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24 September 2025
Former Olin Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children was sentenced September 23, 2025, to 40 years in federal prison
Christopher West, age 38, formerly from Olin, Iowa, received the sentence after an April 14, 2025, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. At the plea hearing, West admitted that he sexually exploited four children and distributed child pornography. The record at the sentencing hearing showed that West sexually exploited four girls aged 6, 11, 15, and 17.
West was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. West was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cortland, Illinois, Police Department, the Waterloo Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Anamosa Police Department, the Jefferson City, Tennessee, Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 24-76.
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Former Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Act with a Federal PrisonerRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A former Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for Engaging in Sexual Acts with a Federal Prisoner at the Federal Correctional Complex in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
In January of 2025, Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General agents learned that Parker M. Triplett, age 25, had engaged in sexual acts with a federal prisoner. Triplett was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 8, 2025.
Triplett pled guilty on June 25, 2025, and was immediately taken into federal custody of the United States Marshal Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement. The Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kabah S. Ealy prosecuted the case.
Former Executive Director Who Embezzled over $500,000 from Non-Profit Serving Oakland Youth Sentenced to More Than Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Howard Solomon, also known as Solomon Howard, was sentenced today to 27 months in federal prison in connection with a years-long scheme in which he stole at least $549,000 from his former employer, the non-profit East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA). He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $549,132.74 to the EOBA and $287,185 to the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers handed down the sentence.
Solomon, 38, of Oakland, pleaded guilty on April 23, 2025, to one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion for tax year 2018.
From 2017 until 2021, Solomon served as the Executive Director of EOBA, a non-profit that provides after-school and summer programming to East Oakland children and families, including tutoring and literacy support, boxing lessons and coaching, and internship opportunities for teenagers. Solomon embezzled at least $549,000 from his former employer and diverted funds and donations to EOBA to pay for personal expenses, including a vacation rental and a Ford Explorer.
“Howard Solomon used his position of trust to steal from kids and working families and threatened the very existence of an organization that is and must remain an important part of the East Oakland community. With this sentence, he is rightly being held accountable for his unspeakable greed,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.
“Mr. Solomon’s embezzlement scheme not only victimized the East Oakland Boxing Association, but also deprived low-income, high-risk children in East Oakland of the internships, mentoring, and boxing programs the organization offers,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office. “While Mr. Solomon siphoned funds from a nonprofit to serve his own greed, IRS-CI agents expertly sifted through evidence and followed the money in pursuit of justice.”
Among the misappropriated funds was a $50,000 donation made to EOBA that Solomon diverted into a personal account. The $50,000 donation was made to EOBA by a television studio in connection with a December 2019 appearance by Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry on the Ellen DeGeneres Show for a segment known as “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways,” during which the Currys delivered various gifts to EOBA, including the donation check.
Solomon failed to disclose the money he embezzled from EOBA as income and misstated expenses associated with two alleged businesses Solomon claimed lost money in his tax filings for the years 2017 through 2021. In total, Solomon evaded the payment of approximately $287,185 in taxes.
In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to begin serving his sentence on Oct. 30, 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas R. Green is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Amala James and Alycee Lane. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.
Former District of Columbia Public Schools Vendor Found Guilty in Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Yelake Meseretu, 41, a former vendor whose company supplied goods to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury for his role in a conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud that involved illegal kickbacks that Meseretu paid to two DCPS officials, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Following a four-and-a-half-day trial, the jury deliberated eight hours before finding Meseretu guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate federal law, one count of bribery, and one count of honest services wire fraud.
U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6, 2026. Meseretu faces up to 15 years in prison.
Joining in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas.
According to evidence presented at trial, Meseretu, owned U.S. Office Solutions, a local office goods and janitorial supply company that did millions of dollars per year in business with DCPS. Over the course of at least five years, Meseretu paid bribes and kickbacks to two DCPS procurement officials. In exchange, the two DCPS officials steered lucrative business and contracts to Meseretu’s company.
As part of the scheme, Meseretu also agreed to defraud DCPS by delivering significantly fewer quantities of supplies on certain orders submitted by DCPS. In coordination with his two DCPS insiders, Meseretu generated falsified paperwork for supply orders that inflated the number of goods on certain orders. Meseretu’s business shorted the orders by delivering a lesser amount of goods than the amount listed on these orders. Based on false certifications made by or with the knowledge of the DCPS officials, DCPS paid Meseretu the full amount of the orders as if the deliveries had been completed in full. Meseretu split the overpayment with the DCPS officials by paying them cash kickbacks.
In addition to Garnett’s conviction following a jury trial, Patricia Bailey, a former administrative officer for DCPS’s Cardozo Education Campus, pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2023, to one count of bribery for her participation in the scheme.
Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and John Borchert of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
Garnett and Meseretu: 24cr281
Bailey: 23cr336
Former CEO of Canadian AI Company Charged with Investment Fraud Scheme Targeting U.S. InvestorsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Matthew Derrick Hudson, the former CEO and founder of Invenia Technical Computing Corporation, has been charged with wire fraud in connection with a scheme that raised over $100 million from outside investors. Hudson was arrested last week in the Northern District of California and appeared in federal court in San Francisco today for a detention hearing.
According to the criminal complaint filed on Sept. 18, 2025, and unsealed today, Hudson, 42, a Canadian national, is alleged to have lied to Invenia’s investors from 2020 and continuing through 2022. The complaint alleges that some of the investors were located in or had representatives in the Northern District of California, and that other investors were based elsewhere in the United States. During the relevant period, Invenia was a private company based in Canada and the United Kingdom that claimed to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to the North American energy markets.
Hudson allegedly led investors to believe that Invenia had already achieved significant financial success, with growing revenues and cash balances exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars. Hudson did so by distributing and causing the distribution of falsified audited financial statements, invoices, and other financial documents. For example, the complaint alleges that shortly before Invenia closed its Series B fundraising round, Hudson sent an audit report that purported to verify Invenia’s 2019 balance sheet and financial statement that, among other things, claimed Invenia had approximately $218 million CAD in cash and approximately $295 million CAD in revenue. The real audit report for that year produced by Invenia’s Canadian auditor showed Invenia had approximately $6 million CAD in cash and $26 million CAD in revenue.
The complaint also describes how Hudson used fake email accounts and invoices to advance the fraud scheme. Invenia partnered with Energy Company 1, a company based in North Dakota, to engage with North American energy markets. On multiple occasions, Hudson introduced fake email accounts for an Energy Company 1 employee to representatives of Invenia investors who were conducting diligence on Invenia. Hudson then told a real person at Energy Company 1 to ignore any outreach from representatives of Invenia’s investors. Fabricated invoices and other documents were also sent to Invenia investors that included a fake phone number for Energy Company 1 that was associated with an account allegedly paid for by Hudson.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo made the announcement.
Hudson was released on bond pending trial. He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on Nov. 17, 2025, for a status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler.
A criminal complaint merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Hudson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, for the charge of wire fraud 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.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has also filed a civil enforcement action in the Northern District of California against Hudson alleging violations of securities laws.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick O’Brien is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maryam Beros and Mimi Lam. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the San Francisco Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance in the investigation.
Former Army Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
A Merced, California, man pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing two minors under the age of 16 while he was employed by the Armed Forces outside of the United States.
According to court documents, between 2015 and 2023, Thelmo Meneses Santos Jr., 60, sexually abused two children multiple times between 2015 and 2023. Santos began sexually abusing one of the minor victims when the child was 11 years old. Santos abused the two minors over a period of years in Japan, where he was employed by the U.S. Army as a civilian employee. During the investigation, Santos gave an interview to law enforcement officers where he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with both children. Santos was later arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) special agents.
“The defendant engaged in the repeated sexual abuse of two young children over several years while he was employed as a civilian with the U.S. Army in Japan,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea should serve as a warning to anyone who would harm children — even overseas — as long as the Criminal Division has jurisdiction, we will hold you accountable. The abuse and exploitation of children is intolerable, and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who engage in such deplorable conduct.”
“As this guilty plea demonstrates, those who exploit and abuse children, whether at home or abroad, will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that such heinous acts, including by military employees, are met with consequences that dispense justice and deter future offenses against the vulnerable.”
“We are committed to protecting our overseas military communities from those who exploit and endanger children,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Army CID Far East Field Office. “This case is an example of the work our special agents do every day to protect the Soldiers and civilian employees of the Department of the Army and their families.”
“American armed service members should be trusted to keep people safe and uphold values of honor and integrity. The sexual abuse of children is despicable and counter to everything Americans stand for,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, “The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in rooting out those who seek to harm our most vulnerable population, both at home and abroad.”
This case is the product of an investigation by Far East Field Office of the Army Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo, of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, are prosecuting the case.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026. Santos faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a lifetime term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, Santos will be required to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Former Army Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually abusing two minors under the age of 16 while he was employed by the U.S. Armed Forces outside of the United States.
“The defendant engaged in the repeated sexual abuse of two young children over several years while he was employed as a civilian with the U.S. Army in Japan,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea should serve as a warning to anyone who would harm children — even overseas — as long as the Criminal Division has jurisdiction, we will hold you accountable. The abuse and exploitation of children is intolerable, and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who engage in such deplorable conduct.”
“As this guilty plea demonstrates, those who exploit and abuse children, whether at home or abroad, will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that such heinous acts, including by military employees, are met with consequences that dispense justice and deter future offenses against the vulnerable.”
“American armed service members should be trusted to keep people safe and uphold values of honor and integrity. The sexual abuse of children is despicable and counter to everything Americans stand for,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in rooting out those who seek to harm our most vulnerable population, both at home and abroad.”
“We are committed to protecting our overseas military communities from those who exploit and endanger children,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Army CID Far East Field Office. “This case is an example of the work our special agents do every day to protect the Soldiers and civilian employees of the Department of the Army and their families.”
According to court documents, Thelmo Meneses Santos Jr., 60, of Merced, California, sexually abused two children multiple times between 2015 and 2023. Santos began sexually abusing one of the minor victims when the child was 11 years old. Santos abused the two minors over a period of years in Japan, where he was employed by the U.S. Army as a civilian employee. During the investigation, Santos gave an interview to law enforcement officers where he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with both children. Santos was later arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) special agents.
As part of his plea agreement, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, Santos will be required to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026.
The Far East Field Office of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case with valuable assistance from the FBI.
Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Former Alabama Department of Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A former Alabama Department of Corrections Officer has been sentenced for bribery, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced John Paul Ketteman, 28, of Huntsville, to 15 months in prison for receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.
According to the plea agreement, Ketteman was employed as a corrections officer at the Alabama Department of Correction’s Limestone Correctional Facility in Harvest, Alabama. Ketteman’s job duties included inspecting prison cells for contraband and supervising inmates. In the Fall of 2022, ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division began an investigation into contraband being smuggled into the Limestone Facility by corrections officers. As part of the investigation, Cash App records were obtained for Ketteman’s account. These records revealed that in less than three months in 2022, Ketteman was paid more than $10,000 to smuggle contraband into the Limestone Facility and to act as a lookout.
The FBI and the United States Secret Service investigated the case. ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division provided valuable assistance during the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
Five Men Indicted in Nationwide Refund and Payment Processing “Glitch” SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has returned a 22-count indictment charging five men in connection with a novel nationwide fraud and money laundering scheme that exploited payment processors and financial technology systems to generate millions of dollars in bogus refunds.
Michael Jerry Phanor, 35; John Ngotho, 33; William Lopes, 35; Armani Amado, 28; and Henry Nunez, 27, are charged with wire fraud and money laundering offenses. According to the indictment, an earlier-filed criminal complaint affidavit, and statements made during initial court hearings, the defendants conspired with others to manipulate refund transactions at retail chains across the United States.
It is alleged that the defendants used a “split-tender” method to purchase merchandise with two debit cards. They then returned the merchandise, securing a refund to the first card while intentionally stalling the process for the second refund by presenting the wrong card, entering incorrect pin numbers, or feigning calls to financial institutions. By holding the refund transaction open, the defendants triggered repeat refund signals, causing multiple credits to be issued to the first debit card.
While one conspirator conducted the staged return in-store, others monitored the account associated with the first card, quickly withdrawing and transferring funds. After receiving multiple refund credits, the defendants terminated the return and brought the merchandise to other store locations to repeat the process. This scheme allowed the conspirators to generate tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent credits from a single purchase.
The charged scheme was carried out at dozens of stores nationwide, including Miami, Tampa, New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, and Southern California. Law enforcement has traced $1.5 million in fraudulent refund credits and continues to identify additional accounts and transactions.
The defendants flaunted their proceeds on social media, showcasing private jet travel, luxury vehicles, and bottle service at exclusive clubs, and referring to themselves as the “Money Grows On Trees” collective.
On Aug. 26, Phanor, Ngotho, Lopes, and Nunez were arrested during the execution of search warrants at two luxury penthouse apartments in downtown Miami.
Ngotho, a citizen of Kenya, and Phanor, a citizen of Haiti, are subject to deportation if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami announced the charges.
HSI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Roca Shaw are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-CR-20396.
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First Defendant Charged in Autism Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Asha Farhan Hassan, age 28, was charged today by federal information with wire fraud for her role in a $14 million autism fraud scheme. Hassan was also charged with participating in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, for which she received $465,000.
“Today’s charges mark the first in the ongoing investigation into fraud in the EIDBI Autism Program,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues.”
The EIDBI Autism Fraud Scheme
As set forth in the information, Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (“EIDBI”) benefit, a publicly funded Minnesota Health Care Program that offers medically necessary services to people under the age of 21 with autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”). According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (“DHS”) website, the purpose of the EIDBI program is “to provide medically necessary, early and intensive intervention for people with ASD and related conditions.”
Applied Behavior Analysis, sometimes called “ABA therapy,” is a type of one-on-one behavioral therapy designed to help children on the autism spectrum develop social and emotional skills. ABA therapy seeks to improve social skills by rewarding and reinforcing positive behavior while discouraging negative behavior. The EIDBI benefit covers various treatment options for persons diagnosed with ASD and related conditions, including ABA therapy. EIDBI treatment services must be delivered under the supervision of a Qualified Supervising Professional (or “QSP”) that is employed by the EIDBI provider.
In order to qualify for the EIDBI benefit, a person must be under 21 years old; be diagnosed with ASD or a related condition; have had a comprehensive multi-disciplinary evaluation (CMDE) that establishes their medical need for EIDBI services; and be enrolled in a qualifying healthcare program, such as Medicaid. The CMDE is used to develop the person’s individual treatment plan (ITP). An ITP is a personalized, written plan of care that outlines the goals for the person and sets forth the specific interventions the person will receive based on their individual, assessed needs.
From November 2019 through December 2024, Asha Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the EIDBI autism services program. Hassan formed and registered Smart Therapy LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State in November 2019. Hassan listed herself as the sole owner of Smart Therapy. In reality, other individuals also had ownership stakes in Smart Therapy but were not listed on DHS documents, including because one of the owners previously owned an adult daycare and was excluded by DHS for three years due to her conduct running the adult daycare center. Shortly after forming the company, Hassan enrolled Smart Therapy as a provider agency in the EIDBI program. As discussed below, Hassan also enrolled Smart Therapy in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.
Smart Therapy purported to be providing necessary one-on-one ABA therapy to children with autism. In fact, Smart Therapy employed unqualified individuals as “behavioral technicians.” These behavioral technicians were often 18- or 19-year-old relatives with no formal education beyond high school and no training or certifications related to the treatment of autism.
To run their fraud scheme, Hassan and her partners needed children who had an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan. Hassan and her partners approached parents in the Somali community to recruit their children into Smart Therapy. Where a child did not have an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan, HASSAN and her partners worked with a QSP to get the recruited child qualified for autism services. There was no child that Smart Therapy was not able to get qualified for autism services.
As a recruitment tactic to drive up enrollment, Hassan and her partners paid monthly cash kickback payments to the parents of children who enrolled their children in Smart Therapy to receive autism services. These kickback payments ranged from approximately $300 to $1,500 per month, per child. The amount of these payments was contingent on the services DHS authorized a child to receive—the higher the authorization amount, the higher the kickback. Often, parents threatened to leave Smart Therapy and take their children to other autism centers if they did not get paid higher kickbacks. Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being offered larger kickbacks by other autism centers. Hassan and her partners covered the cost of the kickback payments that Smart Therapy paid to parents through the fraudulent billings to Medicaid.
Hassan and her partners submitted millions of dollars’ worth of claims for Medicaid reimbursement on behalf of Smart Therapy. Many of these claims were fraudulently inflated, were billed without providers’ knowledge, and were for services that were not actually provided. Hassan submitted claims seeking reimbursement for the maximum number of hours permitted by Medicaid for a given treatment or service given to a particular client, when the client only received a fraction of those treatment hours, if any treatment was provided at all on that day. These claims were then repeated for numerous other providers. Hassan submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicaid that included fraudulent signatures or approvals from the required medical providers or supervising QSPs. In reality, the providers and QSPs either did not work for Smart Therapy, were out of the country on the day the services were provided or had not participated in or signed off on the services listed in the claims.
Most of the children were dropped off in the morning and picked up in the evening by drivers, who billed DHS for transportation services. It was a part of the fraud scheme that some of these transportation providers were also on the payroll of Smart Therapy.
Hassan’s fraudulent scheme resulted in Smart Therapy obtaining more than $14 million in EIDBI reimbursement funds from Minnesota DHS and UCare. Hassan split the proceeds of the fraud schemes with her partners. Hassan sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds abroad, some of which she used to purchase real estate in Kenya.
The Federal Child Nutrition Program and Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme
As set forth in the information, Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program (together, the “Federal Child Nutrition Program”), a program designed to provide meals to hungry children. MDE administers the Federal Child Nutrition Program in Minnesota.
Beginning in April 2020, Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, oversaw a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program carried out by sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Bock and Feeding Our Future sponsored entities that submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims and fake documentation while purporting to serve hundreds and, in many instances, thousands of children per day. Bock and her company sponsored the opening of nearly 200 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites despite knowing that the sites intended to and did submit fraudulent claims.
While using Smart Therapy to defraud the EIDBI autism program, Hassan also used Smart Therapy to engage in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Hassan enrolled Smart Therapy in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future in July 2020.
Shortly after enrolling in the program, Hassan began submitting fraudulent claims to Feeding Our Future. Hassan fraudulently claimed that Smart Therapy was serving breakfast and lunch to exactly 300 children a day, 7 days per week. Hassan prepared and submitted fraudulent meal counts, attendance rosters, and invoices in support of the fraudulent claims. Hassan submitted fraudulent invoices purporting to show that a food vendor company called S & S Catering provided meals to be served at the Smart Therapy site. By April 2021, Hassan claimed to be serving approximately 1,200 meals per day to children, 7 days per week, at Smart Therapy.
Between 2020 and 2021, Hassan claimed to have served nearly 200,000 meals to children at the Smart Therapy site, for which she claimed to be entitled to approximately $465,000 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
“Abusing publicly funded health care programs for personal profit is an act of duplicity, greed, and a betrayal of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The alleged fraud by Hassan resulted in the theft of millions of dollars intended to serve and support children in need. The FBI and our partners will not stop pursuing those who unscrupulously exploit government programs. We will secure justice for the taxpayers of Minnesota.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fifteen Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine into and around ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging the following 15 individuals with conspiring to traffic fentanyl and cocaine into and around southern Connecticut:
DAMIEN HAZEL, 26, of Bridgeport
YANISHKA ARROYO-RIVERA, a.k.a. “Nani,” 22, of Bridgeport
NICHOLAS VEGA, a.k.a. “Nick,” 25, of Ansonia
OMAR VIERA, a.k.a. “O,” 32, of Waterbury
JONATHAN MEJIA, a.k.a. “Big Head,” 27, of Kentucky, formerly of Hamden
NESTOR ROSADO, a.k.a. “Joey,” 27, of Bridgeport
VICTOR FRANCISCO BONILLA, a.k.a. “Mostro,” 34, of Bridgeport
KELVIN OLIVO, 34, of Naugatuck
BRENJINELLIE GONZALEZ, a.k.a. “Brenji,” 24, of New Haven
ROBERTO DEJESUS, a.k.a. “Pedro Ramirez” and “Tito,” 50, of Bridgeport
DANIEL RUIZ, a.k.a. “Jumbo,” 38, of Bridgeport
JAFFAR ALI, 32, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Trumbull
DAVON WARNER, a.k.a. “DaeDae,” 25, of New Haven
MADISON CRUZ, a.k.a. “Maddie,” 23, of Shelton
JASZAE VAZQUEZ, 26, of DerbyAs alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force investigation determined that Hazel headed a narcotics trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in southern Connecticut. Hazel and others traveled to the Bronx, New York, to acquire kilogram quantities of fentanyl and deliver narcotics proceeds, and to Puerto Rico to acquire cocaine and ship it through the U.S. Mail to various addresses in Connecticut. During the investigation, the FBI Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized several packages containing a total of at least 16 kilograms of cocaine, and identified several more that likely contained narcotics.
Hazel and 13 of his alleged co-conspirators were arrested on criminal complaints on September 10, 2025, and DeJesus was arrested on September 12, 2025. In association with the arrests, investigators seized two firearms and assorted ammunition from a residence shared by Hazel and Arroyo-Rivera, ammunition and suspected narcotics from DeJesus, and suspected narcotics from Vega, Ali, and Warner.
“As alleged, this organization trafficked a significant amount of fentanyl and cocaine into our state, and I thank the members of FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, with the assistance of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, who shut down this drug importation and distribution network,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “The scourge of illegal narcotics continues to ruin lives in Connecticut, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to targeting and prosecuting those who are profiting from it.”
“This indictment demonstrates FBI New Haven’s top priority of crushing violent crime,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge P.J. O’Brien. “Along with our federal and local partners, we are committed to removing dangerous drugs, like fentanyl and cocaine, from the streets of Connecticut. The FBI will continue to bring the full breadth of our resources to the table to support our partners and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
The indictment charges each defendant with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. If convicted of the charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, Hazel, Arroyo-Rivera, Vega, Viera, Mejia, Rosado, Bonilla, Olivo, and Gonzalez, face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and DeJesus, Ruiz, Ali, Warner, Cruz, and Vazquez face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
Hazel, DeJesus, Vega, Mejia, Bonilla, Ruiz, and Ali are currently detained, and the remaining eight defendants are released pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Trumbull, Hartford, Fairfield, Shelton, Ansonia, Derby, Greenwich, Stamford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Louisville (Ky.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Felon Sentenced to 28 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Ruger PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tony Brown 34, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 28 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a Ruger pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Brown pleaded guilty June 26 before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. In addition to the 28-month prison term, Judge Boasberg ordered Brown to serve 18 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 14, 2025, about 7:45 p.m. officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were patrolling the 5200 block of A Street, SE, in a marked police cruiser. From the driver’s seat of the patrol car, an officer observed the handle and magazine of an unholstered pistol showing under Brown’s shirt. The officer exited the police cruiser, approached Brown, and greeted him. As the officer drew nearer, Brown ran away and led officers on a brief foot pursuit.
Officers apprehended Brown. An officer observed the outline of a handgun below Brown’s right knee. Officers pulled down Brown’s pants to reveal a black Ruger Model 57 that had slipped from Brown’s waistband down his leg during the foot chase. The pistol was loaded with 14 rounds of 5.7x28 caliber ammunition. Brown was initially charged with carrying a firearm without a license.
Brown has a fifteen-year criminal history marked by a previous 2017 conviction on a felon in possession of a firearm charge in the District and a 2018 conviction for assault on a law enforcement officer in Prince William County, Maryland.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fucetola and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sumaiya F. Ismail.
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Federal Indictment Charges Chicago Police Officer with Conspiring to “Straw Purchase” Firearms on Behalf of AcquaintanceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago Police officer has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly conspiring to “straw purchase” firearms on behalf of an acquaintance who transported the guns to Mexico.
In the fall of 2024, KEVIN RODRIGUEZ used his status as a Chicago Police officer to purchase an AR-15 style assault rifle in Dyer, Ind., and a handgun in Monee, Ill., and falsely certified on required forms that he was the actual buyer of the guns, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Rodriguez purchased the guns on behalf of an acquaintance, DIEGO VALDEZ, who identified which firearms he wanted and paid Rodriguez to buy them, the indictment states. After falsely completing the forms and making the purchases, Rodriguez provided the firearms to Valdez, who then smuggled them into Mexico, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Rodriguez, 27, of Chicago, with one count of conspiracy, one count of knowingly making false statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, and one count of knowingly purchasing a firearm intended for another individual in furtherance of a felony. Valdez, 25, of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of knowingly receiving a straw purchased firearm. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignments earlier this week in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing is set for Oct. 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.
The investigation is being conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. The CGIC is an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and intelligence analysts to move quickly to investigate and prosecute violent crimes.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
rodriguez_and_valdez_indictment.pdfEugenio Abraham Solis-Klarks Indicted for Fire Arms OffenseRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a one-count indictment against Eugenio Abraham Solis-Klarks, 31, of Guatemala, for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. Solis-Klarks appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on September 24, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He was ordered detained pending trial, which has been set for December 2, 2025, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in United States District Court, at Knoxville, Tennessee.
The indictment charges Solis-Klarks with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien on January 12, 2025, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5).
If convicted, Solis-Klarks faces a term of imprisonment up to 15 years, a term of supervised release up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the HSI, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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El Salvadoran National Sentenced to Serve More Than a Year and a Half in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession Following High Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – LUIS MEJIA-ALAS, 30, of El Salvador, has been sentenced to serve 20 months in federal prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on January 29, 2025, a trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a pickup truck on NW 10th Street in Oklahoma City, but the truck fled. Following a brief high-speed pursuit, the truck crashed into a cart return cage in the parking lot of a shopping center and the driver, Mejia-Alas, fled the vehicle on foot. He was taken into custody shortly afterward, and OHP located a firearm in the floorboard of Mejia-Alas’s truck. On March 18, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged Mejia-Alas with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. On June 3, 2025, Mejia-Alas pleaded guilty, and admitted he possessed a firearm and that he is a citizen of El Salvador in the United States illegally.
At the sentencing hearing on September 23, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Mejia-Alas to serve 20 months in federal prison. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton noted the nature and circumstances of the offense.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr., prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ecuadorian Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegally Entering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Ecuadorian national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, on August 4, 2025, Tamara Iveth Shiguano-Vargas, 29, was a passenger in a car stopped by the Maine State Police for speeding on I-95. While the trooper who conducted the stop contacted the U.S. Border Patrol for assistance identifying the driver, Shiguano-Vargas got out of the car and fled. After police located her, she told a U.S. Border Patrol agent that she was Ecuadorian. She had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2024 and had no lawful immigration status in the country.
Shiguano-Vargas faces up to two years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Maine State Police and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)
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Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dustin Cullins, 37, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Cullins pleaded guilty to this charge on July 9, 2025.
During a probation search of Cullins’s residence, law enforcement found a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun along with ammunition stored inside a clothes dryer. Cullins admitted to buying the firearm and ammunition and said he kept the firearm to use against his girlfriend’s ex-husband. Cullins is prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions and was on state probation at the time of this offense.
At the sentencing, Judge Peterson considered Cullins’s lengthy criminal history. He emphasized that Cullins is exactly the kind of person who should not have a firearm, particularly considering his history of drug use. Judge Peterson encouraged Cullins to engage in substance abuse programming while in custody.
The charge against Cullins was the result of an investigation conducted by the Eau Claire Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, convicted of Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.
Richard Hale, Jr., age 36, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently. Hale was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hale was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in October 2024 in Eagle Butte, which is within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. On October 5, 2024, Hale assaulted his intimate partner, repeatedly striking her head with a cell phone while she was holding their infant child. At one point, Hale grabbed the child by the arm. Hale’s intimate partner suffered a laceration to her head. The child suffered multiple injuries, including skull and arm fractures.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Detective Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Hale was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Dunkirk men charged with defrauding the United States and theft of government fundsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Lamont Brown, 37, and Jesus Ramos, 41, both of Dunkirk, NY, with conspiracy to defraud the United States and theft of government funds, which carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between July and October 2020, during the Covid pandemic, Brown and Ramos conspired with others to defraud the United States and Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources. Brown and Ramos recruited individuals who had never lived or worked in Puerto Rico to use their personally identifiable information (“PII”), including their names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, to apply for, obtain, and attempt to obtain Unemployment Insurance benefits from the Puerto Rico Department of Labor. They provided the PII to individuals in Puerto Rico to complete applications for unemployment insurance and utilized existing bank accounts or opened new bank accounts to deposit the unemployment checks received. The banking institutions included Lake Shore Savings Bank, Key Bank, and Inner Lakes Federal Credit Union.
Brown and Ramos stole, or attempted to steal, a total of $67,000 from the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.
Brown and Ramos were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and were released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, Northeast Region.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jonathan Reed Snow, age 25, from Dubuque, Iowa, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids to one count of distribution of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Snow admitted that between September 2023 and August 2024, he used the Internet to distribute visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Evidence at a prior hearing showed that Snow also received and possessed child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children, between June 2024 and August 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Snow remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Snow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, $40,100 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1018. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Domestic Terrorist Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Firebombing University Police Car and Attempting to Firebomb Oakland Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
Casey Robert Goonan, 35, of Oakland and Pleasant Hill, California, was sentenced on Sept. 23 in the Northern District of California to 235 months in federal prison for committing a series of arsons and firebombings at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Oakland federal building in June 2024.
In January 2025, Goonan pleaded guilty to one count of maliciously damaging or destroying property used in or affecting interstate commerce by means of fire or an explosive.
“This domestic terrorist could have taken untold lives had his violent attacks been more successful, and using the evils of Hamas as motivation speaks to his depravity,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “He will have many long years in prison to think about his crimes, and the Department of Justice will continue prosecuting political violence across America.”
“Targeting law enforcement and government facilities is unacceptable and all of the FBI’s investigative resources will be used to bring to justice all who engage in such violent actions,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating every instance of such targeting and to working with the Justice Department to make sure these criminals pay the price of their despicable actions.”
“The defendant’s actions — firebombing a police vehicle, targeting a federal building, and calling on others to join his campaign of destruction — reflect a disturbing trend in the United States. Not long ago, we shared the view that our fellow citizens were entitled to hold and voice opinions, including those we found objectionable. Now, our country stands at the edge of a dangerous precipice as a growing segment of our society appears to reject these traditions, believing that violence is a legitimate means of protest,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “This sentence is a sharp rebuke of that disastrous view. Now, more than ever, we must unite in condemning political violence in all its forms.”
“Freedom of expression and peaceful protest are deeply enshrined values in America. We are all free to think what we want and express those views peacefully, but the use of violence to achieve political aims — or to silence those with whom you may disagree — has no place in our community and our country,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “Anyone who crosses the line between peaceful protest and violence will be met with the full force of the law.”
According to a plea agreement filed in open court, in the early morning hours of June 1, 2024, Goonan placed a bag containing six explosive devices commonly known as “Molotov cocktails” underneath the fuel tank of a marked University of California Police Department (UCPD) patrol car parked near the UC Berkeley campus. Goonan lit the bag on fire and fled, causing the patrol car to catch on fire. A video capturing the events on the morning of June 1, 2024, can be viewed here.
Goonan also attempted to firebomb the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on June 11, 2024. Goonan arrived at the federal building carrying a bag containing three Molotov cocktails. Goonan threw rocks at the building, hoping to break a window in order to throw lit Molotov cocktails inside. That plan was disrupted by protective services officers. Upon fleeing from the officers, Goonan placed the Molotov cocktails in a planter on the side of building and lit them on fire.
In addition to these two attacks, Goonan set other fires on the UC Berkeley campus on June 1, June 13, and June 16, 2024.
Goonan acknowledged that these attacks were inspired by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and that he called on others to attack property on Bay Area college campuses in support of Palestine. Goonan admitted that his conduct was designed to influence and affect the conduct of governments by intimidation and coercion and to retaliate against the governments of the United States and the State of California for their conduct.
At sentencing, the court referred to Goonan as a “domestic terrorist” and found that he had committed a felony offense that involved or was intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism.
In addition to the prison term, Judge White also ordered the defendant serve 15 years of supervised release after he is released from custody and ordered restitution in the amount of $94,267.51 and a $100 special assessment. The defendant has been in custody since his initial arrest on state charges on June 17, 2024.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Office of the State Fire Marshal, and University of California Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikhil Bhagat for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case.
Dearborn Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms after Antisemitic Tirade Against Parents and Preschoolers at Local SynagogueRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Hassan Chokr, 38, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced today to 34 months for illegally possessing multiple firearms inside a gun store after leaving a local synagogue where he went on an aggressive, antisemitic tirade, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Joining in the announcement was Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, in December 2022, Chokr drove through the parking lot of a local synagogue in Bloomfield Hills as Jewish parents walked their preschoolers into the building. Chokr yelled antisemitic profanities, attacked their support for Israel, and threatened that they would “pay.” After being asked to leave, Chokr drove to a gun store in Dearborn. While there, he possessed a Landor Arms, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun; a Del-ton, 5.56mm rifle; and a Glock, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He held each firearm, and at times pointed and aimed it with his finger on the trigger. After deciding to purchase the three firearms, Chokr lied about his eligibility to possess firearms by indicating that he had never been convicted of a felony offense when in fact, he had been convicted of a felony several years prior. While awaiting the results of the background check, Chokr indicated that he would “even the score” and use the guns for “God’s wrath.” He ultimately was denied the purchase of the firearms after the background check.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “Chokr’s sickening antisemitic threats and his apparent attempt to make good on them with guns are part of an alarming pattern of violence against believers. And we will do everything in our power to fight against this hatred and to protect the American family and their right to worship God without fear.”
“The sentencing of Hassan Chokr reaffirms that reckless actions endangering children and their parents outside of a daycare, have no place in our society,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI in Michigan has zero tolerance for threats to our citizens and remains firmly committed to protecting the communities we call home. I would like to thank the dedicated members from the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency, Dearborn Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their tireless work and partnership in bringing this case to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson.
D.C. Man Arrested for Murder of His MotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ricardo Botts, 36, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with a homicide that occurred in the early morning hours of September 21, 2025, in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Botts made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann on September 23, 2025, where Judge Herrmann found probable cause that Botts committed the offense of second-degree murder while armed and ordered that Botts be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 7, 2025.
According to court documents, Botts, attacked his 66-year-old mother in the living room of their shared home, stabbing her repeatedly in the head and face. She died within 36 hours. Immediately after the assault, Botts fled from the rear of the home as police officers arrived on scene. The Capital Area Regional Task Force found and arrested Botts in Chantilly, Virginia, on September 22, 2025.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Bromwich.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Coral Springs Man Arraigned for Attempting to Bomb the New York Stock ExchangeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Coral Springs man was arraigned on a superseding indictment related to a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange.
Harun Abdul-Hamid Yener, 30, is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce, threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers, and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, law enforcement received information in February 2024 that Yener was storing bombmaking schematics in an unlocked storage unit. A search of the unit revealed sketches, multiple watches with timers, electronic circuit boards, and other components consistent with construction of an explosive device. Investigators also uncovered internet searches dating back to 2017 related to bombmaking. A search of Yener’s cellphones revealed numerous AI-generated images and videos depicting CSAM.
In October 2024, Yener told an individual he believed to be affiliated with an anti-government militia that he desired to target the New York Stock Exchange the week before Thanksgiving. Over the following months, Yener built a remote trigger, researched potential placement for the bomb, and tasked others to obtain explosive materials, conduct surveillance, and photograph the building. Yener also recorded a message he intended for release to the press explaining his motivations. Yener anticipated catastrophic effects from the explosion.
During this same period, Yener repeatedly voiced his intent to murder law enforcement agents who searched his storage unit.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Coral Springs Police Department and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Ajay J. Alexander of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20523.
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Child Predator Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A child predator was sentenced today to life in prison after attempting to meet a 14-year-old boy, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Jeffry Alan Clain, 59, for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Clain to serve life in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. If released, Clain will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Clain is every parent's worst nightmare. He not only tried to meet a child to engage in sex but also had hundreds of devices containing child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This sentence sends a strong message to criminals looking to exploit children. We will be relentless and find anyone looking to harm our children.”
“Our agents at HSI collaborate with our law enforcement partners daily to ensure those involved in predatory acts against children are brought to justice,” said James Carmany Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Dallas – Oklahoma Division. “With the life sentence imposed on this defendant, it is assured that he will never harm an innocent child again.”
In July 2024, Clain began communicating with someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy on a dating application. When the boy disclosed that he was only in the 9th grade, court records show that Clain said, “it’s been years since I’ve dated a young guy like you.” The conversations quickly turned sexual. Clain sent nude photos and detailed the sexual acts he would perform on the boy while bathing together. Clain then arranged to meet the 14-year-old at his home. When Clain arrived, agents took him into custody.
While speaking with agents, Clain admitted that he knew it was wrong to have sex with a minor. He told agents that they would find child pornography on his cellphone. Clain also admitted to agents that he previously engaged in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old boy while he was an adult.
Agents obtained a search warrant for Clain’s cellphones and home. During the search of his home, agents found more than 170 electronic devices, some of which contained multiple storage drives. In total, agents found the equivalent of more than 12,000 images depicting children, toddlers, and infants being sexually abused.
During the examination of the devices found in Clain’s home, agents found images from 2016 with a different 14-year-old boy and their conversations over the years. In the conversation, Clain provides the 14-year-old with links to child sexual abuse material and explains how to find it on the internet. The images found showed Clain performing sexual acts on the 14-year-old boy. Agents were able to identify and locate the child victim. The victim, now 24 years old, identified himself in the photos.
Clain will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department investigated this case as part of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, which aims to hold child predators accountable throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma.
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.
Chairman of the Board of Puerto Rican Bank Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud Conspiracy That Led to Bank’s CollapseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The chairman of the board of Nodus International Bank (Nodus), a Puerto Rican international banking entity, pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 for his role in leading a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $13.6 million from Nodus, which ultimately led to the bank’s failure in 2023.
According to court documents, Juan Francisco Ramirez, 60, of Miami, conspired with others to siphon money from Nodus. Ramirez and a co-conspirator concealed from other Nodus board members and executives, and the bank’s regulator—the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (OCIF)—that certain investments or loans were for the benefit of Ramirez and a co-conspirator, in violation of Puerto Rican law and Nodus policy regarding insider transactions.
“The defendant abused his position as Chairman of the board of directors to fraudulently divert funds from the bank that he had been entrusted to run, resulting in the bank’s collapse,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting white-collar fraudsters, no matter how lofty their position, to ensure their crimes do not pay.”
“Banks hold a sacred trust — the savings, investments, and livelihoods of the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Ramirez abused that trust, siphoning millions for personal gain and leaving behind collapse and loss. The Southern District of Florida will hold corporate leaders accountable when they turn financial institutions into vehicles of fraud. Our Office will continue to protect investors, safeguard the integrity of the banking system, and defend the rule of law.”
“The Chairman’s fraud brought down more than a bank — it undermined public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to use our financial expertise to protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system.”
From 2017 to 2023, Ramirez conspired with others to invest more than $11 million of Nodus’s funds in a Miami-based lender so that it could loan those funds to Ramirez and a co-conspirator for their own benefit. Ramirez and his co-conspirators knew that these transactions were illegal and took steps to conceal their prohibited nature by having the bank make sham investments in the lending entity.
Further, between January 2018 and September 2021, Ramirez and a co-conspirator fraudulently induced the bank’s board and comptroller to agree to, or facilitate, the purchase of at least 47 promissory notes totaling approximately $25.3 million from Miami-based finance company that Ramirez and the co-conspirator jointly owned. These promissory notes purported to fund loans to legitimate individuals or businesses, but in fact Ramirez and a co-conspirator used the loan proceeds for their own benefit, including to make personal investments in third-party companies, pay personal mortgages, or cover personal credit card expenses.
In early March 2023, OCIF notified Nodus of its intention to place the Bank into liquidation, and later that month Nodus agreed to enter into a voluntary liquidation. On April 28, 2023, knowing that the liquidation process would commence imminently and without authorization from OCIF, Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus to purchase from their Miami-based finance company a loan portfolio totaling approximately $26 million. Most of these loans were delinquent, nonperforming, and otherwise uncollateralized. Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus to accept the loan portfolio as payment of their Miami-based finance company’s debt arising from the 47 promissory notes that Nodus had purchased during 2018 to 2021. This resulted in a direct benefit to the finance company (and Ramirez and his co-conspirator) by relieving the finance company of its debt to the bank.
As part of his plea agreement, Ramirez agreed to forfeiture in the amount of at least $13.6 million, which represents the value of the proceeds he derived from the conspiracy.
Ramirez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Javier Urbina and Samir Paul of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), Bank Integrity Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Felipe Plechac-Diaz for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20384.
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Cedar Rapids Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Rose Lee Beranek, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Beranek admitted that in February 2024, she obtained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine in Arizona. She was driving to Cedar Rapids to distribute the methamphetamine, when law enforcement officers pulled over her car in Oklahoma. Law enforcement officers searched her car and found the methamphetamine in vacuum-sealed bags.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Oklahoma District One Narcotics Task Force. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence‑driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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).
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Beranek remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Beranek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-13.
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California Man Arrested in Brazen $10 Million Loan Fraud Scheme Designed to Dupe the SECRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging MAX MCDERMOTT with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his scheme to fraudulently obtain a $10 million loan and then launder and misappropriate the funds, including to repay investors in an attempt to avoid liability during an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). MCDERMOTT was arrested today in Newport Beach, California, and will be presented later today in the Central District of California. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
“As alleged, Max McDermott orchestrated a scheme to steal millions by obtaining a loan purportedly to grow two of his companies," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "McDermott was already under investigation by the SEC in connection with his operation of a different company, a fact that he concealed from his lender. He then misappropriated the loan money to help convince the SEC not to sue him. McDermott’s arrest is a reminder that those who swindle investors get caught and face federal criminal exposure for their conduct.”
“Spurred by a separate investigation, Max McDermott allegedly paid outstanding obligations through a misappropriated $10 million loan intended for future business expansion,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The defendant allegedly made repeated attempts to avoid regulatory consequences by creating an illicit repayment system built on deceit and betrayal. The FBI will never cease to investigate any individual who exploits financial institutions to conceal failed investments and perpetuate dishonest swindles.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
MCDERMOTT is the founder and owner of several companies in the real estate industry. In late 2020, MCDERMOTT learned that he was under investigation by the SEC for his actions in connection with his real estate lending and investment company. In an effort to dissuade the SEC from taking enforcement action, MCDERMOTT sought to quickly repay tens of millions of dollars to investors of the company under investigation and, toward that end, borrowed money under false pretenses. Specifically, MCDERMOTT made false and misleading representations to obtain a $10 million loan purportedly to grow his other businesses. MCDERMOTT also hid the existence of the SEC’s investigation from his lender and lied about his use of the loan proceeds. Once MCDERMOTT received the $10 million loan, he laundered the funds to conceal the fact that he was using the money to benefit himself and to help repay investors, rather than use the funds to grow his other businesses as he had falsely claimed.
* * *
MCDERMOTT, 57, of Newport Beach, California, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The 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 a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Qais Ghafary is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._mcdermott_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Broomfield Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Ibogaine DistributionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ameen Alai, aka Adam Powars, 52, of Broomfield, Colorado, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of ibogaine. Ibogaine is a psychedelic compound derived from the root of a Tabernanthe iboga plant. In the United States, ibogaine is a Schedule I controlled substance and currently has no accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse.
According to the plea agreement, between April 2019 and March 2021, Alai advocated to others that ibogaine was a means to “reset” the body’s “receptors” to break addictive tendencies. In March of 2021, Alai intentionally distributed one or more doses of ibogaine to a person in Broomfield, Colorado, and supervised the person’s use of the substance. Alai left that person unattended for a period of time and when Alai returned, the person was unresponsive and later died. At the sentencing hearing, the court found that the ibogaine Alai distributed caused the person’s death.
“As the tragic results of Mr. Alai’s conduct make clear, ibogaine is dangerous,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “We want the public to know that, like many of the more well-known drugs in our community, taking ibogaine can have deadly consequences.”
“This sentence underscores the devastating impact of illegal drug trafficking while also serving as a reminder that those who profit from poisoning our communities will be held accountable for the lives lost to their actions,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Special Agent in Charge David S. Olesky. “Make no mistake, if someone knowingly and intentionally distributes a controlled substance that results in death, we will seek justice.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Alyssa C. Mance and Michael F. Houlihan handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 22-cr-00339-CNS
Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to Murder for HireRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man has pleaded guilty to murder for hire as charged, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Mohammad Mohammad, 64, of Hoover, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala to seven counts of murder for hire.
According to court documents, in September 2024, Mohammad met with an undercover (UC) law enforcement officer who he thought was a hitman. Mohammad discussed with the UC the cost of killing his wife and six adult children.
Mohammad faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years for each count.
The FBI investigated the case along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and William R. McComb.
Billings man sentenced on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who sold meth in Billings and carried a firearm to drug deals for protection was sentenced today to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jessie Craig Iverson, 37, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in November and December 2023, law enforcement received information Iverson was distributing methamphetamine in Billings. Investigators learned he typically sold several ounces of methamphetamine at one time and typically carried a firearm with him to drug sales for protection.
On December 7, 2023, agents learned Iverson was planning to drive to Washington to pick up meth. They placed a GPS tracker on his truck and observed the vehicle making stops in Thompson Falls, Montana and Spokane and Vancouver, Washington. Iverson returned to Montana on December 12 and officers executed a traffic stop near Butte. The Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) searched Iverson and seized a loaded, North American Arms .22 caliber revolver from his sweatshirt pocket, along with 91 grams of meth. Later, during a search of the truck, law enforcement seized a bag of “M30” fentanyl pills concealed in a Hot Tamales container and various bags containing methamphetamine residue.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the DEA, Eastern Montana HIDTA, Montana Highway Patrol, and Billings Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years for Possessing Firearm in Connection with Drug Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Timothy Darren Proctor, 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 130 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On October 7, 2024, a federal jury found Proctor guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to evidence presented at trial, on July 10, 2021, officers responded to a Temple Hills, Maryland location to check on a suspicious occupied vehicle parked in the area. Upon arrival, officers found Proctor unresponsive behind the steering wheel with the windows up and the doors locked.
Officers banged on the windows to wake Proctor up, and after he eventually woke up, he exited the vehicle. Law enforcement then discovered and retrieved a clear bag hanging from Proctor’s front pocket which contained approximately 10 grams of fentanyl. Additionally, officers found a firearm inside the vehicle’s center console. The firearm was loaded with 13 40mm caliber cartridges in the magazine and one in the chamber. Proctor possessed the firearm in connection with his fentanyl drug trafficking. At the time Proctor possessed the firearm, he was prohibited from doing so due to prior felony convictions.
Additionally, after arriving at the jail, officers located an additional clear zipped bag containing 29 small clear bags, which also contained fentanyl.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Tyon Bailey, 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to the guilty plea, Bailey led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in and around Baltimore, Maryland that was responsible for trafficking a large quantity of fentanyl. An undercover investigator (UC) purchased 100 grams of fentanyl at a time from the Bailey DTO on multiple occasions, including December 7, 2023; December 21, 2023; and January 18, 2024.
On February 12, 2024, co-defendant Terrell Ridgley crashed his vehicle while driving on I-695. He then met Bailey and another associate at a nearby auto repair shop. Law enforcement engaged the individuals, but Bailey began to flee before tossing a lunchbox that contained a quantity of fentanyl. At the scene, investigators recovered approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of cocaine, and a large quantity of cash and jewelry – all from Bailey. Authorities also recovered a Glock 23 firearm loaded with 23 rounds from a vehicle that Ridgley, Bailey, and the associate were standing around moments before law enforcement engaged them.
Additionally, on the same day, investigators executed search warrants at various locations associated with the DTO, resulting in the seizure of four firearms and more than 60 rounds of ammunition.
As a result of the events on February 12, law enforcement arrested Bailey on state firearm and drug related charges. While detained on pre-trial confinement, Bailey continued to lead his DTO by advising co-defendant Jaron Rhodes, who carried out the objectives of the DTO from the outside. While awaiting trial, Bailey and Rhodes arranged for another sale of fentanyl to the UC. On May 7, Rhodes met with the UC to sell 100 grams of fentanyl.
Federal law enforcement initially indicted Bailey for fentanyl distribution in June 2024. As a result, authorities placed Bailey on 24/7 home confinement. While on home confinement, Bailey continued to lead the DTO. In July 2024, while on federal pre-trial release, Bailey contacted the UC to resume distributing fentanyl.
This case also involved court-authorized wiretap interceptions from the Bailey DTO. While on home confinement, law enforcement intercepted Bailey conducting drug-related discussions with co-defendants Rhodes and Ridgley.
On October 3, investigators executed search warrants at several residences associated with the DTO, resulting in the seizure of approximately $110,000 in cash; 500 grams of fentanyl; a firearm; significant quantity of ammunition; kilo press; digital scale; and money counter.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than a kilogram of fentanyl; six firearms; a significant quantity of ammunition; at least $150,000 in cash; and at least $300,000 worth of jewelry.
Ridgley recently received an 87-month federal prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. Rhodes is slated to receive his sentence on October 15.
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region. The Baltimore SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted David Funderburk, 47, of Baltimore, Maryland, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
On November 3, 2023, BPD Southwest District Action Team detectives conducted routine patrols in the 1500 block of W. Baltimore Street. While patrolling the area, detectives observed Funderburk on the street exhibiting characteristics of an armed person. Law enforcement then saw him enter a local eatery. As the detectives watched Funderburk through the front window, they saw him bend down around a corner, pull a firearm out of his pocket — a FN Five-seveN 5.7x28mm handgun — and then place it on the floor in the corner of the restaurant.
The detectives then immediately entered the eatery and detained Funderburk. They also recovered the firearm from the corner of the restaurant, which was loaded with 18 rounds of 5.7x28mm ammunition. This is Funderburk’s fourth federal felony conviction. Because of his prior felony convictions, Funderburk was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Funderburk is facing a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Rigney and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sippel, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Briana Scarborough and for her valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Amory Man Sentenced for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Aberdeen, MS – An Amory, Mississippi man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, William Hadley Maddox, 24, was sending child pornography to a minor over an Internet application. Maddox was also receiving images of the minor engaged in sexually explicit activity.
Senior Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Maddox to the statutory maximum of 240 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Maddox will be required to register as a sex offender anywhere he resides, is employed, or is enrolled as a student.
“The defendant in this case has learned the valuable lesson that there is absolutely zero tolerance in this district for the sexual exploitation of any minor,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “The cooperation between Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation was exemplary and their determination to protect children is evident in their actions.”
“Due to the extreme nature of this case, I truly feel like a child’s life was saved by the quick response and partnership between our local investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” stated Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook. “We are thankful to be part of a team of people who are as passionate as we are about protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Allston Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking "Date Rape" Drug and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Allston man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to trafficking methamphetamine and 1,4-Butanediol (BDO), an analogue of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) – more commonly known as the “date rape drug” – out of his Allston home.
Peter Schiepers, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine; two counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute Butanediol (an analogue of GHB); and two counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 7, 2026. In April 2025, Schiepers was indicted by a federal grand jury.
In November 2024, law enforcement received information that Schiepers was supplying methamphetamine in and around the Boston area. Between November 2024 and February 2025, a cooperating source conducted multiple controlled purchases from Schiepers.
Specifically, in January 2025, Schiepers conducted a transaction for one ounce of methamphetamine. In February 2025 he sold four ounces of methamphetamine and a liter of BDO.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John O. Wray of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Adult masquerading as minor to illegally enter the country found guiltyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 21-year-old Guatemalan national has been convicted for making false statements in a juvenile immigration case, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for just under one hour before convicting Tadeo Pedro-Torres following a three-day trial.
On Oct. 26, 2024, Pedro-Torres claimed he was a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor as he attempted to enter the country near El Paso.
The Department of Health and Human Services provides care for each unaccompanied alien child who has no lawful immigration status in the United States for whom there is no parent or legal guardian in the country with the ability to do so. As such, Pedro-Torres was placed in a facility charged with the housing and care for unaccompanied alien children.
At trial, the jury heard that Pedro-Torres identified himself to law enforcement as a minor with a November 2007 birthdate. Later investigation revealed that Pedro-Torres was actually born in 2003.
The jury additionally heard that while at the facility, Pedro-Torres received services and attended school alongside minors, with whom he also resided.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Pedro-Torres was confused and never lied. The jury did not believe these arguments and found Pedro-Torres guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 19. At that time, Torres faces up to five years federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Law and Celia Moyer are prosecuting the case.
27-Year-Old Humacao Man Arrested for Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 17, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Jan Robert Ayala De Jesús, a 27-year-old man from Humacao, Puerto Rico, with criminal charges related to child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Today, FBI special agents arrested Ayala De Jesús.
According to court documents, on or about December 18, 2024, defendant Jan Robert Ayala De Jesús knowingly transported a 13-year-old female minor with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity, for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense under the laws of the United States of America and Puerto Rico, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a).
“Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness specialists, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally-dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “This type of exploitation of children has no place in civilized society.”
“Protecting children from exploitation is one of the FBI’s most urgent priorities,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Our work does not end with this arrest. We remain focused on identifying every victim and making sure every predator faces the full weight of the justice system.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.
If convicted for the charge of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute crimes. Citizens with information about child exploitation crimes or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.
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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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23 September 2025
Weston Man Sentenced to Prison for Insider TradingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN SQUILLANTE, 40, of Weston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to two months of imprisonment, 18 months of supervised release, and a $331,368 fine for an insider trading offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, working from his home, Squillante was employed as the Head of Equity Trading at an investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. In his position, Squillante received material non-public information (“MNPI”) about various publicly traded companies. On 15 different occasions between August 2022 and May 2023, Squillante used MNPI for his own benefit by executing transactions in securities of these companies, making a total profit of $220,912.
As an example, in February 2023, Squillante received MNPI about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (“Praxis”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose common stock traded on the NASDAQ. Between February 27 and March 2, 2023, Squillante “sold short” 38,086 shares of Praxis at an average price per share of approximately $3.04. On March 3, 2023, before the market opened, Praxis announced poor results from its drug trial, stating that the drug’s effects did not achieve its primary endpoint with statistical significance. Following the announcement, Squillante “covered” his short sale by purchasing 38,086 Praxis shares at an average price per share of approximately $1.82, making a profit of approximately $46,421.
On June 6, 2025, Squillante pleaded guilty to securities fraud. He is required to report to prison on January 7.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Prison After Trafficking 40 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Cocaine in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Cruz Javier Garcia, 39, of Bland, Virginia, was sentenced today to 246 months’ imprisonment and a five-year term of supervised release for trafficking 40 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine while in the District of Utah.
Garcia’s sentence comes after he pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
According to court documents and admissions made at Garcia’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on September 22, 2023, Garcia was pulled over for speeding. During the traffic stop, the trooper conducted a search of the vehicle. In a suitcase, troopers found and seized a black garbage bag with approximately 40 bags of methamphetamine, each weighing one pound. In a backpack, troopers also found and seized 3.5 pounds of cocaine.
“Drug trafficking is a scourge on communities, and those who seek to profit from it while our communities are left to bear the cost of addiction, violence and death, is unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Garcia’s sentence sends a clear message to anyone involved in trafficking drugs in the District of Utah: you will be caught, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
“The Utah Department of Public Safety is committed to interdicting contraband on Utah highways and providing professional investigations that lead to successful prosecutions. We are grateful for the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah. Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti's team played a crucial role in securing this conviction, and we congratulate them on this successful outcome,” said Commissioner Beau Mason of the Utah Department of Public Safety.
The case was investigated by the Utah Department of Public Safety, State Bureau of Investigation and the Utah Highway Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Venezuelan National Pleads Guilty to Lying on Immigration and Firearms FormsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 24-year-old Venezuelan man residing unlawfully in Perrysburg, Ohio, and who was enrolled as a student at a local high school has pleaded guilty to lying on immigration forms and on applications to purchase a firearm.
In June, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, a Venezuelan national, with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and two counts of making or using false writings or documents. The defendant pleaded guilty to all charges Sept. 22 before U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp.
According to the indictment, the defendant submitted a false date of birth to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on federal applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025.
In the original criminal complaint and underlying affidavit filed in May, investigators found that Perrysburg Schools reported to the Perrysburg Police Department that they received information that Labrador-Sierra, a student attending Perrysburg High School, was not a minor, but was instead a 24-year-old man who had enrolled under false pretenses.
If convicted, Labrador-Sierra faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by an alien; up to 10 years in prison for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm; and up to five years in prison for using false documents. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2026.
This case is being investigated by the City of Perrysburg Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection−Sandusky Bay Station, the FBI Toledo Field Office, the ATF, with assistance from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Melching and Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio.
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 communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Toppenish Woman Sentenced to 5 Years of Federal Probation for Aiding and Abetting Assault with a FirearmRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on September 15, 2025, District Court Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Kathleen Ardith Albert, of Toppenish, Washington, to five years of federal probation for Aiding and Abetting Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. Albert is an enrolled member of the Confederated Bands and Tribes of the Yakama Nation.
The following information was made public during the legal proceedings. On May 16, 2024, Nora Saluskin-Cloud rented a room at the El Corral Motel located in Toppenish, Washington. This location has a high volume of calls for service and has long been a public safety concern to law enforcement. This hotel is now closed. The evidence in the case showed that on this occasion, Albert purchased a quantity of drugs from another subject identified as Saluskin-Cloud. Saluskin-Cloud handed Albert a firearm and accompanied Saluskin-Cloud to one of the rooms. When they entered the room, the evidence showed that Albert observed several people standing in the room in various stages of undress at which time Saluskin-Cloud picked up a machete and threated to injure the people in the room. Saluskin-Cloud ordered Albert to “watch” the people in the room and “keep” them in the room. Albert sat in a chair that blocked the people from exiting the room while she was in possession of the firearm and under the influence of controlled substance. Two of the victims managed to escape through a window and then contacted police. Saluskin-Cloud is currently in state custody on another matter.
“This was clearly a traumatic and dangerous situation for all of these victims, who were trapped in a room without their consent with someone who was armed and potentially volatile from drug use," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "It is fortunate no one was injured and at least the victims were able to escape. Together with our partners, FBI Seattle is committed to combatting violent crime on tribal lands and throughout Washington state.”
Pete Serrano, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said “I commend the courage of the victims of this crime who escaped from the room where they were held against their will by a person who was under the influence of drugs while possessing a firearm. I hope that today’s sentence is sufficient to send the message that the Defendant’s misconduct cannot be tolerated in a free and open society. It is also a tribute to the critical collaboration between federal and tribal authorities when we can bring a matter like this to a safe resolution for all involved.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bree Black Horse.
1:24-CR-02054-MKD-2Third Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiring in Global Prize Notice Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An Arizona woman pleaded guilty today for engaging in a prize notice fraud scheme that defrauded thousands of elderly consumers across the United States and abroad. Kimberly Stamps, 48, of Gilbert, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
According to court documents, Stamps was the owner and operator of a mass-mailing prize notice scheme that mailed millions of fraudulent prize notices. The prize notices led her victims to believe they had been individually selected to receive a large cash prize and would receive the prize if they paid a $20 to $50 fee. In reality, no victim ever received a large cash prize from Stamps or her co-conspirators. Instead, victims received a “report” describing sweepstakes opportunities or a trinket of minimal value. After victims responded to one fraudulent prize notice mailing, Stamps and her co-conspirators inundated them with additional fraudulent mailings. Stamps and her co-conspirators used the scheme to steal more than $15 million from victims, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable.
The fraud scheme operated from 2012 to February 2018, when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) executed multiple search warrants and the Justice Department obtained a court order shutting down the fraudulent mail operation.
As part of her plea, Stamps admitted that she bought consumer mailing lists, chose the fraudulent prize notices, set the mailing schedule, opened P.O. Boxes to collect victim responses, coordinated with printers and translators, ordered cheap trinkets to mail as fulfillment, tracked victim responses, and opened bank accounts to receive victims’ payments.
Stamps also admitted that by operating the fraud scheme, she violated a U.S. Postal Service cease-and-desist agreement and consent order reached in 2012. That agreement and order had permanently barred Stamps from mailing fraudulent prize notices.
Stamps is the third and final defendant in the charged conspiracy to plead guilty. Her co-conspirators John Kyle Muller and Barbara Trickle pleaded guilty on April 12, 2024, and April 28, 2025, respectively.
The USPIS conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Carolyn Rice and Charles Dunn of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for fraudulent lottery, prize notification, sweepstakes, and psychic scams. If you receive a phone call, letter or email promising a large prize in exchange for a fee, do not respond. Fraudsters often will use official-sounding names or the names of real lotteries or sweepstakes or pretend to be a government agent purportedly helping to secure a prize.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with inappropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Cattle Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Clint Clifford Sicking, 41, of Muenster, Texas, was sentenced to 27 months in prison today for his role in a scheme involving the theft of livestock, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sicking was also ordered to serve two years under court supervision after he completes his prison term and to pay $406,707 in restitution to the victims of his offense.
Miles B. Davis, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-OIG), Southeast Region, Steven Gutierrez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, Sheriff Alan Norman of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, from April 2018 to October 2022, Sicking conspired with William Dalton Edwards to defraud livestock markets, also known as sales barns, in Iredell and Cleveland Counties, North Carolina. On multiple occasions during the relevant time frame, Sicking and Edwards purchased cattle from sales barns in North Carolina and wrote checks to pay for the cattle, knowing the checks were worthless, since there were insufficient funds to cover the checks and pay for the cattle.
Sicking and Edwards then arranged to transport the cattle out-of-state before the defrauded sales barns and financial institutions could determine their checks were worthless. The stolen cattle were then resold in Texas and Oklahoma. Over the course of the scheme, Sicking and Edwards allegedly fraudulently obtained more than 750 head of cattle and caused over $400,000 in losses to sales barns in North Carolina. The sales barns—which are family-owned—incurred these losses because they are required to pay farmers and ranchers immediately after the sale of their livestock.
Sicking pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the laws of the United States. One of the objects of the charged conspiracy was to hamper and impede the Packers and Stockyard Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its regulation of fair livestock markets.
Sicking remains released on bond and will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Edwards was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison for his participation in the scheme.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI, and the Cleveland and Iredell County Sheriff’s Offices for their investigation of the case. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also thanked the Stanly County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Woman Sentenced to 93 Months in Prison for Gun, Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a woman who aided an online fraud and committed pandemic and mortgage fraud to 78 months in prison, consecutive to a 15-month sentence for being a felon caught with two guns.
Judge Ross also ordered Shirley Waller, 43, of St. Louis County, Missouri, to repay $313,711 to victims.
Waller pleaded guilty in June to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and using an assumed name to commit mail fraud.
As part of her guilty plea, Waller admitted acting as a “money mule” and aiding scammers who used a variety of tactics to trick victims. After the daughter of a 71-year-old St. Louis County woman told police in December 2023, that she’d mailed $35,000 to Waller’s home as part of a romance scam, they determined that more than 70 Express Mail packages had been delivered to Waller’s home during a 60-day period ending Nov. 1, 2023. In a court-approved search on Jan. 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found two guns and Express Mail packages containing cash that had been sent to variations of Waller’s name by older adults targeted in online fraud schemes. Fourteen identified victims sent $94,150 to Waller’s home. The government estimates that the overseas scammers stole over $1 million, based on the 193 total packages that were delivered to Waller’s home between Sept. 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024, and tracked by Nigerian IP addresses.
Waller also admitted fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan of $19,235 on April 10, 2021, by falsely claiming she ran a business in Michigan. She received the loan and used the money to travel to Ghana, Germany and Jamaica. Waller unsuccessfully submitted another fraudulent loan application for a St. Louis resale shop, concealing the existence of the first loan and falsifying her business income.
Finally, Waller admitted fraudulently obtaining a $196,000 mortgage loan by lying about her marital status, income and job and by submitting counterfeit tax documents and bank statements.
In March, Judge Ross sentenced Waller to 15 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. She has a series of prior convictions including for fraud and theft.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to More than 2 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.
Dustin Douglas Wade Deverney Hubbeling, 24, was sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hubbeling was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.
On December 5, 2024, Hubbeling was encountered by officers with the Sioux Falls Police Department and found to have a pistol in the waistband of his pants. He was prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Hubbeling was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Leading Massive Illegal Marijuana OperationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dineh Benally pleaded guilty in federal court to leading a vast illegal marijuana cultivation and distribution ring that spanned several years, exploited workers, and polluted the San Juan River on tribal lands.
Benally pleaded guilty to 15 counts, including:
- Two drug trafficking conspiracy charges for orchestrating the illegal operations.
- Four charges of manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and more than 1,000 marijuana plants.
- Two charges of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
- Two charges of illegally discharging pollutants into the San Juan River.
- Possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Unlawfully employing illegal aliens.
- Conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.
- Smuggling undeclared pesticides into the United States.
- Concealment of Records in a Federal Investigation.
According to court documents, from approximately January 2018 to November 2020, Benally, 48, and his co-conspirators established over 30 farms, covering more than 400 acres, on land obtained from Navajo Nation members. To fund this illegal enterprise, Benally and a co-conspirator traveled to California and created front companies to solicit Chinese investors. These investors were charged cash fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 for counterfeit cannabis cultivation licenses. They were also deceived into believing they were growing legal hemp, not marijuana, and were required to pay the co-conspirators a percentage of the harvest.
The operation involved the construction of over 1,100 greenhouses and employed both local Navajo workers and Chinese foreign laborers, some of whom were undocumented immigrants, to grow, cultivate, and transport marijuana out of New Mexico.
Furthermore, Benally constructed an illegal sandbag dam on the San Juan River and filled in a river channel to irrigate the crops by dumping sand, rocks, and agricultural waste, which constituted an unpermitted discharge of pollutants into a federally protected waterway, violating the Clean Water Act.
The criminal enterprise was dismantled following law enforcement seizures in November 2020, which confiscated approximately 260,000 marijuana plants and 60,000 pounds of processed marijuana.
The second period, from approximately January 1, 2022, to January 23, 2025, involved an illegal marijuana grow operation near Estancia, New Mexico. Benally initially received a state license to grow marijuana near Estancia. However, state inspectors identified uncontrolled pest infestations, a lack of quality controls, and other violations that led to his license being revoked on December 23, 2023, and a $1 million fine. Benally continued the operation in defiance of the cease-and-desist order, going so far as to tamper with a utility meter to steal electricity.
On January 23, 2025, a joint federal and state law enforcement operation raided two additional marijuana farms linked to Benally near Estancia. The raid, which also involved a search of his residence, uncovered approximately 8,500 pounds of marijuana, $35,000 in cash, illegal pesticides, methamphetamine, firearms, and a bulletproof vest.
“This case shows the human and environmental costs when the law is ignored, and it underscores our office’s commitment to protecting New Mexico’s communities and natural resources alongside out federal, state, Tribal and local partners.,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Exploiting workers, desecrating land and poising rivers for profit is not business, it is criminal, and it will be met with justice.”
"The FBI remains committed to identifying, investigating, and dismantling criminal organizations operating in New Mexico." said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "Mr. Benally's guilty plea demonstrates that those who engage in criminal activity will face real consequences. This case highlights the importance of collaboration between state, local, tribal, and federal agencies in delivering justice, ensuring the safety of our communities, and protecting the land within our tribal communities."
“The crimes here represent nothing less than foreign interests poisoning our land, wildlife, and people both up and down stream. Benally orchestrated the smuggling of illegal Chinese pesticides into the communities of New Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Kim Bahney of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division. “The San Juan River is a vital resource for the Navajo Nation, and a water of the United States. Benally must be held accountable for claiming it as his own.”
“I commend the cooperation of all the Tribal, Federal, and State law enforcement officials who worked tirelessly together across jurisdictions to bring an end to the dangerous marijuana farms that Dineh Benally had flagrantly operated both on and adjacent to the Navajo Nation,” said acting Navajo Nation Attorney General Colin Bradley.
Per the plea agreement, at sentencing, Benally faces a mandatory 15 years and up to life in prison and a drug-related fine not to exceed the greater of $10 million or twice the pecuniary gain to Benally and an environmental-related fine of $5,000 to $50,000 per day of violation. Upon his release from prison, Benally will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Kim Bahney, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Area Office of the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and the Navajo Nation Police Department. In addition, the following law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement operation: Torrance County Sheriff’s Office, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico Department of Justice, New Mexico State Police, and the FBI El Paso Field Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley, and Assistant United States Attorneys Eva Fontanez and Michael Pahl are prosecuting the case.
Selma Man Gets Federal Prison Time for Mail Theft and Destruction of a Letter BoxRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Selma man has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for possessing stolen mail and destroying a U.S. Postal Service collection box.
On September 23, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 21-year-old J’Kwon Tyshi Williams to 30 months in prison. Following his prison term, Williams will serve two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and $1,180 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records and William’s plea agreement, during the early morning hours of November 9, 2023, the Millbrook Police Department responded to a report of individuals attempting to break into a blue U.S. Postal Service collection box located outside the Millbrook Post Office. Witnesses observed a car parked in front of the box with its hood raised and several people gathered around. When a patrol officer approached, the group jumped into the vehicle and sped away.
The driver, later identified as Williams, led officers on a high-speed chase, often exceeding 120 miles per hour and swerving into oncoming lanes. The pursuit continued from Elmore County to Dallas County, ending when Williams crashed into a light pole. Williams and his passengers then fled on foot.
Inside the vehicle, officers discovered items commonly known as burglary tools, including a reciprocating saw, tire iron, and pliers. In addition, officers found Williams’s wallet, numerous stolen checks, other stolen mail, check-writing paper, an ammunition magazine for a handgun, ammunition, and multiple ATM deposit receipts.
Although Williams and his associates failed to breach the Millbrook collection box, inspectors found it heavily damaged and determined it had to be replaced to protect the security of the mail. The replacement cost was $1,180.
On June 5, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of stolen mail and destruction of a letter box.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Millbrook Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits prosecuted.
Santa Monica Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging He Doxxed and Harassed ICE LawyerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Monica man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with doxxing – publishing private or identifying information about an individual on the internet with malicious intent – of a lawyer at United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Justice Department announced today.
Gregory John Curcio, 68, is charged with violating a federal law designed for the protection of individuals performing certain official duties.
Curcio, who was arrested Monday, made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered Curcio jailed without bond and scheduled his arraignment for October 14.
“Contrary to what some misguided individuals think, doxxing federal agents and employees is not a harmless crime,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “It endangers the agent’s personal safety and that of their family. It’s also a federal crime. If convicted, this defendant will face up to five years in a federal prison cell.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, federal law prohibits making certain personal information about covered persons – including federal employees – public. The restricted personal information includes a victim’s Social Security number, home address, home phone number, mobile phone number, and personal email address.
In February 2025, Curcio created a Facebook post in which he identified the victim – an ICE attorney – as an ICE agent, posted her home address, and directed others to “swat” her at that address. Curio also posted the victim’s home address with instructions to swat the victim on another social media account controlled by Curcio.
“Swatting” is a term used to describe a form of harassment that often involves placing a false emergency call to law enforcement or emergency responders, often reporting a false ongoing crisis or crime at a specific location to prompt a significant law enforcement response.
The victim told authorities that Curcio is a former resident at her mother’s apartment building in Santa Monica. She said she never met Curcio, but he had harassed and threatened her mother for years. The complaint alleges that Curcio made false allegations and engaged in a campaign to harass the victim and her family beginning from at least January 2024.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Curcio would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Responsibility is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Restrepo of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.
SDTX charges two illegal aliens for choking federal agent during escapeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A pair of Mexican nationals have been taken into custody for strangling a Border Patrol agent in her vehicle during their escape en route to a detention facility in the Houston area, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Carmen Padron Mendez, 29, and Juan Carlos Padron Barron, 23, are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett Sept. 24 at 10 a.m.
The criminal complaint alleges that on Sept. 22, authorities encountered Mendez and Barron and determined they were in the United States illegally. Law enforcement took them into custody and secured both men with flexicuffs in a Border Patrol vehicle in order to transport them to a detention facility.
The charges allege that, while en route to the detention facility, the Border Patrol agent stopped at a red light and heard a seatbelt unbuckling. When she turned towards the back seat, Mendez quickly wrapped his arm around her neck and began choking her, according to the complaint.
During the incident, Barron allegedly exited the vehicle, retrieved both men’s personal belongings from the front seat, and fled on foot. Mendez then released the agent and also fled the scene, according to the complaint.
The agent was able to immediately call for assistance, after which authorities apprehended both men.
The agent allegedly reported fearing for her life but has since recovered.
“The Southern District of Texas has zero tolerance for those who assault law enforcement,” said Ganjei. “Let it be known: if you lay a hand on an officer, deputy, or federal agent, SDTX will do whatever it can to put you in federal prison for as long as the law will allow. You’ve been warned.”
Barron and Mendez are both charged with assault, resisting or impeding a federal officer and face up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine as well as another one year and up to $100,000 if convicted of escape from custody of an officer of the United States.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service as well as Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Harris County Constables Office – Precinct 5, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Conroe, Houston and Pasadena. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.