alinejad and murder her. AMIROV and OMAROV arranged the delivery of $30,000 to Mehdiyev from the IRGC’s advance payment; Mehdiyev used a portion of these funds to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition.
In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Ms. Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her residence and locate her. Mehdiyev sent photographs, videos, and updates on his stakeouts to OMAROV, who passed them on to AMIROV. AMIROV gave OMAROV intelligence about Ms. Alinejad’s home, location, and family members provided by his IRGC contacts to assist Mehdiyev’s attempts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad. On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Ms. Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.” On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Ms. Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today. I told them to make a birthday present for me. I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.” On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading, “we are ready.” As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV, “let him keep the car clean.” When Mehdiyev drove away from surveilling the residence on July 28, 2022, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle; 66 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber of the assault rifle; approximately $1,100 in cash; gloves; and a black ski mask.
After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev, in part because the IRGC was demanding the return of its money.
In addition to their prison terms, AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 41, of the country of Georgia, were sentenced to a $500 special assessment.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force. Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. Mr. Clayton also thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Two Russian Mob Leaders Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Murder-For-Hire Targeting A Journalist on Behalf of the Iranian GovernmentRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John A. Eisenberg, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,” a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” were each sentenced yesterday to 25 years’ imprisonment for their participation in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist, on behalf of the Government of Iran. In March 2025, Amirov and Omarov were found guilty of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed yesterday’s sentences.
“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, brazenly brought its efforts to murder Masih Alinejad to New York," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said. "The plot exposed at trial involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn. Yesterday’s sentences send a clear message: the DOJ and our partners will expose and severely punish those who target U.S. citizens and bring terror to our community.”
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said: “The defendants and their criminal associates came chillingly close to gunning down an Iranian-American journalist on the streets of New York. Tehran has long sought to silence Ms. Alinejad, and after multiple failed kidnapping attempts, turned to Omarov and Amirov and their organization to stalk and murder her. This case is part of a well-documented and disturbing rise in plots involving criminal networks paid by Iran to target dissidents in the United States and around the world. We are committed to holding accountable those who join forces with this vile regime to violate our national sovereignty or threaten U.S. citizens.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two highly ranked members of the Russian Mob, attempted to assassinate Masih Alinejad to permanently silence her criticism of the Iranian government and public advocacy of human rights. These defendants operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil. May yesterday’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans against any foreign actor seeking to inflict terror and physical harm to further a political agenda.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:
AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azerbaijani faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Ms. Alinejad has previously been the target of multiple plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses, especially its discriminatory and oppressive treatment of women, repression of political expression, and killings of Iranians engaged in peaceful protests against the regime. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.
After its efforts to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from the U.S. failed in 2020 and 2021, the IRGC turned to AMIROV—a Vor, or Thief-in-Law, the highest rank in the Russian Mob—and OMAROV—the cousin of a powerful Vor who aspired to become a Vor himself—to locate, surveil, and murder her. The IRGC offered AMIROV $500,000 for Ms. Alinejad’s murder and provided him with targeting information about Ms. Alinejad, including her home address. Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent this targeting information to OMAROV. OMAROV, in turn, communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Ms. Alinejad and murder her. AMIROV and OMAROV arranged the delivery of $30,000 to Mehdiyev from the IRGC’s advance payment; Mehdiyev used a portion of these funds to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition.
In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Ms. Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her residence and locate her. Mehdiyev sent photographs, videos, and updates on his stakeouts to OMAROV, who passed them on to AMIROV. AMIROV gave OMAROV intelligence about Ms. Alinejad’s home, location, and family members provided by his IRGC contacts to assist Mehdiyev’s attempts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad. On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Ms. Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.” On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Ms. Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today. I told them to make a birthday present for me. I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.” On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading, “we are ready.” As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV, “let him keep the car clean.” When Mehdiyev drove away from surveilling the residence on July 28, 2022, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle; 66 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber of the assault rifle; approximately $1,100 in cash; gloves; and a black ski mask.
After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev, in part because the IRGC was demanding the return of its money.
* * *
In addition to their prison terms, AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 41, of the country of Georgia, were sentenced to a $500 special assessment.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force. Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. Mr. Clayton also thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Three Rivers resident imprisoned for 15 years after recording sexual video of himself with minor relativeRead the Press Release
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.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 39-year-old man has been ordered to prison for sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Johnathon Roberts pleaded guilty July 24.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now sentenced Roberts to 180 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including that Roberts had created similar recordings over a period of years. Roberts will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Roberts will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
The investigation revealed child sexual abuse material had been uploaded onto the internet. Law enforcement was able to identify Roberts as the source of the content.
On Oct. 25, 2024, authorities obtained a search warrant for his residence in Three Rivers. At that time, they located and seized Roberts’ cell phone which was found to contain over 150 videos and images of CSAM.
Upon inspection, law enforcement discovered a video recording Roberts made of himself engaging in sexual activity with a minor female. Roberts admitted to law enforcement that he had created the video.
Roberts will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Third Suspect Charged with Murder in the Slaying of Congressional Intern, Also Charged in Killing of Teen GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Naqwan Antonio Lucas, 18, of the District of Columbia, has been charged in a 16-count indictment for the June 30 murder of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym and charged in a second indictment for the July 4 murder of 17-year-old Zoey Kelley, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Lucas, aka “Qwan,” appeared before Judge Dana Dayson this afternoon in D.C. Superior Court for his arraignment on both indictments. Lucas pleaded not guilty and Judge Dayson held Lucas until a status hearing with his co-defendants scheduled for November 7.
Joining in the announcement were Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
“These were predictable homicides based upon the behavior of these individuals and the records that everyone knew about, yet the D.C. Council is interested in protecting not the victims but the criminals under the guise of protecting the innocence of youth,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “It’s time for them to start protecting the citizens of the District.”
Lucas was arrested last night in Montgomery Village, Maryland, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, MPD, and U.S. Marshals.
On June 30, Tarpinian, a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, was an innocent bystander when three armed suspects exited a stolen vehicle and began firing shots at two young men near the intersection of 7th and M Street NW. Tarpinian, of Granby, Massachusetts, was shot four times and died the next day. Five other people also were assaulted or injured.
Kelvin Thomas, Jr., 17, and Naqwan Lucas’ brother Jailen Lucas, 17, were arrested September 5 and charged as adults on counts of first-degree murder while armed in connection with Tarpinian’s slaying.
On July 4, MPD officers were flagged down about 5:20 p.m. on the 1700 block of Benning Road NE. The officers followed two witnesses into an apartment and found Zoey Kelley, 17, dead of a gunshot wound to the head inside of a storage container wrapped in bedding in the bedroom closet.
Last week, the MPD and FBI announced a $75,000 reward for information leading to Lucas’ arrest.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshal’s Service with valuable assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin M. DeRiso and Anthony Cocuzza.
An indictment is merely an allegation where citizens of the District of Columbia have determined based upon probable cause that an individual should be charged with the crimes contained within the indictment. The charged individual is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal court of law.
2025 CF1 14017 – Eric
2025 CF1 14016 - Zoey
South Bend Man Found Guilty by JuryRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – On October 30, 2025, Aguila Binion, 48 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine after a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 19, 2026, at 1:30 PM.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Luke N. Reilander.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Reading Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Three Berks County Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mikal Portalatin, 35, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 216 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for committing three commercial armed robberies. Judge Gallagher also ordered Portalatin to pay $87,700 in restitution and $2,900 in fines and assessments.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in July of this year to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of armed bank robbery, charges arising from three armed robberies he committed in Berks County in the second half of 2022:
- July 27, 2022; Citgo gas station convenience store, 200 block of Buttonwood Street
- August 3, 2022; Sunoco gas station convenience store, 1500 block of Lancaster Avenue
- November 21, 2022; Members First Credit Union, 500 block of E. Lancaster Avenue
During the July robbery, Portalatin discharged his firearm at an employee who chased him as he fled; no one was hit.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, the Cumru Township Police Department, and the Reading Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Kelly Lewis Fallenstein.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
National Guardsman Arrested and Charged with Export ViolationRead the Press Release
Canyon Anthony Amarys, 28, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, was arrested on October 28 in connection with his indictment for the attempted violation of the Export Control Reform Act. Amarys will make his initial appearance today in federal court in the District of Kansas at 1:30 p.m. Central Time.
According to the indictment, in February 2025, at an in-person meeting between Amarys and someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent, Amarys signed a one-page agreement in order to confirm his covert relationship with a Russian intelligence service. In addition, as part of that relationship, Amarys agreed to photograph a military installation on Fort Riley, Kansas, and to procure a helicopter radio for use by the Russian military.
In March 2025, after purchasing the helicopter radio, Amarys traveled to Kansas in order to retrieve the radio and export it to a purported recipient in Romania. In doing so, Amarys communicated with a person he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent, and confirmed his understanding that the radio would in fact be illegally diverted to Russia.
Pursuant to a court-authorized search, investigators recovered the radio that Amarys had sought to illegally export to Russia. Under U.S. export laws and regulations, the export of this controlled item without a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce was unlawful. Amarys understood that his shipment of the radio abroad was illegal, and told the person he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent that he had researched export regulations in anticipation of their meeting in February 2025.
The FBI Kansas City field office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, the Kansas National Guard, the Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney David Ryan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal alien gets maximum sentence for leading smuggling organization involving transportation of over 100 peopleRead the Press Release
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.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 41-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for an alien smuggling conspiracy and illegal reentry into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Edgar Ruiz-Briones pleaded guilty July 22.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Ruiz-Briones to serve the maximum of 120 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
The investigation revealed Ruiz-Briones arranged transportation and coordinating trips for illegal aliens coming over the southern border with Mexico. Ruiz-Briones was the leader of the smuggling organization, recruiting drivers from as far away as Kansas to come to the Rio Grande Valley.
Drivers would communicate directly with Ruiz-Briones to set up the trips, give updates on progress and set meeting spots for drop-offs in Houston after successful smuggling operations. They would pick up illegal aliens from different stash houses and transport them to Houston, where they met with Ruiz-Briones before going further into the United States.
Ruiz-Briones handled payments from the aliens to come into the United States and payments to the drivers he recruited.
Over the course of the 18-month conspiracy, Ruiz-Briones arranged for over 100 aliens to enter, remain and be transported further into the United States.
An illegal alien himself having been removed from the United States on multiple occasions, he also pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States from Mexico and remaining here in violation of the law.
Ruiz-Briones has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Houston felon admits to shooting bystander during armed robbery spreeRead the Press Release
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.
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to brandishing and illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
On Feb. 22 and 23, Devonte Robinson robbed three Houston-area businesses at gunpoint - a Timewise, Circle K and Family Dollar. At the Timewise and Family Dollar, Robinson entered wearing a mask, brandished a firearm at employees and demanded cash from the registers.
At Circle K, Robinson shot a customer while trying to steal money from the victim’s hands. The customer pulled their own firearm and returned fire, causing patrons to run and hide inside the store.
Authorities discovered him with the weapon and same mask used in all three robberies as well as a large amount of cash.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal will impose sentencing Jan. 13, 2026. At that time, Robinson faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Happy Valley Woman Charged with Assaulting Federal Officer During Traffic StopRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Happy Valley, Oregon, woman made her initial appearance today after allegedly punching a Federal Protective Service (FPS) officer in the face during a traffic stop.
Melanie Breeanne Rivas, 25, has been charged by criminal complaint with Assault on a Federal Officer.
According to court documents, on October 29, 2025, an FPS officer was on duty driving in a fully marked federal police patrol vehicle when he observed Rivas repeatedly turning her vehicle towards his vehicle and flipping him off. Rivas turned into the right lane, cutting off the officer, and continued to slam on her brakes in front of his vehicle for more than 4 miles. The officer attempted to change lanes, but Rivas repositioned her vehicle in front of the officer and continued to brake sharply. After initiating a traffic stop, the officer asked Rivas to step out of her vehicle and Rivas refused instead reaching for items in her center console. Once Rivas stepped out of the vehicle, she continued to disregard orders. As the officer attempted to handcuff Rivas, she punched the officer in the face.
Rivas made her first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was ordered released pending further court proceedings.
The FPS is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Grand Island Man Charged with Assault and Attempted Murder of Federal Task Force OfficersRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Justin Jelinek, 43, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was charged on October 29, 2025, by criminal complaint in Lincoln, Nebraska. Jelinek is charged with Assault on a Federal Task Force Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon, Attempted Murder of a Federal Task Force Officer, Discharge of a Firearm During and Relation to a Crime of Violence, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography. These charges carry penalties with a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment to life. Discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence carries with it a 10-year mandatory minimum imprisonment term and qualifies for up to life in prison.
The complaint alleges that on October 15, 2025, Jelinek fired upon Federal Task Force Officers with employed with the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations when executing a judicially issued search warrant in relation to receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials.
The complaint alleges that Jelinek confronted the officers with a firearm when they entered his residence after he did not respond to knocking and officers’ commands. Jelinek is alleged to have fired one round from a high-powered rifle when negotiations with Jelinek to drop his weapon and end the confrontation peacefully and safely failed. Jelinek shot out the front door of the residence at 7 officers who were on or around on the front porch. One officer returned fire. Eventually, Jelinek surrendered and was arrested. The officers executed the search warrant and seized several electronic devices and performed a preliminary review for child sexual abuse materials. Law enforcement obtained additional search warrants while on site and seized firearms valued at approximately $100,000 and approximately 25,000 rounds of ammunition.
Jelinek appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Jacqueline M. DeLuca on October 30, 2025, for his initial appearance. A preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, before Magistrate Judge DeLuca.
“This case underscores the extreme dangers our HSI agents and Task Force Officers face every day in the pursuit of justice and the protection of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge for HSI Kansas City Mark Zito. “Despite Jelinek’s continued disregard for anyone other than himself, our Task Force Officers remained steadfast in their mission to hold him accountable. HSI, in collaboration with our partners, will ensure that he faces the full weight of federal justice for his actions. We are grateful that our officers and task force members emerged from this incident unharmed, and we remain committed to safeguarding the public from those who threaten the safety and security of our communities.”
A Criminal Complaint is a charging document that contains one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 420 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – On October 30, 2025, James J. Oldham, V, 28 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and to distributing fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Oldham was sentenced to 420 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Oldham went to trial in November of 2024, but he decided to plead guilty after the fourth day of trial. Oldham coordinated the transportation and distribution of massive quantities of fentanyl pills from Arizona to Indiana, distributing the pills in northeastern and central Indiana. Oldham recruited young women to transport his drugs on commercial airlines, including two minors under the age of 18.
"Fentanyl is not just an illegal drug - it’s a weapon of destruction in our communities, destroying lives and devastating families,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “This sentence underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to remove these dangerous dealers from our streets and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
“James Oldham organized a criminal conspiracy to traffic enormous quantities of a deadly and addictive poison into northern Indiana,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “To further this illicit scheme, he enlisted others—including two underage girls—to serve as drug mules. The hefty sentence he received is just in light of the harm his trade has visited on our communities and the callous disregard he demonstrated towards the vulnerable women and girls swept up in his scheme. My thanks go out to the exceptional team of law enforcement professionals who worked diligently to put him in federal prison.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, Indiana State Police, Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory, the Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department, the Glendale (Arizona) Police Department, and the Allen County (Indiana) Prosecuting Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identified, disrupted, and dismantled the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leveraged the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. OCDETF’s mission has since been brought under the ambit of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) program.
Former Spartanburg County Sheriff, 2 Employees Plead Guilty in Public Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Charles “Chuck” Wright, 60, the former sheriff of Spartanburg County; Amos Durham 61, a former chaplain for the department; and Lawson B. Watson 63, a former employee, have pleaded guilty for their participation in a public corruption scheme that defrauded the county of public funds for years.
Wright pleaded guilty to Counts 1, 2 and 3 of the Information. Count 1 charges conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Count 2 charges conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Wright faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Count 3 charges obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation, which carries a maximum penalty of four years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Wright must pay a special assessment of $100 for each count.
Amos Durham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100. Lawson B. Watson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, plus a special assessment of $100.
Chief United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing sentencing reports prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
According to court documents, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain’s Benevolence Fund (the Benevolence Fund) is a non-profit organization that provides financial and emotional assistance to officers of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office during times of need, such as bereavement, financial difficulties, and traumatic line-of-duty events. Wright, in his capacity as sheriff, hired Durham as the Director of the Benevolence Fund. In that position, Durham was responsible for administering the fund. Durham and Wright abused their positions and conspired to siphon public funds from the Benevolence Fund for their private use.
In March 2005, Wright hired Watson as an employee of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. From at least as early as January 2021 through March 2025, Watson certified on his timesheet that he worked a full-time job. In fact, Watson received a full salary and benefits for work that he did not perform. Wright allowed Watson to continue to fraudulently receive a paycheck and benefits of approximately $200,000 for work that he did not perform.
In May of 2023 through September 2023, Wright knowingly and intentionally obtained 147 pills of oxycodone and hydrocodone by misrepresentation from an individual after representing that the pills would be turned in and destroyed as part of the “take back” narcotic disposal program administered by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. In fact, Wright was obtaining the narcotics for his own personal use.
“Thank you to our investigation and prosecution partners and their respective offices, to Solicitor Micah Black, Chief of SLED Mark Keel, FBI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore, and the federal prosecutors and support members in our office,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “In South Carolina we are so fortunate to have local, state, and federal law enforcement in lock step in every case and defendant brought to justice. I want to make it very clear no one is above the law, especially those that wear the badge. Stealing from a fund that’s supposed to benefit law enforcement families in their darkest hours is not something that can be condoned. Finally, if you hold a position of trust and abuse that trust, your misconduct will meet the full force of the law.”
“The defendants held positions of power within the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office but chose to abuse the public’s trust,” said Kevin Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia field office, “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always pursue and hold accountable anyone who misuses the power and trust granted to them – no matter who they are or where they serve.”
“The task of investigating a popular and powerful local sheriff is never an easy one,” said Micah Black, 10th Circuit Solicitor. “I would like to thank Chief Keel and his team at the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, including Special Agent Austin Mills, for their persistence in this case. They worked closely with their counterparts at the Federal Bureau of Investigation during this joint investigation. Additionally, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina has been relentless in their pursuit of justice in this case, and we were proud to partner with them in this prosecution. Without the hard work of all involved, today’s guilty plea would not have happened.”
“I’d like to thank our state and federal law enforcement and prosecution partners who worked together to ensure that justice was served. These offenses aren’t just against the law – these actions by public servants violate the public’s trust,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “No one, no matter their title, is above the law.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris is prosecuting the case.
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Foreign national admits to selling counterfeit cancer medicationRead the Press Release
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.
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Indian national has pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell and ship counterfeit oncology pharmaceuticals into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
From August 2018 to June 2024, Sanjay Kumar and others arranged the sale and trafficking of counterfeit versions of the cancer drug Keytruda worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Keytruda is an FDA-approved immunotherapy used to treat melanoma and Hodgkin lymphoma as well as lung, head and neck, gastric, cervical and breast cancers. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, formerly Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., holds the exclusive right to authorize the manufacturing of genuine Keytruda.
The counterfeit Keytruda Kumar sold bore fake trademarks and lacked the active ingredient needed to treat cancer. Instead, it contained fillers and adulterants with no medical purpose. The packaging was also counterfeit, bearing marks nearly identical to those registered to Merck.
During an undercover operation, Kumar attempted to sell additional quantities of counterfeit Keytruda. He admitted he knew the drugs would not work to treat cancer, describing them as “just like water.”
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal will impose sentencing Jan. 13. At that time, Kumar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Food and Drug Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman and Trial Attorneys Ethan Cantor, Bryce Rosenbower and Jeff Pearlman of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Arrested and Charged After Stealing Multiple Firearms from a Storage LockerRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced today that Sidney Campbell, 45, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged yesterday by criminal complaint with illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to the criminal complaint, Campbell possessed a loaded firearm and ammunition on May 15, 2025, and transferred them to another person that same day. According to the complaint, Campbell was previously convicted of burglary in the first degree in 2001 and has six prior felony convictions in the State of Hawaii, and therefore was forbidden by federal law from possessing firearms.
The complaint also alleges that on October 25, 2025, Campbell broke into a storage locker in Pearl City and stole firearms and ammunition. After the break-in, on October 27, 2025, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified Campbell on surveillance video breaking into the storage locker. Upon arrest, Campbell admitted to the break-in and provided information that led FBI to recover three pistols, six rifles, and various gun parts including barrels, magazines, firing bolts, and two suppressors.
If convicted of the charged offense, Campbell faces up to fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge in the criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Honolulu Police Department, with the assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Arizona Leader of Violent Extremist Network ‘764’ Charged with Running a Child Exploitation Enterprise, Supporting Terrorists, Producing and Distributing Child Pornography, and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Arizona has returned a 29-count superseding indictment against Baron Cain Martin, known online as “Convict” (among other monikers), 21, of Tucson, Arizona. The superseding indictment charges Martin with participating in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, conspiring to kill, kidnap or maim persons in a foreign country, producing child pornography (five counts), distributing child pornography (11 counts), coercing and enticing minors to engage in sexual activity (three counts), cyberstalking (three counts), animal crushing and distribution of animal crush videos, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Martin has been in federal custody since his arrest on federal charges on December 11, 2024.
“This man’s alleged crimes are unthinkably depraved and reflect the horrific danger of 764 — if convicted, he will face severe consequences as we work to dismantle this evil network,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I urge parents to remain vigilant about the threats their children face online.”
“Martin is charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, participating in a child exploitation enterprise, and producing child pornography, among many others,” said FBI Director Patel. “His actions as a leader of this criminal network were so atrocious and extreme that he is charged with supporting terrorism. It's alleged that Martin not only committed these crimes but wrote and posted a guide for others to use to identify, groom, and extort their own victims. The FBI will not stop until we find those who perpetrate these horrific crimes that prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
“Martin stands accused of engaging in conduct specifically intended to inflict pain, spread fear, and destroy innocence,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His alleged actions targeting children as part of the 764 online terror network are so depraved they defy comprehension. We will use every available tool to protect our children and ensure that those who perpetrate such acts of pure evil face the full force of justice.”
“The defendant’s alleged actions in this case are an assault on the basic foundations of human decency,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine stated. “While cowardly hiding his identity behind a screen and a moniker, Mr. Martin preyed upon vulnerable victims while promoting some of the sickest forms of human depravity. It is an honor for the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona to fight against this nihilistic violence by bringing the full weight of American justice against its proponents.”
According to court documents, Martin is a member and leader of “764,” a criminal organization of Nihilistic Violent Extremists (NVEs) operating within the United States and abroad. Those involved with the 764 network methodically target vulnerable, underage populations by using social media to encourage the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Members of 764 seek to desensitize young people to violence and break down societal norms regarding violence. They normalize the possession, production, and sharing of explicit CSAM and gore material to corrupt and groom their victims toward future violence, gain notoriety among other members of the network, and spread fear for the purpose of accelerating chaos under the 764 ideology with an aim toward the disruption of society.
The superseding indictment alleges that, since approximately 2019, Martin, using his online moniker “Convict,” has been a participant and administrator in 764 chatrooms, has coerced multiple victims into creating child pornography, extortion videos, and animal crushing videos. Martin also wrote a detailed guide that was posted online detailing how to identify, groom, and extort vulnerable juveniles, and advised readers to target victims struggling with mental health.
The superseding indictment accuses Martin of providing material support to terrorists by providing himself as personnel, services, and expert advice or assistance to carry out a conspiracy to kill or maim a person in a foreign country. In furtherance of the conspiracy to provide material support, the superseding indictment alleges that in September 2022, Martin conspired with others to coerce and direct a victim living outside the United States to self-harm, self-maim, and self-kill.
In addition to the terrorism and conspiracy to kill or maim a person in a foreign country, the superseding indictment accuses Martin of using wire communications in a conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and of conspiring to commit wire fraud.
Martin is also accused of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise during which he produced and distributed child pornography. The superseding indictment also includes five separate counts of production of child pornography, eleven counts of distribution of child pornography, and three counts relating to the coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. In total, the superseding indictment alleges Martin victimized at least nine victims. Eight of Martin’s victims were minors at the time he committed the offenses and their ages were between the ages of 11 and 15 years old.
Martin is alleged to have also engaged in animal crushing and of distributing animal crush videos to 764 members. He is accused of cyberstalking three separate victims, two of whom were minors at the time of the offenses.
If convicted, Martin faces a penalty of up to life in prison for each count that accuses him of participating in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiracy to kill, kidnap or maim persons in a foreign country, and coercion and enticement of a child; 30 years in prison for each count of production of child pornography, and 15 years for providing material support to terrorists; up to 20 years in prison for cyberstalking resulting in permanent disfigurement or bodily injury and wire fraud conspiracy; and 10 years in prison for cyberstalking a minor and use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Martin also faces mandatory minimum sentences of 20 years for the child exploitation enterprise, 15 years for production of child pornography, and 5 years for distribution of child pornography for each applicable count. Each offense also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and up to a lifetime of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liza Granoff and Kevin Schiff for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Justice Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI and the FBI’s March 2025 public service announcement.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
20 Arrested in Mississippi Delta Drug Conspiracy Takedown with FBIRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – 20 Mississippi and Tennessee individuals were arrested today on criminal charges related to their alleged participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Mississippi delta.
According to court documents, Brandon Addison, Javery Howard, Milton Gaston, Truron Grayson, Bruce Williams, Sean Williams, Dexture Franklin, Wendell Johnson, Marcus Nolan, Aasahn Roach, Jeremy Sallis, Torio Chaz Wiseman, Pierre Lakes, Derrik Wallace, Marquivious Bankhead, Chaka Gaines, Martavis Moore, Jamario Sanford, Marvin Flowers, and Dequarian Smith are all charged with drug distribution. These individuals were arrested in numerous counties within the Northern District of Mississippi and Shelby County, TN.
In addition, 19 individuals are charged with violating federal firearm laws pertaining to carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. As stated in the indictments, 14 of these individuals were local law enforcement officials in the Mississippi delta. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi; Deputy Director Andrew Bailey of the FBI and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service provided invaluable assistance in today’s arrests. The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Mims is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
29 October 2025
- Twenty-Six Individuals and Companies Indicted in Puerto Rico Tax Debt Scheme Involving over $3.5 Million
Tuscaloosa Man Sentenced for Possessing Gun as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa man has been sentenced for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Raymone Eugene Tabb, 33, to 22 months in prison. In April, Tabb pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, in June 2024, officers with the Tuscaloosa Police Department were dispatched to an apartment complex in Tuscaloosa for a trespass call. Officers arrived and observed Tabb walking away from the apartment complex. As officers approached Tabb, he fled on foot. Tabb was apprehended after a short pursuit, and officers recovered a loaded firearm from Tabb’s waistband.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.
Ten members of drug and gun trafficking groups arrested on indictments and criminal complaintsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A law enforcement operation lead by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seattle Police Department made ten arrests yesterday in connection with three significant, interrelated, drug and gun trafficking conspiracies, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The defendants have been appearing in U.S. District Court in Seattle yesterday and today. The arrests are the culmination of a year-long investigation by area law enforcement officers.
“These defendants were trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin on the streets of western Washington. These drugs take a heavy toll on our community,” said U.S. Attorney Floyd. “Worse yet, this group trafficked in dozens of firearms – some of them high powered assault style weapons. Yesterday alone law enforcement seized 34 firearms.”
“This heavily armed Transnational Criminal Organization threatened all of Western Washington by trafficking guns and fentanyl from Lewis County to Snohomish County,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Our entire region is safer today because of the efforts of DEA and our partners, who literally risked their lives to confront this threat to our communities.”
“This violent organization not only trafficked dangerous drugs but was responsible for putting firearms on our city streets,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes. “I’m thankful for the great work of our Seattle Police officers and our federal partners.”
Those arrested on indictments yesterday include:
Luis Humberto Lamas-Guzman, 25, of Lynnwood, Washington
Eduardo Villavicencio-Salido, 44, of Marysville, Washington
Silvestre Ramos Martinez, 35, of Everett, Washington
Jose Navarro Hernandez “Robert”, 46, of Marysville, Washington
Jose Manuel Ramos Ibarra “Kora”, 28, of Everett, Washington
Marisol Perez-Diaz, 23, of Auburn, Washington
Jordan Martinez Gamez, 23, of Auburn, Washington
Those arrested on criminal complaints include:
Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga, 30, of Sammamish, Washington
Roni Licona Escoto, 56, of Seattle
Edgar Rivas Robles, 33, of Centralia, Washington
Search warrants were served at twelve different locations including at a largely undeveloped “stash property” linked to Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga in Centralia, Washington. The house
contained 25 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder, more than 90,000 fentanyl pills and two dozen firearms. Zuniga was arrested in his vehicle with 1.6 kilos of suspected fentanyl. At his Sammamish home investigators seized heroin, fentanyl, and a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol.
In the arrest operation yesterday law enforcement seized approximately 100,000 fentanyl pills, 34 kilos of fentanyl powder, 3.7 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly a kilogram of heroin and 8.7 kilos of cocaine. Law enforcement also seized $40,000 in cash.
The charges contained in the indictments and criminal complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
In addition to DEA and SPD, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is part of the investigation.
These agencies provided assistance in the law enforcement operation on October 28, 2025: Seattle Police Department (SWAT & Community Response Group), North Sound Metro (Regional SWAT), Snohomish County (Region 1 SWAT), Washington State Patrol (SWAT), Centralia Police Department (SWAT), Customs & Border Patrol (BORTAC), Valley (Regional SWAT), King County Sheriff’s Office (SWAT – TAC 30)
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys C. Andrew Colasurdo and Joseph Silvio.
Sex Offender Sentenced for Possessing More than 13,000 Images of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A repeat sex offender has been sentenced for possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Joel Wesley Dillard, 47, of Morris, Alabama, to 189 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. In June, Dillard pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement, on June 24, 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent a tip to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) cyber tip line. On June 15, 2022, Snapchat reported to NCMEC that Dillard had uploaded videos of child pornography to his account. During the investigation, the GBI determined that the IP address used to access Dillard’s accounts originated in Morris, Alabama, and subsequently transferred the case to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). ALEA executed a search warrant at Dillard’s residence, where agents seized 17 electronic devices. A forensic examination of the devices revealed more than 13,000 images of child pornography. Agents also discovered Telegram messages on Dillard’s cell phone, including a conversation in which he agreed to trade child pornography with other users.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Omaha Gang Member Who Received Clemency Charged in ShootingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Khyre Holbert, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was charged by complaint for being a felon in possession of a firearm for his role in a shooting that occurred in Omaha, Nebraska on October 4, 2025. In November, 2018, Holbert pled guilty to three violations of federal law and was sentenced to 240 months of imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. Subsequent to his sentencing, on January 21, 2025, Holbert was granted clemency by former United States President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. At the time, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska objected to the grant of clemency due to Holbert’s gang affiliation and significant criminal history, along with the nature of his criminal convictions in that case, which included possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Clemency was ordered over that objection.
A Criminal Complaint is a charging document that contains one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
An unsealed complaint affidavit was filed in conjunction with the charge that details Holbert’s criminal history, which is alleged to have disqualified Holbert from legally possessing a firearm on October 4, 2025, in the District of Nebraska. Holbert had several criminal convictions related to illegal firearms possession prior to his grant of clemency and prior to his alleged possession of a firearm on October 4, 2025.
As the complaint alleges, the same firearm that Holbert possessed during the shooting is allegedly a match for the firearm that was used in multiple other violent gun offenses that were committed earlier this year in Nebraska. The complaint alleges that Holbert attempted to dispose of the weapon, but it was recovered by law enforcement later. Forensics technicians were allegedly able to identify Holbert’s fingerprints on the seized firearm from the October 4, 2025 shooting. The firearm itself was loaded and equipped with a high-capacity magazine.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, “The Biden Administration’s last-minute commutations were not only a cruel blow to victims’ families, but also a fundamental failure to hold criminals accountable. This tragic case proves that crime must be met with consequences, not weakness. Our prosecutors in Nebraska are doing the job that the prior administration refused to do.”
United States Attorney Lesley Woods commends the tireless efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department to investigate this incident and to collect the evidence necessary to take a dangerous felon like Khyre Holbert back off the streets of Omaha. Woods stated, “Khyre Holbert should never have been prematurely released from federal prison and been free to participate in this violence. Omaha is safer with Mr. Holbert back in custody and off the streets. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska will fight to keep Mr. Holbert – and any other gang members who participate in similar violent acts – in federal custody.”
Special Agent Eugene Kowel, leader of the Omaha Federal Bureau of Investigation field division stated, “Protecting the public from violent criminals remains a top priority of the FBI. Federal, state, and local law enforcement on the Omaha Safe Streets Task Force work tirelessly to apprehend violent gang members who terrorize our communities. We will continue working with our partners to crush violent crime and safeguard our neighborhoods from individuals like Khyre Holbert.”
Nine Alleged Oakland Sureño Gang Members Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy in Connection with Murders and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted nine men on charges of racketeering conspiracy in connection with two murders, three attempted murders, narcotics and firearms distribution, and other related crimes allegedly perpetrated on behalf of two Oakland-based Sureño street gangs.
The nine defendants, Marvin Bonilla, a/k/a “Malandro,” 24; Edwin Cano-Merida, aka “Zombie,” 24; Cesar Rolando Lucas-Pablo, a/k/a “Lobo,” 28; Walfer Mendoza-Mendoza, a/k/a “Shorty,” 31; Gonzalo Pablo, a/k/a “Chalo,” 25; Jeronimo “Orlando” Pablo-Carrillo, a/k/a “Paisano,” 41; Mario Pablo-Matias, a/k/a “Chuco,” 24; Raymundo Pablo-Matias, a/k/a “El Moch,” 31; and Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza, a/k/a “Minch,” 28, were charged in an indictment filed October 9, 2025, and unsealed today.
Six of the nine defendants were arrested this morning in coordinated law enforcement operations. Lucas-Pablo and Pablo-Carrillo were already in custody, and Gonzalo Pablo remains at large. A number of the defendants are unlawfully residing in the United States.
“Like people everywhere, the residents of Oakland deserve safe and peaceful neighborhoods, not ones filled with fear and senseless violence. The Administration has made it clear that enough is enough. This indictment charges nine members of the Oakland Sureños for their roles in a dangerous criminal enterprise that inflicted harm throughout Oakland,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “My office will continue to partner with local and federal law enforcement to reclaim our streets from the gangs who threaten our residents. We could not have done this case without the involvement of many law enforcement partners and, in particular, I would like to thank the FBI and the Oakland Police Department for their excellent work.”
“The alleged criminal activity of these gang members has plagued Oakland’s neighborhoods and put innocent residents at risk,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to prioritize violent crime and eradicate gang activity that threatens the safety and stability of our communities. While we continue to focus on disrupting the violent and illicit operations of local street gangs, today’s arrests mark significant progress in that ongoing fight. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not allow violent gangs to operate with impunity or endanger the citizens we are sworn to protect.”
“These individuals have caused lasting damage to our community for years,” said Assistant Chief James Beere of the Oakland Police Department. “Their violent actions, including shootings and homicides, have left families mourning and communities forever changed. We are grateful for the efforts of our local law enforcement partners, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as we work together to seek justice for the victims and their families.”
According to the indictment, the nine defendants were members of a racketeering enterprise referred to in the indictment as the Oakland Sureños, a criminal street gang whose members lived in and around Oakland, California. The Oakland Sureños were part of the larger Sureños criminal street gang and, like the larger Sureños gang, generally recognized the primacy of the Mexican Mafia prison gang. The larger Sureños gang was organized into “cliques,” smaller groups that typically operated within specific territory.
SAP and SSL-502 were among the Oakland Sureños cliques. SAP originally stood for “San Antonio Park,” a public park located between 16th Avenue and 18th Avenue in Oakland, which SAP had claimed as its primary turf before moving to Estuary Park around 2019. SSL-502, which stood for South Side Locos combined with “502,” the telephone country code for Guatemala, originally claimed as its turf the area surrounding the 1300 and 1400 blocks of 72nd Avenue before expanding to Arroyo Viejo Park in approximately 2017. Members of the cliques engaged in criminal conduct for the benefit of the street gang, its members, and the larger Sureños organization. Gang members perpetrated crimes, including murder, shootings, firearms trafficking, and narcotics trafficking, to enhance and protect the power, territory, and profit of the gang and to gain entry into, and improve a member’s status in, the gang. These crimes included committing violence against gang rivals perceived as disrespecting the Oakland Sureños, which led to innocent members of the public being injured or killed.
In furtherance of the Oakland Surenos, defendants allegedly committed more than a dozen criminal acts. The list of crimes includes two murders, both occurring in 2019, of men who were perceived to be rivals of the Oakland Sureños. In addition to the murder allegations, additional crimes described in the indictment that defendants allegedly committed include three attempted murders (two with firearms and one with a baseball bat), attempted robbery, narcotics trafficking, and firearms trafficking.
In sum, each defendant is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, the indictment alleges that special sentencing factors apply to six defendants as follows:
- Gonzalo Pablo for his role in the November 22, 2018, attempted murder of an unidentified victim;
- Cesar Rolando Lucas-Pablo, Jeronimo “Orlando” Pablo-Carrillo, and Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza for their respective roles in the January 5, 2019, murder of a victim identified as “R.B.P.”;
- Carlos Ramiro-Mendoza and Jeronimo “Orlando” Pablo-Carillo for their respective roles in the January 19, 2019, murder of a victim identified as “S.R.J.”; and
- Edwin Cano-Merida and Mario Pablo-Matias for their respective roles in the May 15, 2021 attempted murder of a victim identified “M.M.”
The maximum statutory penalty applying to these violations is life in prison. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on October 30, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis James, Andy Scoble, Jonah Ross, and Wendy Garbers, with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the FBI, the Oakland Police Department, and the FBI SF East Bay Violent Crime Task Force, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration for today’s arrests.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Region 2 San Francisco/Sacramento Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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).
Mounds Man Sentenced for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mounds man was sentenced today for Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced Dylan Ray Yahola, 33, to 200 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Yahola will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Johnson further ordered Yahola to pay $33,000 in restitution. That money goes directly to the victims identified in the child sexual abuse material that he possessed.
In December 2024, Yahola got into an argument with his girlfriend. During that argument, Yahola’s girlfriend discovered that he was sexting with a 16-year-old he knew through social media. His girlfriend then reported this to the police.
Investigators obtained a search warrant and found that Yahola requested the minor victim to produce nude photos and videos of themselves and to share them with him. In return, Yahola sent the minor victim naked photos and videos of himself. During the investigation, officers found that Yahola had previously downloaded and saved more than 30 images and over 800 videos that showed children being sexually abused. Some images included toddlers being sexually abused.
Yahola is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s centralized reporting system for suspected child sexual exploitation. NCMEC reports that its CyberTipline has received more than 195 million reports related to Child Sexual Abuse Material, commonly referred to as CSAM. NCMEC’s Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more than 425 million images and videos and identified more than 30,000 victims.
Through technology, CSAM images and videos can be found in any online realm, causing the children who were initially sexually abused to be revictimized, over and over, with each share. Families of exploited children often feel alone and overwhelmed by the impact CSAM has on their lives. NCMEC provides assistance and support to families impacted by child sexual exploitation. They work with the victim's family by referring them to appropriate local professionals for longer-term support. NCMEC also has a volunteer program that connects families to others who have experienced the crisis of a sexually exploited child.
The FBI and Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Harris and Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Illinois Man Arrested for Alleged Threats Against the PresidentRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – An El Paso, Illinois, man, Derek Lopez, 27, has been charged in federal court with making threats against President Donald J. Trump. Lopez was arrested on October 28, 2025. Preliminary and detention hearings are scheduled for Monday, November 3, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Peoria, Illinois.
If convicted, Lopez faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, with assistance from the United States Secret Service, the El Paso Police Department, the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Illinois State University Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Criminal Chief Darilynn J. Knauss.
Members of the public are reminded that the charges in a complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Illegal Alien sentenced to 25 years for operating methamphetamine conversion labRead the Press Release
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.
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for running a clandestine methamphetamine conversion laboratory in Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Carlos Reyes Flores pleaded guilty July 28.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks has ordered Reyes Flores to serve 300 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard detailed about the scope of the operation. Judge Hanks noted the lengthy prison term reflects the court’s responsibility to the people that methamphetamine distribution and addiction harms and explained that the court had a duty to issue a sentence that discourages others from engaging in similar criminal conduct.
From May to September 2020, Reyes Flores operated a methamphetamine conversion lab in Houston to process and distribute drugs smuggled between Mexico and the United States.
He oversaw workers who converted liquid methamphetamine imported from Mexico into crystal form and coordinated its distribution throughout the Greater Houston area.
On Sept. 1, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Houston location where they recovered over 30 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. They also found equipment and materials used for the conversion process throughout the premises.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Harris County Precinct Five Constable’s Office and police departments in Baytown, Navasota, Pasadena and Deer Park.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Lu and Michael E. Day prosecuted the case.
Houston man charged with armed robbery of multiple smoke shopsRead the Press Release
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.
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old man has been charged in a nine-count federal indictment for multiple robberies and related firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Previously in custody on related charges, De Aundre Devoy Jones is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho Nov. 7 at 10 a.m.
The indictment alleges that between Jan. 26-30, Jones and others conspired to rob several Houston-area businesses. They allegedly planned and carried out a series of armed commercial robberies for money. According to the charges, the group worked together, aiding and abetting one another during the robberies.
On Jan. 26, Jones and his conspirators allegedly robbed the Supreme Smoke Vape shop located at 11460 Fuqua Street in Houston. The conspirators brandished firearms at the store clerk and demanded cash from the registers, according to the allegations.
The indictment alleges that two days later, Jones and others allegedly targeted two Vape City locations in Houston and similarly brandished firearms at the store clerk, demanding cash from the registers.
Then on Jan. 30, he and his conspirators also robbed Texas Rock and Roll, a vape shop located on 1960 Road West in Houston, according to the charges. The conspirators allegedly brandished firearms at the store clerk and stole cash before fleeing.
If convicted, Jones faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each robbery count as well as a mandatory minimum of seven years per count for aiding and abetting brandishing a firearm during the robberies which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. The charges could also result in a possible $250,000 maximum fine on each count.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian BrokerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today in connection with selling his employer’s trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Williams pleaded to two counts of theft of trade secrets. The material, stolen over a three-year period from the U.S. defense contractor where he worked, was comprised of national-security focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components. Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies. Williams sold the trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker that publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government.
Each of the charges carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.
Joining in the announcement were U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alexander Arnett of the Baltimore Field Office.
"America's national security is NOT FOR SALE, especially in an evolving threat landscape where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens. said Attorney General Bondi. “Thank you to all the attorneys who worked so hard to secure this guilty plea”
“We continue to vigorously investigate those who betray our national security by selling valuable U.S. trade secrets to international cyber brokers who support foreign cyber actors,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “These international cyber brokers are the next wave of international arms dealers and we continue to be vigilant about their activities. The conduct here caused over $35 million of loss to a company in the District of Columbia and allowed non-allied foreign cyber actors to obtain sophisticated cyber exploits that were likely used against numerous unsuspecting victims.”
“Williams betrayed the United States and his employer by first stealing and then selling intelligence-related software to a foreign broker that touted its ties to Russia and other foreign governments,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Eisenberg. “His conduct was deliberate and deceitful, imperiling our national security for the sake of personal gain. Today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to ensuring that insiders who abuse their positions of trust face serious consequences.”
“Today’s guilty plea is the result of an extensive investigation by the FBI Baltimore Field Office in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Arnett of the Baltimore Field Office. “Peter Williams betrayed the United States and our allies by selling trade secrets. The harm caused by his crimes cannot be undone. The FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who threatens U.S. national security.”
According to the facts admitted in connection with the guilty plea, from approximately 2022 through 2025, Williams improperly used his access to the defense contractor’s secure network to steal the cyber exploit components that constituted the trade secrets.
Williams resold those components in exchange for the promise of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. To effectuate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means. He used the proceeds to buy himself high-value items.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Baltimore Field Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Jason McCullough for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Substantial assistance was also provided by interim U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford for the District of Oregon prior to his current appointment.
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Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian BrokerRead the Press Release
Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today in connection with selling his employer’s trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker, the Justice Department announced today.
Williams pleaded to two counts of theft of trade secrets. The material, stolen over a three-year period from the U.S. defense contractor where he worked, was comprised of national-security focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components. Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies. Williams sold the trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker that publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government.
Each of the charges carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.
“America's national security is NOT FOR SALE, especially in an evolving threat landscape where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thank you to all the attorneys who worked so hard to secure this guilty plea.”
“Williams betrayed the United States and his employer by first stealing and then selling intelligence-related software to a foreign broker that touted its ties to Russia and other foreign governments,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His conduct was deliberate and deceitful, imperiling our national security for the sake of personal gain. Today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to ensuring that insiders who abuse their positions of trust face serious consequences.”
“We continue to vigorously investigate those who betray our national security by selling valuable U.S. trade secrets to international cyber brokers who support foreign cyber actors,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These international cyber brokers are the next wave of international arms dealers and we continue to be vigilant about their activities. The conduct here caused over $35 million of loss to a company in the District of Columbia and allowed non-allied foreign cyber actors to obtain sophisticated cyber exploits that were likely used against numerous unsuspecting victims.”
“Williams placed greed over freedom and democracy by stealing and reselling $35 million of cyber trade secrets from a U.S. cleared defense contractor to a Russian Government supplier,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “By doing so, he gave Russian cyber actors an advantage in their massive campaign to victimize U.S. citizens and businesses. This plea sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will defend the homeland and bring to justice anyone who helps our adversaries jeopardize U.S. national security."
According to the facts admitted in connection with the guilty plea, from approximately 2022 through 2025, Williams improperly used his access to the defense contractor’s secure network to steal the cyber exploit components that constituted the trade secrets.
Williams resold those components in exchange for the promise of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. To effectuate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means. He used the proceeds to buy himself high-value items.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Baltimore Field Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Jason McCullough for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Substantial assistance was also provided by interim U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford for the District of Oregon prior to his current appointment.
Florida man who traveled from Florida to Western New York to have sex with a minor pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jose Francisco Cardoso Tehovnik, 23, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik, who was 21 years old at the time, began communicating with a 16-year-old minor victim on Snapchat. On February 19, 2024, the minor victim sent a 10 second video file depicting the minor victim to Cardoso Tehovnik, which constituted child pornography. In addition, Cardoso Tehovnik received images of the minor victim, which constituted child pornography, on two separate occasions in April 2024.
In late April 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik flew from Florida to the Western District of New York to meet the minor victim in person. Cardoso Tehovnik rented a hotel room in the Niagara Falls area. On April 27, 2024, the minor victim met Cardoso Tehovnik in the hotel room and the two engaged in sexual activity. On June 4, 2024, Tehovnik came back to the Western District of New York, picked up the minor victim, and traveled to New Jersey, where law enforcement located him with the victim. Tehovnik was arrested and taken into custody.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, and the Beach Haven, NJ, Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Markoski.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 19, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Federal Jury finds Armed Career Criminal Guilty of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a two-day trial, a federal jury found Memphis man Derrick Richard, 36, guilty of one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and made a special finding that Richard had previously been convicted of three violent felonies on different occasions. As a result, Richard faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and being an Armed Career Criminal (ACC). United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on December 22, 2022, an officer with the Memphis Police Department arrested Richard and discovered a Jimenez .25 caliber pistol in Richard’s pocket.
Sentencing is set on January 30, 2026, before United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Under our PSN initiative, we promote public safety by removing firearms from the hands of prohibited persons and by removing dangerous felons from our streets. This recidivist armed career criminal is one more gun-toter who will now be removed from our community for at least 15 years.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jermal Blanchard and Jennifer Musselwhite, 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.