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25 September 2025
St. Louis Area Siblings Sentenced to Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced two siblings to prison for aggravated identity theft and fraud.
Judge Clark sentenced Alexandria Collins, 34, of Shiloh, Ill., to 146 months in prison and Wayne M. Collins, 31, to 141 months in prison. Alexandria Collins also has to pay restitution of $449,984. Wayne Collins was ordered to pay $134,519.
In 2023, Wayne Collins was on supervised release for a 2018 case after having been sentenced to 42 months in prison for aiding and abetting the stealing of a firearm from a licensed gun dealer. The U.S. Probation Office conducted a search of his residence and discovered a phone that had been owned by his sister. The phone contained evidence of identity theft and wire fraud, including a counterfeit driver’s license with Wayne Collins’ picture and the name, Social Security number and birthdate of someone else. That victim’s identity had been used to open a $6,300 credit account on June 21, 2023. The phone also contained evidence of Wayne Collins’ possession and use of bank checks that had been stolen from the mail.
It also showed that Alexandria Collins had produced counterfeit ID and paystubs for multiple people, executed a wire fraud scheme to fraudulently obtain vehicle loans, used stolen identities to open credit accounts with retailers and cellphone companies, attempted to sell fraudulently-obtained vehicles through an auction company, facilitated the shipment of LSD through the U.S. Postal Service and produced counterfeit financial documents for someone to use in court proceedings.
In 2020, Alexandria Collins was sentenced to 33 months in prison for a fraud case and ordered to pay restitution of $131,710. After her release from federal prison and placement on house arrest on Sept. 13, 2021, she began living in a house in St. Charles County that had been rented by her boyfriend, a convicted felon, using a stolen identity and fake wage verification records. Alexandria Collins told her probation officer that the house had been rented by her sister. The couple and their children would later be evicted, owing the landlord $36,699 for rent, utilities and damage to the home. Collins then moved into a home in Shiloh, Ill. that she rented by using the stolen identity of Oneasha Stevenson and bogus tax records and bank statements. Collins again lied to her probation officer and said the home had been rented by her sister. She paid more than $9,000 in rent by funneling money through her boyfriend’s son’s student checking account.
On April 8, 2022, Collins opened an account at a credit union, falsely claiming that she was employed at a day care center. Over the next five months, Collins deposited or transferred a total of $40,065, proceeds of a fraudulent loan scheme involving a stolen 2014 Porsche Panamera. Collins was then involved with the sale of a 2011 Rolls Royce that netted $80,000. She did not tell her probation officer about her receipt of money via her involvement with auto sales. Instead, she falsely claimed to be working for a trucking company.
After Collins’ boyfriend was arrested on Oct. 26, 2022, the mother of one of his children tried to regain custody with the help of the Shiloh Police Department. Collins concealed his arrest from police and thwarted the mother by contacting her boyfriend’s brother on Facetime and having him impersonate her boyfriend.
Collins then struck a deal with Stevenson in which Stevenson used a stolen identity to purchase and attempt to purchase a vehicle, electronics and other merchandise with the help of both Collins siblings.
Wayne Collins pleaded guilty in May to aggravated identity theft in a case filed in 2024 and access device fraud in the 2022 case he shares with his sister and Stevenson. His sentence includes 129 months in prison for the current cases, and 12 months for violating his supervised release in the prior case.
Alexandria Collins pleaded guilty in May to one count of access device fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of making a false statement to the U.S. Probation Office. Her sentence includes 132 months in prison for her current case plus 14 months for violating her supervised release from the 2018 case.
Oneasha Stevenson, 35, of Berkeley, Missouri, was sentenced in July of 2024 to five years of probation and ordered to repay $3,584 to victims. Ultimately, she was ordered to serve 15 months in prison after repeatedly violating the terms of her probation, including the condition that she pay restitution.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Missouri Department of Revenue’s Compliance and Investigation Bureau and the U.S. Probation Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.
St. Charles Parish Woman Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ASHLEY HYMEL (“HYMEL”) age 42, a resident of Ama, Louisiana, was charged on September 18, 2025, by bill of information, with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
According to the bill of information, HYMEL used a company credit card to embezzle funds from her employer, Company 1, where she was an executive assistant. In total, HYMEL embezzled at least $130,663.92.
HYMEL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, followed by up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U. S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator and member of the Financial Crimes Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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Springfield Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass. man was convicted today of drug trafficking following a three-day trial in Springfield.
Marcus Hicks, 43, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 27, 2026. Hicks was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.
On Nov. 21, 2022, Hicks possessed 97 grams of cocaine, 15 grams of crack cocaine and two and one-half pounds of marijuana intended for distribution.
The charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England, Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan and Superintendent Lawrence Akers of the Springfield Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Ski Coach Sentenced to 78 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – John David Degelau, age 28, was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for Possession of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Degelau, a then-youth ski coach, created child pornography by imposing the faces of children he coached onto the bodies of child pornography victims.
“A ski coach who used photos of children he coached to create child pornography is now headed to federal prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Today alone, three child predators were sentenced in federal court for absolutely abhorrent conduct. This epidemic of abuse we are seeing in Minnesota is vile, it is devastating, and it must end.”
According to court documents, John Degelau was caught with over 18,000 files of child pornography. Law enforcement discovered Degelau was a local ski coach working with children. In reviewing Degelau’s devices, law enforcement found that he had created child pornography by using Adobe Photoshop. Degelau used that application by morphing/photoshopping pictures of the children’s faces he coached onto sexually explicit images, to make it appear as though Degelau was performing sex acts on the children. The investigation uncovered that Degelau’s devices also contained images of children swimming at a beach, apparently taken without their knowledge from a concealed position behind bushes or trees.
Degelau was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell. Judge Blackwell sentenced Degelau to 78 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Judge Blackwell ordered Degelau to pay a special assessment of more than $10,000 that will go to programs supporting victims of child pornography offenses and ordered Degelau to pay restitution to the victims of this crime.
“John Degelau will spend the next several years behind bars, a sentence that demonstrates the serious consequences for adults who abuse their position of trust,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Degelau used his access to children for the most sinister purpose: his own sexual gratification. Children in our community should be safe in every location, including at the beach and on the ski hill, but especially in the company of a trusted adult. The FBI appreciates our partnership with the Duluth Police on this important investigation.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Duluth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green prosecuted the case.
Serial Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Samuel Eric Snell, 46, was sentenced today to 240 months imprisonment followed by 10 years’ supervised release for Production of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“There is nothing more despicable than repeatedly abusing children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are seeing too many cases like this in Minnesota and every single one of them is unacceptable. Children in Minnesota deserve our protection and those who exploit them will face severe federal consequences.”
Snell for years was a user of gaming platform Discord. On this platform, Snell repeatedly solicited and received more than 400 images of nude photos of minor girls. Snell—at the time a 43-year-old man—posed as a man in his early 20s. He used this fake identity to approach a multitude of children as young as 12 years old. Snell victimized at least ten children using his lies, coercing and manipulating the victims to produce graphic child pornography. Snell also met with minors in person on multiple occasions.
As the government argued at sentencing, Snell selected his victims for their vulnerabilities. He took advantage of their youth, naivete, and difficult life circumstances to feed his own craven and twisted sexual desires. This was not a single mistake, nor was it a simple offense. It involved years of manipulation, thousands and thousands of messages, and affected over ten different children across multiple states. Snell abused and manipulated child after child and would still be doing so had he not been caught.
Snell was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim. In handing down the sentence Judge Tunheim noted, “This is a long sentence, but it is justified” primarily because Snell’s many victims would suffer traumatic effects of his crimes “probably for the rest of their lives.”
“Samuel Snell is a classic child predator, and today he received an appropriately harsh sentence,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Snell targeted vulnerable children, including those who had existing mental health concerns. He callously groomed and manipulated at least 10 children with total disregard for their wellbeing. The FBI will work tirelessly to identify and arrest anyone who preys on innocent children.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Inver Grove Heights Police and Woodbury Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir prosecuted the case.
Rock Hill Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Sean Demetrius Goins, 54, of Rock Hill, has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the defendant sold fentanyl or possessed with the intent to sell it on eight occasions. Goins was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that spanned from Rock Hill to Columbia. After his arrest in May 2023, federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration located four firearms, miscellaneous rounds of ammunition, two kilogram presses, 1,365 grams of fentanyl, and 494 grams of cocaine. Two of the firearms had previously been reported as stolen. The defendant was ultimately held responsible for 11,475 grams of fentanyl, 495 grams of cocaine, and 29 grams of fentanyl analogue.
The defendant had previously been convicted in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, for which he received a 20-year sentence. The defendant also had a prior felony conviction from 2020 for assault with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and habitual offender.
United States District Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced Goins to 245 months imprisonment, to be followed by an eight-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles 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 leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.
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Repeat Sexual Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, was sentenced today to 180 months imprisonment followed by 15 years’ supervised release for the Distribution of Child Pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“A 15-year sentence cannot undo the harm Lugo repeatedly inflicted on children, but it delivers justice and protection,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are prosecuting several cases like this in federal court today, and every one of them is heartbreaking. Minnesota’s children deserve protection, and those who prey on them will face federal consequences.”
In 2021, Lugo was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He received a stayed sentence of 144 months’ imprisonment, 180 days in the workhouse, and five years of predatory offender supervision. In October 2024, while Lugo was on supervision, he obtained a cell phone prohibited by the terms of his release. He used that unauthorized cell phone to download a social media application and receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material, depicting the sexual abuse of young children. The identified images and videos are of real children—real children experienced this abuse, which the defendant downloaded, consumed, and shared for his gratification.
Lugo was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. When handing down the sentence Judge Bryan noted that this crime is “one of the more egregious crimes we have in our society.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the suffering of the victims in this case and in Lugo’s prior sexual abuse case. No child should experience sexual violence and offenders must be held accountable.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Chaska Police Department and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.
Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Attempted Enticement of a Minor following Federal Jury TrialRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Brandon Bishop, age 38, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Attempted Enticement of a Minor following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City. The verdict was returned on September 23, 2025.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Bishop was arrested and federally indicted in August 2024 following the annual undercover operation targeting internet predators, which was conducted in western South Dakota during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Over the course of five days, Bishop engaged with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on MeetMe, an online “hookup” application, and via text messages. The minor was actually the undercover persona of a Rapid City Police Detective, assigned to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. When the minor declined to send him a naked photo of herself, which Bishop requested, Bishop asked her to have sex with him and described various sex acts to her. Bishop offered alcohol, drugs, and money to the minor if she would “chill” with him. On August 6, 2024, Bishop rode his bicycle to a nearby gas station to meet the minor but was instead confronted by law enforcement agents. Bishop fled on foot and threw his cellular phone into a storm drain. The phone was recovered, and evidence of Bishop’s crimes was located on it. Bishop later claimed he believed the person he was communicating with was an adult.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has been set for January 12, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Puro Tango Blast Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Firearms CasesRead the Press Release
A previously convicted felon who was a Puro Tango Blast gang member was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug and gun charges, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
In February 2025, Daniel Ortiz 34, of San Antonio, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of burglary involving controlled substances, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Yesterday, he was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
In court documents, Ortiz admitted that in January 2024, he and two codefendants burglarized a MedPlus Pharmacy located in San Antonio, Texas. On the morning of January 11, 2024, Ortiz and his codefendants used the Zello app on their cell phones to communicate before, during, and after the burglary. Zello is a cellular telephone application (app) that works as a secure push to talk radio using cellular networks and Wi-Fi. Ortiz admitted that on the morning of January 11, 2024, one of his codefendants made two false 911 calls with the intent to divert law enforcement officers away from the MedPlus Pharmacy. Following the 911 calls, Ortiz broke into the pharmacy and took quantities of codeine and other controlled substances (see photos below). Ortiz then transported the stolen drugs to the DFW area and attempted to sell them to customers.
Ortiz also admitted in court documents that on March 30, 2024, he was operating a stolen BMW X5 traveling with his girlfriend eastbound on Interstate 30 in the DFW area. Police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the stolen BMW and Ortiz fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. During the pursuant, the stolen BMW driven by Ortiz struck two other vehicles as he attempted to flee from officers. Ortiz admitted that after initially alluding police officers, he exited the interstate, abandoned the stolen BMW in a residential area, and fled on foot. Ortiz admitted that when he exited the BMW, he was in possession of a Glock, model 44, .22 caliber handgun. Ortiz fled to a nearby neighborhood and unlawfully entered a residence and attempted to hide. Law enforcement agents surrounded the residence, and Ortiz surrendered after a four-hour standoff. Ortiz is a multi-convicted felon and a Puro Tango Blast (PTB) member. PTB is a violent prison gang made up primarily of Hispanic men from Texas cities.
The investigation was conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Rick Calvert and Luis Suarez prosecuted the case.
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Punta Gorda Man Charged in Arson of Jewish CenterRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the issuance of a complaint and arrest warrant charging Blake Richard Hoover (31, Punta Gorda) with arson. If convicted on all counts, Hoover faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison.
According to the complaint, on or about September 19, 2025, Hoover set an intentional fire at the Chabad Jewish Center located at 424 W. Hendry Street in Punta Gorda, Florida. The Chabad Jewish Center is a Hebrew school and a community synagogue open to all people of Jewish faith.
On September 19, 2025, at approximately 10:48 p.m., a fire alarm within the Chabad Jewish Center was activated notifying the fire department. Upon the fire being extinguished and subsequent investigation, it was determined that the fire was an act of arson. In addition to the fire damage, three areas were spray painted with the letter “J” and appeared to have been recently painted.
On September 22, 2025, the Punta Gorda Police Department and Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office received information from a person regarding a suspect and continued the investigation. Hoover was identified by the person as having expressed an intent to burn down the Chabad Jewish Center prior to September 19, 2025. The person indicated that Hoover had a hatred towards Jewish people and that Hoover had left his residence on September 19, 2025, and returned that evening with a spray paint can. A gas can went missing when Hoover left earlier in the night and was returned to Hoover’s residence empty. The person confronted Hoover about what Hoover had spray painted and Hoover replied, the letter “J.”
A license plate reader captured Hoover’s motor vehicle in the area of the Chabad Jewish Center at approximately 10:09 p.m., prior to the arson. A search warrant was conducted at Hoover’s residence and law enforcement recovered a spray paint can and gas can.
A complaint is an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Punta Gorda Police Department, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
Portland Man Charged with Stealing MailRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Michael John Peters, 42, of Portland, Oregon, has been charged with stealing mail from condominium and apartment complexes in Northwest and Southwest Portland.
According to court documents and information shared in court, from May to September 2025, Peters used counterfeit or modified postal keys to access mailboxes on at least 12 occasions. On September 23, 2025, U.S. Postal Inspectors executed a federal search warrant at an apartment in the Pearl District that Peters rented using a stolen identity. In the apartment, investigators found evidence of identity theft including approximately 300 pieces of U.S. mail that were not addressed to Peters, false identification documents, stolen identity documents, and counterfeit checks.
Peters made his first appearance in federal court yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon 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.
Pipe bomber sentenced to 12 years in prison for blowing up ATMRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Abdurrahim Jalal has been sentenced for blowing up a bank automated teller machine and possessing illegal explosive devices at his home.
“Jalal used deadly explosives to steal tens of thousands of dollars and then shamelessly gambled with the loot at a casino,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Although Jalal refused to wager his own money at the gaming tables, he will now pay the price for his crimes.”
“Abdurrahim Jalal chose greed over the safety of our community when he used an explosive to steal money,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Violence and destruction of property will never be tolerated, and the FBI and our partners will continue to work together to ensure criminals like Jalal are held accountable.”
“The successful prosecution of Abdurrahim Jalal is a testament to our unwavering commitment to public safety. We will not tolerate the use of explosives in criminal activity, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten our communities are brought to justice said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: At approximately 3:11 a.m. on March 29, 2023, Jalal blew up an ATM at the Bank of America branch located at the North DeKalb Mall in Decatur, Georgia. After the explosion, Jalal took approximately $90,000 from the vault of the machine. He then embarked on a multi-day gambling spree at a North Carolina casino. Investigators identified Jalal and obtained a warrant to search his home. They found eight fully assembled or nearly completed pipe bombs during that search.
On September 22, 2025, U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown sentenced Abdurrahim Jalal, 55, of Decatur, Georgia to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Jalal was found guilty of bank theft, use of an explosive to commit a felony, arson, and two counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device, after a bench trial on June 25, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DeKalb County Police Department and the DeKalb County Fire Rescue.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
This release has been corrected to accurately reflect that the defendant was sentenced for 12 years, not 14 as previously published.
Pigeon Springs Man Receives Probationary Sentence in Fatal DUI CrashRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Pigeon Springs man was sentenced to 3 years’ probation for his role in a fatal drunk driving crash that claimed the life of a passenger.
According to court documents, on September 22, 2024, Irvin Virgil Wauneka, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol after consuming alcohol and falling asleep at the wheel. Jane Doe was a passenger in the vehicle. Wauneka’s impaired driving resulted in a head-on collision with another vehicle. Jane Doe suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The passengers in the other vehicle survived with injuries and will receive restitution.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting this case.
Pharmacy Owner and Pharmacists Sentenced for Pill Mill Scheme Involving Hundreds of Thousands of Opioid PillsRead the Press Release
A Texas pharmacy owner and three Texas pharmacists were sentenced today in Houston for unlawfully distributing more than half a million opioid pills and other commonly abused prescription drugs, including to individuals paid to pose as patients by black market drug traffickers.
“While I served as the Attorney General of Florida, addressing the opioid crisis was one of my top priorities and remains a top priority at the Department of Justice today,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The opioid crisis has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and destroyed countless American families. Our enforcement efforts aren’t limited to cartels and gangs: anyone in the medical profession who abuses their position of trust to deal deadly drugs will face severe consequences.”
“Billings and his co-conspirators brazenly operated a pill mill for years, selling dangerous narcotics to dealers through straw patients and fueling the opioid epidemic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants ignored their obligations as pharmacists to care for their patients and instead profited from the illicit sale of highly addictive drugs. The Criminal Division is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting the gatekeepers in the health care industry who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”
“Pharmacies exist to heal the sick, not to fuel addiction and line the pockets of drug traffickers,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “These defendants betrayed their communities by turning a pharmacy into a pill mill, flooding our streets with over half a million opioid pills, and leaving a trail of addiction, abuse, and tragedy. DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to bring to justice those responsible for the country’s opioid crisis.”
Arthur Billings, 61, of Missouri City, a pharmacy owner and pharmacist, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and a $2.6 million forfeiture order. On Aug. 26, 2022, Billings pleaded guilty to a four-year conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone and making false statements in an application for disability benefits. According to court documents, Billings was the owner, operator, and pharmacist-in-charge of Health Fit Pharmacy (Health Fit), a cash-only pill-mill pharmacy. In exchange for hundreds of dollars per prescription, Health Fit dispensed controlled substances to individuals sent by drug traffickers to pose as patients. The drug traffickers provided the funding for the pills then sold the drugs on the black market. The prescriptions used to obtain the drugs from Health Fit were often fraudulent, issued in the names of physicians whose identities were stolen. The pharmacy continued its illegal operation despite repeated warnings from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Three of Billings’ co-conspirators, all of whom were Health Fit pharmacists in Houston, were also sentenced today.
Deanna Winfield-Gates, 56, was sentenced to six years in prison and a $60,000 forfeiture order. On Sept. 13, 2023, Winfield-Gates was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone. According to court documents, Winfield-Gates was a relief pharmacist at Health Fit who dispensed over a half million pills of addictive and dangerous drugs, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, among others, often in combination, knowing these controlled substances were likely to be diverted or abused.
Jeremy Branch, 38, was sentenced today to 22 months in prison and a $68,931.44 forfeiture order. On Aug. 29, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone. According to court documents, Branch was the pharmacist-in-charge at Health Fit for much of 2017.
Frank Cooper, 55, was sentenced to 20 months in prison and a $5,000 forfeiture order. On Aug. 22, 2022, Cooper pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense hydrocodone and oxycodone. According to court documents, Cooper was a relief pharmacist at Health Fit during the conspiracy.
The DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case, with support from Paralegal Specialist Meghan Malinowski.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Peoria Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Matthew T. Miller, 40, was sentenced on September 24, 2025, to 200 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the court considered evidence that between June and September 2024, Miller sold methamphetamine on three occasions, totaling 86.14 grams. During a traffic stop in September 2024, Miller, a passenger in the vehicle, refused to comply when officers ordered him to step out of the car. Officers saw Miller moving around in the car, attempting to destroy a large amount of apparent methamphetamine by dumping it out of the baggies. Miller was taken into custody by law enforcement officers who then located approximately 55.72 grams of methamphetamine (actual) and marijuana in and around the vehicle and on Miller’s person. Ultimately, Miller was accountable for 257.22 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 55.72 grams of methamphetamine (actual), and 20.35 grams of marijuana.
Also at the hearing, Judge Mihm found Miller to be a career offender based upon his previous drug offenses.
Miller was arrested in September 2024 and indicted in October 2024. He entered a guilty plea in January 2025 and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine (actual) are ten years to life imprisonment, followed by at least five years of supervised release. A fine of up to $10 million can also be imposed.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Resident Office, and Peoria Metropolitan Enforcement Group (PMEG) investigated the case, with assistance from the Peoria Police Department and Bartonville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Miller 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.
Orleans Parish Woman Indicted for Federal Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 19, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted JENTONIA WILLIAMS, (“WILLIAMS”), age 39, of New Orleans, for bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
According to court documents, on September 2, 2025, WILLIAMS robbed the Capital One Bank located in the 4100 block of Canal Street, in New Orleans, of United States currency. The deposits of the Capital One Bank branch are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).
WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment cost.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Task Force in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Orlando Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Lying to the FBI in Connection with an International Terrorism InvestigationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Islam Doci (Orlando, 47) to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in an interview relating to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Doci pled guilty on October 15, 2024.
According to Doci’s plea agreement and evidence presented at sentencing, Doci promoted ISIS propaganda online, communicated with ISIS members, sent money himself overseas in support of ISIS, and facilitated the provision of money by others to ISIS. In addition to other pro-ISIS posts, Doci shared a post that stated, “If Islam is terrorism, then O God give me more of this terrorism until the day I die. If Islam is radicalism, then O God, give me more of this radicalism until the day I die.” In online communications with his ISIS associates, Doci celebrated the killing of Americans and likened providing money and other support to ISIS to being at war. When interviewed on two occasions by the FBI in relation to these activities, Doci lied about his involvement with and support of ISIS.
“Protecting the American people from terrorist attacks is the FBI’s top priority. I commend the special agents and analysts in this investigation whose proactive efforts and agility prevented the spread of ISIS ideology,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon.
Operation Guardian Angel’s Initial Results ReportedRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States Attorney’s Office along with its federal law enforcement partners today announced the initial results of Operation Guardian Angel, a program that seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails by issuing federal arrest warrants for them.
Since Operation Guardian Angel was launched in May 2025, 171 federal arrest warrants have been issued because of this program. A total of 73 criminal illegal aliens have been arrested at local jails. Law enforcement has arrested five criminal illegal aliens at county courthouses for a total of 78 arrests.
“This program’s initial results show that my office no longer stands idly by while criminal illegal aliens are released from city and county jails and onto our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “California’s misguided sanctuary state laws and policies only protect criminal illegal aliens, which can no longer be tolerated.”
The Central District of California – comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura – is home to an estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens. Among this population are gang members and other dangerous felons.
The goal of Operation Guardian Angel is to neutralize California’s sanctuary state law and policies, which prevent local law enforcement from honoring administrative warrants from federal immigration authorities requesting that criminal illegal aliens be transferred into federal custody.
The results of that misguided policy have been tragic. In February 2025, José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez, 30, of Mexico, shot and killed an Inglewood man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter. Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request.
On May 10, 2025, a 6-year-old boy died after his father, Briant Reyes Estrada, 27, an illegal alien from Mexico, left him in a parked car in Paso Robles during a heat wave. Estrada had been arrested two weeks earlier on unrelated state charges but was released from San Luis Obispo County jail and not turned over to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pursuant to SB 54, California sanctuary state law. The San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office has charged him with murder and willful harm to a child. Estrada also is charged via federal criminal complaint with visa fraud and would face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
Operation Guardian Angel is but one step in the government’s continuing efforts to make America safe again. This program also is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Oklahoma City Man Who Ran Nonprofit Indicted for Two Counts of Bank FraudRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An unsealed indictment shows that Victor Kensington Colbert, Jr., 60, owned and operated the nonprofit, Oklahoma Heartland Heroes Foundation (Heartland Heroes), in Bixby.
The indictment alleges that Colbert submitted at least five applications on behalf of Heartland Heroes seeking CARES
Act funds. The CARES Act was signed into law in March 2020 and included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These programs were established to support small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Of those applications, Colbert successfully obtained at least two PPP loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance, on behalf of Heartland Heroes, totaling approximately $217,000.Colbert allegedly submitted false documentation showing that he has several employees with monthly payroll expenses exceeding $55,000. He further claimed that any funds he received would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll, pay mortgage interest or lease payments, utility payments, and other covered expenses.
The Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Reserve System is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Using Company Funds for Personal UseRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A Wood County man has been sentenced to prison for defrauding a computer technology support company of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Blake Underwood, 45, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty in May to wire fraud. Underwood was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Underwood was employed by Nemsys, LLC, a Toledo-based information technology company. After the Nemsys business owners relocated to Florida to focus their efforts on a second company, Underwood became the CEO and ran the business on behalf of the owners. Court documents show that Underwood devised a scheme to defraud the company from December 2019 until April 2023. Even though he was not permitted to do so, Underwood used Nemsys funds intended for the revitalization of a historic Toledo property to purchase building supplies for his personal home. In 2023, the owners examined why Nemsys was underperforming financially and discovered that Underwood was using company funds to pay his personal credit cards, purchase personal vehicles, golf club memberships, jewelry, and more.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Melching for the Northern District of Ohio.
Obstruction of Justice Scheme Results in Nine Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dawayne Joseph Spriggs, 35, of Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for obstruction of justice and subornation of perjury, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Spriggs pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, to obstruction of justice in Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Jason Park also ordered that Spriggs serve a five-year term of supervised release after released from prison.
On September 13, 2023, a District of Columbia Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Spriggs in a 2014 cold case sexual assault. On October 11, 2023, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment, adding the charge of obstructing justice.
“Neither time nor pressure nor obstruction will prevent this office from identifying and convicting the guilty,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “This defendant pressured many witnesses to give false testimony and lie to cover up his violent crimes, which corrupts the principles of truth-seeking upon which our system of justice is based—it didn’t work.”
On May 18, 2023, the defendant was arrested for sexually assaulting a stranger on July 6, 2014. In 2016, a database reported a match between the DNA profile obtained from the victim’s rape kit and another sexual assault offense that had been reported in Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 2013, but the assailant’s remained unknown. In 2023, detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit obtained a lead as to the assailant’s identity that led them to lawfully collect DNA samples from defendant Spriggs. These DNA samples were tested by both law enforcement entities and resulted in a match to both rape kits. The defendant was arrested on the D.C. sexual assault charges in May 2023 and indicted in September of 2023.
While awaiting trial in the District of Columbia, the defendant engaged in a months-long scheme to obstruct justice and evade responsibility for the underlying assault. Over hundreds of recorded phone calls and texts from the D.C. Jail, he pressured his then-girlfriend to tamper with evidence and urged associates to lie for him. The defendant bullied his girlfriend into obtaining photographs of the victim from her Instagram and other social media and provided them to his associates so they could falsely identify her. Over numerous months, the defendant solicited others to provide invented witness statements to his investigator, the grand jury, and the Court regarding events they did not witness. The defendant’s plan was for his investigator to bring these false statements to the government, causing the government to dismiss the case. The defendant attempted to cover up his corrupt actions and instructed his associates to clear their phones of his incriminating texts and emails. He pressured a close family member to commit perjury in the grand jury to undermine the government’s case. For her role in the scheme, the defendant’s then-girlfriend also pleaded guilty to attempted obstruction of justice and has been sentenced.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. The goal of the Initiative is to collaborate with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Firearm Possession to Further Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced on September 16, 2025, that TYREE RUDOLPH (“RUDOLPH”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to one of three counts of an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
U.S. District Judge Daryl J. Papillon will sentence RUDOLPH on December 16, 2025. RUDOLPH faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) imprisonment up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. RUDOLPH also faces a period of supervised release of up to five (5) years, a fine up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court documents, in October 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated RUDOLPH due to his affiliation with known members of a New Orleans criminal organization known as “M3RE,” operating out of the Magnolia Housing Projects. During their investigation, detectives observed that RUDOLPH posted an advertisement for the sale of a Draco assault rifle for $800.00, referred to as a “drac” on social media.
On October 19, 2023, a search warrant was obtained for RUDOLPH’s residence. The following items were found inside of the residence: (1) one plastic bag containing 54.37 grams of fentanyl; (2) one plastic bag containing 21.20 grams of fentanyl; (3) $724.00 in U.S. currency; (4) thirty-four (34) counterfeit $100 bills; (5) a Glock Model 23 Gen4, .40 caliber handgun, with sixteen (16) live rounds of ammunition; (6) a Glock Model 19 Gen5, nine- millimeter caliber handgun, with twenty-five (25) live rounds of ammunition; (7) a Romarm/Cugir Draco, 7.62x39 caliber pistol, with twenty-nine (29) live rounds of ammunition; (8) a Glock switch machinegun conversion device; (9) various rounds of ammunition; and (10) various gun parts/accessories.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Cares Act Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that IRVIN C. FRANCOIS, III (“FRANCOIS”), age 54, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on September 23, 2025 before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to making false statements and money laundering related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, or about March 24, 2021, FRANCOIS, on behalf of a business that he owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $144,790 for a PPP loan. FRANCOIS then committed money laundering by using these ill-gotten funds to buy an automobile from a dealership in Kenner, Louisiana.
Sentencing is to be held on January 6, 2026. At that time, FRANCOIS faces up to five years in prison for the false statement charge and up to ten years in prison for the money laundering charge. The sentence for each charge also includes up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General (a member of the PRAC) and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Jersey Man, New York Man, and Four Corporate Entities Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Investment Scheme, Conspiracy to Obstruct Grand Jury InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSIAH DAVID (aka “Dennis Lee”) (“DAVID”), age 79, a resident of Vernon, New Jersey, JAMES MICHAEL KAFES (“KAFES”), age 57, a resident of Carmel, New York, and four corporate entities with which they are affiliated, PROVISION CORPORATION, LLC (“PROVISION”), THE PREMIER HEALTHCARE SOLUTION, LLC (“PREMIER”), OUT OF POCKET RELIEF FOR AMERICANS, LLC (“OPRA”), and THE SUPPORTERS OF OPRA, LLC (TSOPRA”), were charged today in an eight-count indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1349 (Count 1), six counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (Counts 2 through 7), and conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1503(a) (Count 8). All defendants are charged in Count 1, DAVID, KAFES, and PREMIER are charged in each of Counts 2 through 7, and DAVID and KAFES are charged in Count 8.
According to the indictment, Total Financial Group (TTFG) was a Louisiana business incorporated in 2005 and located in, Covington, Louisiana, until its operations ceased in 2017. Denis Joachim incorporated, owned, and operated TTFG. TTFG and Joachim created and marketed a Medical Reimbursement Account program called “Classic 105,” which had three fundamental parts: monthly administration fees charged to employee-participants and employer-clients for participating in the program, a loan from a lender to employee-participants that would effectively offset the amount of an employee-participant’s monthly fee that the employee-participants never needed to repay, and an insurance policy secured on the life of the employee-participant and payable to the lender at the time of the employee-participant’s death to repay the loan amount. DAVID and PROVISION formed an association with Joachim and TTFG to market Classic 105 to prospective employer-clients and to seek, ultimately unsuccessfully, financial institutions to fund the loan component of Classic 105.
Federal law enforcement authorities executed search warrants at Joachim’s residence and TTFG’s office in Covington, Louisiana in January 2017, effectively shutting down TTFG. Joachim was charged by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and thereafter pleaded guilty, based on the fraudulent development, marketing, and sale of Classic 105. Nevertheless, soon after the search warrant, DAVID and KAFES signed a “letter of intent” promising Joachim they would establish a program that would be a successor to Classic 105. DAVID and PROVISION then created PREMIER for two purported purposes: to develop and administer a program modeled on and that was a continuation of Classic 105 (the “New 105 Plan”) and to solicit investors to purchase “units” in PREMIER by representing that investor-owners would profit significantly once the New 105 Plan “launched.” PREMIER and DAVID also entered into a consulting agreement with Joachim that agreed to pay Joachim up to $20,000 per month, which they called “royalty payments,” despite PREMIER having no clients and generating no outside revenue. In fact, the New 105 Plan never even launched.
KAFES was the President of PREMIER. While DAVID was advertised as merely KAFES’s assistant, in reality, he was responsible for its development, operation, and management, and was its primary representative. The New 105 Plan had the same components as Classic 105. To convince potential and current investor-owners to contribute, DAVID, KAFES, and the entities they oversaw, made numerous false statements and material omissions. Among the false representations DAVID, KAFES, and their entities made were that the New 105 Plan was close to launch, that the New 105 Plan and its underlying intellectual property were “patent protected.” Additionally, DAVID and KAFES represented that PREMIER had already solidified funding for the loan component from financial institutions, and that law firms had vetted the New 105 Plan and deemed it legal and legitimate. DAVID, KAFES, and their entities also withheld material information from current and prospective investors, including falsely characterizing their relationship with, and obligations to, Joachim. They did so by, among other things, understating DAVID’s role in the program, failing to disclose that DAVID (under his original name, “Dennis Lee”) had multiple felony convictions, suits filed against him for violations of state securities and/or consumer protection laws, public warnings about him issued by multiple state regulator entities, and a stipulated order for a permanent injunction and final judgment entered based on charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission. In total, investor-owners made purchases and contributions totaling over $4,000,000. DAVID, KAFES, and PREMIER sent over $550,000 of these funds to Joachim in more than 120 transactions.
Further, DAVID and KAFES are charged with conspiring to obstruct the due administration of justice, namely a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana. DAVID and KAFES are alleged to have agreed and arranged for DAVID to withhold from production, material responsive to a federal grand jury, and discouraged an owner-investor from meeting with federal investigative authorities. Finally, on or about March 27, 2025, KAFES is alleged to have testified falsely while under oath before the Eastern District federal grand jury.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, DAVID and KAFES face up to twenty years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each of Counts 1 through 8 and, up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to Count 8. Each corporate defendant faces, for each count with which it is charged, up to a $500,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Labor –Employee Benefits Security Administration and Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also recognized the contributions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Nashville Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Ladonta Glenn, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to travel in interstate to engage in unlawful sexual activity, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will do what it takes to protect children in our community from sexual predators who prowl social media looking for victims,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I want to commend the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their excellent work on this case. I also want to encourage all parents in our community to be aware of what your children are doing on social media, to know who they are talking to online, and to be aware that danger is lurking in every app.”
On August 1, 2024, officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) responded to a house in Nashville, after receiving a tip that a 16-year-old minor female runaway was there. When officers arrived at the house, they were let in by the Defendant’s mother. When the officers first asked the Defendant about the minor victim, he denied knowing her; however, his mother told the officers that she was upstairs.
After initially claiming he didn’t know the minor victim, Glenn stated he got her phone number from a friend through Instagram. He said the minor victim called him and said she needed a ride, then that he thought someone had given her a ride to his house. Glenn claimed he was going to let the minor victim stay at his house until her mother could come get her because he was “being a friend.” He claimed that she told him that her boyfriend stayed in Tennessee, but her boyfriend kicked her out. As officers continued speaking with Glenn, he said he met the minor victim through Instagram as she was “going out” with his friend, Brandon. He claimed someone dropped the minor victim off in Tennessee. After the minor victim got into a fight with her boyfriend, Glenn said he texted her and told her if she didn’t have any place to go, she could come to his house. Glenn admitted he knew she was 16 years old, but claimed he did not know she was a runaway.
After telling several different stories to the officers, Glenn was transported to MNPD Headquarters where he was interviewed by a Youth Services detective. Before being interviewed, Glenn was advised of his Miranda rights, which he agreed to waive and speak with the detective. He continued to tell different stories about how he knew the victim and how she got to his house. He initially denied being the minor victim’s boyfriend, but when she referred to him as her boyfriend, he said it was nothing serious. When he was asked if the minor victim sent him any nude images, he said she may have sent some through Instagram, but then said he didn’t do anything with them because “you could go to jail for exposing a little girl like that.” He claimed if he received nudes from the minor victim, he looked at the nudes and then deleted them. When asked if the nudes would still be on his phone, he indicated they would be in his “your eyes only” folder.
When asked about sexual contact with the minor victim, Glenn said he knew the law, and that because the minor victim was 16, she could not consent. He was then asked if he wanted to have sex with the minor victim, which he denied, but he then said if he did have sex with her, it was consensual. When asked about sexting with the minor victim, he denied sexting with the minor victim, but he admitted they engaged in sexual communications over text.
On August 1, 2024, when MNPD officers located the minor victim, they observed what appeared to be “hickies” on her neck while they were speaking with her. She stated that Glenn was her boyfriend, they had been dating for about a month, and that she believed he was 15 years old. During a forensic interview of the minor victim, she said she met Glenn on Instagram, they exchanged phone numbers and then began communicating on a regular basis. When she learned that he was 31 years old, she was shocked. She said they had phone sex, which she described as recording herself while she was masturbating, and she sent the recordings to Glenn using her cell phone. She said she sent a lot of videos to Glenn, which she recorded using her iPhone. She told the officers she took a Greyhound bus from her home in Ohio to Nashville, which Glenn paid for. Once she arrived at the Glenn’s house, he immediately asked her to perform fellatio on him in the bathroom, which she did, and after that they engaged in vaginal intercourse.
On August 27, 2024, the FBI performed a forensic extraction of the Defendant’s cell phone after obtaining a federal search warrant. The hidden folder on Glenn’s phone contained multiple photos and videos, including sexually explicit videos, of the minor victim. The FBI located a conversation between the Defendant and the minor victim starting on June 29 and ending on July 10. During the conversation, Glenn asked the minor victim to be his girlfriend, and the two began discussing sex.
When he is sentenced on February 2, 2026, Glenn faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting the case.
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More Than Two Million Illicit Vaping Products Seized in Nationwide SweepRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced today that recent actions targeting unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes, or vapes, resulted in the seizure of more than 2.1 million illicit vaping products taken from five distributors and six retailers across seven different states.
In seizure complaints and accompanying court papers filed in U.S. District Court, the government alleged that the distributors and retailers where the electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products were seized received previous warnings from the FDA that their ENDS products required premarket authorization before they could legally be sold. According to the seizure complaints, recent FDA inspections and undercover purchases by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) showed that the firms continued to sell or distribute unauthorized ENDS products.
The seizures were carried out by the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF agents, and other law enforcement partners, with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FDA.
“These dangerous and unauthorized vapes are often smuggled in from China to be sold near schools and military bases, putting our kids and service members directly at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This is a national security issue, and this month’s raids are just the beginning. Working with our partners at HHS, we will prosecute anyone participating in the illegal sale of these products.”
“Along with our partners, the U.S. Marshals seized and removed from the marketplace more than 2 million non-FDA approved products from five warehouse distribution centers and six retail locations across the country,” said Director Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service. “This operation is a great example of the U.S. Marshals Service and its partners joining forces to protect our youth and to Make America Healthy Again.”
“The vaping products seized by the United States Marshals Service threatened the health and safety of our communities and undermined the integrity of statutory and regulatory safeguards designed to protect consumers, including our nation’s youth,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, where one of the largest seizures took place. “Americans expect and deserve that prohibited products never make their way on consumer shelves, and that other products are lawfully marketed and comply with all federal laws and regulations. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure illegal products never enter into the stream of commerce and pursue all possible civil and criminal remedies against those who violate federal laws and regulations.”
The Department of Justice also filed civil injunctive actions against the distributors and retailers where the products were seized to prevent future violations. Those complaints allege that the defendants continued to market adulterated and misbranded tobacco products despite receiving warnings from FDA that they were violating the law. The injunction actions were filed against the same entities where the seizures took place along with related individuals, including:
- Tampa Vapor, a Tampa, Florida company, and its owner, Michael R. Synychak, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
- Progressive Retail Inc., doing business as Rainbow Food Mart, a Tampa, Florida company, and its president, Varun Chawla, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
- Bouslimi Holdings, Inc., doing business as Marathon/Food Center, a Tampa, Florida company, and its president, Imed Bouslimi, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
- A Joint Effort, Inc. doing business as Blvd Smoke Shop, a Miami, Florida, company, and its officer and director, Husam Bahhur, filed in the Southern District of Florida;
- Calle 8 Petroleum LLC, doing business as UGAS/Circle K, a company based in Miami, Florida, and its owner, Rashid A. Saeed, filed in the Southern District of Florida;
- Smoke House Sunset, a company based in Los Angeles, California, and its owner, Ali Masoud, filed in the Central District of California;
- D&A Distribution, LLC, doing business as Strictly E-Cig, a corporation based in Savannah, Georgia, and owner Robert S. Ali, filed in the Southern District of Georgia;
- PSM101, LLC doing business as Center Point Distributors, a corporation based in South Plainfield, New Jersey, and its owner Niravkumar G. Vora, filed in the District of New Jersey;
- B&G Trading LLC doing business as Vaportech Wholesale, a corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona, and its co-owners Ataman Bilgin and Hasmet Girgin, filed in the District of Arizona;
- Midwest Goods Inc. doing business as Midwest Distribution and Midwest Distribution Illinois, a corporation based in Bensenville, Illinois, and its owner and CEO, Kamran Yasin, filed in the Northern District of Illinois; and
- Dream Distro LLC, a company based in Garner, North Carolina, and its owner, Faisal A. Alhadrami, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
An additional injunctive action was filed against Gorilla Vapes LLC, a New Jersey company, and its co-owners Nick Jurczyk and Russell Jurczyk, in the District of New Jersey.
Under the law, ENDS manufacturers generally must obtain premarket review of new tobacco products and obtain FDA’s marketing authorization before they can be legally sold through interstate commerce. In each of the seizure actions, the court issued a warrant authorizing the seizure of specified unapproved vapes that lacked marketing authorization.
Trial Attorneys Coleen Schoch, James T. Nelson, Roger Gural, Zachary L. Cowan, and Pauline A. Stamatelos of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the cases under the leadership of Sarmad Khojasteh, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott D. Heffron for the Northern District of Illinois, Carlos Raurell for the Southern District of Florida, Joseph Bozdech for the District of Arizona, and other AUSAs from districts across the country provided critical support, along with attorneys at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel and FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims announced today are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Mobile Barber Bandits Sentenced for 2023 Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two St. Louis area men have been sentenced for the armed robbery of a mobile barber in Jennings in 2023.
U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced Keshaun Smith, 20, of Jennings, to 98 months in prison on charges of robbery and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery. Smith’s co-defendant, Andrew Giles, was sentenced September 19 to 105 months in prison for the same offenses.
According to court documents, on May 8, 2023, the victim, who was a “mobile barber,” went to a home on Garesche Avenue to cut Smith’s hair. When the victim arrived at the home to give the haircut, Smith met the victim outside as he parked his red car.
Approximately 15 minutes later, while the victim was cutting co-defendant Keshaun Smith’s hair inside the home, co-defendant Andrew Giles arrived on Garesche Avenue, parked his car on the street, and exited carrying what appeared to be a pistol.
As the victim finished cutting Smith’s hair roughly 90 minutes later, Giles and a second co-defendant entered the room where the haircut was occurring. Smith picked up a firearm belonging to the victim and the three defendants robbed the victim of his possessions. During the robbery the victim was struck across his face/forehead area, sustaining a frontal skull fracture. The victim was able to flee the location and subsequently called police.
Smith was seen after the robbery walking on Garesche Avenue openly carrying a firearm believed to have been stolen from the victim.
The St. Louis County Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Trial Attorney Matthew P. Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in St. Louis. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Mississippi Duo Charged with Using Counterfeit Currency to Scam Pineville Jewelry Store Appear in CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two men from Mississippi are facing federal charges for using counterfeit U.S. currency to purchase high-end watches and other jewelry from a retail store in Pineville, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert Lewis Elliott III, 36, and Devin Alonzo Elliott, 30, of Okolona, Mississippi, are each charged with conspiracy to pass counterfeit obligations and passing counterfeit obligations. The criminal indictment was filed in August 2025 and was unsealed today following the defendants’ court appearance.
Steven Gutierrez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Chief Michael Hudgins of the Pineville Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, in June 2025, R. Elliott and D. Elliott traveled to Pineville, N.C., to carry out a scheme to defraud a jewelry store. The indictment alleges that, on June 26, 2025, the defendants and another individual entered the store and told a store employee they wanted to purchase approximately $300,000 in luxury watches and jewelry. The defendants allegedly provided a $1,000 cash deposit and agreed to return the following day to finalize the transaction.
The indictment further alleges that on June 27, 2025, the men returned to the store to complete the purchase. R. Elliott provided a $10,000 stack of genuine $100 bills to the store employee to be counted. After the employee verified the money using an electronic counter and a counterfeit detection pen, R. Elliott allegedly used a sleight-of-hand technique, to swap the authentic bills with a stack of counterfeit notes, before placing the counterfeit bills into the store’s safe. He then recycled the same stack of genuine bills, repeating the process until all the counterfeit currency had been placed in the safe.
The indictment alleges that after the store employee finished counting the money, he requested for R. Elliott’s identification to complete the sale. R. Elliott said he wanted to buy more jewelry and needed to go to his car to get more cash and his identification. The defendants then exited the store and fled, taking the watches and jewelry: a Patek Phillipe diamond watch ($90,000); an Audemars Piguet watch ($48,000); a Cartier watch ($25,000); four Rolex watches ($76,300); a rose Cuban link chain ($32,000); a gold bracelet ($17,500); a bangle bracelet ($8,200); diamond earrings ($1,000); and 24k pointer earrings ($2,000).
U.S. v. Elliott et al. – Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes allegedly used by the defendants to execute the scheme
The defendants were released on bond. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison for conspiracy to pass counterfeit obligations, and 20 years in prison for passing counterfeit obligations. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges against the defendants are merely allegations and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Secret Service and the Pineville Police Department for their work on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Mexican man sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who was in the United States illegally was sentenced yesterday to a term of time-served and remanded to the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Leobardo Ricardo Torres-Torres, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to illegal reentry.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Torres-Torres was removed from the United States in November 2016 and never obtained permission to return. On March 24, 2025, he was found in Havre, Montana when Border Patrol agents approached a vehicle registered to a person illegally present in the United States in the Walmart parking lot. An agent asked Torres-Torres if he owned the vehicle, and he admitted he did. He said was working construction in the area, was originally from Mexico, and had no documents that permitted him to enter or remain in the United States.
Torres-Torres’s immigration files show he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2002 but presented a fraudulent birth certificate with his application. He was allowed to withdraw the application and return to Mexico. In July 2009, Torres-Torres was found in Arizona and ordered removed after an arrest in Maricopa County for driving while intoxicated. In July 2010, Border Patrol agents found Torres-Torres, again in Arizona. He was convicted of illegal entry, a misdemeanor, sentenced to 30 days in prison, and removed from the United States. In August 2016, Border Patrol agents in Naco, Arizona, found Torres-Torres. He was again convicted of illegal entry, sentenced to 75 days in prison, and again removed from the United States. When he was arrested in Havre in March 2025, Torres-Torres told the Border Patrol he reentered the U.S. in November 2017, near El Paso, Texas.
The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 15 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 167 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jorge Anaya-Valencia, 48, of Guyamas, Sonora, Mexico, who was unlawfully living in Arizona, was sentenced on September 23, by United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham to 180 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Anaya-Valencia’s co-defendants, all illegal aliens, were previously sentenced in this case. Jesus Manuel Soto Quihui was sentenced to 60 months in prison, and Diego Nunez-Aispuri and Ivan Manuel Higuera Torres both received sentences of 46 months.
According to court documents, in November 2023, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified Anaya-Valencia as a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in Phoenix, Arizona. On January 23, 2024, while conducting surveillance on Anaya-Valencia, agents watched as Higuero Torres arrived in a red Ford F-150 pickup truck to meet with Anaya-Valencia. Anaya-Valencia initially inspected the back seat of the truck, and then Nunez-Aispuro loaded two plastic containers and one cardboard box out of the back seat of the Ford F-150 into the cargo area of a Chevrolet Tahoe, which Soto Quihui was driving.
After Nunez-Aispuro completed the transfer, all four defendants left in various vehicles, and were thereafter arrested by law enforcement. Agents searched the Chevrolet Tahoe and inside the plastic containers and cardboard box found and seized approximately 76 kilograms (167 pounds) of methamphetamine. Agents also seized two firearms: one inside the glove compartment of Anaya-Valencia’s vehicle, and a second in the waistband of Soto Quihui.
According to records, Anaya-Valencia has twelve prior removals from the United States and nine previous criminal immigration convictions. He also has a prior felony conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Possession of Dangerous Drugs for Sale. At the time he was arrested in this case, Anaya-Valencia was on supervised release, and he was sentenced to an additional 6 months in prison as part of the disposition in that case.
The DEA Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force HIDTA conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart J. Zander and Travis L. Wheeler, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-00255-01-PHX-KML; 19-CR-01081-PHX-KML
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-154_Anaya-Valencia, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Daniel Alejandro Benzor-Mora, 31.
According to information presented to the Court, on March 19, 2025, Benzor-Mora was arrested by the Shenango Township Police Department for failing to stop at a stop sign, driving without a license and evading arrest on foot. Following this encounter, immigration officials determined that Benzor-Mora was illegally present in the United States and arrested him, on March 29, 2025, related to this charge. Benzor-Mora was previously removed from the United States on January 3, 2024, after incurring a lengthy criminal history, including 14 prior arrests and 6 prior convictions in Florida, and had not received permission to be in the United States, as required. As a part of his sentence, Benzor-Mora agreed to his removal from the United States. Benzor-Mora has been in custody since his March arrest and will be returned to immigration authorities for his removal following the conclusion of his federal sentence.
In imposing sentence, Judge Stickman expressed his intent that the sentence imposed would “impose respect for the law, impose a deterrent consideration and also to demonstrate that these crimes associated with being [in the United States] illegally are taken seriously.” After all, “the exercise of sovereignty requires that a nation guard its borders and that there be consequences for those who, in violation of the country’s law, violate its sovereignty.” Moreover, “this is not a defendant whose only offense against the United States and the people of the several states has been his illegal entry and reentry into the United States.” Rather, the defendant, “while not a legal resident of this nation, has a history of engaging in criminal acts in violation of the laws of the United States, the laws of the State of Florida and the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Benzor-Mora.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Menomonie Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Demetrius Howard, 34, Menomonie, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 2 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Howard pleaded guilty to this charge on June 24, 2025.
On December 20, 2024, a deputy with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office stopped Howard’s vehicle for speeding. After further investigation, the deputy searched the vehicle and found a bag in the backseat that contained a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. Howard told the deputy that he would have fled if his child was not in the car and further commented that there could have been a “shootout.” Howard claimed that he found the gun by a dumpster the day before and was going to throw it into the water.
Howard has a prior state conviction for party to the crime of armed robbery. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson found it unlikely that Howard found the gun by a dumpster. Howard then admitted that was not true and that he actively sought out the gun due to threats he was receiving. Judge Peterson reminded Howard that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and said that the crime was aggravated because Howard was on supervision at the time.
The charge against Howard was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms 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 Neighborhood (PSN).
Manhattan Teacher Charged with Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, and Special Commissioner of the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the NYC School District (“SCI”), Anastasia Coleman, announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging CHRISTOPHER WARD with possessing and distributing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography that depict pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. WARD was arrested yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave in Manhattan federal court.
“Every day, Christopher Ward stood at the front of a classroom of first graders while allegedly storing hundreds of images exploiting children just like them,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The women and men of our Office are committed to ridding New York of child pornography. Together with our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department Special Investigations Unit, we will aggressively pursue and prosecute those who create, possess, and distribute child pornography.”
“Christopher Ward, a first-grade teacher, is accused of possessing and distributing child pornography, and even acknowledging his sexual attraction to his students—allegations that are chillingly disturbing and strike at the heart of every parent's fears,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “With over four years spent in close proximity to young children, the gravity of these accusations cannot be overstated. The safety of our children demands our unflinching attention, and HSI will not stop until the full facts are exposed and every offender faces the consequences.”
“When we send our children to school every day, we trust that they will be cared for and protected by their teachers. Instead, Christopher Ward made every parent’s worst nightmare a reality,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “These allegations are as sickening as they are illegal, and there is absolutely zero tolerance for anyone who exploits our most innocent in this way. I want to thank the NYPD investigators and our partners at HSI, SCI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for putting an end to this horrific behavior and ensuring our children our safe.”
“Christopher Ward's actions as alleged are repugnant—and violate the trust of his school, his students, and the community overall,” said SCI Special Commissioner Anastasia Coleman. “Possession of child pornography and other types of exploitation of minors are among the most serious issues society combats, and SCI works tirelessly to root out such misconduct from the New York City school district. SCI is grateful for its partners in law enforcement for their efforts in bringing Christopher Ward to justice.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
From approximately September 2024 to approximately September 2025, WARD worked as a first-grade teacher at an elementary school in Queens, New York. Prior to that, from approximately January 2021 to approximately June 2024, WARD worked as a first-grade teacher at a school in Manhattan, New York.
From at least in or about July 14, 2024, through in or about July 22, 2025, WARD possessed and distributed hundreds of images and videos constituting child pornography on his account with an electronic mobile messaging application.
* * *
WARD, 37, of Farmingdale, New York, is charged with one count of receiving and distributing material containing child pornography, including files containing sexually explicit images of minors, and one count of possessing child pornography, including images and videos of prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age. Both counts carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of HSI, their agents and Task Force Officers; the NYPD Special Investigations Unit, Computer Crimes Squad; the SCI Investigators; the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and the Southern District of New York Digital Forensic Unit.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adabelle U. Ekechukwu is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._ward_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Manager at Long Island Company Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Stealing from Customer Credit AccountsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Tony Ream pleaded guilty to wire fraud committed in connection with his employment as a credit supervisor for a Long Island Company (the Company). Over the course of four years, Ream sent wire transfers totaling approximately $1.6 million from the Company’s bank account to a bank account that he controlled, and used those funds for his own personal gain. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. When sentenced, Ream faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“Ream abused his authority and betrayed his employer and its customers to fund his own lavish lifestyle,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “In just a few years, Ream embezzled over $1.6 million and used the stolen money to pay for his wedding, luxury international travel, and for renovations to a restaurant he had opened. Ream will now be held accountable for this egregious conduct, thanks to the diligent work of our Office and our partners at the FBI.”
As set forth in court filings and statements made in court, the Company, headquartered in Melville, New York, is an American distributor of health care products and services, and serves as the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners worldwide. Ream was hired by the Company in 2019 to work in its credit department and became a credit supervisor. From approximately October 2020 through November 2024, Ream siphoned corporate funds from customer refund accounts, some of which were inactive, and diverted the funds to his own personal accounts, masking the fraud by recording each transaction as a refund that was issued to a customer. Ream also deceived his subordinates into unwittingly taking steps that facilitated his embezzlement scheme. In total, Ream embezzled approximately $1.6 million from the Company, which he spent on his wedding, luxury international vacations, and a failed restaurant venture in South Carolina. As part of his plea, Ream has agreed to make full restitution to the Company.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder.
The Defendant:
TONY REAM (also known as “Tony Ream-Hendley” and “Tony Moul Ream”)
Age: 34
Greenville, South CarolinaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-179 (SJB)
Justice Department Sues Six States for Failure to Provide Voter Registration RollsRead the Press Release
Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the filing of federal lawsuits against six states — California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request.
“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure — states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of Justice in court.”
“States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law.”
According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
These lawsuits were filed on Sept. 25, 2025, in the federal districts of the respective states.
Jury Convicts Kansas City Man of Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted by a federal jury for his role in drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms.
Brandon R. Haywood, 47, was found guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, of one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and felon in possession of a firearm.
On Feb. 4, 2023, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a store in Independence, Mo., regarding a sexual assault. The suspect was identified as Brandon Haywood. On Feb. 15, 2023, Haywood returned to the same store and was arrested by officers. His vehicle was towed from the scene in anticipation of a search warrant. When the state search warrant was executed on his vehicle, investigators located a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber firearm; the defendant’s wallet; and approximately 30 grams of cocaine in the center console. Prior to this incident, Haywood was convicted of the felony offense of Voluntary Manslaughter in the Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., returned guilty verdicts on all charged counts to U.S. District Judge D. Greg Kays, ending a two-day trial.
Under federal statutes, Haywood is subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh Ragner and Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Jury Convicts Defendant of Hiding Methamphetamine in Stuffed AnimalsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Late yesterday, following a two-day jury trial, Damien Duwjan Shade, age 48, was found guilty of all charged counts in the indictment, that is, one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and one count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Stuffed animals are symbols of childhood, not vessels for poison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Turning a child’s toy into a cover for lethal drugs shows the lengths drug traffickers will go to peddle their poison. This verdict ensures there will be consequences.”
According to evidence presented at trial, in March 2023, the Rochester Police Department responded to the FedEx facility at the Rochester Airport after learning of three suspicious packages sent from San Diego, California, to two separate addresses in Winona, Minnesota. The packages were all shipped from the same sender—“Trayvon Strange”—and were addressed to fictitious individuals whom law enforcement determined did not live at the stated addresses.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rochester Police Department arranged for a drug detecting K9 to sniff the packages. The K9 alerted to the presence of drugs inside the packages. Law enforcement received warrants to open the packages. In the packages, law enforcement found six pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside of stuffed animals.
The next day, law enforcement placed sensors and tracking devices inside the packages, removing all but a small amount of methamphetamine from each box and replacing the methamphetamine with “filler”—rock salt and other materials—to approximate the original weight of the packages.
Law enforcement conducted a “controlled delivery,” delivering the packages to the addresses on the packages. The mother of the defendant’s children initially retrieved the packages and then the defendant arrived at her home to collect the packages, which he believed were full of methamphetamine. Law enforcement searched the scene and found that the defendant had opened the controlled delivery packages. Law enforcement found the controlled delivery methamphetamine and the guts of the cut-open stuffed animals.
The defendant confessed. He said that he traveled to California, purchased several pounds meth, and then shipped it back to himself in Minnesota using fake names. He admitted he hid the methamphetamine inside of stuffed animals. He also admitted he had a gun at his apartment, which he was not legally allowed to possess because he is a felon.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shade’s home. There, they found the third controlled delivery package, unopened, on a chair in the living room. The package contained the stuffed animals, repackaged with the filler material that law enforcement switched out for the methamphetamine.
Law enforcement further found a loaded Comanche III .357 Magnum revolver in a dresser drawer, a digital scale, approximately 30 small Ziplock baggies in an unlocked safe, and what appeared to be a drug ledger. A search of the bedroom closet further revealed a stash of over 400 live .357 Magnum handgun rounds and a spent casing.
As charged in the indictment, in 2013, Shade was previously convicted of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in San Diego, California.
On September 24, 2025, a federal jury convicted Shade on both charged counts in U.S. District Court before District Judge Michael J. Davis. Shade will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to life in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rochester Police Department, the Winona County Sheriff’s Office, the Winona Police Department, and other members of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted and tried the case.
Illegal alien sentenced to over 7 years for taco truck robberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for robbing a local food establishment at gunpoint, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Moises Arvizo Del Carmen pleaded guilty May 27.
U.S. District Judge Ellison sentenced Del Carmen to serve 94 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceeding following his imprisonment.
On Sept. 12, 2023, Del Carmen entered a taco truck through the customer window and demanded money from the register. He threatened and pointed a firearm at employees before exiting through the same window and fleeing. Surveillance video showed Del Carmen entering a Hummer decorated with purple flames.
Witnesses provided a description of the robber and the distinctive vehicle.
Approximately three weeks later, authorities executed a search warrant at Del Carmen’s residence and discovered clothing matching the description from the robbery as well as a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
Illegal alien admits to abandoning corpse after smuggling scheme results in deathRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 24-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Edinburg has pleaded guilty to transporting other illegal aliens resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
On May 27, 2024, Victor Manuel Martinez-Gallegos picked up several aliens in Brownsville and drove them to a stash house where he harbored and shielded them from detection.
The investigation revealed that an illegal alien from Guatemala was in visible distress but still alive. However, he later died at the location.
As part of his plea, Martinez-Gallegos admitted leaving the body at a site near Maverick Road in Brownsville. Authorities later discovered human remains at the location and identified them as belonging to the missing victim.
“Human smuggling is a depraved, dangerous business, and one where the smugglers often show no mercy or compassion to those they transport,” said Ganjei. “I implore anyone considering hiring a smuggler - either for themselves or their loved ones - to think twice. Stay home and stay safe.”
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Dec. 17. At that time, Martinez-Gallegos faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office and University of North Texas Center for Human Identification. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano is prosecuting the case.
Inkster Mayor’s Executive Assistant Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Former Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly’s executive assistant pleaded guilty today to lying to federal agents during their investigation into Wimberly’s bribery scheme, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Saif Alsenad, 33, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, served as Mayor Wimberly’s executive assistant from May 2021, through June 2023. According to the information, in October 2024, Alsenad lied to FBI agents and told them he was not aware that Wimberly had corruptly solicited, demanded, and agreed to accept $100,000 with the intent to assist an investor in acquiring a vacant 13-acre parcel owned by the city of Inkster. At the time he made the statements, Alsenad knew they were false because he knew Wimberly had agreed to accept cash bribes in exchange for Wimberly’s assistance in obtaining the parcel of land for the developer. Alsenad was charged with making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). This charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
In September 2024, Wimberly pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept $100,000 in cash bribes. He was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.
“When law enforcement officers are investigating a crime, lying to them to help shield the offender is never the right decision. This is especially true when those involved are government officials who have a duty to serve the public’s interest, not their own,” said Gorgon.
"Today’s guilty plea by Saif Alsenad demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to investigate those who undermine the public’s trust, regardless of their position or influence,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Working for an elected official does not exempt anyone from accountability when engaging in public corruption. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force for their outstanding investigative work throughout this investigation.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.
Houston pimp felon sentenced to over 15 years for sexual conduct with minor and illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Brandon Dominic Porter pleaded guilty May 15.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now sentenced Porter to a total of 188 months in prison. He will also serve the rest of his life 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. Porter will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to protect children from sexual abusers,” said Ganjei . “Thanks to the good work of law enforcement and our SDTX prosecutors, this dangerous predator will spend the next decade-and-a-half behind bars.”
On Oct. 11, 2022, the victim’s mother reported her daughter missing. The investigation led law enforcement to Porter who had been at a local hotel.
Following his departure, they conducted a traffic stop at which time they found a pink iPhone, school paperwork and documents containing the name of the victim. They also discovered another phone in the vehicle as well as a loaded Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol under the driver’s gear shaft and center console.
He claimed the pink phone was his, but authorities were able to link it to the victim. They located her the following day.
Forensic examination of the two phones revealed photos and videos, several of which depicted sexual activity between the minor female and Porter. The videos were taken July 20-Oct. 5, 2022. The investigation revealed he had coerced her into performing sex acts and prostituting herself for his financial gain.
Porter has multiple prior felony convictions. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.
He 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 and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Stuart Tallichet and former AUSA Sherri Zack prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) 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.
Houston gunmen sentenced to 14 years for armed robberiesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Houston men have been sentenced to significant federal prison terms following their convictions for using a firearm during the commission of two convenience store robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Derian Joel Caesar and Centel Devon Willis Jr. pleaded guilty in April.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered Willis to serve 14 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Bennett noted that if Willis continued to make these decisions following his imprisonment, he will either return to prison or could even end up dead.
Caesar was previously ordered to serve 14 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Caesar and Willis admitted that on March 15, 2023, both acted together and used firearms to rob two different 7-Eleven convenience stores in Harris and Fort Bend Counties. In both crimes, Caesar carried a black firearm and took money from the cash drawer, while Willis pointed a black semiautomatic handgun towards the employee on duty.
Both have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuted the case.
Honduran National Sentenced for Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROLANDO HUMBERTO CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ (“CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ”), age 41, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ was found in Orleans Parish on or around July 15, 2025. He had previously been deported to Honduras on May 17, 2019.
United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ to time served and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. He will be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation to Honduras.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that OLGER RENE MALDONADO-SANTOS (“MALDONADO-SANTOS”), age 29, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced on September 9, 2025, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections1326.
According to court records, MALDONADO-SANTOS reentered the United States sometime prior to May 17, 2025, after having been previously removed on or about February 14, 2018. MALDONADO-SANTOS was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter after receiving credit for time served, and one year of supervised release. At the completion of his term of imprisonment, MALDONADO-SANTOS shall be surrendered to the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings consistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 262 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Michael Swiger, 41 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after a jury found him guilty of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, following a three-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Swiger was sentenced to 262 months in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to pay $49,000 in restitution to the victims of the offenses.
According to documents in the case, a jury found Swiger guilty of distributing videos of child sexual abuse material over a social media application on April 4, 2022, and also of possessing child sexual abuse material on April 5, 2022.
“Today’s sentence stands as a warning to all those who believe distributing and collecting images and videos of the sexual abuse of children will be ignored or tolerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Proctor, “My office, in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies will aggressively investigate, prosecute, and seek restitution from anyone who victimizes the most vulnerable members of our community.”
“This case demonstrates the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to pursue justice for the most vulnerable members of our society—our children,” said Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Scarpino. “What began as a narcotics investigation quickly revealed the defendant’s involvement in the heinous crime of child exploitation. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of HSI Minneapolis, HSI Chicago/Hammond, and our local law enforcement partners, we were able to uncover the full scope of the defendant’s criminal activities and bring him to justice. This conviction sends a clear message: HSI will relentlessly pursue those who exploit children and will use every resource available to ensure they are held accountable for their actions.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (Chicago and St. Paul) with assistance from the Hammond Police Department and the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily A. Morgan, Caitlin M. Padula, and Thomas M. McGrath.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex Offender and Being Illegally Present in United StatesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Guatemalan national, Roberto Nicolas-Simon, 24, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025, to being illegally present in the United States after a prior removal and failing to update his registration as a convicted sex offender. Acceptance of the plea is pending before U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce. Sentencing for Nicolas-Simon has been scheduled for February 2, 2026, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
In court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Nicolas-Simon admitted to illegally reentering the country and failing to update his sex offender registration. The government noted during the hearing, that Nicolas-Simon had previously been removed from the United States following his conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor in Champaign County, Illinois, in 2020. Due to that conviction, he was required to register his residential address under the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act.
This year, an investigation revealed that Nicolas-Simon had illegally returned to the United States and was living in Champaign without registering his residence as required by law.
Nicolas-Simon remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Nicolas-Simon faces statutory penalties of up to ten years of imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine for each offense. He could also receive up to three years of supervised release for being illegally present in the United States and at least a five-year term and a maximum life term of supervised release for failure to update his registration as a sex offender.
The case investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney William J. Lynch is representing the government in the prosecution.
Greenville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Greenville, Alabama, man has been sentenced to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On September 23, 2025, a federal judge ordered that 41-year-old Undray Lamond Lowery serve 120 months in prison. Following his prison term, Lowery will serve three years of supervised release. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to court records and police reports, on January 1, 2023, a Greenville patrol officer spotted a vehicle matching the description of one potentially linked to a shots-fired incident at a residence the night before. The officer recognized Lowery as the driver and was aware that Lowery had outstanding arrest warrants. After Lowery pulled into a parking lot and exited the vehicle, the officer placed him under arrest.
During a search of the vehicle, officers found a handgun. Because Lowery has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. On June 11, 2025, Lowery pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Greenville Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits prosecuted.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Greensboro Man Sentenced for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Greensboro, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Greensboro to over 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to a firearm charge, announced United States Attorney Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
TRISTAN DYLAN GRAY, age 38, was sentenced to 100 months imprisonment plus 3 years of supervised release by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC.
According to court records, on January 1, 2024, officers with the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) responded to a shooting into an occupied apartment on Merritt Drive. On January 4, 2024, officers with GPD conducted a traffic stop on GRAY during which he was found in possession of Taurus handgun. GPD officers arrested GRAY as a felon in possession. Subsequently, a Firearms and Toolmark Examiner with GPD determined that the cartridge cases collected from the shooting at the apartment on January 1, 2024 were fired by the same Taurus handgun that GRAY possessed on January 4, 2024. After an evidentiary hearing today, the Court found that GRAY shot multiple rounds into the occupied apartment.
At the time of his arrest, GRAY had been previously convicted of felony hit and run inflicting serious injury (Rockingham County, 2022) and sentenced to an active term of imprisonment exceeding one year. Thus, at the time of the instant offense, GRAY was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
GRAY pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, to one count of felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Special Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Courtney.
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Former State Official and Lincoln Club Owner IndictedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned an Indictment charging Hobert Rupe, 58, and Brent Zywiec, 45, both of Lincoln, Nebraska, with offenses related to honest services fraud. Rupe and Zywiec were arrested on September 24, 2025.
Rupe, former Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, and Zywiec, a partial owner of “The Office Gentleman’s Club” and “The Night Before Lounge” in Lincoln, are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud and three counts of Honest Services Fraud. Additionally, Rupe is charged with two counts of Wire Fraud, and one count of Hobbs Act Extortion Under Color of Official Right. The alleged conspiracy occurred between on or about January 1, 2022, and May 28, 2025. The maximum possible penalty for each of the charges is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 for each count.
Rupe is alleged to have violated his oath of office as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission when he allegedly conspired with establishments’ owners to include Zywiec to receive a stream of significant personal and financial benefits in exchange for illegal assistance he provided the owners of the establishments. The alleged stream of benefits included commercial sex acts, cash, and free benefits at the clubs that others pay to receive such as VIP dances, alcoholic drinks, and cover charges. In exchange for these benefits, Rupe would fail to report or investigate numerous liquor license violations that occurred at each establishment and would separately abuse law enforcement resources in an attempt to harm Zywiec’s competitors in Omaha.
Rupe is additionally charged with failing to disclose these benefits on his state accountability forms.
Finally, there is a count of the Indictment that alleges Rupe extorted a business owner in the community for $65,000 with the understanding that Rupe would provide assistance with helping that business owner retain a liquor license that the business owner would not otherwise qualify for under state rules and regulations.
United States Lesley Woods stated, “Public corruption undermines the trust of all Nebraskans in their officials. The citizens of Nebraska are the primary victims of this case. The Executive Director of the Liquor Control Commission should be the official who polices establishments like the ones identified in the Indictment for the benefit of public safety. Furthermore, allowing individuals who should not have liquor licenses to obtain or retain those licenses is a dangerous abuse of power. There are good public safety reasons for many of the rules that govern liquor licenses, and the Executive Director of the Liquor Control Commission should serve as the public guardian against those threats to public safety, not be the enabler of them. Mr. Rupe is alleged to have violated that trust and allowed himself to be unlawfully influenced in the execution of those duties. This investigation was a joint effort with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office is grateful to those partners for their tireless efforts on this critical investigation.”
Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
Former Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Trevor Christopher Fountain, 38, formerly of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Fountain worked with co-conspirators Stephan James Evanovich, 46, of Sacramento; Jonathan Matthew Curl, 36, of Sacramento; and Andrea Carter, 35, formerly of Sacramento, to illegally enter communications towers and steal rectifiers and other communications equipment. Rectifiers are a power source necessary to maintain power at communications towers. Fountain was responsible for stealing equipment and transferring it to Evanovich, who then paid him for the stolen equipment. Evanovich sold the stolen property to legitimate third-party vendors in California, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. The conspirators stole, sold, and shipped more than 485 stolen rectifiers across state lines. The total value of the stolen rectifiers is no less than $260,000.
As part of the scheme, Fountain created false invoices in the name of a false business. These invoices were used to make it appear as though Evanovich had obtained the stolen rectifiers from legitimate businesses.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Weld County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 5, 2025, to 29 months in prison. Evanovich and Curl are awaiting trial, which is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2026. The charges are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fountain is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Feb. 19, 2026. Fountain faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.