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Monday 11 August 2025
Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jaron Andrew O'Neal, 39, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, investigators obtained a search warrant for a package addressed to a Barboursville address after a K9 alerted to the package. Investigators opened the package and found it contained approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl. Investigators replaced the fentanyl with a sham substance and conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the Barboursville address. On January 24, 2023, O'Neal retrieved the package from the address and drove away with it in his vehicle. Investigators conducted a traffic stop of O’Neal’s vehicle and found the package in the vehicle. O’Neal told investigators that he retrieved the package believing that it contained controlled substances.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-85.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael Eugene Ginther, 42, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 24, 2024, Ginther possessed approximately 98.58 grams of methamphetamine in the Charleston area. Ginther admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine.
At the time of this offense, Ginther was serving a term of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 2, 2018.
Ginther is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Marshals Service.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-33.
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Carson Woman and Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Checks and Credit Cards from the MailRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay woman who formerly worked as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service in Torrance pleaded guilty today to stealing checks and debit and credit cards from the mail then selling them to her accomplices for three years, using the illicitly obtained funds to take international trips and buy luxury goods, and then flaunting the cash on Instagram.
Mary Ann Magdamit, 31, of Carson, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Magdamit, who has been in federal custody since July 1, is a former letter carrier at the Torrance Main Post Office.
According to her plea agreement and court documents previously filed in this case, from at least 2022 until July 2025, Magdamit stole mail containing checks, personal identifying information (PII), and debit and credit cards. She then activated the stolen bank-issued cards online, used the cards to make purchases, and sold some stolen cards to her co-conspirators.
She also arranged to have her co-conspirators cash the stolen checks, usually by people using counterfeit identity documents in the name of the check’s payee. Federally insured banks and credit unions were victimized in this scheme.
Law enforcement searched Magdamit’s apartment in December 2024, and seized 133 stolen credit and debit cards,16 U.S. Department of Treasury checks, and a loaded, un-serialized Glock-clone, with an extended 27-round magazine, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun.” Agents also discovered luxury goods purchased with cards she stole from the mail. She also used stolen cards on international trips she took to Turks and Caicos and Aruba.
Agents arrested Magdamit on July 1, after learning that she continued to make purchases with victims’ credit cards. A second search of Magdamit’s apartment that day yielded more stolen cards. Magdamit remains in federal custody.
Magdamit posted on Instagram her luxury purchases and vacations, and flaunted stacks of hundred-dollar bills. Magdamit has agreed to forfeit a Rolex watch and other luxury goods.
United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled an October 27 sentencing hearing, at which time Magdamit will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Treasury Inspector General of Tax Administration investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Career Offender Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Threatening a Federal Judge and a Federal ProsecutorRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Nathanael Michael West, 28, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release on July 31, 2025, for, with the intent to retaliate, threatening to murder, assault, or kidnap a federal judge and a federal prosecutor, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. The court ordered the sentence to be served consecutively to two prior sentences in 2020 and 2022 for similar convictions in the District of Idaho.
According to court records, in October 2022, West was sentenced to federal prison for mailing threatening communications to three state prosecutors. In February 2023, while serving a state sentence for burglary at an Idaho state prison, West sent a threatening letter to Assistant United States Attorney David Robins, who prosecuted the two cases that led to West’s incarceration. The letter contained graphic descriptions of West’s threat to assault, kidnap, torture, mutilate, and murder the prosecutor. Less than two weeks later, in March 2023, West sent another threatening letter to Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye, who sentenced West in October 2022. That letter vividly described West’s threat to assault and murder the judge.
On August 14, 2024, a federal grand jury in Idaho returned a four-count indictment, charging West with mailing threatening communications, threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder a federal law enforcement officer with intent to retaliate, and threatening to assault or murder a United States Judge with intent to retaliate. On July 31, 2025, West pleaded guilty to all four counts of the indictment.
“The 96-month sentence in this case is appropriate and justified, reflecting the seriousness, brazen, and violent nature of the defendant’s persistent threats,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “The defendant’s deliberate actions were not only incredibly personal to the victims in this case, but they were also an assault on the integrity of the criminal justice system.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho was recused from this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas H. Edmonds from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon was appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to prosecute the case. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in the case.
U.S. Attorney Bradford commended the work of the FBI, which conducted the investigation.
Carbon County Man Sentenced on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jesus Bracero, age 29, of Bowmanstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 8, 2025, to 121 months and 18 days’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Julie K. Munley for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, between January 2023 and September 2023, Bracero and others distributed large amounts of controlled substances throughout Carbon and Lehigh Counties. Investigators conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Bracero at his residence. In July 2023 investigators executed a search warrant at Bracero’s residence and seized controlled substances, firearms, ammunition, explosive devices, drug transaction records, and drug packaging material. The area where the contraband was located was protected by video surveillance cameras and two aggressive dogs.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Belle Glade Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Kemmye Jimbryl Watson (29, Belle Glade) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Watson to forfeit the firearm possessed during the offense. Watson pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2024, in Lehigh Acres, Watson sold a pistol to another individual for $500. At the time, Watson had multiple prior felony convictions including aggravated assault with a firearm, trespass while armed, and robbery by sudden snatching. As a convicted felon, Waston is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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.
Batavia man pleads guilty to sex trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joseph Barsuk, 67, of Batavia, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin M. Higgins and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that in 2015, Barsuk met a woman (Victim) at Pharaoh’s Gentlemen’s Club. At that time, the Victim was heavily addicted to cocaine and heroin, which was well known to PGC staff and customers, and became known to Barsuk. Between 2015 and 2016, Barsuk engaged in sexual contact with the Victim, renting an apartment month-to-month for her, providing her with a vehicle, and providing funds for drugs when the Victim needed them. When the Victim began experiencing withdrawal symptoms, Barsuk would coerce her to have sex with him before taking her to get more drugs. He repeatedly provided money and drove the Victim to purchase heroin and cocaine. Barsuk conspired with Pharaoh’s employees to allow him to engage in sex acts with the Victim, including paying employees when he was engaging in such sex acts with the Victim.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 23, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.
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Arizona Man Sentenced to 30 Years Imprisonment for $24 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $24,065,636.20 in forfeiture following his conviction for orchestrating a Ponzi-style investment fraud scheme that defrauded more than 100 victims, many of whom were Northern New Mexican residents, out of millions of dollars. A restitution order remains pending.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, from 2014 to 2022, John Lopez, 74, solicited investments through his company, Personal Money Management Company (PMMCO), falsely claiming to have developed a proprietary algorithm that generated above-market returns. He guaranteed returns ranging from 10 to 42 percent annually and assured clients their money was invested in stocks and bonds. In reality, he used client funds to purchase precious metals and to make Ponzi-style payouts to earlier investors, disbursing $6.1 million to maintain the illusion of legitimate investment returns.
Lopez collected approximately $24 million from investors and used about $16 million to acquire precious metals, which he stockpiled in his home basement, office, a rented storage unit, and even buried underground.
All the bullion seized in November 2021When federal agents seized PMMCO’s assets in November 2021, they recovered less than $15 million, far short of the $39 million Lopez falsely claimed was under management.
Despite the seizure, Lopez continued to solicit new investors and issue fake account statements. He lived comfortably on a self-assigned six-figure salary while portraying himself as a successful investor with assets rivaling major financial institutions. Trial evidence revealed that he failed to segregate or track individual investments, lied about account balances, and actively discouraged large withdrawals to keep the scheme afloat.
After his indictment, Lopez violated his court-ordered release conditions at least five times—two before his conviction and three afterward—including committing additional fraud, making unauthorized financial transactions, refusing to turn over financial documents, and having prohibited contact with victims and witnesses.
Prior to sentencing, federal agents executed another search warrant on Lopez’s home and recovered additional precious metals he had purchased with client funds. Specifically, the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service discovered approximately 19 boxes of silver coins, worth approximately $350,000, hidden in the crawl space under Lopez’s home. To this day, however, the location of approximately $3 million in additional precious metals remains unknown.
Upon his release from prison, Lopez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office brought a separate civil forfeiture action on April 15, 2022, seeking to forfeit assets seized in November 2021. Litigation in the civil proceeding is ongoing.
Saturday 9 August 2025
PRC National Sentenced to 55 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Saipan, MP – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that YANG Liang, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced on August 8, 2025 by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 55 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Possess Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). Yang was also ordered to report to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison.
In September 2023, Yang facilitated the shipment of methamphetamine concealed inside lava lamps, which were sent by mail from California to Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The suspicious packages were intercepted by the CNMI Customs Service. In collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities executed a controlled delivery operation that led to the arrest and conviction of Yang and co-conspirator Ye Fang, also known as "Batu," a PRC national who was unlawfully present in the United States. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately eight pounds of liquid methamphetamine.
“Methamphetamine is a poison in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Although commonly trafficked in solid or powder form, liquid methamphetamine presents a unique danger to aviation workers during cargo handling operations. The quantity of drugs seized during this investigation magnifies that concern. Regardless of the form, our federal and local law enforcement partners are skilled in detecting this contraband in our mail system. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and their sources of supply.”
“As demonstrated by this case, drug criminals will go to extreme lengths to cash out on their product. Be it using lava lamps or other packaging to conceal methamphetamine, drug syndicates are relentless, resourceful, and boldly inventive. But our skilled DEA investigators and law enforcement partners are just as unswerving in their determination to intercept drug traffickers and seize dangerous drugs, before they reach our communities,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Saipan. “We will continue to work with vehemence to ensure that those who contribute to this country’s drug crisis are held accountable.”
“Liang Yang's sentencing demonstrates HSI's dedication to protecting our communities, “said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI remains focused on preventing drug smuggling and ensuring everyone follows our immigration laws.”
“The FBI, along with our partner agencies, works relentlessly every day to protect our communities from the dangers of drug trafficking organizations,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing sends a strong message – the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use every available resource to confront and disrupt these dangerous criminal organizations, wherever they operate.”
“USPIS is proud of our work bringing drug traffickers to justice in CNMI and keeping methamphetamine out of the mail,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “I want to extend my gratitude to CNMI Customs, the CNMI Department of Public Safety, and the members of the Guam Interdiction Anti-Narcotics Trafficking Task Force (GIANT TF), including the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and the Guam Army National Guard Counterdrug Program. I would also like to acknowledge our federal law enforcement partners for their invaluable collaboration in this case.”
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshal Service, CNMI Customs, CNMI Department of Public Safety, and in collaboration with the CNMI Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Flores, Jr., and former Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Kost prosecuted this case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
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).
PRC Citizen Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Preventing Immigration RemovalRead the Press Release
Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that ZHANG Aimin, age 55, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced on August 7, 2025, in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to eight months imprisonment for Preventing or Hampering Removal, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1253(a). The Court also ordered one year of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 special assessment fee. Zhang must report to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison. Zhang’s conviction was also a violation of his supervised release for a prior conviction for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States. Zhang was therefore sentenced to an additional 6 months, to run consecutive to his term of imprisonment for Preventing or Hampering Removal.
On April 30, 2025, during the immigration removal process at Saipan International Airport, Zhang refused to exit a vehicle operated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Zhang’s departing flight was awaiting his boarding. He eventually agreed to exit the car but then became physically uncooperative with the immigration officer. Zhang grabbed onto a nearby light pole and attempted to insert his hand into an uncapped electrical port, posing a serious safety hazard. Once officers succeeded in removing Zhang from the light pole, he immediately grabbed onto a nearby signpost and refused multiple lawful commands to release his grip. Furthermore, as officers attempted to remove him, one officer’s arm was briefly pinned between the post and Zhang’s body. The officer was able to free his arm without serious injury. Zhang was then placed in handcuffs and transported back to the CNMI Department of Corrections.
“The enforcement of immigration laws is our highest priority,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Zhang showed no respect for the law or the officers working to uphold it. This case demonstrates the federal government’s ongoing commitment to removing illegal aliens from our country.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Assistant United States Attorney Garth Backe prosecuted the case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Friday 8 August 2025
Woodruff Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Travis Legg, 44, of Woodruff, has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in 2023, a joint federal and local investigation revealed Legg was part of a fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy based in Spartanburg. Legg was indicted for his role in the conspiracy and was arrested on federal charges in June 2024, at which time he possessed additional methamphetamine and marijuana.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Travis Legg to 126 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Winner Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with a ChildRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Shulte has sentenced a man from Winner, South Dakota, who was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child. The sentencing took place on August 5, 2025.
Clayton Spotted Calf, age 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Spotted Calf was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on April 14, 2025.
The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between approximately April 2015 and June 2017 in Todd County, South Dakota, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On more than one occasion during that period, Spotted Calf engaged in sexual contact with a child who was then between the ages of six and eight years old.
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 South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Spotted Calf was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Waterbury Men Charged with Committing Violent Crimes Culminating in Shooting of Waterbury Detective in FebruaryRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a seven-count indictment charging ARIAN PEREZ-FELICIANO, also known as “A,” 21, ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ, also known as “NeNe,” 19, and SYDNEY REID, also known as “Syd,” 18, all of Waterbury, with offenses related to their roles in a robbery, a carjacking and attempted carjacking, and the shooting of a Waterbury Police detective earlier this year.
The indictment was returned on August 7, 2025, and the three defendants have been detained since their arrests on related state charges on February 13, 2025.
As alleged in the indictment, Perez-Feliciano, Rodriguez, and Reid conspired to steal firearms and marijuana, and to commit carjackings using stolen vehicles. On January 13, 2025, Rodriguez and Reid, each of whom pointed a firearm at a victim’s face, stole a 12-gauge shotgun, narcotics, cash, and other items from the victims. On February 13, 2025, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Perez-Feliciano, Rodriguez, and Reid attempted to commit an armed carjacking on Waterville Street in Waterbury. A short time later, they committed an armed carjacking on Chase Avenue in Waterbury. As they fled from police, Perez-Feliciano opened fire on a pursuing Waterbury Police detective in an attempt to kill the officer, striking him in the thigh.
The indictment charges Perez-Feliciano, Rodriguez, and Reid with conspiracy; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; interference with commerce by robbery; carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; attempted carjacking; carjacking; and carrying, using, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted of all of the charged offenses, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 17 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr., who is cross designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in this matter.
Virginia Man Sentenced in Sex Tourism, Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Randall Meck, 52, of Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 188 months in federal prison in connection with possessing 180 videos and 560 images depicting the sexual abuse of children. The files were recovered on his phone following his arrest at Dulles International in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Meck pleaded guilty Apr. 2, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton to distribution of child pornography. In addition to the 188-month prison term, Judge Walton ordered Meck to serve a lifetime of supervised release, to register as a sex offender, and to pay $5,000 in restitution.
“Children are our most precious resource and those who seek to exploit and harm them—whether online or overseas—will be hunted down, prosecuted, and face the full weight of justice. We will not allow predators to hide behind screens while committing the most heinous acts imaginable.”
Joining in the announcement were FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to court documents, in September 2024, law enforcement obtained Facebook messages between Meck and another individual in connection with a sex tourism investigation.
On Sept. 26, 2024, an undercover agent with the Washington D.C. Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force contacted Meck. Meck shared a video with the undercover officer depicting prepubescent boys being sexually abused by adult men. Meck also provided the undercover agent with a contact in the Philippines who he said could provide children to abuse. In addition, Meck provided travel tips, transportation and hotel recommendations, and made efforts to coordinate a trip to the Philippines for the purpose of sex with minors.
On Dec. 21, 2024, law enforcement arrested Meck after landing at Dulles International Airport and seized Meck’s iPhone 13 Pro which contained approximately 180 videos and 560 still images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
Following his arrest, Meck waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with law enforcement. In an interview, Meck confirmed that he had traveled to the Philippines on multiple occasions between 2021 and 2024 for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with minors and provided details of the encounters.
This case is being 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 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.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Starts August with 231 New Federal Immigration Cases in the Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 231 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Aug. 1 through 7.
Among the new cases, an Ecuadorian national was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. The defendant, Christian Patricio Murillo-Orellana, was previously deported to Ecuador on April 22 through Alexandria, Louisiana. Murillo-Orellana is a convicted felon, sentenced in 2024 to 195 days confinement for unlawful possession of a weapon and simple assault in Plainfield, New Jersey.
A Honduran national with a prior felony conviction was also arrested by USBP and charged with illegal re-entry in Eagle Pass. Leo Dan Olivera-Hernandez was previously deported to Honduras on Nov. 8, 2024. He was convicted in March 2022 for first degree burglary in Raleigh, North Carolina and sentenced to 44-65 months in prison.
In El Paso, Mexican national Isreal Garcia-Ibarra was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after he was located nearly five miles east of the Ysleta Port of Entry. Garcia-Ibarra was previously removed to Mexico for the second time on April 5 through Nogales, Arizona, following a March conviction for domestic battery in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jorge Alberto Lopez-Casique, also a Mexican national, was allegedly found trying to hide in the Chihuahuita Park near the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on Wednesday, Aug. 6, after being deported from the U.S. to Mexico on July 21 through Del Rio. Prior to that removal, on June 20, Lopez-Casique was convicted in Dallas and sentenced to six months confinement for two felonies—theft from person and kidnapping.
Multiple illegal aliens were arrested this week for charges related to alleged human smuggling schemes involving storm drains. In one case, Andres Castaneda-Luna was one of seven illegal aliens who El Paso Police officers allegedly observed exiting a storm drain on Aug. 1. According to a criminal complaint, Castaneda-Luna has worked with an alien smuggling organization as a foot guide for approximately two years and, on this occasion, was smuggling a group of illegal aliens through the storm drain tunnel for $100 per person. Immigration records indicate Castaneda-Luna had been granted a voluntary return out of the U.S. on Oct. 30, 2023.
On Aug. 4, USBP agents allegedly observed two individuals attempting to pry open a grate connected to a storm drain a mile and a half east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that the individuals were identified as Javier Obregon-Flores and Jorge Solis-Soto, and both were determined to be Mexican nationals. The complaint alleges that Obregon-Flores became combative with the agents and attempted to flee on foot toward Mexico. Both were placed under arrest and charged with human smuggling conspiracy. The complaint alleges that Obregon-Flores and Solis-Soto were working with a smuggler and worked together with the intent of cutting rebar to further facilitate smuggling of illegal aliens.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 79 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 79 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On August 1, Stephanie Sanchez Portillo, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Personation in Immigration Matters. According to a complaint, the defendant attempted to smuggle an unrelated child from Mexico into the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry pedestrian lanes using her own child’s American birth certificate.
- On August 2, Edgard Uriel Urbina Jiron, citizen of Nicaragua, was arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, he was taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents when they made a traffic stop and found that he was driving with an undocumented immigrant in his car.
- On August 2, Jose Luis Garcia Cota, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 191 pounds of methamphetamine and 5.5 pounds of cocaine concealed in the defendant’s car when he attempted to cross the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
- On August 4, Jose Alejandro Valadez-Blancarte, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found him hiding in the trunk of a car at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. He was previously deported in January 2025 and June 2025.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Immigration Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio. These are separate cases and not related.
Edin Oneil Carrillos-Rodriguez, 36, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code (USC) 1326. He was previously removed from the United States on at least two occasions with the most recent being Dec. 11, 2014. On July 25, 2025, he was found in Vickery, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. This case was investigated by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford.
Additionally, Vicente Lopez-Gomez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States Oct. 3, 2016. Lopez-Gomez remains detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali.
Aurelio Mariscal-Chavez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States Feb. 3, 2016. Mariscal-Chavez remains detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Tangeman.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending August 8, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 67 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 4 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 35 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 40 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking and illegal reentry.
In one significant case, Andrew Michael Dillehay was charged with fleeing at high speed from an immigration checkpoint. On August 4, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Dillehay at the checkpoint west of Alamogordo, New Mexico. When referred for secondary inspection, he instead sped away from the checkpoint. Agents pursued and apprehended him near Organ, New Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Kansas men charged with drug trafficking related crimesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – Two Kansas men have been charged through separate criminal complaints with charges related to drug trafficking following search warrants executed earlier this week.
Thomas Lewis Williams, 64, of Haysville is charged with one count of possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents on August 6, 2025, a federal search warrant was conducted at Williams’ home on South Meridian Avenue in Haysville. Officers found firearms, U.S. currency, items used in the conversion process of methamphetamine, and suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl pills.
Oswaldo Gutierrez-Rodriguez, 29, of Wichita is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, on August 6, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a commercial building on North Mascot Avenue in Wichita. During a search, officers found acetone containers, ventilation fans, a propane tank hooked up to a hot plate, and other paraphernalia used to aid in conversion of methamphetamine. They also located a white crystal/powder substance that field tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.
Williams is scheduled to make his initial court appearance August 11, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gwynne E. Birzer of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
Gutierrez-Rodriguez is schedule to make his initial court appearance August 11, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gwynne E. Birzer of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
The Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and IRS Criminal Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Barnett and Kari Burks are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Kansas City Regional Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Two Charged with Possession of Approximately 13 lbs. of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two women were charged yesterday in federal court for possession with intent to distribute approximately 13 pounds of methamphetamine.
Brittney N. Stanley, 32, and Christina L. M. Davis, 32, were charged by complaint with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Stanley was also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On Aug. 6, 2025, following a car stop, Stanley and Davis were found in possession of approximately 13 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. Stanley was also found in possession of a loaded, Ruger 9mm handgun that was inside a backpack that was on Stanley’s lap when she was approached by law enforcement. The backpack also contained Stanley’s driver’s license. Inside the rear cargo-area of the SUV Stanley was driving, officers discovered two more handguns.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, Stanley and Davis are subject to a sentence of up to up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Tioga County Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Tristan Kovacs, age 21, of Waverly, New York, appeared today in federal court on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of child pornography announced Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The complaint alleges that in April of 2025, Kovacs produced a sexually explicit image of himself and a nine-year-old female child which Kovacs later uploaded to a pornographic website to generate revenue from other users of the site. The website reported Kovacs’ upload of the image, which subsequently led to the investigation of Kovacs and his arrest yesterday evening.
The sexual exploitation charge filed against Kovacs carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in federal prison and maximum sentence of 30 years while the charge of transportation of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of five years and maximum sentence of 20 years. Both charges carry a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. If convicted, Kovacs will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Kovacs was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks and was detained pending further proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “the defendant’s conduct as alleged in the complaint is despicable. Not only is the defendant alleged to have sexually exploited a child, but he also appears to have sought to profit from it. My office is committed to doing whatever is in our power to ensure this defendant never has the opportunity to harm another child.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig A. Tremaroli stated: “Hours after FBI Albany received this disturbing tip from law enforcement, Mr. Kovacs was in custody facing federal charges that carry significant sentences. The FBI will continue to devote every resource available to swiftly investigate these despicable predators and protect our most vulnerable. Our office is especially thankful to our partners at Waverly Police Department, New York State Police, and Broome County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance in this investigation.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the New York State Police with assistance from the Waverly New York Police Department and the Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins Indicted for Alleged ExtortionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins, who serves as the Sheriff for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, has been charged with extortion involving the purchase of an equity interest in a Boston-based cannabis company.
Tompkins, 67, of Boston, Mass, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of Extortion Under Color of Official Right. He was taken into custody this morning in the Southern District of Florida and will have an initial appearance at 11:00 a.m. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
“Mr. Tompkins is a sitting Sheriff, responsible for over 1,000 employees, who was elected by the good people of Suffolk County. Today, he is alleged to have extorted an executive from a cannabis company, using his official position as Sheriff to benefit himself. Elected officials, particularly those in law enforcement, are expected to be ethical, honest and law abiding – not self-serving. His alleged actions are an affront to the voters and taxpayers who elected him to his position, and the many dedicated and honest public servants at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. The people of Suffolk County deserve better,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Public corruption remains a top priority for my administration and we will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who uses their position of trust and power for their own gain.”
“From his very first day as Suffolk County Sheriff, Steven Tompkins sought to portray himself as a man of the people – a principled public servant and reformer, devoted to the cause of justice. That’s why it’s beyond disappointing that he’s now accused of gaming a system instituted in the interests of public safety and fair play. The FBI took Sheriff Tompkins into custody today for allegedly extorting $50,000 from the owner of a national cannabis retailer seeking to do business in Boston. We believe what the Sheriff saw as an easy way to make a quick buck on the sly is clear cut corruption under federal law,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The citizens of Suffolk County deserve better, not a man who is accused of trading on his position to bankroll his own political and financial future. Public servants must be held to the highest of ethical standards, and those falling short will be rooted out.”
Tompkins currently serves as the Sheriff for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department (SCSD). He was first appointed Sheriff in 2013, elected as Sheriff in a special election in or about 2014, and thereafter elected to successive six-year terms. As Sheriff, Tompkins oversees approximately 1,000 correctional officers and other employees responsible for operating and maintaining correctional facilities in Boston at the House of Correction and the Nashua Street Jail.
According to court documents, in 2019, the cannabis company, Company A, sought to open a retail cannabis dispensary in Boston and applied to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) for a dispensary license. To satisfy the Positive Impact Plan (PIP) requirement of the CCC, Company A entered into a partnership with the SCSD whereby the SCSD would help screen and refer graduates of its re-entry program to apply for work at Company A’s retail store.
Company A’s partnership with the SCSD was memorialized in a September 2019 letter signed by Tompkins and submitted to the CCC in its completed dispensary license application in or about March 2020. In or about March 2021, the CCC approved a license for Company A to operate a cannabis dispensary in Boston. The CCC later approved license renewal applications for Company A in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In each of the renewal applications, Company A included its ongoing partnership with the SCSD as part of its fulfillment of the PIP requirement.
According to court documents, one of Company A’s goals was to raise capital to launch an initial public offering (IPO) and then continue its growth as a publicly traded company. Company A officials, including a company executive identified as Individual A, sought multimillion-dollar investments from institutions or other high net-worth, sophisticated investors in order to raise capital. Company A officials, including Individual A, were not looking to raise capital from the general public or small, individual investors. Beginning in or about mid-2020, Company A began preparing for an IPO of Company A stock, which included producing audited financial statements, hiring attorneys to ensure compliance with securities laws and obtaining additional financing from large scale and high net-worth investors, among other things.
It is alleged that Tompkins pressured Individual A for stock, reminding Individual A that Tompkins had helped Company A in its Boston licensing efforts. It is alleged that Individual A believed and feared that Tompkins would use his official position as Sheriff to jeopardize Company A’s partnership with the SCSD and thus imperil both the dispensary license for Company A, as well as the timing of the IPO. In fact, in October 2020, Company A asked Tompkins for an updated partnership letter to submit to the CCC for its yearly renewal of Company A’s Boston license. Within one month of signing the October 2020 SCSD partnership letter with Company A, and after increased pressure on Individual A, Tompkins allegedly obtained a pre-IPO interest in Company A stock after Individual A relented to Tompkins’s demands.
In November 2020, Tompkins allegedly wired a $50,000 payment from his retirement account to an account controlled by Individual A. Tompkins paid a pre-IPO price of approximately $1.73 per share of Company A stock (equity equivalent to 28,883 shares) and after a reverse stock split, Tompkins held approximately 14,417 shares at a price of approximately $3.46 per share.
According to court documents, in or about mid-2021, when Company A launched its IPO, the stock had a value of approximately $9.60 per share. Thus, Tompkins’s $50,000 purchase of 14,417 shares of Company A stock had appreciated to an approximate value of $138,403.
In May 2022, Company A stock decreased in value such that Tompkins’s equity interest in Company A stock was worth several thousand dollars less than the $50,000 he originally invested. However, Tompkins demanded a refund of $50,000 and, despite the decrease in the value of Tompkins’s investment, Individual A agreed to Tompkins’s demands for full repayment of $50,000.
Subsequently, from approximately May 2022 to July 2023, Individual A refunded Tompkins $50,000 investment by issuing Tompkins five checks. Allegedly in accordance with Tompkins’s wishes, Individual A wrote memos on certain checks that read “loan repayment” and “[company] expense” to disguise the nature of some of the payments:
The charges of extortion under color of official right each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorneys John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Southern District of Texas charges 288 people in first week of August in relation to border enforcement effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 287 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration, border security and related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The filed cases include 14 involving human smuggling. A total of 142 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 127 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felony convictions for offenses involving narcotics, domestic violence and other violent crime, immigration violations and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to fraud and other immigration crimes.
Criminal complaints allege four individuals attempted to unlawfully reenter the country within six months of their most recent removals. Mexican nationals Adolfo Omar Maldonado-Ortiz and Aureliano Baeza-Martinez were previously removed July 9 and July 12, respectively, according to court records. Authorities removed Colombian national Luis Fernando Diaz-Caicedo March 12, while Honduran national Yermin Bardales-Castro was removed April 6. Each allegedly has prior felony convictions, including burglary of habitation, robbery with a deadly weapon, criminal sexual conduct with a minor or possession of a controlled substance. All four were allegedly found in the United States without legal authorization and now face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
Charges also allege Carlos Guadalupe Salazar-Gonzalez and Walfre Patricio Hernandez-Mazariegos committed illegal reentry after having been previously removed in 2020 and 2024, respectively. Law enforcement allegedly encountered both in Edinburg.
In addition to the new cases, a notable sentencing occurred in Laredo when 25-year-old Laredo resident Salma Galilea Veliz was ordered to serve 36 months for attempting to smuggle a three-year-old Mexican child into the United States using her own son’s birth certificate. Authorities encountered Veliz at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge with the child, whom she falsely claimed was her son. She later admitted to picking up the boy in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and planning to pass him off as her biological son in exchange for $2,500. Evidence presented at trial confirmed the child was a Mexican citizen with no legal claim to enter the United States. A federal jury found Veliz guilty following a two-day trial earlier this year.
“We may never know who or what awaited that three-year-old boy had he been successfully smuggled across the border. What is certain, however, is that no child’s safety or well-being has a price tag. The Southern District of Texas will not hesitate to prosecute those who illegally bring children into the United States by falsely claiming family ties,” said Ganjei. “Also, a word of warning - if you put a child, even if it’s your own, into the hands of smugglers, you will be prosecuted. Return home to them; don’t endanger your children by placing their lives in the hands of people you don’t know.”
Also of note were the sentencings of three known felons who had illegally reentered the country. Ivan Lopez-Sonora and Gregorio Mendoza-Martinez received their respective 57- and 30-month sentences in Brownsville. Lopez-Sonora has a criminal history including convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, deadly conduct discharging a firearm and numerous convictions for immigration violations, while Mendoza-Martinez has a burglary conviction in addition to a previous illegal reentry charge. In Houston, Jose Maldonado-Vasquez was ordered to serve an 84-month sentence. He has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2008 with convictions for possession of a controlled substance, burglary, assault and evading arrest in addition to other immigration violations and three previous removals.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
South Sioux Man to Federal Prison for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute fentanyl was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Joshua Rysavy, age 35, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, received the prison term after a March 18, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
At the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Rysavy took part in the distribution of approximately 8.5 pounds of pills containing fentanyl across Iowa and Nebraska between 2022 and June 2023. As part of the investigation, law enforcement utilized an undercover officer to make several purchases from Rysavy of counterfeit oxycodone pills marked “M30” but which contained fentanyl. Following these purchases, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Rysavy’s South Sioux City residence where several firearms were located.
“As a result of this investigation, thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl were removed from the streets of South Sioux City, Nebraska, and Sioux City, Iowa,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “No town in America is immune to this deadly substance and the lethal consequences that can come from its use. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with our law enforcement partners in both Nebraska and Iowa who strive to achieve the same goal of removing these deadly threats and keeping our communities safe.”
Rysavy was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rysavy was sentenced to 86 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rysavy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3027.
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Six Individuals Charged in Alleged Fentanyl Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A newly unsealed federal indictment charges six people, including two Georgia inmates and two Chinese nationals, with allegedly distributing synthetic controlled substances, including fentanyl, sourced from China into the Middle District of Georgia.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on May 14, 2025, and it was unsealed on Aug. 7. The indictment charges the following individuals:
Devito Duran Young aka “Big” aka “Big Man,” 44, of Macon State Prison and Marietta, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and an $8 million fine;
Trace Davrin Works, 29, of Mableton, Georgia,is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and an $8 million fine;
Xin Wang, 27, of China, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a $5 million fine for the fentanyl charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance charge;
Andreaus Benard Oliver, Sr. aka “Doomie Oliver,” 43, of Macon State Prison and Cordele, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $2 million fine;
Andreaus Benard Oliver, Jr., aka “Dray Oliver,” 26, of Cordele, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substanceand one count of using or maintaining a drug premises and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine; and
Gao Yong, 29, of China, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Young, Works and Oliver Sr. are in custody and had their initial appearances. The three defendants were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle on Aug. 7, and were remanded to federal custody awaiting trial. Oliver Jr. is in federal custody and had his initial appearance before Judge Weigle on Aug. 7; his arraignment hearing is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 11, in Albany, Georgia.
The indictment alleges that Young and Oliver, Sr., both inmates at Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, allegedly conspired to acquire and distribute fentanyl or synthetic cannabinoids (marijuana) from China to the United States beginning in 2023. It is alleged that shipments of the synthetic cannabinoids arrived at an address occupied by Oliver, Jr., on 4th Avenue in Cordele, Georgia. Wang and Yong are alleged to have facilitated the sale and distribution of synthetic controlled substances from China to customers around the world, including to Young and Oliver, Sr. Yong allegedly communicates directly with customers and negotiates the sale of the drugs and provides shipment tracking information. Wang allegedly directs the sale of fentanyl worldwide and maintains cryptocurrency wallets for payments.Yong was allegedly aware that the substances were being introduced into prison facilities.
Young allegedly placed multiple orders of fentanyl from Wang and Yong using encrypted chat applications he accessed using a contraband cellphone while in prison. Young allegedly directed Works to acquire the fentanyl and ship it to customer addresses, including addresses in the Middle District of Georgia, and both Young and Works allegedly paid Wang and Yong with cryptocurrency. Oliver Jr. and other co-conspirators allegedly placed multiple orders for synthetic cannabinoids from Wang and Yong online and paid them with cryptocurrency, directing the packages to addresses in Cordele and his 4th Avenue residence, allegedly referred to as the “lab.”
After a package originating from China was intercepted by law enforcement, agents executed a search warrant at Oliver Jr.’s residence on July 22, 2024, and found more than 175 metal pans with sheets of paper; multiple jugs and bottles containing suspected cannabinoids; several measuring beakers; more than 350 dried sheets of paper soaked with cannabinoids; return address labels purporting to be from various attorneys; shipping labels addressed to inmates in jail and prison facilities around the country; cash; and ledgers indicating how many sheets had been processed. In addition, $170,000 in cryptocurrency was seized from Wang as part of the investigation.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), with assistance from the GBI and Georgia Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
Seattle resident convicted at trial of directing sexual abuse of young child in VietnamRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old Seattle man was convicted late yesterday of producing child sexual abuse imagery for his scheme to obtain images of sexually abused children from a coconspirator in Vietnam, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Richard Stanley Manness Jr. was convicted of two federal felonies following a three-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated about three hours before returning the jury verdict. Manness faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on November 14, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, law enforcement in Vietnam rescued two young children who had been kidnapped off the street in April 2024. The mother of the two sisters was distraught when she could not find them. The young girls were taken to an Airbnb by Maness’ female coconspirator. Records showed Maness rented the apartment. Messages between Manness and the coconspirator documented him directing sexual abuse of a child as young as 6-years-old. The coconspirator sent the images of the child sexual abuse to Maness over the internet. Maness had plans to travel to Vietnam for further child sexual abuse. Maness was arrested in a Seattle apartment after detectives in Vietnam contacted Homeland Security Investigations with information about the child kidnapping and abuse. Maness has remained in federal custody since his arrest on August 28, 2024.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in cooperation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Hampton and Cecelia Gregson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Registered sex offender pleads guilty to sex crimes for sexual exploitation of ten girls ages 12-16Read the Press Release
Seattle – A 28-year-old registered sex offender who sexually exploited ten different minor teens after cutting off his electronic monitoring device and absconding from Department of Corrections Community Custody, pleaded guilty to federal charges today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. James “Jake” Harrison Newcomer admits that between February and April 2024 he sexually abused ten different teens he met via various social media platforms. Prosecutors and defense will both recommend that Newcomer be sentenced to 17 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on November 17, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, Newcomer was on state supervision following his 30-month prison sentence for two counts of rape of a child. As part of the supervision, Newcomer was on electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet. On January 19, 2024, the ankle monitor lost connection and when corrections officers went to arrest Newcomer on January 25, 2024, he had left the residence and could not be located.
Over the next three months, Newcomer connected with various teen girls via social media and then arranged to meet them in person. In those meetings he gave girls drugs and alcohol and sexually assaulted them. The victims were from King, Kitap, Snohomish, Lewis, Clark, Thurston, and Spokane Counties as well as Woodburn Oregon. The victims ranged in age from 12 to 16.
Newcomer pleaded guilty to Travel with intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor and two counts of attempted enticement of a minor. Travel with intent to engage in sexual acts is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Enticement of a minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Woodburn, Oregon Police Department, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, the Auburn Police Department, the Snoqualmie Police Department, the Black Diamond Police Department, the Des Moines Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kent Police Department, with the assistance of the Department of Corrections.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on August 7, 2025.
Dorian Lester, 29, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lester was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in April 2025 and later pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025.
Lester is required to register as a sex offender for life because he was previously convicted of sexual abuse of a minor, where the victim was 12 years old. Federal law requires a sex offender to update his residence to the sex offender registry within three days of changing residence. Lester was released from custody from a separate sentence and failed to update the sex offender registry with his current residence. It is a violation of federal to fail to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Lester was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of a Firearm while Under Indictment. The sentencing took place on August 7, 2025.
Terrance Drapeaux, 31, was sentenced to one year and three 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.
Drapeaux was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Receipt of a Firearm while Under Indictment by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025.
On December 4, 2024, Drapeaux was found by law enforcement with an active warrant for his arrest. Drapeaux resisted arrest and was discovered to have a firearm in his pocket. Before this date, Drapeaux had been charged elsewhere with a felony crime, which charge was still pending at the time he possessed the firearm. It is illegal for a person charged with a crime punishable beyond a year in prison to receive a firearm.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the ATF, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Drapeaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced David Jamal Watson, 40, of Fort Washington, Maryland, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sexually exploiting two children and producing child sexual abuse material. Judge Xinis also ordered that, upon release from prison, Watson must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP).
As detailed in the plea agreement, from September 2023 to October 2023, Waston sexually exploited two children — who were 9 and 13 years old at the time — to produce, distribute, and attempt to sell child sex abuse materials (CSAM). Watson used platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, Twitter, and Google to store and distribute the victim’s CSAM and material depicting other children.
In July 2023, the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received two CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, indicating that a Google user uploaded 51 files of suspected CSAM to Google’s platform between October 2022 and July 2023. Authorities traced the tips to an IP address associated with Watson’s Fort Washington address.
Then in October 2023, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for Watson’s residence. During an MSP interview, Watson admitted to viewing, retaining, and distributing CSAM. On the morning of the search, MSP also seized five devices from a basement bedroom where Watson was sleeping.
During a forensic analysis of Watson’s devices, law enforcement identified more than 600 CSAM images, including nude images and videos of Watson’s victims and other children. Law enforcement also found conversations on Telegram between Watson and other users in which he referenced charging money for nude images of his victims.
In November 2023, law enforcement arrested Watson at his residence on a federal arrest warrant. During an interview, Watson said that he recorded the nude images of his victims at his residence. Additionally, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the contents of Watson’s Instagram account, which revealed conversations in which he attempted to sell CSAM depicting his victims to at least three other Instagram users.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI and the MSP for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Parkersburg Man Pays Restitution and Fine for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – John Robert Coe, 66, of Parkersburg, paid $54,740 in restitution and a $500 fine for continuing to employ a known illegal alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from early 2011 until May 12, 2021, a foreign national from Madagascar worked without monetary compensation at the business that Coe co-owned with Frederick Sayre Anderson. Coe admitted that, at some point in 2011, he learned the foreign national’s presence in the United States was unlawful. Coe further admitted that the foreign national continued to work at the business until May 12, 2021, despite her illegal immigration status.
The foreign national was also housed at the business, sleeping in an office converted into a bedroom. The business is a laboratory that provides water quality testing kits to state and local governments across the country. Coe admitted that the foreign national performed work for the business including shipping supplies to customers, receiving customer service calls, and handling the company’s accounts receivable.
Coe further admitted that he also had the foreign national perform side jobs for him during this time period. These side jobs included cleaning his residence and editing history book manuscripts that he was preparing for publication. Coe compensated the foreign national in cash for these side jobs.
On May 7, 2021, Coe learned from Anderson that federal immigration agents were at the business and searching for the foreign national. Coe admitted that Anderson suggested later that day that they move the foreign national into Coe’s residence. Coe further admitted that he did not want the foreign national moving into his residence. They discussed moving the foreign national into a motel before agreeing that the foreign national should remain at the business. On May 12, 2021, the foreign national permanently left the business with the assistance of federal authorities.
Anderson, 65, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024, to concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection. Anderson admitted that the foreign national entered the United States on a 90-day fiancée K-1 nonimmigrant visa that he obtained. Anderson further admitted that he knew the visa required him to marry the foreign national within 90 days, that he never married her, and that he knew her presence in the United States became unlawful once her K-1 visa expired on April 8, 2011. Anderson was sentenced on May 13, 2025, to three years of federal probation and ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police, and the Parkersburg Police Department.
Coe paid the $500 fine on August 7, 2025, and the $54,740 in restitution on March 17, 2025, after pleading guilty on January 22, 2025. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-178.
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Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Using Semi-Automatic Rifle to Shoot at Sheriff’s Department Helicopter After His Birthday PartyRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Laguna Niguel man pleaded guilty today to using a semi-automatic rifle to repeatedly shoot at an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter last year from a second-story window at his home.
Justin Derek Jennings, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to damage, destroy, disable, or wreck an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
According to his plea agreement, on March 9, 2024, Jennings – from a second-story window of his residence – used a semi-automatic rifle to shoot at a helicopter operated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Court documents previously filed in this case stated that Jennings and his family were celebrating his birthday party on that day. Jennings had been drinking and became angry. As anger grew, family members in attendance left the home. After most of his family left, Jennings removed a rifle from his gun safe and fired an entire magazine worth of ammunition inside the home. The rest of Jennings’ family fled and reported the incident to law enforcement.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded with several deputies and a police helicopter that flew in circles around the area. Jennings then went to the home’s second story and began shooting a rifle upwards in the sky, firing only when the helicopter was visible to him. The shooting continued intermittently for at least 20 minutes. After speaking with an Orange County sheriff’s deputy, Jennings exited the residence and surrendered.
During a search of Jennings’ residence, law enforcement seized two revolvers, two handguns, and two rifles along with multiple rounds of ammunition. Bullet casings were scattered throughout the floor and law enforcement also seized two magazines and a box of ammunition that was on a couch beneath the window from where Jennings fired the weapon.
United States District Judge John W. Holcomb scheduled a January 30, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Jennings will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged Jennings in connection with this incident but dismissed the case so the federal case against him could proceed.
The FBI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin J. Campbell and Lisa J. Lindhorst of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.
Oklahoma City Man to Serve 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – MARLON DEWAYNE MARTIN, 48, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 240 months in federal prison for child sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on September 15, 2023, a homeless female minor was recruited by another individual to work for Martin. Their plan was to make money using the minor to engage in commercial sex acts. When Martin began sex trafficking the minor he knew she was under the age of 18. From September of 2023 through February of 2024, Martin sex trafficked the minor by setting up commercial sex dates for the minor, providing her transportation to and from the dates, providing her hotel rooms, and collecting the money. Additionally, Martin produced and distributed child pornography involving the minor.
“The exploitation of minors is among the most reprehensible crimes we confront, and those who prey on children will face the full weight of the justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “This sentence reflects not only the seriousness of the offense but also our unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable.”
“The actions of Marlon Dewayne Martin could best be described as pure evil, using a juvenile victim for commercial sex trafficking and distributing child pornography,” said Donnie Anderson, Director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. “I want to thank the US Attorney’s Office Western District for their prosecution and securing this sentence. And I am extremely proud of the exhaustive investigative work by my agency’s Human Trafficking Unit to get this predator off our streets and rescuing the victim so they could get immediate access to recovery assistance.”
“HSI works relentlessly with our law enforcement partners every single day to ensure those involved in sexually exploitative acts against children are brought to justice, “ said James Carmany, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Dallas – Oklahoma Division. “With this child predator behind bars, the lengthy healing journey for this unwarranted trauma can now begin.”
On September 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Martin with child sex trafficking. Martin pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, and admitted he rented a hotel for the victim and drove her to the hotel to engage in commercial sex acts.
At the sentencing hearing on August 8, 2025, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Martin to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by supervised release for life. In announcing his sentence, Judge Russell noted Martin’s long criminal history that included 15 separate criminal convictions for crimes ranging from assault on a police officer to drug distribution to DUIs, the seriousness of the offenses, and the need to protect the public from Martin.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ohio Men Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute More Than Five Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung today sentenced Virgil Cooper (42) and Angelo Jordan (49), both residents of Ohio, for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and attempting to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Cooper was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison and Jordan was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison. A federal jury found both guilty on May 1, 2025.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the four-day trial, Cooper contacted a former federal prison cellmate who had been deported to his native country of Colombia after serving his sentence, wanting to purchase multiple kilograms of cocaine directly from Colombia at a discount rate. The former cellmate introduced Cooper to a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source who helped arrange for a viewing of 10 kilograms of cocaine with undercover officers in Tampa in February 2023. Since Cooper was still serving his sentence from a prior felony in a halfway house, he sent his co-conspirator, Jordan, on his behalf. Jordan drove 17 hours from Ohio to Tampa to view the cocaine. An image from the video of that meeting is below:
Government Trial Exhibit 6
After repeated communications and Cooper’s release from the halfway house, Cooper and Jordan traveled from Cleveland to Tampa on August 3, 2023, to deliver a down payment of $120,000 in cash for an initial 30 kilograms of cocaine. They were subsequently arrested. An image from the video of that meeting is below:
Government Trial Exhibit 26
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney David Rehfuss and Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, Jr.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF
New Charges Filed Against Brothers in Case Involving Death of a Shreveport Man during Robbery in Walgreens Store Parking LotRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against two brothers adding a new charge against them for causing death to a Shreveport man. Kevin Terrell Lewis a/k/a “Kelvin Lewis,” 38, of Arlington, Texas, and his brother, Larry Dewayne Lewis, 44, of Shreveport, were both charged last month with robbery and conspiracy to use, carry, brandish and discharge firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence. This superseding indictment adds another count charging both Kevin and Larry Lewis with causing the death of victim B.J. by using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted of this charge, both defendants face a sentence of up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The superseding indictment alleges that on or about January 22, 2025, Kevin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of prescription drugs and a work van that was in the care, custody and control of victim B.J. as he was making a delivery from the Hackbarth Company to Walgreens located at 3124 Line Avenue in Shreveport. In addition, it is now alleged in the superseding indictment that on January 22, 2025, Kevin and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, knowingly used and discharged a firearm during and in relation to robbery causing the death of B.J. through the use of a firearm, and the killing constituted murder.
The superseding indictment further alleges that on or about December 23, 2024, Kevin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of approximately $500 in United States currency from the victim owner/manager of the Pull-Up Liquor located at 5619 Hearne Avenue in Shreveport, as he was closing the store and walking to his car in the parking lot.
Kevin Lewis is charged in the superseding indictment with using, carrying, and brandishing semi-automatic firearms during and in relation to these crimes of violence. The superseding indictment also alleges that the Lewis brothers conspired to use, carry, brandish and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, robbery.
This investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the FBI. We are seeking additional information regarding other individuals who are believed to have participated in these crimes. If you have further information concerning this case, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), your local FBI office, or you can submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and William C. Gaskins.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Mount Vernon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to a Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
A Mount Vernon, Iowa, man who was found in possession of over one and a half pounds of ice methamphetamine while possessing a firearm as a felon was sentenced on August 8, 2025, to over twelve years in federal prison.
Brice Aron Horton, age 49, from Mount Vernon, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 10, 2025, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
On May 26, 2024, officers with the Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Horton. Officers searched Horton’s vehicle and seized 814.9 grams of ice methamphetamine and a loaded pistol. At the time of the stop, Horton was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. In a plea agreement, Horton admitted that between May 2023 and May 2024 he was responsible for distributing at least 13 pounds of ice methamphetamine in the Northern District of Iowa. Additionally, Horton admitted that during this time he distributed 100 pills containing fentanyl.
Horton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Horton was sentenced to 147 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-99.
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Mother and Son Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Thousands of Fentanyl Pills in Sioux Falls Area and for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that United States District Judge Karen Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, SD, and a woman from Luverne, MN, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
Sean Swiftbird, 27, was sentenced on April 22, 2025, to 11 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Laurie Swiftbird, age 67 and Sean’s mother, was sentenced on August 4, 2025, to two years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The two were indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in December 2023. Sean Swiftbird pleaded guilty on February 4, 2025. Laurie Swiftbird pleaded guilty on September 6, 2024.
Sean Swiftbird worked with others in Sioux Falls to distribute thousands of fentanyl pills over the course of 2023. Eventually, his mother Laurie became involved and assisted the conspiracy by accepting pill-laden packages at her home and dealing pills to customers. Both Sean and Laurie utilized the electronic payment system Cash App to accept proceeds related to the sale of fentanyl pills and to send those proceeds to their source. Throughout the Swiftbirds’ involvement, the conspiracy trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills in the Sioux Falls area.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Sean Swiftbird was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Laurie Swiftbird was ordered to turn herself in by January 2026.
Moroccan National Living in Medford Indicted for Being an Unlawful Alien in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Moroccan man unlawfully residing in Medford has been indicted by a federal grand jury for being an unlawful alien in possession of ammunition.
Ayoub Haddad, 24, was indicted on one count of being an unlawful alien in possession of ammunition. Haddad was arrested and charged in March 2025.
According to the charging documents, Haddad was admitted into the United States in April 2012 on a temporary B-2 non-immigrant visa, which was obtained by his parent on his behalf as he was a minor at the time. His visa expired six months later in October 2012. Thereafter, Haddad no longer had a lawful basis to remain in the United States.
According to court documents, March 2019, Haddad was encountered while being held at the South Bay Correctional Facility on charges in Chelsea District Court for firearm offenses, drug distribution and motor vehicle violations. Those charges were later dismissed after a period of general continuance.
It is alleged that, in June 2024, Haddad was identified as the driver of a vehicle involved in a shooting outside of an apartment complex in Lawrence. During a subsequent search of Haddad’s vehicle, an AR-15 style rifle bearing no serial number was allegedly found wrapped inside black t-shirt and stuffed between the radiator and the engine block in the engine compartment under the hood of the car. Twenty pieces of live .223 Remington Bronze full metal jacket rifle rounds were also allegedly located under the hood of the car.
The charge of being an unlawful alien in possession of ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler; and Medford Police Chief Buckley made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Mobridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Central South Dakota and within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian ReservationRead 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 Mobridge, South Dakota, who was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 5, 2025.
Eric Traversie, age 28, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Traversie was indicted for by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy that ran between April 2024 and February 2025 in which Traversie and other individuals conspired to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. As part of the conspiracy, Traversie was involved in distributing between 1.5 and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Traversie was also involved in a traffic stop where law enforcement seized 237 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the FBI, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, BIA, and Dewey County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Traversie was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Leal Castro, age 34, of Mexico, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with one count of Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison.
The Information alleged that on November 14, 2024, Castro knowingly received a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct through the internet.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Castro will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Elpidio Abelardo Perez-Perez, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry by a removed alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and removing violent illegal aliens from our communities has been a top priority defined by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenses to deter future violations of our national immigration laws and to keep our communities safe from violent illegal aliens.”
Court documents reflect that Perez-Perez was first encountered by immigration officials following his arrest for aggravated assault with a weapon and discharging a firearm in Escambia County, Florida. Perez-Perez was determined to be in the United States illegally and was removed to Mexico in August 2010. He was removed and deported again in June 2012 and January 2013. He was most recently found in the country on February 17, 2025.
Perez-Perez faces up to two years in prison followed by removal from the United States.
The case involved an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Lubbock Cardiologist Agrees to Pay $1.2 Million to Resolve Alleged Controlled Substance Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Dr. Juan Kurdi, M.D., a cardiologist in Lubbock, Texas, has agreed to pay $1,200,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by issuing prescriptions for opioids and other powerful drugs outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Dr. Kurdi is an interventional cardiologist who co-owned and co-operated a group medical practice based in Lubbock, Texas.
“Prescribing opioids and other dangerous narcotics outside the usual course of professional practice betrays the trust placed in physicians by society and threatens public safety,” said Nancy E. Larson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. “This settlement demonstrates our office’s commitment to holding doctors accountable for violating their obligations to properly prescribe these powerful drugs.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge, Joseph B. Tucker stated, “This case should serve as a strong warning to all physicians who knowingly prescribe controlled substances without a legitimate medical need or a proper doctor-patient relationship. The DEA will continue to aggressively target and hold accountable physicians who, like Dr. Kurdi, contribute to the poisoning crisis in our communities by improperly distributing these controlled substances.”
In settlement documents, the government contends that Dr. Kurdi—previously a registered DEA practitioner—violated the CSA’s dispensing requirements by issuing numerous prescriptions for controlled substances, including Oxycodone, Alprazolam, Tramadol, Dextroamp-Amphetamine, Vyvanse, and others, in the names of family members and friends—but that were often intended for his own personal use. Dr. Kurdi issued these prescriptions without establishing a legitimate physician-patient relationship, performing physical examinations, or creating medical records that documented the rationale for the purported treatment. Dr. Kurdi routinely filled these prescriptions at Lubbock area pharmacies even though some of the purported recipients lived hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of miles away. In many instances, Dr. Kurdi would personally pick up the prescriptions from these pharmacies to obtain controlled substances for his own personal use.
In the settlement documents, Dr. Kurdi publicly acknowledges and admits that he issued certain prescriptions in the names of family members and friends to obtain controlled substances, including Oxycodone, for his own personal use. The balance of the conduct outlined in the settlement agreement is merely alleged; the agreement does not constitute an admission of liability by Dr. Kurdi.
In addition to this settlement, Dr. Kurdi previously agreed to voluntarily relinquish his DEA registration.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Fort Worth Diversion Squad and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Robbins, with oversight from the Northern District of Texas Civil Chief, Kenneth Coffin, and Deputy Civil Chief, Brian Stoltz.
Local man charged with committing 5 armed robberies in 6 days, gun shop thefts, illegally possessing firearm as convicted felonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a Columbus man with committing five armed robberies at local businesses within six days in January 2025. He and a co-defendant also allegedly stole firearms from a gun shop.
Dequan M. Keys, 30, is charged with crimes related to seven total robberies and one attempted robbery during January 2025. Keys allegedly possessed a firearm during five of the robberies. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Marwan H. Muhammad, 33, also of Columbus, is charged with taking part in one of the robberies.
According to the 14-count indictment, Keys committed the robberies between Jan. 12 and Jan. 26. In the first two alleged incidents, Keys stole a handgun from federal firearms licensee Vance Outdoors on Jan. 12 and Jan. 17. Muhammad allegedly participated in the Jan. 17 robbery.
Between Jan. 21 and Jan. 26, it is alleged Keys brandished a firearm and robbed Little Caesars Pizza on Harrisburg Pike in Columbus, Turkey Hill on South Hamilton Road in Whitehall, Turkey Hill on Stringtown Road in Grove City, Dollar General on West Broad Street in Columbus and Turkey Hill on Morse Road in Columbus. He allegedly attempted to rob the Turkey Hill on Cleveland Ave. in Columbus on the same day as the Little Caesars Pizza armed robbery.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Leominster Man Arrested for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Leominster man has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) following a federal search warrant executed at his home.
Brian Cook, 36, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Cook was arrested yesterday and was ordered detained pending a 2:30 p.m. hearing today in federal court in Worcester.
According to the charging document, during a search of Cook’s residence yesterday, an on-site review of his computer and hard drives allegedly revealed several videos depicting CSAM. Numerous electronic devices including laptops, hard drives and various other electronic storage media were seized for further forensic review.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided the Leominster and Westford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Leader of Transnational Terrorist Group Pleads Guilty to Soliciting Hate Crimes, Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials, and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
Dallas Humber, 35, of Elk Grove, — leader of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group — pleaded guilty today to all charges against her, including soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, the Justice Department and Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
“Hate and terror have no place in this country or abroad,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “By securing this conviction, my office makes clear that purveyors of these heinous crimes will be brought to justice.”
“Humber led a transnational terrorist group promoting white supremacy, hate crimes, and violence, including soliciting the murder of U.S. government officials,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Her actions posed a direct threat to our citizens and national security, and the National Security Division will hold her, as well as others who commit these illegal acts, accountable for their terrorist aims.”
“Humber solicited murders and hate crimes based on the race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity of others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sanchez. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law and keep our people and public officials safe from hate-fueled crimes of violence.”
“The leader of the Terrorgram Collective influenced hate and violence across the globe while living in a quiet suburb,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Through close collaboration with our domestic and international partners, we defended the homeland and dismantled a dangerous network intent on inciting violence to advance its extremist ideology. Those who direct or commit acts of terror in our communities will face justice.”
With her guilty plea, Humber admitted the following facts: from July 2022 until her arrest in September 2024, she served as a leader of the Terrorgram Collective, a white supremacist transnational terrorist group. To achieve their ends, she and other members of the Terrorgram Collective solicited individuals to commit hate crimes, terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure, and assassinations; and provided technical, inspirational, and operational guidance to equip those individuals to plan, prepare for, and successfully carry out those attacks.
Inspired and guided by Humber and the Terrorgram Collective, individuals committed attacks or plotted to commit attacks in the United States and elsewhere, including, plotting to attack an energy facility in New Jersey, plotting to bomb an energy facility in Tennessee, plotting to murder two people in Wisconsin in furtherance of plans to assassinate a federal official, and attempting to assassinate an Australian official. In addition, individuals led by Humber and the Terrorgram Collective have committed acts of violence internationally, including shooting three people, killing two, at an LGBT bar in Bratislava, Slovakia; shooting 11 people, killing four, at two schools in Aracruz, Brazil; and stabbing five people outside of a mosque in Eskişehir, Turkey.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from a variety of foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth, Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Samuel A. Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
Humber is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. The plea agreement contemplates a sentence of 25 to 30 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court at the sentencing hearing.
Leader of Transnational Terrorist Group Pleads Guilty to Soliciting Hate Crimes, Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials, and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Dallas Humber, 35, of Elk Grove, California — leader of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group — pleaded guilty to all charges against her, including soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
District Court Judge Dena Coggins found that Humber’s plea was knowing and voluntary, and deferred acceptance of the plea agreement until the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Dec. 5. Humber faces a penalty of 25 to 30 years in federal prison.
“Hate and terror have no place in this country or abroad,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “By securing this conviction, my office makes clear that purveyors of these heinous crimes will be brought to justice.”
“Humber led a transnational terrorist group promoting white supremacy, hate crimes, and violence, including soliciting the murder of U.S. government officials,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Her actions posed a direct threat to our citizens and national security, and the National Security Division will hold her, as well as others who commit these illegal acts, accountable for their terrorist aims.”
“Humber solicited murders and hate crimes based on the race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity of others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law and keep our people and public officials safe from hate-fueled crimes of violence.”
"The leader of the Terrorgram Collective influenced hate and violence across the globe while living in a quiet suburb,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Through close collaboration with our domestic and international partners, we defended the homeland and dismantled a dangerous network intent on inciting violence to advance its extremist ideology. Those who direct or commit acts of terror in our communities will face justice.”
With her guilty plea, Humber admitted the following facts: from July 2022 until her arrest in September 2024, she served as a leader of the Terrorgram Collective, a white supremacist transnational terrorist group. To achieve their ends, she and other members of the Terrorgram Collective solicited individuals to commit hate crimes, terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure, and assassinations; and provided technical, inspirational, and operational guidance to equip those individuals to plan, prepare for, and successfully carry out those attacks.
Inspired and guided by Humber and the Terrorgram Collective, individuals committed attacks or plotted to commit attacks in the United States and elsewhere, including: plotting to attack an energy facility in New Jersey; plotting to bomb an energy facility in Tennessee; murdering two people in Wisconsin in furtherance of plans to assassinate a federal official; and attempting to assassinate an Australian official. In addition, individuals led by Humber and the Terrorgram Collective have committed acts of violence internationally, including shooting three people, killing two, at an LGBT bar in Bratislava, Slovakia; shooting eleven people, killing four, at two schools in Aracruz, Brazil; and stabbing five people outside of a mosque in Eskişehir, Turkey.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from a variety of foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.
Lakeland Nurse Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Tampering with and Stealing Fentanyl at Five Hospitals in the Tampa Bay AreaRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Eric Brewer (30, Lakeland) to five years and three months in federal prison for tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Brewer pleaded guilty on April 28, 2025.
According to court documents, Brewer was a Florida-licensed registered nurse who worked at various hospitals in the Tampa Bay area. Brewer tampered with fentanyl intended for patients by removing a portion of the controlled substance from its container, at times diluting it with another substance, and using the drug for his own personal use. By tampering with the fentanyl, Brewer acted with reckless disregard for the risk that patients would be in danger of death or bodily injury and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk.
On seven occasions between June 2 and September 12, 2023, Brewer repeatedly took needles, syringes, and saline flushes from the supply room, entered the treatment room of another nurse’s patient who was receiving intravenous fentanyl, and stole the patient’s fentanyl by redirecting it into a Styrofoam cup. At other times, Brewer stole fentanyl directly from a secure medication locker or started and stopped the patient’s intravenous (IV) pump of fentanyl to steal it. After stealing the drugs, Brewer injected them into himself in a restroom.
Brewer’s criminal conduct came to the attention of hospital administrators on September 12, 2023. Although he was not assigned to care for any patients receiving fentanyl, Brewer volunteered to change the fentanyl IV drip bag for another nurse. Brewer acquired a 100mL fentanyl IV bag and tubing from the secured medication locker and disbursed it to the patient. Shortly thereafter, Brewer entered a restroom. When he left the restroom, nurses observed Brewer stumbling, slurring his speech, and falling asleep. An inspection of the restroom revealed a bloody needle and paper towel, which Brewer had used to inject himself with fentanyl. A hospital employee reported Brewer to a manager who requested he take a drug test. Brewer refused and was fired. Subsequent lab testing of the fentanyl IV bag he had administered that morning revealed that fentanyl had been removed from the drip bag and diluted approximately 50% with saline.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
KC Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Three Fentanyl Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for distributing fentanyl, which resulted in three overdose deaths in Belton and Raymore, Mo., as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Tiger Dean Draggoo, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 40 years in federal prison without parole.
On Oct. 16, 2024, Draggoo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
Draggoo admitted that during his fentanyl distribution conspiracy, on three separate occasions the fentanyl he sold caused the death of the purchaser, one of which was a juvenile.
“This case is a sad reminder of the horrific damage and destruction that fentanyl can have in our community. It is also a stern reminder to those who seek to make a profit off dealing fentanyl will be vigorously investigated, prosecuted, and incarcerated,” R. Matthew Price United States Attorney. “I want to express my condolences to the family members of the victims and thank our law enforcement partners and United States Attorney’s Office staff who worked on this case. I know that the sentence does not bring back their loved ones but hope that the lengthy sentence brings some measure of peace that justice was served for the individual responsible for providing the drug that killed their loved one.”
"Armed, violent criminals who traffic deadly fentanyl into our communities and prey on the most vulnerable pose an immediate threat to everyone’s safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bernard Hansen. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office, whose collaborative work not only delivered justice, but has put an end to this devastating path."
“This case further highlights the terrible effect fentanyl continues to have on public safety. The FBI is dedicated to work with all our local, state and federal partners to crush those that supply and sell fentanyl and other drugs within our communities,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus.
Draggoo also admitted that the investigation established that he was responsible for distributing or possessing at least 22,364 pills that contained a total of 2,460 grams of fentanyl. As part of the investigation, during a search of Tiger Draggoo’s apartment, law enforcement found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Maine Property Owner and Property ManagerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The owner, former property manager, and contractor of an apartment building in Lewiston have agreed to collectively pay $39,500 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the former property manager and his contractor sexually harassed a female tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine in June 2024, alleges that beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2020, Defendants subjected a female tenant to repeated and unwanted sexual comments and touching without her consent. The case is captioned United States v. Methuselah Tree, LLC., Robert Ross, RLR Enterprises, Brian Bennett, and Henry Irvin Investments, LLC, Case No. 2:24-cv-00204-JAW. The former tenant was represented by Pine Tree Legal Assistance. The lawsuit arose from a complaint that the tenant filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination, and the matter was referred to the Justice Department.
Under the consent decree and settlement agreements, the former property owner will pay $35,000 to the former tenant. The former property manager and his contractor will pay $1,500 and $3,000, respectively, while also completing Fair Housing Act training and refraining from engaging in property management or residential property maintenance for one year. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and the settling defendants did not admit liability in the consent decree or settlement agreements.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the Department has filed 49 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $16 million for victims of such harassment.
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Justice Department Secures Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Maine Property Owner and Property ManagerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The owner, former property manager, and contractor of an apartment building in Lewiston have agreed to collectively pay $39,500 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the former property manager and his contractor sexually harassed a female tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine in June 2024, alleges that beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2020, Defendants subjected a female tenant to repeated and unwanted sexual comments and touching without her consent. The case is captioned United States v. Methuselah Tree, LLC., Robert Ross, RLR Enterprises, Brian Bennett, and Henry Irvin Investments, LLC, Case No. 2:24-cv-00204-JAW. The former tenant was represented by Pine Tree Legal Assistance. The lawsuit arose from a complaint that the tenant filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination, and the matter was referred to the Justice Department.
Under the consent decree and settlement agreements, the former property owner will pay $35,000 to the former tenant. The former property manager and his contractor will pay $1,500 and $3,000, respectively, while also completing Fair Housing Act training and refraining from engaging in property management or residential property maintenance for one year. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and the settling defendants did not admit liability in the consent decree or settlement agreements.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the Department has filed 49 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $16 million for victims of such harassment.
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