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Wednesday 13 August 2025
Mexican man pleads guilty to illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jose Antonio Barcena-Ruiz, 41, a citizen and national of Mexico, pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that on May 31, 2025, Barcena-Ruiz was found in Erie County, NY, by Homeland Security agents but did not have documentation that allowed him to be present in the United States legally. A records check determined that Barcena-Ruiz was physically removed from the United States in 2008, two times in 2009, and in 2010.
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.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and Immigration.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry and Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jessica Guillen-Morales, 38, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on August 12, by United States District Senior Judge Raner C. Collins to 37 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Guillen-Morales previously pleaded guilty to Reentry of a Removed Alien and Alien in Possession of a Firearm.
On November 19, 2023, Tucson Police Department officers executed a search warrant at Guillen-Morales’ residence and found approximately six firearms, including rifles, along with ammunition. Law enforcement officials determined that Guillen-Morales was previously convicted of the federal offense of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens in November 2012.
Law enforcement officials also learned that Guillen-Morales, a citizen and national of Mexico, had been previously removed from the United States on November 1, 2023, and did not have legal authority to be in the country.
This case is part of the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP), which was established by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide an innovative framework to enhance federal support of state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution authorities in enhancing public safety. PSP began as a pilot program, the Violence Reduction Network, in 2014 and is designed to promote interagency coordination by leveraging specialized law enforcement expertise with dedicated prosecutorial resources to promote public and community safety. PSP serves as a DOJ-wide program that enables participating sites to consult with and receive expedited, coordinated training and technical assistance, and an array of resources from DOJ to enhance local public safety strategies. This model enables DOJ to provide jurisdictions of different sizes and diverse needs with data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to the unique local needs of participating cities to build their capacities to address violent crime challenges. PSP has engaged with more than 60 sites since the program’s inception.
The Tucson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie A. Sottosanti and Adam Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00677-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-134_Guillen-Morales# # #
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 National Charged with Assault on a Federal Officer and Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Rolando Nava PACHECO, a Mexican National, was charged in federal court today for assaulting a federal officer and damaging government property.
According to a complaint, on August 11, 2025, agents assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) conducted a joint operation to arrest an individual, suspected of immigration violations. During their operation, federal agents conducted a traffic stop on a white truck. Agents wearing visible law enforcement identifiers verbally announced themselves as federal agents and requested identification from vehicle’s driver. The driver of the white truck attempted to flee by accelerating the truck and striking a federal agent and federal government vehicle. As the white truck recklessly tried to flee the area, a federal agent driving a government vehicle attempted to block the path of the white truck. The driver of the white truck proceeded to strike the federal agent’s vehicle head on. Shortly after, the driver of the vehicle was arrested and identified as Rolando Nava Pacheco.
“Our office is committed to protecting our federal law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “Put plainly, those who attempt to injure or evade law enforcement will face federal charges.”
“This operation demonstrates the commitment of ERO officers to enforcing federal immigration laws and protecting public safety,” said ERO San Diego Field Office Director Patrick Divver. “Despite the challenges encountered, our officers remain dedicated to carrying out their duties with professionalism.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 25cr-MJ-04358
Rolando NAVA PACHECO Age: 19 Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Assault on a Federal Officer – Title 18, U.S. C., Section 111 (a)(1)
Maximum penalty: 8 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine
Assault on a Federal Officer resulting in bodily injury – Title 18, U.S. C., Section 111 (b)
Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine
Destruction of Government Property – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1361 (Felony)
Maximum penalty: 10 years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican Cartel Leader Servando Gomez-Martinez in U.S. Custody on Drug Importation ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Frank A. Tarentino, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging SERVANDO GOMEZ-MARTINEZ, a/k/a “La Tuta,” with conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S. GOMEZ-MARTINEZ was taken into U.S. custody from Mexico yesterday and will be presented on the charge contained in the Indictment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl.
“As alleged, Servando Gomez-Martinez was a leader, enforcer, drug trafficker, weapons supplier, and public spokesman for the violent drug trafficking organization, La Familia Michoacana, based in Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “La Familia Michoacana imported vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico and engaged in extensive violence in furtherance of its drug trafficking activities, including against those Mexican law enforcement officials who stood in its way. This Office and our partners in the DEA are committed to bankrupting the cartels and bringing their leaders to justice.”
“The expulsion of Servando Gomez-Martinez marks a significant step in our fight against the world’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino. “For years, Gomez-Martinez allegedly fueled the cocaine and methamphetamine trade that devastated communities across the United States, and the DEA remains committed to bringing such ruthless cartel leaders to justice.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]
GOMEZ-MARTINEZ was the operational chief of La Familia Michoacana (“LFM”), a powerful, violent drug trafficking organization based in the state of Michoacan, in southwestern Mexico. LFM controlled drug manufacturing and distribution within and around the state of Michoacan, as well as a port that served as a key transshipment point for drug shipments. LFM imported vast quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico. In addition, LFM forbade the sale or use of methamphetamine in the areas under its control in Mexico, and instructed its members that its methamphetamine was solely for export to the United States. GOMEZ-MARTINEZ made public statements on behalf of LFM and was responsible for, among other things, ensuring that LFM’s drug trafficking activities were not impeded by law enforcement, and for acquiring weapons for use by LFM.
Under the leadership of GOMEZ-MARTINEZ and others, LFM engaged in extensive violence, including assault, murder, and kidnapping to support its narcotics trafficking activities. On or about July 17, 2009, days after the bodies of 12 Mexican federal police officers believed to have been murdered by LFM were discovered in Michoacan, GOMEZ-MARTINEZ gave a recorded statement to a local television station in Michoacan. In the statement, GOMEZ-MARTINEZ publicly acknowledged that he was a member of LFM and, among other things, claimed that he was in charge of the port city of Lazaro Cardenas in Michoacan; that LFM was in a battle against the Mexican federal police and prosecutors; and that LFM kidnaps people who owe LFM money and those whose family members work in state and federal governments.
GOMEZ-MARTINEZ was transferred on August 12, 2025, from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law. He was among more than two dozen wanted fugitives facing a range of federal and state criminal charges from around the country, including charges relating to drug-trafficking, hostage-taking, kidnapping, illegal use of firearms, human smuggling, money laundering, the murder of a sheriff’s deputy, and other crimes.
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GOMEZ-MARTINEZ, 59, a Mexican national, is charged with conspiring to import cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Field Division, Houston Field Division, and Mexico City Country Office, as well as the assistance of the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Government of Mexico.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel G. Nessim, Henry L. Ross, and Kyle A. Wirshba are in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._gomez_martinez_et_al_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
McAlester Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Martin Ray Melton, age 60, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that Melton was convicted of 31 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Child by the State of Oklahoma in Oklahoma County on January 31, 2006, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from September 11, 2023, until April 15, 2025, Melton failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Melton will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Court Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Mikiyas Kefyalew, 27, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a Bethesda, Maryland, minor in January 2022.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Shane Todd, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Chief Jason West, Rockville City Police Department (RCPD).
“This case is a heartbreaking example of the horrific impact fentanyl is having on our communities, especially our youth,” Hayes said. “Unfortunately, no sentence can undo the devastating loss suffered by this young victim’s family who will live with the consequences of this defendant’s ruthless actions for the rest of their lives. Our office and law enforcement partners remain firmly committed to seeking justice for victims of the fentanyl crisis and doing everything in our power to hold fentanyl dealers accountable.”
“Illegal drugs kill people. Fentanyl kills people,” Todd said. “Criminals like Mr. Kefyalew destroy lots of families by selling deadly illicit drugs, many of which are laced with fentanyl. What’s even more concerning is that they prey on vulnerable individuals by misleading them into believing they are consuming something different. This sentence reflects our dedication to investigating and holding accountable those criminals responsible for perpetuating opioid addiction and fatal poisonings in our community. Our job is to ultimately protect the lives of our residents.”
According to court documents, Kefyalew knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and 4-Anilino-N-phenethlpiperdine (“despropionyl fentanyl”) to Victim 1, resulting in Victim 1’s death. Kefyalew distributed the fentanyl in the form of circular, blue pills with “M 30” imprinted on them. This mimics the markings on legitimate pills that one receives from a manufacturer containing oxycodone hydrochloride.
Kefyalew was subject to a higher sentence for knowingly misrepresenting fentanyl as another substance, and for distributing to a vulnerable victim. In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Boardman also ordered Kefyalew to forfeit funds he received from drug dealing, and to pay restitution.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, MCPD, and RCPD for their work in the investigation, and the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Joel Crespo who prosecuted this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Marion Man Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal Prison for Distributing Ice MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Marion, Iowa, man who was responsible for the distribution of over 1.5 kilograms of ice methamphetamine was sentenced on August 13, 2025, to over ten years in federal prison.
Robert Owen Bell, age 48, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 11, 2025, guilty plea to a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Throughout 2023, Bell and another individual conspired to distribute ice methamphetamine in Cedar Rapids and Marion. During an investigation, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of ice methamphetamine from Bell for a total of over 100 grams of ice methamphetamine. On November 14, 2023, officers observed Bell drive to and from his co-conspirator’s residence and officers subsequently initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle driven by Bell. Officers searched the vehicle and seized approximately 65.64 grams of ice methamphetamine.
Bell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Bell was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-60.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Marietta Man Sentenced for Using a BB Airsoft Gun During Two Robberies and One Attempted RobberyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Marietta man was sentenced today for Attempted Robbery in Indian Country and two counts of Robbery in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Scott Thomas Balch, 50, to 63 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In October 2020, Balch entered a convenience store, wearing a mask, brandished a BB airsoft pistol, and told the store clerk he would shoot them if they didn’t comply. The employee complied, opened the register, and gave Balch money. A few weeks later, Balch entered the same convenience store and attempted to rob it again with the same BB airsoft pistol. After the employee ran in fear, Blach is seen on surveillance camera, going behind the counter and stealing several scratch-off lottery tickets.
In November 2020, Balch entered a different convenience store, brandished the same BB airsoft pistol, and demanded money.
The clerk complied and gave Balch the contents of the register.Court records show that Balch was previously convicted in tribal and state courts for more than 11 felonies and three misdemeanors.
Balch is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Sand Springs Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn prosecuted the case.
Long Island Resident Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Covid-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Niall Alli was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 48 months in prison, in connection with a $1.7 million disaster relief fraud and wire fraud perpetrated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the sentence, Alli was also ordered to pay $1.7 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and approximately $135,000 in forfeiture consisting of assets seized from corporate bank accounts and Ethereum from a corporate Coinbase wallet. Alli pleaded guilty in December 2023.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS) announced the sentence.
“Alli saw the COVID-19 programs and the deadly pandemic as an avenue for stealing money from the government and taxpayers, to spend nearly $500,000 to purchase cryptocurrency, $140,000 on two wristwatches, a $36,000 stay at a luxury Manhattan hotel, and an $800 bottle of champagne and $600 bottle of Scotch at fine restaurants,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendant now knows the price of such conduct is the loss of his freedom and full restitution to the Small Business Administration. Today’s sentence should also put scammers like the defendant on notice that there is no free pass for those who take advantage of important relief programs.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the SBA for their partnership on the case.
“Alli's compulsion for fraud resulted in government money intended to assist struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploited for a short-lived lavish lifestyle. Today's sentencing is proof that Postal Inspectors will relentlessly pursue any individuals who take advantage of the U.S. Mail to defraud the government and steal taxpayer funds. I would like to thank the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, and the Small Business Administration for their work on this investigation,” stated USPIS Inspector in Charge Brubaker.
As set forth in court filings, Alli was associated with two corporate entities, Allicorp, Inc. and Oxypaper, Inc. Between approximately April 2020 and November 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alli engaged in a scheme to defraud the SBA and several financial institutions administering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of federal COVID-19 emergency-relief funds meant for distressed small businesses. Alli fraudulently applied for, and received, four PPP loans, totaling over $1.7 million, on behalf of the two corporate entities he controlled. The applications contained false information, including bogus financial data and fabricated payrolls, which was designed to fraudulently induce the SBA and lenders administering the PPP programs to approve the loans. Once the loans were approved and disbursed, Alli filed fraudulent forgiveness applications supported by fictitious financial statements and false statements. Alli utilized the loan proceeds to enrich himself, including by discharging personal debts and making extravagant purchases. For example, he purchased two Patek Philippe wristwatches for $138,568; paid for private school tuition for his child; purchased nearly half a million dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency; and spent tens of thousands of dollars on luxury hotel stays.
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 assistance from Paralegal Specialists Samantha Schroder and Ana Maria Tejada.
The Defendant:
NIALL ALLI
Age: 52
Inwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-395 (S-1) (GRB)
Leaders of Sinaloa Cartel Presented in Manhattan Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, announced that KEVIN GIL ACOSTA, a/k/a “El 200,” MARTIN ZAZUETA PEREZ, a/k/a “Piyi,” and LEOBARDO GARCIA CORRALES, a/k/a “Leo,” arrived from Mexico in the Southern District of New York last night. GIL ACOSTA, ZAZUETA PEREZ, and GARCIA CORRALES are charged with fentanyl trafficking and weapons offenses in connection with their roles working for the Sinaloa Cartel. The defendants were presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo and detained.
“The illicit fentanyl trade continues to plague Americans and New Yorkers of all walks of life, and the Sinaloa Cartel, a vast, deadly, and corrupt enterprise, is at the center of the scourge,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The defendants allegedly held leading roles, using abhorrent violence to protect the Cartel. Their arrival yesterday in the United States to face justice in a U.S. courtroom is another major step in the partnership between our Office and the DEA to end the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictments against GIL ACOSTA, ZAZUETA PEREZ, and GARCIA CORRALES, and other court filings: [1]
The Sinaloa Cartel (the “Cartel”), based in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, operates in countries around the world and is one of the dominant drug trafficking organizations in the Western Hemisphere responsible for the massive influx of fentanyl into the United States, as well as the accompanying violence and deaths that have afflicted communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
To protect and further the Cartel’s fentanyl trafficking operations, the Cartel, and specifically, the sons of the Cartel’s notorious former leader, Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, a/k/a “El Chapo,” known collectively as the “Chapitos,” have relied upon armed enforcers, known as sicarios. These sicarios comprise a security apparatus built to commit acts of violence to protect the Chapitos’ operation and its leaders, territory, labs, trafficking routes, and money. They regularly use military-grade weapons which are often smuggled from the United States, including machine guns, to perpetrate violence, including murder, torture, and kidnapping.
GIL ACOSTA and ZAZUETA PEREZ were leaders of the Chapitos’ security apparatus. GIL ACOSTA served as the leader of a group of sicarios tasked with protecting the Chapitos’ fentanyl laboratories and fentanyl distribution routes, and personally trafficked fentanyl manufactured in labs controlled by the Chapitos. ZAZUETA PEREZ was responsible for providing security in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, including by protecting the Chapitos’ fentanyl operations through kidnapping, torture, and murder using machine guns and other weapons. On behalf of the Chapitos, GIL ACOSTA and ZAZUETA PEREZ participated in attacks against Mexican government and military officials, including during the Mexican authorities’ failed efforts in or about October 2019 to arrest one of the Chapitos. Specifically, during that operation, GIL ACOSTA led sicarios armed with AK-47s, M-16s, and AR-15s in attacks on Mexican government and military officials, and ZAZUETA PEREZ, armed with an AR-15 and grenade launcher, conducted attacks on Mexican government and military officials.
GARCIA CORRALES is a fentanyl supplier who has worked closely with the Sinaloa Cartel and has produced fentanyl in ton quantities. He oversaw the importation of kilogram quantities of fentanyl into the United States and conspired with others to arrange the sale of fentanyl in exchange for military-grade weapons, including hundreds of automatic weapons and .50-caliber rifles and grenades, for the purpose of promoting and protecting his drug trafficking activities. In connection with those efforts, GARCIA CORRALES and his co-conspirators delivered approximately 33 kilograms of fentanyl to buyers in the United States as partial payment for the planned weapons deal.
GIL ACOSTA, ZAZUETA PEREZ, and GARCIA CORRALES were transferred on August 12, 2025, from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law. They were among more than two dozen wanted fugitives facing a range of federal and state criminal charges from around the country, including charges relating to drug trafficking, hostage-taking, kidnapping, illegal use of firearms, human smuggling, money laundering, the murder of a sheriff’s deputy, and other crimes.
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GIL ACOSTA, 35; ZAZUETA PEREZ, 29; and GARCIA CORRALES, 55, all from Mexico, are each charged with one count of fentanyl importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of possession of machine guns and destructive devices, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. GIL ACOSTA and ZAZUETA PEREZ are also each charged with one count of fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in these cases are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit and the DEA offices in Mexico, as well as the assistance of the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Marshals Service, and the Government of Mexico.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._garcia_corrales_et_al_indictment.pdf u.s._v._zazueta_perez_indictment.pdf u.s._v._gil_acosta_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictments and the description of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Lead Defendant in Whittier-Based Quiet Village Racketeering Case Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges, Admits to 2022 Gun MurderRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A shot caller in the Whittier-based Quiet Village (QV) street gang pleaded guilty today to federal charges, including shooting a woman to death while attempting to murder a law enforcement source in Commerce in March 2022 and the attempted murder of a rival gang member in El Monte earlier that year.
Chase Carrillo, 36, a.k.a. “Sicko,” of Santa Fe Springs, the lead defendant in a 16-count superseding indictment targeting the gang, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, resulting in death. He has been in federal custody since July 2023.
According to his plea agreement, Carrillo participated in Quiet Village gang activities from at least 2014 until June 2023, including his assault of two California corrections officers while he was serving a sentence in state prison in September 2014. The plea agreement further outlines the history of QV and its close alliance with another street gang, Whittier Varrio Locos (WVL).
On January 13, 2022, Carrillo got involved in an argument with a rival gang member in El Monte. That altercation ended with Carrillo and a co-conspirator shooting the rival gangster, who was struck eight to 10 times by bullets and was severely wounded.
In early March 2022, a co-conspirator obtained a police report about the incident that named a victim identified in court documents as “J.P.” as a person who provided authorities information about the El Monte shooting, and asked an accomplice to distribute the report, stating it should go “to all the homies,” which was interpreted as a message to fellow gang members that J.P. should be murdered for cooperating with law enforcement.
On March 5, 2022, two days after the police report began circulating among gang members, Carrillo and a co-conspirator – who were driving a car rented with a stolen credit card – encountered J.P. in Commerce. Carrillo got out of the rental car and fired at least two rounds into the vehicle J.P. was riding in with the intent to kill him. J.P. was not hit, but the driver of the vehicle – a woman identified in court documents as M.F. – was fatally wounded.
Carrillo admitted in his plea agreement that his purpose in committing the murder was to maintain and increase his position in the QV enterprise by killing J.P., a person that he believed was cooperating with law enforcement.
Carrillo further admitted that he caused at least $150,000 in losses and damages to the El Monte shooting victim and at least $150,000 in losses and damages to M.F.’s next of kin and heirs.
United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter scheduled a February 26, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Carrillo will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force and involved agents and officers assigned to the Task Force from the FBI, the El Monte Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Pomona Police Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Service Unit. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also participated in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Wilson Park and Kellye Ng of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Assistant United States Attorney Danbee Kim of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section are prosecuting this case.
Knoxville Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 12, 2025, Nathan Hart, 24, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 70 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was also ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution to his victims. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 20 years and will be required to register with the state sex offender registry and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Hart agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of possession of and access with intent to view child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B).
According to filed court documents, in May of 2023, after receiving tips of child pornography being distributed on the internet by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, investigators determined that the computer and internet service used belonged to Nathan Hart at his residential address. Investigators conducted a search of Hart’s residence and electronics, finding multiples files of child pornography, including at least twenty-four videos containing sexually explicit material. One video was over an hour long. A search of Hart’s electronics revealed numerous saved images of child pornography depicting known and unknown victims throughout the world that Hart obtained from online sources.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge, Rana Saoud, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, HSI, and Knox County Sheriff's office. The investigation was led by HSI Task Force Officer Thomas Evans.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Jury finds Abby’s Bakery owners guilty of harboring illegal aliensRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two owners of Abby’s Bakery, located in Los Fresnos, have been convicted following the discovery of illegal aliens at their business, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for approximately three hours following a three-day trial before finding Leonardo Baez-Lara, 56, and Alicia Avila-Guel, 46, guilty on two counts of harboring aliens and conspiracy to do so.
The married couple are both legal permanent residents who resided in Los Fresnos and owned and operated Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café in Los Fresnos since 2012. The investigation began after authorities discovered the pair were potentially employing and housing illegal aliens within their restaurant.
At trial, the jury heard about an enforcement action that occurred Feb. 12 at that location. Authorities had identified several employees and others who were in the United States illegally or in the country under B1/B2 visas without having the right to work.
Testimony revealed Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel illegally hired these individuals to work in their restaurant while harboring them.
The jury heard about a room the pair had provided for employees in the same shopping plaza as the restaurant. It was a rectangular room with mattresses on the floor and housed two employees at the time of inspection who were unauthorized to work in the United States. Testimony revealed the room was originally an insurance office which became repurposed as a storage area for kitchen equipment. Authorities also found electrical wires which, coupled with the absence of a fire extinguisher and only one entrance, resulted in a safety risk for the inhabitants.
As more workers became employed, the couple provided this area for several individuals who did not have the right to work legally in the United States. Testimony showed that between five to six adults were residing in the room with the head baker living there for more than two years.
The jury also heard that for the prior four months before the arrests, the workers had hot water on only two occasions.
Evidence showed that the worksite enforcement action also resulted in the discovery of two illegal aliens unlawfully present in the country and six B1/B2 Visa holders who did not have the right to work in the United States.
Testimony also revealed that the business failed to file proper paperwork declaring its workers, paid its workers in cash and failed to follow their accountant’s advice to stop paying employees in cash.
One worker had arrived at the bakery upon a referral from a friend in Mexico. After entering the United States illegally, he had a brief interview regarding his abilities as a baker and was immediately offered a job and a place to stay.
Further testimony revealed another worker had been working at the bakery despite not having the right to do so before being removed during Covid. Upon reentering the country illegally, he was able to have Baez-Lara contacted and was then given a ride back to Los Fresnos where he was able to continue his work and continue to live there.
The defense attempted to convince the jury the owners only offered shelter to the aliens and that testimony did not reveal harboring took place. The jury did not believe those claims and found them guilty as charged.
“The jury’s verdict vindicates the American people’s mandate that our immigration laws be fully enforced,” said Ganjei. “Business owners who put profits over their fellow citizens by harboring illegal aliens should be advised that the Southern District of Texas will not look the other way.”
“The jury’s verdict affirms that the defendants knowingly conspired to harbor individuals in the country illegally, committed two separate acts of harboring, and did so for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “These actions not only violate federal immigration laws but also exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. This conviction sends a clear message: those who engage in human smuggling and harboring for financial benefit will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 18. At that time, Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel face up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The two are also facing the potential loss of their residency status.
ICE-HSI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Jury Convicts Utah County Man with Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict today against a Utah County man after he sexually abused a 10-year-old girl and recorded the sexual abuse.
Brent Richard Johnson, 51, of Cedar Hills, Utah, was charged by indictment on November 20, 2024, with production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between approximately August and November 2013, defendant Johnson used his iPhone to record himself sexually abusing a 10-year-old minor victim while she was sleeping. Following the execution of a search warrant in 2024 on Mr. Johnson’s residence, the videos were discovered by law enforcement on a backup of an iPhone on Mr. Johnson’s computer. During the search, law enforcement also found a USB charging box that was disguised as a camera in a bathroom.
Johnson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 9, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.The case is being investigated jointly by the American Fork Police Department, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carol A. Dain and Joey L. Blanch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Jason A. Reding Quiñones Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Southern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Following his nomination by President Donald J. Trump and confirmation by the United States Senate, Jason A. Reding Quiñones was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. The oath of office was administered by Attorney General Pam Bondi. The Honorable Reding Quiñones is the first confirmed U.S. Attorney of President Trump’s second administration.
As United States Attorney, Reding Quiñones will lead the third-largest U.S. Attorney’s Office in the nation, overseeing the prosecution of a broad array of federal criminal offenses and the litigation of civil matters in which the United States has a legal interest. The Southern District of Florida spans more than 15,000 square miles, encompassing the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee, and Highlands, and stretching from Key West to Sebastian and west to Sebring.
“As the son of a Cuban political refugee and a proud Miami native, I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence that President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and the United States Senate have placed in me. As the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, I will work tirelessly to protect the American people, restore impartial justice, and defend the rule of law without fear or favor.”
Prior to his appointment, Hon. Reding Quiñones served as a state court trial judge in Miami-Dade County presiding over civil and criminal domestic violence cases. He previously served as a national security official in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, focusing on counterterrorism, and served as a federal prosecutor in both the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida.
A decorated 22-year veteran of the United States military, Hon. Reding Quiñones has served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force as a cavalry scout, infantry officer, logistics officer, and judge advocate (military lawyer). He continues to serve as a reserve lieutenant colonel, providing legal counsel on national security and counterterrorism matters to the Commander, U.S. Central Command.
The Honorable Reding Quiñones earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, with a minor in Military Sciences, from the University of Florida, and a Juris Doctor from Florida International University College of Law.
He succeeds Hayden P. O’Byrne, a career prosecutor who has led the office since January 2025. “Mr. O’Byrne is a patriot who has faithfully served this community for many years. I thank him for his leadership and look forward to building on his successes,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Pedro Eligio-Salinas, age 44, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Oklahoma, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.
On April 14, 2025, Eligio-Salinas pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 27, 2025, Eligio-Salinas, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed in 2011, and without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Eligio-Salinas will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Idabel Resident Sentenced for Stealing Firearm from Federally Licensed Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that J’Quarius J’Vontay Austin, age 18, of Idabel, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Stealing Firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Broken Bow Police Department, and the Idabel Police Department.
On March 24, 2025, Austin pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 23, 2024, Austin and others burglarized a Broken Bow gun and pawn shop and stole 18 firearms and ammunition. Law enforcement recovered four of the stolen firearms while investigating a shootout in Idabel that occurred three days after the Broken Bow theft.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Austin will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Smuggling Aliens into the United States and Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Pedro Cesar Ramos-Cruz, 33, of the country of Cuba, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Bring Aliens into the United States, Illegal Reentry by a Removed Alien, and Possession of a Firearm by an Alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This case is another shining example of the great success of the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America and fulfills the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to stop the flow of illegal immigration into our country. This criminal alien not only repeatedly illegally entered our country, but he also endangered our communities by smuggling other illegal aliens into and throughout the United States, while in possession of stolen firearms. My office will aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”
Court records reflect that Ramos-Cruz was encountered by Florida Highway Patrol Troopers and found in possession of an alien smuggling ledger, 20 foreign passports, $13,709 in currency, narcotics, and stolen firearms. Homeland Security Investigations quickly determined that Ramos-Cruz, an alien in the United States and a citizen of Cuba, had been previously deported from the United States in 2019 and in 2020. Further investigation demonstrated that Ramos-Cruz was working with the Gulf Cartel and was actively smuggling aliens from Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Columbia into the United States.
“This criminal illegal alien repeatedly violated our nations laws, possessed stolen firearms, narcotics, and smuggled people in and throughout the United States like a commodity, with no regard for their safety or wellbeing,” said Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI Tallahassee, and our federal, state and local partners, will use every tool at our disposal to stop this kind of criminal conduct and keep our communities safe.”
“What started as a simple traffic stop ended with the takedown of a Gulf Cartel-linked human smuggler who had been moving people across the southern border during the Biden administration and into Florida,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “We don’t just make arrests—FDLE picks up the rock and looks at what’s crawling underneath. We run the long, protracted, multi-jurisdictional cases that follow the trail across state lines, across borders, and straight to the people fueling these criminal networks. I’m proud of our agents’ relentless work on this case and their commitment to keeping Florida safe.”
An ICE detainer has been lodged against Ramos-Cruz, and he will begin deportation proceedings after he serves his federal prison term.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Former Assistant United States Attorney Corey J. Smith and Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Honduras Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry into the U.S. and Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A citizen of Honduras pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal immigration and fraud laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Jose Mejia-Sarmiento, 66, pleaded guilty to Counts One through Nine of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on three separate occasions between 1996 and 2016, Mejia-Sarmiento was found in the United States after having been deported and removed from the United States, including after having been convicted of a felony on the latter occasion. Further, Mejia-Sarmiento made false statements to the Social Security Administration on four different occasions between May 2024 and February 2025 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, by possessing and using the identification of another person.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2025. The law provides for a sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mejia-Sarmiento.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Noah Lee Craddock, age 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 12, 2025, to 71 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in November 2020, the Pennsylvania State Police stopped a vehicle Craddock was driving on Interstate 83 in Harrisburg. During the stop, police recovered a 9mm Glock pistol and a loaded magazine from the vehicle.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli.
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Guy A. Van Baalen Appointed as Acting U.S. Trustee for Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
Guy A. Van Baalen has been appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (Region 21). Van Baalen replaces Mary Ida Townson, who is resigning August 16 after four years of distinguished service to the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
Van Baalen joined the USTP in 1989 as an attorney in the field office in Buffalo, New York, and has held several leadership roles. Since 2019, he has served as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the office in Tampa, Florida, and he will remain in that position while overseeing Region 21. For the previous 23 years, he was the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the office in Utica, New York, and he has held the same position in an acting capacity in other USTP offices in Florida and New York. In addition to his other duties, Van Baalen serves on a working group supporting the USTP’s oversight and supervision of small business reorganizations filed under subchapter V of chapter 11.
Van Baalen received a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
The Executive Office for U.S. Trustees made the announcement.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Grand jury indicts man who allegedly made death threats against ICE agentsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man who was arrested in July after he allegedly made multiple threats online to shoot and kill ICE officers has now been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Anthony Marcus Kelly, 38, is charged in a two-count indictment with making threats to assault or murder a United States official and with making threatening interstate communications.
According to charging documents, from June 26 through July 17, Kelly allegedly used the social media username “Slab” and made multiple social media posts calling for the killing of ICE officers and detailing his acquisition of firearms to carry out that threat.
In one of his alleged posts, Kelly wrote “Why even bother with these damn courts anymore. #Gestapedos don’t deserve anything but the smoke coming for them anyway. #RevolutionIsTheSolution #DestroyICE they’re rabid dogs that need to be put down. Including #KristiNoem #DogmeatWalking.”
In another, he wrote, “You come here for me, you’re getting shot. And I’m not looking to disable […] I’m shooting for the kill. I won’t give a **** about your names, who you are, or anything else”.
Kelly was arrested on July 22 and remains in federal custody.
Threatening to assault or murder a United States official is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Making threatening interstate communications carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey and FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand jury indicts illegal alien for sexually exploiting 12-year-old victimRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Mexican national was indicted by a federal grand jury today and charged with sexually exploiting a 12-year-old girl in the Southern District of Ohio.
Victor Juarez, 26, allegedly created videos of his sexual abuse of the minor victim on at least 13 instances in October and November 2024.
He is charged with 13 counts of sexual exploitation of children.
In February 2025, Juarez was charged with rape in Hamilton County. The federal charges will now supersede his local ones.
Sexually exploiting children is a federal crime punishable by at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison.
The FBI’s Cincinnati Division and police departments in Cincinnati, Sharonville and Springdale are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Gainesville Man Sentenced to over 35 Years in Prison for Drug-Trafficking, Firearm, and MacHinegun OffensesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 21, was sentenced to 35 years and 3 months’ imprisonment in federal court for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, and possession of a machinegun, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who pose a danger to our communities. Keeping a dangerous offender like this one off our streets is yet another step in fulfilling that promise. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe.”
Evidence at trial demonstrated that law enforcement conducted surveillance of the Majestic Oaks apartments due to reports that Johnson and others were in possession of firearms, including a machinegun. Johnson was prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm due to his prior criminal history. Officers identified Johnson and tried to approach him, but Johnson spun around and pointed with his hand inside his jacket pocket, making officers believe he was armed with a pistol. As officers identified themselves as police, Johnson ran. Officers were able to apprehend Johnson with a police canine. As Johnson fled, he threw a cellphone, backpack, and pistol. Officers discovered a distribution-quantity of marijuana, empty baggies, and a digital scale, in Johnson’s backpack. Examination of the discarded pistol revealed a machinegun conversion device, rendering the pistol fully automatic. Officers obtained search warrants and reviewed material from Johnson’s cellphone, as well as his social media accounts, and found dozens of pictures of Johnson posing with guns, large amounts of cash, and advertising marijuana for sale, including on the day of his arrest.
“The combination of illegal narcotics and illegally possessed firearms, especially a machine gun, presents an extreme threat to public safety,” said Police Chief Nelson Moya, Gainesville Police Department. “I commend our officers and federal partners for their dedicated work in bringing this case to justice. We will continue to stand firm against those who choose to endanger lives through criminal activity.”
“Drug trafficking is a dangerous endeavor and leads to increased violence in our communities,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter, Miami Field Division. “Law enforcement agencies in Florida continue to work together to get these armed and dangerous criminals off our streets and behind bars.”
“This sentence sends a clear message: if you bring violence, drugs and illegal guns into Florida, you will be met with the full force of local, state and federal law enforcement,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Mark Glass. “Working side-by-side with our partners, FDLE will continue to track down dangerous offenders and dismantle the criminal networks that put our communities at risk.”
“This is an incredible public safety win for residents of North Central Florida,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “We’re proud to have leveraged our expertise to help our local, state and federal partners bring this dangerous suspect to justice.”
Johnson received a sentence of 35 years and 3 months in prison, which will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Johnson was also ordered for forfeit the firearm and conversion device seized.
Johnson also faces unrelated charges of attempted first degree murder involving a machinegun in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Alachua County where he has entered a plea of not guilty and is presumed innocent.
This conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Eric Welch prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Alan Heaton, 35 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly Brady after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Heaton was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, Heaton unlawfully possessed a firearm after having been convicted of multiple felony offenses in Allen County, Wells County, and DeKalb County.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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.
Fort Campbell Soldier Arrested on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the Middle District of Tennessee charging U.S. Army Soldier Robert Cecilio, 39, of Clarksville, Tennessee, with child sexual exploitation offenses, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Cecilio was arrested today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, from May 1, 2024, to the present, Cecilio has been communicating with at least three minor female victims, using the Snapchat app to get the victims to send him nude photos and videos of themselves. Snapchat records obtained through a search warrant show more than 8,400 contacts, including messages, images and videos, that were exchanged between Cecilio and one of his victims.
Cecilio was detained by Army CID Special Agents and Military Police Officers as he entered Fort Campbell on August 8, 2025. After waiving his Miranda rights, Cecilio stated that he used the Snapchat account that law enforcement had previously searched as well as other Snapchat accounts that include some variation of the name “Gabe” in the account name when communicating with minors. He confessed to having engaged in inappropriate sexual communications with many minor girls for an extended period of time, and that he had received many images and videos of minor females that he understood to be child pornography.
If convicted, Cecilio faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former city council member guilty of facilitating bribe paymentsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas –A 47-year-old Edinburg resident has pleaded guilty to his role in a “pay-to-play” bribery scheme involving the Edinburg City Council, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jorge “Coach” Salinas admitted that between June 2019 and March 2020, he participated in a scheme involving businesses seeking contracts with the city of Edinburg. Salinas, then a councilman, attended meetings where a business owner sought to reinstate a long-term contract that had expired and converted to month-to-month terms.
The business operated in Edinburg and the surrounding area. The owner had sought both to secure new work agreements and maintain existing ones with the city.
The owner spoke with Miguel Garza who outlined what would be needed to persuade the council to approve the deal. Garza claimed to know several council members, to include Salinas. He said that for a payment, he could deliver Salinas’ vote in favor of the contract and ensure a majority of council members supported it. Part of the money would go to certain members of the council who made up the majority.
On July 23, 2019, Salinas met with Garza and the business owner to discuss the pending contract. The business owner gave Garza $3,000 at that time, because Garza had represented they had an agreement to secure the Edinburg City Council vote on behalf of the business owner’s company.
By attending this meeting, Salinas aided and abetted Garza’s criminal scheme to have council members take official acts in exchange for monetary payment.
“The public has a right to expect honesty and integrity from government officials,” said Ganjei. “If you participate in a pay-to-play scheme in the Southern District of Texas, you will definitely pay—the cost will be a federal indictment and prison term.”
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing Nov. 5. At that time, Salinas faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Garza, 54, Edinburg, pleaded guilty May 2, 2023, and is also set for sentencing in November.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur R. Jones and Robert L. Guerra are prosecuting the case.
Federal jury convicts Jamestown man of multiple drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal jury convicted Trenton Grant, 31, of Jamestown, NY, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, the charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johsua A. Violanti and Stacey Jacovetti, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in May 2023, the Olean Police Department began an investigation into Grant’s drug trafficking activities. On July 25, 2023, Olean police officers executed search warrants on his vehicle and person and recovered approximately 71 grams of methamphetamine, five grams of cocaine, and approximately four grams of fentanyl. Officers also recovered a loaded firearm and ammunition from the trunk of Grant’s vehicle. The firearm was later identified as having been stolen. At the time of his arrest, Grant was on parole for a prior felony conviction in February 2016 of Assault, Intent to Cause Serious Injury with Weapon. As a result, he is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The verdict is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2026, before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., who presided over the trial.
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Federal Jury in Lafayette Convicts Former Abbeville Resident on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal jury in Lafayette has found a former Abbeville resident, David Lee Fail, 43, guilty of transportation and possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
According to information presented in court, while living in Abbeville in 2021, Fail uploaded pornographic images of prepubescent children into a popular cloud-based storage platform account. The investigation into Fail’s illicit activities began in December 2021 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) received a cybertip reporting that images depicting child sexual abuse material had been uploaded onto a cloud-based platform using a unique IP address.
Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“HSI”), investigated the case and learned that Fail had two previous convictions for similar child exploitation offenses.
Further investigation revealed that the online storage account was registered in Fail’s name in Abbeville and had recently been disabled. Agents learned that after the account was disabled, Fail left Abbeville and relocated to the Denver, Colorado area. Agents obtained search warrants for Fail’s accounts and found more than 150 images containing child sexual abuse material. Many of the images found depicted prepubescent females with adult males.
Fail faces a sentence of 40 years in prison as to the transportation of child pornography conviction, and 20 years in prison for the possession of child pornography conviction, in addition to a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has been scheduled for December 9, 2025.
The case was investigated by Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and HSI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Bordelon and J. Luke Walker.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
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Federal Jury Convicts Man for Producing, Distributing, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Joshua Keith Davis (53, Jacksonville) guilty of five counts of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), five counts of distribution of CSAM, and one count of possession of CSAM. Davis faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for each production offense, a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years’, imprisonment for each distribution offense, and up to 20 years in prison for the possession offense. His sentencing hearing is set for October 29, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2011 and 2013, Davis produced CSAM depicting infants. He distributed the material to several individuals online. Davis was also found in possession of CSAM in 2022.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Inmate Charged with Possession of a Weapon in PrisonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Devin Lopez-Dominguez, age 25, an inmate at the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Facility, Minersville, PA, was indicted on August 12, 2025 by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in a federal correctional facility.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on December 22, 2024, Lopez-Dominguez possessed a prohibited object, a sharpened aluminum weapon.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Federal Inmate Charged with Possession of a Weapon in PrisonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marco Deputy, age 30, of Frederick, Maryland, was indicted on August 12, 2025 by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in a federal correctional facility.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on December 2, 2024, Deputy, an inmate at the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Facility, possessed a prohibited object, a sharpened aluminum weapon.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Federal Inmate Charged with Possession of a Weapon and Controlled Substances in PrisonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Juawan Davis, age 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, was indicted on August 12, 2025 by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon and controlled substances while an inmate in a federal correctional facility.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on November 14, 2024, Davis, an inmate at Schuylkill Federal Correctional Facility, possessed a sharpened plexi-glass weapon with a tape handle, THC, and Buprenorphine.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (“FBI”). Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for possessing contraband in prison is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Federal Court Grants Justice Department’s Motion to Terminate 47-Year-Old Consent Decree Governing Employment by City of Norfolk’s Police and Fire DepartmentsRead the Press Release
This week, the Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted its motion to terminate a 1978 consent decree governing police and firefighter employment in Norfolk, Virginia.
The consent decree settled the Department’s lawsuit, filed the same year, that alleged the City’s Police and Fire Departments unlawfully discriminated against blacks and females in its employment practices, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The City did not oppose the Justice Department’s motion.
“Local communities must be able to choose firefighters and police officers based on skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas imposed by federal courts and the federal government,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to this Department of Justice, the City of Norfolk’s first responder hiring will finally be free from federal micromanagement for the first time in almost 50 years.”
“Nearly half a century after it was entered, the Decree is no longer necessary or legally justifiable as a temporary measure to remedy employment discrimination that may have occurred long ago,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The City fully complied with the decree in its hiring, recruitment, and other employment matters, and the federal government should release supervision and return control to local authorities.”
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/.
Erin Creegan Appointed Interim United States Attorney for the District of New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Erin Creegan has been appointed as the Interim United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. United States Attorney Creegan was appointed to the position by United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi on August 11, 2025, effective today.
As Interim United States Attorney, Ms. Creegan is the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer in New Hampshire. She supervises the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters for the United States within the district. She leads an office of approximately 54 prosecutors, civil litigators, support personnel and professional staff members.
“Extraordinary work is already being done across New Hampshire to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “As someone who calls the Granite State home, my focus will be on building on that foundation and marshaling every available resource to ensure New Hampshire continues to receive the full measure of federal support it deserves.”
U.S. Attorney Creegan has years of experience as a prosecutor in the United States Department of Justice having served in roles including as an Associate Deputy Attorney General and a prosecutor in the Counterterrorism Section in Washington D.C. Immediately prior to her appointment as the United States Attorney, Ms. Creegan served as the General Counsel for the New Hampshire Judicial Branch where she advised on all legal matters affecting the state judiciary.
For more information on the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nh.
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Eighty Year Sentence for Former Candidate Who Orchestrated Shootings and Murder-for-Hire After Election LossRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Solomon Peña was sentenced to 960 months in prison for orchestrating a politically motivated shooting spree and plotting to murder witnesses to obstruct justice.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Solomon Peña, 42, ran for District 14 of the New Mexico House of Representatives during the November 2022 midterm elections. After his electoral defeat, Peña falsely claimed the election was rigged and began pressuring members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners not to certify the results. When they refused, Peña recruited Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo to carry out a series of shootings at the homes of several public officials. Peña provided cash, instructions, and addresses, and personally participated in one of the attacks. One of the shootings involved a fully automatic machine gun. Multiple rounds struck areas of the homes where children had recently been or were sleeping.
Following his arrest, Peña attempted to have Jose and Demetrio Trujillo murdered to prevent them from testifying, offering fellow inmates money and a vehicle in exchange for their deaths.
On March 23, 2025, a federal jury found Peña guilty of all counts of the indictment, including conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, four counts of intimidation and interference with federally protected activities, four counts of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
“Violence and intimidation have no place in our elections,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “This sentence shows that through the tireless work of our agents and prosecutors we will protect our democracy and bring offenders to justice.”
"The FBI is committed to protecting the American people and bringing justice to those who try to harm others and disrupt our democratic processes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell. “We are grateful for our local and federal partners who worked tirelessly to ensure Solomon Peña is no longer a harm to the public."
Upon his release from prison, Peña will be subject to three years of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay restitution and a $250,000 fine.
Jose Trujillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy, interference with federally protected activities, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, discharging said firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 37 months in prison.
Demetrio Trujillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy, two counts of interference with federally protected activities, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm and was sentenced to 180 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Albuquerque Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Patrick E. Cordova for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney William Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case.
Eight Defendants Charged in Nationwide Scheme to Defraud Two Mobile Shopping Service CompaniesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted eight individuals in California, Michigan, Ohio, and Oregon for their roles in a nationwide scheme to defraud two mobile shopping service companies.
According to the indictment filed Aug. 7, 2025, and unsealed today, Abdulkadir Mohamed Ali, 31, of Portland, Oregon; Mazen Mohamed Hassan, 24, of Columbus, Ohio; Ahmed Mohamed Ali, 36, of Troy, Michigan; Abdirahman Abdalla Mahamed, 28, of San Diego, California; Hussein Mohamed Ali, 27, of Troy, Michigan; Abubakar Mohamed Ali, 29, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Omar Mohamed Ali, 23, of Troy, Michigan; and Yusuf Mohamed Ali, 26, of Westerville, Ohio, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and eight counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting.
The indictment alleges that defendants conducted a phishing scheme targeting two mobile shopping service companies based in San Francisco, California and Birmingham, Alabama. As part of the scheme to defraud, defendants obtained a stolen list of active and inactive accounts of “shoppers,” individuals who purchase groceries or other merchandise to fulfill customer orders. Upon fraudulently gaining control over the shopper accounts, defendants allegedly placed fictitious customer orders using the mobile applications. Some of the defendants would then impersonate the shoppers and accept the fictitious customer orders. This would then prompt the mobile application to load funds to the shopper’s digital debit card, which the defendants had access to and control over, to fulfill the orders. Defendants, acting as the shopper, would go into a store to purchase gift cards rather than the items that had been ordered while simultaneously canceling the customer order.
After obtaining gift cards from the stores, defendants allegedly used the gift cards to purchase cryptocurrency, which they converted into U.S. currency, or completed online orders for their own benefit. In total, defendants are charged with stealing more than $1 million from two mobile shopping service companies.
This morning, Yusuf Mohamed Ali and Mazen Hassan Mohamed were arrested in Columbus, Ohio; Abubakar Mohamed Ali was arrested in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Abdulkadir Mohamed Ali was arrested in Portland, Oregon; and Ahmed Mohamed Ali, Abdirahman Abdalla Mahamed, Hussein Mohamed Ali, Abubakar Mohamed Ali, Omar Mohamed Ali were arrested in Detroit, Michigan. Each defendant made an initial appearance in federal district court today.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.
Defendants are currently released on bond. They are next scheduled to appear in federal district court in Oakland on Aug. 25, 2025, for an initial appearance before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and wire fraud and aiding and abetting in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Chambers and Evan Mateer are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and USSS.
Duo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Speedway CVSRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Two Indianapolis men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the armed robbery of a Speedway CVS in April 2024.
John Rice, 29, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Robert Larue, 45, has been sentenced to eight years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to interference with commerce by robbery, possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on April 13, 2024, Larue and Rice robbed a CVS pharmacy located on Cunningham Road in Speedway, Indiana. Armed with guns, the pair entered the store and passed a note to an employee that read, “Open the register and nobody has to get hurt.” They fled the scene in a blue Chevrolet Captiva, stealing an undisclosed amount of cash that, unbeknownst to them, included a GPS tracker.
The Speedway Police Department was alerted immediately and, within thirty minutes, located the suspects driving the Captiva. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the pair fled and eventually abandoned the vehicle to run on foot. After a short pursuit, officers arrested both Larue and Rice. During a search, officers located a black Ruger semiautomatic pistol in Larue’s pants pocket and a teal Taurus semiautomatic pistol in a small backpack belonging to Rice. Officers also recovered $1,576 in cash and the GPS tracker.
Larue has multiple prior felony convictions, including armed robbery in 2011, armed robbery in 2006, and auto theft in 2000. These prior felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm again.
“These armed criminals terrorized employees, putting innocent lives at risk for quick cash,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Thanks to the quick action of Speedway Police and our federal partners, they were caught within minutes and will now spend years in prison. We will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that those who use guns to commit violent crimes and intimidate the public are swiftly brought to justice.”"The ATF is proud of the successful outcome of this investigation and prosecution. Removing violent, armed offenders like Rice and Larue from our streets ensures they can no longer harm innocent people. These results are made possible by the strong, collaborative relationship we share with our local law enforcement partners," said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Thomas Greco.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Speedway Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Barloh, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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.
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Drug Courier Arrested in Orange Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHRISTIAN ANDRES TEJADA SEGURA, 26, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in West Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by 18 months of supervised release, for a fentanyl trafficking offense. Judge Oliver also ordered Tejada to pay a $20,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, as part of an undercover investigation, the DEA arranged a fentanyl purchase with an individual. On May 24, 2023, Tejada was arrested in Orange after he had traveled to Connecticut and was found in possession of approximately 473 grams of the drug.
On April 4, 2025, Tejada pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Tejada, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 11.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, the West Haven Police Department, and the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national deported in 2015 after being convicted for trafficking heroin pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Kelvin Roberto Feliz, 54, who has been detained at the Adult Correctional Institution in an unrelated matter since June 2024, today admitted in federal court that he illegally reentered the United States after he was convicted in September 2014 and deported in July 2015.
Feliz is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr. The matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Denver Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Large-Scale Drug Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City Area and within the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Denver, Colorado, woman, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 8, 2025.
Shelina Martinez, 34, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. She pleaded guilty on May 21, 2025.
Between January 2022 and February 2024, Martinez was part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota, including in the Rapid City area and within the Pine Ridge Reservation. During the conspiracy, large quantities of methamphetamine were transported from Denver, Colorado, to South Dakota, and Martinez assisted on occasion with the transportation of those drugs.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Wyoming State Highway Patrol, and the North Metro Denver Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Martinez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Convicted Sex Offender Who Had Been Deported to Mexico Charged in Illegally Re-Entering the U.S.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saul Castillo-Crespo, 28, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, with violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and illegal re-entry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Castillo-Crespo was previously convicted in August 2017 in D.C. Superior Court and sentenced to five years in prison in connection with the kidnapping and sexual abuse of an intoxicated stranger in Northwest Washington. In January 2023, Castillo-Crespo was deported to Mexico. He illegally re-entered the country in March 2025, proceeded to violate the law by failing to register as a sex offender, and was arrested in June by local law enforcement.
“This defendant has repeatedly crossed the border illegally to commit multiple crimes in the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He’s a poster boy for the kind of threat that we are determined to remove from our community.”
According to the court documents, ICE learned that Castillo-Crespo had been arrested by MPD officers on June 27, 2025, and had been charged with unlawful entry and destroying property. On arrest, the defendant identified himself using the alias “David Crespo.”
On July 16, 2025, law enforcement fingerprinted “David Crespo.” The FBI identified him as Castillo-Crespo. ICE determined that the fingerprints matched those of a known and previously deported alien.
On May 7, 2017, Castillo-Crespo found the victim in the early morning hours on a sidewalk near Lafayette Square in downtown Washington. She was extremely intoxicated, unable to walk, and told Castillo-Crespo that she wanted to go to her home. Castillo-Crespo hailed a passing taxi and brought her back to his apartment building in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW. Once inside, the victim refused to enter Castillo-Crespo’s fourth-floor apartment and repeated that she wanted to go home. On multiple occasions, she fell and laid down on the hallway floor due to her intoxication. She tried to push Castillo-Crespo away and return to the elevator to leave the building, but Castillo-Crespo blocked her and pulled her back toward his apartment. Because of the commotion this was causing in the hallway, Castillo-Crespo lifted her and carried her to the fourth- floor staircase, where Castillo-Crespo sexually assaulted her. His conduct inside the building was captured on building surveillance cameras.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter and Kyle McWaters.
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Convicted Killer Serving Life Is Sentenced to an Additional 46-Months for Possessing Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcel Vines, 28, a convicted kidnapper and killer serving a life sentence in prison, was sentenced today to an additional 46-months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy that smuggled a knife, fentanyl, and cell phones into the Central Detention Facility while he was awaiting trial for the murders of two innocent victims, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Vines, a member of the violent Clay Terrace Crew, pleaded guilty July 29, 2025, to conspiracy to commit and offense against the United States, that is possession of contraband in prison. In addition to his current life sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Vines to serve an additional 46 months on the contraband charge.
Joining in the announcement were Director Tom Faust of the D.C. Department of Corrections, FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Previously, on Aug. 19, 2024, a federal jury found Vines guilty in the brutal kidnapping and murder of Kerrice Lewis and Armani Coles who had each been abducted at gun point, forced into vehicles, driven around the city, and then killed. In the case of Ms. Coles, she was trapped in the trunk of a sedan for more than 90 minutes before Vines and his co-defendant, Malique Lewis, 27, opened the trunk and shot her numerous times before setting the car on fire with her inside.
On March 7, 2025, Judge Dabney L. Friedrich sentenced Vines and Malique Lewis to life plus 60 years in prison for the kidnappings and murders. Vines will serve the 46-month sentence for possessing contraband consecutively to the previous sentence.
According to court documents, Vines was incarcerated in the Central Detention Facility (CDF) of the D.C. Department of Corrections (DOC) where he was awaiting trial on the double-armed kidnapping and murder charges. Vines was housed with other detainees from the Clay Terrace neighborhood of the District.
Beginning in February 2024—but likely much earlier—the Clay Terrace detainees sought to bring weapons and controlled substances into CDF. They recruited two correctional officers to assist in bringing the contraband into the jail.
DOC Office of Investigative Services made two recoveries of contraband in this case. On Feb. 28, 2024, DOC officers intercepted a bag containing a switchblade knife; an Apple iPhone; a USB iPhone charger; two pairs of eyeglasses; a bundle of marijuana wrapped in clear plastic wrap; tobacco wrapped in clear plastic wrap; several sheets of white rolling papers; a pair of gambling dice; three white sheets of paper that were damp and contained MDMB4en-PINACA—a synthetic cannabinoid and Schedule I Controlled Substance; additional packages of marijuana; and five plastic wrapped packages containing approximately 100 cigarettes.
On July 25, 2024, DOC staffers conducted two searches of the unit housing the Clay Terrace detainees for contraband. The DOC staff recovered 269 blue pills (including 120 from Vines’ cell), which tested positive for fentanyl; 60 cigarettes soaked in an unknown liquid (including 40 in Mr. Vines’ cell); 255 suboxone strips (170 in Vines’ cell); seven pieces of paper soaked in an unknown liquid substance; three cellular phones; and cigarettes.
This case was investigated by the DOC Office of Investigative Services, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold and Sarah Santiago.
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Connecticut Lab, its Owners and Officers, to Pay More Than $1.2 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GENCO LAB, LLC and its owners and officers, PAUL CONROY, TRICIA CONROY, and CHARLES OREFICE, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and agreed to pay more than $1.2 million to settle allegations that they submitted false and fraudulent claims to government health care programs for medically unnecessary urine drug tests.
Genco Lab (“Genco”) is a reference laboratory with offices in Branford. Paul Conroy is the majority owner, Orefice is a part owner, and Tricia Conroy is the Chief Operating Officer.
The government alleges that Genco and its owners and officers committed fraud in two ways. First, they submitted claims for medically unnecessary urine drug tests for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries residing in sober homes solely for the purposes of “residential monitoring,” which was explicitly prohibited. Second, they submitted claims for medically unnecessary duplicative urine drug testing.
There are several different types of urine drug testing. A screening test, also called a “presumptive” test, detects the presence or absence of certain classes of drugs, such as opiates, cocaine, and amphetamines. A screening test does not measure the specific amount of the drug present in the patient’s urine sample, but provides only a positive or a negative result, indicating the presence or absence of a detectable drug. A confirmation test, also known as a “definitive” test, is a more precise and more expensive test that determines not only whether a particular drug is detectable in a patient’s urine sample, but also the specific quantity of the drug that is detected.
The government alleges that Genco and its owners and officers routinely conducted testing on Medicaid and Medicare patients using both types of tests, at the same time, on the same day. No practitioner reviewed the results of the screening test first to determine if it was medically necessary to also utilize the more expensive and precise definitive test. Accordingly, government health care programs were routinely billed for both types each time a Medicaid or Medicare patient was tested.
To resolve the governments’ False Claims Act allegations, Genco and its owners and officers have agreed to pay $1,255,825, which covers the time-period from September 2021 through December 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot and by Assistant Attorney General Christine Miller of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
Cincinnati woman charged with stealing more than $148,000 from elderly or ill veteransRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Federal agents arrested a Cincinnati woman today in Louisville, Kentucky, on charges alleging she misappropriated money that she was managing on behalf of four United States military veterans.
Ishwanzya Rivers, 46, also allegedly made false statements to the federal government to cover up her theft.
According to charging documents, Rivers stole more than $133,000 from one elderly, dying veteran who lived at the VA hospital in Cincinnati. Rivers allegedly misappropriated the victim’s money at least 45 times from June 2021 through November 2022.
It is also alleged that she stole smaller amounts of money from three other elderly or infirm veterans totaling more than $15,000.
Rivers allegedly used the money for shopping, restaurants and to travel to New Orleans, Montego Bay, Cancun, London, Panama, Zurich, Vienna and Maldives.
Misappropriating funds as a fiduciary and making false statements are federal crimes each punishable by up to five years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Central Field Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Cincinnati man allegedly involved in downtown brawl charged with federal gun crimeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man charged locally as part of the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati now also faces a federal firearms charge.
A federal grand jury today indicted Montanez Merriweather, 34, with illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to the indictment, on July 2, Merriweather illegally possessed a 9mm pistol. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
“There is no place for violence in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Those who commit violent acts can expect to be scrutinized and they will be held accountable for violations of federal criminal law.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas A. Greco of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) stated: “Violence, in any form and under any circumstance, has no place in a civilized society. When warranted, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, will employ the full extent of our legal authority and resources to identify, apprehend, and remove violent offenders from our communities.”
Merriweather, who has been identified as a participant in the July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati, is currently in state custody on local charges that include assault, felonious assault and aggravated riot.
Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and Cincinnati Police Chief Theresa A. Theetge announced the new charge. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Christian County Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Clever, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing seven firearms.
Dakota Mitchell, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of conspiracy to traffick firearms, one count of trafficking firearms, and one count of unlawful possession of firearms.
Mitchell admitted to conspiring with a straw purchaser to obtain four firearms, knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms as an unlawful user of controlled substances. Mitchell unlawfully possessed six Glock pistols and a Micro Draco pistol between April 28, 2023, and July 9, 2024.
On May 11, 2023, a detective with the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a road rage incident at the intersection of Farm Roads 137 and 182. In a post-Miranda interview Mitchell admitted to yelling and shooting at a vehicle that had stopped short at the intersection. GCSO officers seized a Glock 9mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine and a Glock .40 caliber pistol with a high-capacity magazine from the BMW SUV Mitchell was driving.
Officers with the Springfield, Mo., Police Department responded to the scene of a car accident on Jan. 30, 2024, where Mitchell displayed a firearm. The victim of the accident identified Mitchell as the driver and brandisher of the firearm. SPD officers seized a loaded Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a high-capacity magazine from Mitchell.
On April 11, 2024, Ozark School Resource officers recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from a vehicle in the parking lot at Ozark High School. That firearm was ultimately traced back to Mitchell.
On July 9, 2024, when GCSO officers arrested Mitchell in relation to a vandalism incident, he was in possession of a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In a post-Miranda interview Mitchell told officers that he had someone else buy guns for him because he was too young. Mitchell stated that his straw purchaser had purchased the Glock pistol seized on Jan. 30, the Glock seized on April 11, an additional Glock pistol that was not recovered, and an additional Micro Draco pistol for him. He also told officers that he had been using marijuana daily since he was 11 or 12 years old and that he occasionally used narcotics and psychedelic drugs.
Mitchell admitted to being a member of an area gang known as “FTO,” who have who have been linked to a number of violent crimes and firearm offenses. Many of the members of FTO are unable to purchase firearms due to their youth, history of drug use, or other prohibited status and use straw purchasers to obtain them.
Under federal statutes, Mitchell is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole on each conviction. 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. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Flossmoor, Ill., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Centralia drug dealer sentenced to 17 years on meth and fentanyl chargesRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a Centralia man to 204 months of federal imprisonment after he admitted to distributing pound quantities of meth and fentanyl.
Jackie T. Scanlan, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances: meth and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance: meth.
“This career offender built a life around selling dangerous narcotics and has a criminal history spanning over three decades of drug distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “While he continued to make poor decisions following previous stints of incarceration, Scanlan’s 17-year federal prison sentence will help to protect the public from any further crimes.”
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Scanlan for distributing meth and fentanyl from a motel room in February 2024. Initially, agents recovered 79 grams of meth, 24 fentanyl capsules and two scales in a traffic stop of Scanlan’s vehicle.
“Our success in combating drug trafficking in southern Illinois is a direct result of the collaboration both within the FBI Springfield's Southern Illinois TOC-W Task Force and outside it with our dedicated partners,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. S. Johnson. “By combining our resources, we're able to effectively seize drugs and firearms, and arrest those who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.”
In March 2024, Scanlan admitted to driving from Centralia to St. Louis to purchase at least a pound of meth and more fentanyl capsules. In a subsequent traffic stop, law enforcement recovered 232 grams of meth and another bag of fentanyl capsules.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Scanlan qualified as a “career offender” for amassing several previous drug trafficking and other felony convictions. Career offenders are eligible for longer terms of federal imprisonment.
Following imprisonment, Scanlan will serve four years of supervised release.
The FBI Springfield Field Office TOC-West Task Force led the investigation with support from the Centralia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Reppert prosecuted the case.
Cartel-linked fugitive wanted for serious crimes returned to the United States from MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 37-year-old Mexican national is set to appear in federal court for a large-scale international marijuana and cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Carlos Sanchez Gaytan has now landed on American soil and made his initial appearance in Arizona. He is expected to be transferred to the Southern District of Texas where he will appear in the near future. He is one of 26 people transferred to U.S authorities Aug. 12, pursuant to Mexico’s National Security Law, who were fugitives from Mexico facing a range of federal and state criminal charges from around the country.
“The Southern District of Texas has been waiting 15 long years for Mr. Sanchez Gaytan to accept our invitation to come pay us a visit in Laredo. That day, at long last, has finally arrived,” said Ganjei. “We look forward to laying out the evidence of Mr. Sanchez Gaytan’s alleged criminal activities to 12 men and women of South Texas, who will decide whether or not to extend his stay.”
A federal grand jury returned the 47-count superseding indictment in February 2010, charging Sanchez Gaytan and others with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances including marijuana and cocaine.
Sanchez Gaytan is one of 34 individuals named in the indictment spanning from 2001 through 2008. At that time, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales aka Z40 was a leader in the Gulf Cartel and its enforcement arm, the Zetas, according to the charges. The Gulf Cartel was allegedly in conflict and competition with the Sinaloa Cartel for control of the United States-Mexico border in and around Laredo known as the “Nuevo Laredo Plaza.”
The charges allege members and associates of the Zetas would transport firearms for use in this conflict with the Sinaloa Cartel, among other acts.
On Feb. 27, Mexican authorities transferred Trevino Morales, 52, and others to the United States. He is in U.S. custody on related charges of allegedly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved multiple murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States, using firearms - including a machinegun - during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes and conspiring to launder monetary instruments.
If convicted, Sanchez Gaytan and Trevino Morales both face up to life in federal prison.
Several others have already been convicted in the case and have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including Wenslaco Tovar aka Wency, Ivan Caballero-Velasquez aka Talivan, Jaime Miguel Diaz DeLeon aka Michael and Eduardo Carreon Ibarra aka Negro who received 340 months and 30, 40 and 45 years, respectively. Gabriel Cardona Ramirez aka Pelon was ordered to serve the rest of his life in federal prison in March 2009.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation dubbed Operation Prophecy with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Marshals Service, Webb County District Attorney's Office and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs has also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Jensen is prosecuting the case.
The effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETFand Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
California Couple Sentenced for Unlawful Multimillion-Dollar Trafficking Scheme Across U.S.-Mexico BorderRead the Press Release
Otilio Rodriguez Toledo and Alicia Aispuro Hernandez, husband and wife from Thermal, California, were sentenced today for conspiring to smuggle and distribute Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States. Toledo was sentenced to five months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release. Hernandez was sentenced to time served followed by 18 months of supervised release. Both were ordered to jointly pay $2.19 million in forfeiture.
“This case reflects our commitment to defend our southern border against those who traffic in unlawful substances that jeopardize the health and safety of Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who violate our environmental and customs laws, and we will ensure that they do not profit from their crimes.”
“Selling illegal pesticides and veterinary drugs endangers people, animals, and the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “Our office will continue to prosecute those individuals who disregard the dangerous consequences of their illegal smuggling.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the smuggling of unregistered pesticides. Defendants smuggled unregistered pesticides that are toxic to bees, and to humans,” said Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management Cecil Rodrigues of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Defendants deliberately put people at risk for their own profit and are now being held accountable for their egregious actions.”
“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully distributed and dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Wade Moon of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who distribute prescription animal drugs unlawfully.”
“There is a reason customs laws exist particularly when pesticides and chemicals are attempting to make their way into our country to potentially wreak havoc on our environment and potentially make people seriously ill,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson for HSI San Diego. “Success of this investigation is directly attributed to the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies working together to ensure uncommon illegal substance don’t make their way into our nation causing irrecoverable damage.”
According to filings and evidence presented in court, since at least December 2018, Toledo and Hernandez had engaged in smuggling pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States and then distributing them in the United States. The pesticides involved were primarily Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tetragent Aves, Metabolase, Terramicina, Cipio Vet, Baytril Max, Tylovet, Caterrol, Penicilina, and Tylosma, which are not approved by the FDA for use in the United States.
The smuggled pesticides and veterinary drugs were brought into the United States through the Calexico Port of Entry in Imperial County, California, and placed in storage units near the border. Smugglers would then send photographs of the products at the storage units as proof of delivery. These defendants would then pick up the products from the storage units and distribute them to others within the United States.
According to the EPA, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz have been documented in multiple animal species and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia.
The EPA, FDA, and HSI investigated the case.
Assistant Section Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Van Demark for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.