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23 September 2025
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Albuquerque Man for Carjacking and Kidnapping That Ended in a Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has charged Sheliky Sanchez with the August 7, 2025, carjacking resulting in death and kidnapping resulting in death, crimes which under federal law are eligible for the death penalty.
According to court documents, on August 7, 2025, Sanchez, 18, carjacked and kidnapped the driver of a 2022 Ford Escape using a firearm, then intentionally killed the driver during and in relation to those crimes.
A federal grand jury indicted Sanchez for carjacking resulting in death, using a firearm during a violent crime and causing death by firing it, and kidnapping resulting in death. All three counts are eligible for the federal death penalty.
Sanchez will remain in custody while awaiting trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Sanchez faces a mandatory life sentence or the death penalty for the kidnapping resulting in death charge. For the carjacking resulting in death and causing death through the use of a firearm during a violent crime charges, Sanchez faces any term of imprisonment up to life in prison or the death penalty.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack E. Burkhead and Samuel Hurtado are prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Sanchez).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fairview Township Tax Collector Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $400,000 in Property TaxesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Karen McGinnis, age 46, of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick to embezzling public funds. McGinnis was charged by criminal information on September 8, 2025.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, from March 2023 to January 2025, McGinnis was the tax collector for Fairview Township responsible for collecting property taxes from the residents of Fairview Township, including taxes payable to the Township, Luzerne County, and the Crestwood School District. During that timeframe, McGinnis embezzled more than $400,000 in property taxes and converted them to her own personal use. Both Luzerne County and the Crestwood School District received more than $10,000 from the federal government via grants and other programs during this timeframe.
McGinnis resigned as tax collector in March 2025. McGinnis agreed not to seek public office for the longer of three years or any term of probation imposed, and she agreed to make full restitution of the money she embezzled as part of her sentence.
“The role of IRS-Criminal Investigation becomes even more important in embezzlement and fraud cases due to the complex financial transactions that can take time to unravel,” stated Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle A. Moreno is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Estill County Man Sentenced for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – An Irvine, Ky., man, Steven Randall Neal, 37, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves to 292 months in prison, for attempting to persuade a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity online.
According to court documents, in 2021, Neal began messaging the minor victim, whom he knew through their family, on Facebook Messenger. On multiple occasions Neal communicated with the victim online, attempting to get the victim to send sexually explicit pictures and ultimately enticing the minor to engage in sexually explicit activity. Furthermore, Neal admitted that on two occasions, he engaged in hands-on sexual abuse of the victim and that he used Facebook Messenger to request the victim’s presence so he could continue the sexual contact.
Under federal law, Neal must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Edina Man Indicted in $975,000 Covid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Mark Erjavec, 49, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Erjavec, of Edina, Minnesota, fraudulently obtained and stole more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds. Erjavec made his initial appearance in federal court today.
“Erjavec stole nearly $1 million in government dollars meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “When Minnesotans were struggling to keep their doors open and pay their workers, Erjavec lined his own pockets. Fraud that exploits a crisis is especially shameful.”
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mark Erjavec, devised and executed a scheme to defraud federal Covid-19 relief programs to enrich himself. Specifically, Erjavec took advantage of programs created to provide a financial lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic. Erjavec took funds intended for struggling businesses by resurrecting shell entities and submitting false applications.
Specifically, Erjavec reactivated dormant business entities for use in his scheme. From the mid-1990s until the early 2000s, Erjavec owned nine businesses that were registered in Minnesota. Those companies included Tricolor Heron, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Law, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Summit, LLC, among others. Each of these entities were administratively dissolved by the Minnesota Secretary of State between 2008 and 2013.
From April 2020 to August 2020, Erjavec reactivated these dormant business entities and used them to submit fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA). In those submissions, Erjavec overstated revenues, claimed nonexistent employees, and attached fabricated IRS tax forms to lend the appearance of legitimate business activity. Erjavec often opened new checking accounts for the shell entities on the same day (or within days) of registering the business.
As a result of his fraud scheme, Erjavec obtained more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds. Erjavec stole that money, which he wired into accounts he controlled exclusively. Erjavec used the money for his own personal benefit and spending.
“As alleged in the indictment, Mark Erjavec knowingly submitted false and fraudulent documents to the Small Business Administration in order to take money intended for legitimate small businesses suffering during the Covid-era economic downturn,” said Minneapolis FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Erjavec re-registered dormant business entities in order to facilitate the theft of more than $975,000 in taxpayer dollars. Our efforts to stop this egregious fraud are moving forward full speed ahead; we will work with our partners at the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold accountable those who illegally enrich themselves by defrauding the government.”
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Commerce and the FBI, as a part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Domestic Terrorist Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Firebombing University Police Car and Attempting to Firebomb Oakland Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Casey Robert Goonan was sentenced today to 235 months in federal prison for committing a series of arsons and firebombings at the University of California, Berkeley and the Oakland federal building in June 2024. Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White handed down the sentence.
In January 2025, Goonan, 35, of Oakland and Pleasant Hill, pleaded guilty to one count of maliciously damaging or destroying property used in or affecting interstate commerce by means of fire or an explosive.
According to a plea agreement filed in open court, in the early morning hours of June 1, 2024, Goonan placed a bag containing six explosive devices commonly known as “Molotov cocktails” underneath the fuel tank of a marked University of California Police Department (UCPD) patrol car parked near the UC Berkeley campus. Goonan lit the bag on fire and fled, causing the patrol car to catch on fire. A video capturing the events on the morning of June 1, 2024, can be viewed here.
Goonan also attempted to firebomb the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on June 11, 2024. Goonan arrived at the federal building carrying a bag containing three Molotov cocktails. Goonan threw rocks at the building, hoping to break a window in order to throw lit Molotov cocktails inside. That plan was disrupted by protective services officers. Upon fleeing from the officers, Goonan placed the Molotov cocktails in a planter on the side of building and lit them on fire.
In addition to these two attacks, Goonan set other fires on the UC Berkeley campus on June 1, June 13, and June 16, 2024.
Goonan acknowledged that these attacks were inspired by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and that he called on others to attack property on Bay Area college campuses in support of Palestine. Goonan admitted that his conduct was designed to influence and affect the conduct of governments by intimidation and coercion and to retaliate against the governments of the United States and the State of California for their conduct.
“Freedom of expression and peaceful protest are deeply enshrined values in America. We are all free to think what we want and express those views peacefully, but the use of violence to achieve political aims—or to silence those with whom you may disagree—has no place in our community and our country,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “Anyone who crosses the line between peaceful protest and violence will be met with the full force of the law.”
“Safeguarding our communities from violence remains at the forefront of the FBI’s mission. While free speech and peaceful protest are protected rights, turning to firebombs and arson crosses into criminal conduct that endangers lives and threatens public safety,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo. “Today’s sentencing makes clear that the FBI and our partners will not tolerate violence, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to harm our communities.”
At sentencing, the Court referred to Goonan as a “domestic terrorist” and found that he had committed a felony offense that involved or was intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism.
In addition to the prison term, Judge White also ordered the defendant serve 15 years of supervised release after he is released from custody and ordered restitution in the amount of $94,267.51 and a $100 special assessment. The defendant has been in custody since his initial arrest on state charges on June 17, 2024.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikhil Bhagat is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Tina Rosenbaum. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, ATF, the California Office of the State Fire Marshal, and UCPD.
District Man and Woman Plead Guilty in Violent CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brian Allison, 56, and Angel Hall, 25, both of the District, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to their roles in a violent armed carjacking of a woman in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Allison and Hall each pleaded guilty to a charge of carjacking and aiding and abetting. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2026.
According to court documents, on Feb. 1, 2024, about 11 p.m., Allison and Hall followed the victim into a restaurant on the 4500 block of Benning Road, SE. Allison and Hall left without ordering anything, but followed the victim as she left with her food.
Allison approached the victim as she walked to her vehicle. As Hall stood lookout, Allison flashed the butt of a pistol that he was carrying in his pocket, and said, “Gimme those f---ing keys or I’m gonna bust your head.”
After the victim handed over her keys, Allison demanded her phone and wallet. Allison then asked for the PIN number to her debit card. The victim provided the number. Allison told the victim if the PIN was not correct, he would kill her.
Using the key fob, Allison tried to open the trunk to force the victim into it. Allison could not get the trunk open, so he ordered her into the front passenger seat. Hall got into the rear passengers seat. Allison got into the driver’s seat and pulled away.
Allison drove the victim and Hall to a grocery store on the 4900 block of Marlboro Pike, Capitol Heights Maryland. Allison then told Hall to “bust” the victim if she tried to leave.
Allison entered the store with the victim’s debit card, withdrew $500 from an ATM, and bought some food. He returned to vehicle and drove them all back to the District.
Allison parked the car on the 5700 block of Southern Avenue SE. Once stopped, he took one of the victim’s gloves and wiped down the victim’s keys and the steering wheel. Allison returned the phone, keys, and wallet to the victim. Allison and Hall fled on foot towards Central Avenue, SE. The victim drove to the 6th District Station house and reported the incident.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Lawrence, James B. Nelson, and Emory V. Cole.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm During Police ChaseRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Christopher George Montgomery (30, Port Saint Lucie) to four years and nine months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Montgomery to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Montgomery pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025.
According to court documents, Montgomery was subject to a county-wide “be on the lookout” announcement for offenses he allegedly committed previously. His vehicle was located in Desoto County and fled Arcadia Police Department Officers. After Montgomery’s vehicle got stuck on an embankment, he fled on foot but was ultimately arrested. Officers retraced Montgomery’s flight path and located a chamber-loaded Glock pistol in a drainage culvert along the path where Montgomery had fled. Officers also found a loaded Glock extended magazine in Montgomery’s vehicle.
Montgomery is a convicted felon, and as a result, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Arcadia Police Department, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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).
Center City Real Estate Agent Pleads Guilty to Charges Arising from Fraudulent Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jonathan Barach, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to one count of wire fraud and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction, in connection with a fraudulent loan scheme in which he raised millions of dollars from individuals and businesses, purportedly for short-term real estate financing opportunities, when no such projects existed.
As detailed in the information filed August 21, 2025, the defendant served as a licensed residential real estate agent and the co-founder and principal agent for The Barach Group, LLC, a Philadelphia-based real estate team, and formed a second company, TBG Real Estate, LLC, also based in the city. In addition to offering traditional real estate agent services, Barach used his companies to solicit and raise money for non-existent real estate financing opportunities.
Between July 2017 and April 2021, Barach raised over $3 million from lenders through a series of material misrepresentations, including by falsely stating the raised funds would be used to provide bridge loans to builders and contractors looking to purchase and flip distressed real estate properties or to complete renovation projects. At the time of these solicitations, no such projects existed, Barach’s entities did not provide real estate financing, and Barach knew that the lenders’ funds would be used for his own purposes and debts.
None of the money raised by Barach from his victims was used for the stated purpose. Instead, Barach typically withdrew the funds in cash, made assorted personal expenditures, transferred funds to his personal bank accounts, and moved large sums to various accounts that he held with casinos and sportsbook operations. Although Barach paid back some of his earlier lenders with a portion of the funding secured from later lenders, over $1.4 million of the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds remain unpaid.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2026, and faces a maximum possible term of 30 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FDIC Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Terri Marinari and Samuel Dalke.
Broken Arrow Man Sentenced After Attempting to Receive Child Pornography and Meet a Minor ChildRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Broken Arrow man was sentenced today for Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Danny Lawrence Newton, 43, to 96 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Newton will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In June 2024, Newton initiated contact with a person on social media whom he believed was a 14-year-old. While chatting, court records show that Newton requested photos from the minor and talked to the minor about having sex. Newton then arranged to meet the 14-year-old in person and drove to the address provided, where law enforcement detained him.
Newton will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, the Skiatook Police Department, the Pryor Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated it as part of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, which aims to hold child predators accountable throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Billings man sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for multiple sex crimes spanning approximately 30 years on the Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Billings man who was a prolific sex offender and preyed on the most vulnerable and marginalized Native Americans in Montana for decades by molesting, sexually assaulting, drugging, trafficking, and exploiting any defenseless person without regard to their sex, age or biological relationship was sentenced yesterday to 290 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
James Kirby King, 58, was found guilty by a federal district judge in September 2024 of the following charges:
- Aggravated sexual abuse of a child, one count
- Incest, two counts
- Sexual exploitation of children, three counts
- Aggravated sexual abuse by rendering unconscious or drugging the victim, two counts
- Sexual abuse, two counts
- Attempted aggravated sexual abuse by rendering unconscious or drugging the victim, one count
- Attempted sexual abuse, one count
- Sexual abuse of a minor, one count
- Aggravated sexual abuse by force, one count
- Attempted possession with the intent to sell child pornography in Indian Country, one count
- Possession of child pornography in Indian Country, one count
- Attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, one count
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents and at trial, the government presented evidence that led to convictions for offenses against victims identified as Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3, Jane Doe 4, Jane Doe 10, and other multiple victims. Some of the victims were under the age of 12 at the time, some were under the age of 16, and some were adults. Most of the conduct occurred on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, where King once lived, and in Billings, where King lived more recently. The charged conduct began as early as approximately 1992 and continued until his arrest in 2023.
As alleged in court documents, for more than a decade King repeatedly molested, drugged, assaulted and sexually exploited Jane Doe 1, whose first memory of the molestation was when she was five years old in 1996. In approximately 1994 or 1995, when Jane Doe 2 was 14 years old, King gave her a small amount of alcohol at his residence and she “went blank.” Jane Doe 2 later awoke and became aware of King kneeling between her legs and taking pictures of her. In addition, King attempted to sexually exploit Jane Doe 3 on numerous occasions and forced numerous sex acts on her both as a child and later as an adult on the Fort Belknap Reservation and in Billings. King drugged and raped Jane Doe 4 on the Fort Belknap Reservation when she was in her 20s and he was in his 40s. And King attempted to sex traffic by coercion Jane Doe 10 in October 2023.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Myers and Ryan Weldon prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services and Great Falls Police Department.
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Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A repeat felon with a violent criminal past was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm resulting from an Operation Take Back America investigation.
Brandon Michael Slachta, 36, of Albany, was sentenced as an armed career criminal to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on Sept. 23. Slachta previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on March 27. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Armed career felons with violent pasts who persist with criminal activity will face federal prosecution in the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I commend our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration with helping us uphold the law.”
“Today’s sentencing is a testament to our relentless pursuit of justice. Armed career criminals like Slachta pose a significant threat to our communities, and we will not hesitate to utilize all available resources to ensure they face the full weight of the law,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis.
“I am thankful that we have taken another weapon off the streets of Albany, Georgia. Though we don't know the intentions of Slachta, we do know that convicted felons in possession of a firearm can lead to dangerous consequences,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley. “The men and women of the Albany Police Department will continue to seek those who commit crime in our community.”
According to court documents in the Slachta case, an Albany Police Department (APD) officer conducting a routine uniformed patrol along Dawson Road around 4:30 a.m. on July 17, 2024, noticed one male and two women gathered in a local restaurant’s parking lot. Given the early time of the morning and the business still being closed, the officer drove into the parking lot to contact the three people. As the officer pulled into the parking lot, he saw the male, later identified as Slachta, take a black object and toss it inside a silver Honda vehicle. One of the women, who was the owner of the vehicle, told the officer that Slachta tossed a firearm inside her car. The woman consented to the search of her vehicle, and the officer found a black rifle on the center console, along with boxes of ammunition. Slachta admitted that he was a felon; he stated that he put the gun inside the woman’s car because he did not want to get criminally charged with illegally possessing the firearm, and he does not want to do more jail time. Slachta is an armed career criminal, and he knew that he had multiple prior convictions for violent felonies in various states, including Texas, Florida and Arizona.
The collaborative effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The Slachta case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Albany Police Department (APD).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Lim prosecuted the case for the Government.
7 men sentenced to federal prison for roles in large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The final defendant in a national narcotics conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 94 months in prison. The six other coconspirators were previously sentenced in federal court, and four of those defendants received sentences of more than 100 months in prison.
According to court documents, from at least July 2018 until March 2023, Juan-Jose Carrillo, 32, of Compton, California, and the six other defendants were responsible for the distribution of more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine from California into and throughout the Cincinnati area. The methamphetamine supplier was connected to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The defendants charged represent both high-level suppliers and local-level drug distributors.
The other defendants include Franklin Johnson (sentenced to 156 months in prison), Gerald Jeter, Jr. (132 months in prison), Anthony Clardy II (104 months in prison), Dre’Quan Christopher (102 months), Robert Day (72 months), and Tyrone Jordan (36 months).
Court documents detail that Carillo was a source of supply that coordinated deliveries of methamphetamine to Jeter, Johnson and/or Clardy, to be shipped to southern Ohio. Jeter, and later Johnson, would travel to the West Coast to obtain the methamphetamine, and ship it back to Cincinnati. Jeter and Johnson were both high-level distributors of methamphetamine, who would break down the large loads of methamphetamine for re-sale to mid-level distributors in the Cincinnati area. The mid-level distributors included defendants Clardy and Day. In addition, defendant Christopher was a street-level dealer who would sell the methamphetamine to his clients throughout the Cincinnati area.
The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.
Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit, Cincinnati Police Department Narcotics Unit, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit (RENU), and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force (NKDSF) announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 17 by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. Deputy Criminal Chief Frederic C. Shadley represented the United States in this case.
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22 September 2025
“Wolf of West Virginia” Sentenced to Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Theodore Miller, 35, of South Charleston, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $398,533.52 in restitution for two counts of wire fraud. Miller defrauded more than 180 individuals through two real estate investment schemes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller conceived and perpetrated the fraudulent schemes between the spring of 2022 and September 2024. Miller solicited investors on social media, where he portrayed himself as the “Wolf of West Virginia,” a wealthy, successful and knowledgeable real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that in reality he had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and defaulted on loans.
One of Miller’s schemes solicited direct investments to develop properties on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. Miller falsely told these investors they would receive a percentage return once the development projects were completed plus a share of the resulting rental income. Miller’s other scheme offered a pooled real estate investment vehicle he called “Bear Lute.” Miller falsely told Bear Lute investors they could expect consistent returns of at least 6 percent, track their investments on a website, and withdraw their money within 60 days.
Miller obtained a total of $95,000 from the direct investment scheme and approximately $303,950 through Bear Lute. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that his victims included an individual who wired him $20,000 from California for one of the Bigley Avenue projects on July 5, 2022, and an individual who wired him $2,500 from Texas for Bear Lute on December 12, 2022.
Miller’s mother, Deanna Drumm, handled day-to-day tasks of Miller’s business operations, including the management of finances and transfer of funds, while Miller lived outside the United States from about June 2021 to about August 8, 2024. Both the direct investments and the Bear Lute investments were securities as defined by federal law and were required to be registered. No registration statement was in effect for either of these securities, and neither was exempt from the registration requirement. Drumm, 61, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024, to aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks and former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson 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 Nos. 2:24-cr-145.
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Woburn Man Charged with Bank Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Woburn man has been charged as part of an ongoing investigation into the theft of U.S. Treasury tax refund checks in Massachusetts.
Nnamdi Opara, 30, was charged with two counts of bank fraud and five counts of money laundering. The defendant was previously arrested in June 2025 as part of an investigation into the theft of U.S. Treasury tax refund checks in Massachusetts.
According to the charging documents, Opara wrongfully obtained two U.S. Treasury checks that were issued to a New York entity named AFGO Mechanical Services, Inc. After obtaining the checks, it is alleged that Opara established a company called AFGO Mechanical Services, Inc. in Massachusetts, for which he served as the President, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, Director and Registered Agent. Opara then allegedly deposited the U.S. Treasury check into an account he controlled, payable to the Massachusetts-based AFGO entity he had established when, in fact, the Massachusetts-based AFGO entity had never filed a federal tax return. As a result, Opara is alleged to have stolen a total of $700,767 from the U.S. Treasury. It is further alleged that Opara conducted multiple illegal monetary transactions designed to conceal the source of the funds from the stolen Treasury checks.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. 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; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division 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.
Weslaco woman admits role in cocaine trafficking schemeRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old South Texas woman has admitted she conspired to possess with intent to deliver more than five kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Upon her initial arrest, Edith Gonzalez admitted she “knew this date was coming” and to personally “gift-wrapping” a box containing the cocaine.
On April 16, 2024, authorities stopped a Chevrolet Equinox in Weslaco and discovered the gift-wrapped cardboard box containing 8.8 kilograms of cocaine.
As part of her plea, Gonzalez acknowledged communicating with others to have the cocaine delivered.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera Gonzalez will impose sentencing Dec. 17. At that time, Gonzalez faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million fine.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
Union County Teacher Admits to Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jack Wilder, 27, of Somerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jamel K. Semper in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On or about July 23, 2024, Wilder, a teacher at a school in Plainfield, returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed in New York. Law enforcement seized Wilder’s cell phone at the airport and subsequently searched it, uncovering images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Approximately one week after law enforcement seized his cell phone, Wilder obtained a new cell phone. From on or about July 29, 2024 through on or about May 1, 2025, Wilder knowingly received images and videos of child pornography on the second cell phone.
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2026.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading up to this guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Michael Baldassare, Esq.
wilder.information.pdfTwo members of Mexico connected drug trafficking group sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two members of a drug trafficking ring with ties to Mexico were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jose Rodolfo Aguilar Cortes, 23, of Federal Way, Washington, was sentenced to five years in prison and Alex Ortiz, 21, of Auburn, Washington was sentenced to 20 months in prison. At Ortiz’ sentencing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said, “This is a serious offense involving dangerous drugs and a significant number of guns.”
According to records filed in the case, both men were involved with a drug trafficking ring bringing significant quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to Western Washington for distribution. Cortes was indicted for a seizure of 14 kilos of cocaine on March 24, 2024, in Lewis County. Cortes was identified as one of the drivers of cars bringing drugs to the northwest from California. Over the course of the investigation, total seizures included the recovery of approximately 81 kilograms of methamphetamine, 49 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 15 kilograms of cocaine, and three pounds of marijuana. Cortes was sentenced to four years of supervised release following prison but will likely be deported following his prison term. He is a citizen of Mexico.
Alex Ortiz served as stash house operator for the drug ring. He lived with his cousin who is also indicted in the case. Ortiz followed instructions about delivering drugs and receiving cash to and from various drug ring members. When search warrants were executed on May 14, 2024, at the home Ortiz shared with his cousin, investigators seized approximately $5,920 in U.S. currency, eight firearms, fourteen rounds of ammunition, and six magazines in various rooms throughout the residence. Ortiz was sentenced to five years of supervised release to follow his 20-month prison term. Judge Evanson recommended the residential drug treatment program for Ortiz while he is incarcerated.
In all, 15 defendants have been charged for participating in this drug ring. Two other defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to five years in prison.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Seattle Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Oregon State Police, Portland Police Department, California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Strike Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Centralia Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Elyne Vaught.
Two arrested for transporting 55 illegal aliens inside hidden compartment in produce trailerRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two men, one an illegal alien himself, have been charged with human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Brandon Lajohn Hargrove, 43, Houston, and Jose Luis Castellanos-Hercules, 21, an illegal alien from Honduras, allegedly transported nearly six dozen illegal aliens from Mission to Zapata in a box truck.
Both have made their initial appearances and are set for detention hearings Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker.
The criminal complaint alleges authorities stopped a box truck near San Ygnacio on Sept. 19 with Hargrove as the driver. He allegedly claimed he was hauling boxes and opened the back to show the produce.
However, law enforcement observed Castellanos-Hercules in the trailer and conducted a more thorough search, according to the charges. The complaint further alleges they discovered a hidden compartment which held 55 illegal aliens, all from Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, China, India, Colombia and Ecuador. Three were allegedly younger than 17.
According to court documents, the aliens had to crawl through a small door in order to get out from behind the false wall. The charges allege multiple heavy pallets blocked the access door and prevented them from being able to leave on their own.
Hargrove allegedly picked up the aliens from a stash house in Mission that authorities had previously identified as being utilized for smuggling activity.
“The Southern District of Texas takes a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal immigration, including those who transport or otherwise enable alien smuggling,” said Ganjei. “Our message on this point has been consistent and clear: smuggling is a dangerous and often deadly business, and one should neither engage in human smuggling nor seek smuggling services. People overseas would be well-advised to stay home and stay safe.”
If convicted, both face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
Several of the illegal aliens in the truck are also facing charges of illegal entry and illegal reentry.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Two Mexican Nationals with Prior Felony Convictions and Multiple Deportations Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances today to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Alfredo Covarrubias-Jimenez, 39, and Victor Manuel Navarro-Quesada, 34, are both charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for October 6, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J Youchah.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Covarrubias-Jimenez and Navarro-Quesada are both citizens and nationals of Mexico and were both previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally.
On September 10, 2025, Covarrubias-Jimenez was remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from the Nevada Department of Corrections, based on an ICE detainer. ICE became aware Covarrubias-Jimenez was in Nevada after he was arrested by North Las Vegas Police for Possession of Controlled Substance, Trafficking Controlled Substance, and Own Possess Gun by Prohibited Person. On another occasion, ICE filed a detainer in California after Covarrubias-Jimenez was arrested by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s office on December 1, 2021, for Possess Purchase for Sale Narcotic Controlled Substance and Transport Sale Narcotic Controlled Substance. The California ICE detainer was not honored. Covarrubias-Jimenez had previously been deported five times, and he also has a prior felony conviction for Inflict Corporal Injury on a Spouse out of California.
On September 16, 2025, Navarro-Quesada was remanded to the custody of ICE, from the Nevada Department of Corrections, based on an ICE detainer. On February 6, 2025, ICE learned that Navarro-Quesada was arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for Trafficking Controlled Substance and four counts of Possess to Sell Controlled Substance. Navarro-Quesada had previously been deported to Mexico on four occasions. Navarro-Quesada has a prior felony conviction from 2019 out of the District of Colorado for Illegal Reentry after Deportation, the same offense he is currently charged with.
If convicted, Covarrubias-Jimenez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
If convicted, Navarro-Quesada faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Acting Director Jason Knight made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Two Hondurans Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Arrested for Trafficking Fentanyl in PortlandRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Two Honduran nationals unlawfully residing in Oregon made their first appearances in federal court today after being arrested for trafficking fentanyl in East Portland.
Omar Rodriguez-Salgado, 28, and Cesar Antonio Gutierrez-Doblado, 19, have been charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, on September 18, 2025, investigators observed Rodriguez-Salgado in an area active for drug distribution and attempted to stop his vehicle. After a short pursuit, investigators obtained consent from Rodriguez-Salgado to search his vehicle and seized approximately 274 gross grams of suspected fentanyl, including packaging.
Gutierrez-Doblado was arrested after police developed probable cause to believe Gutierrez-Doblado was distributing fentanyl. A search of Gutierrez-Doblado’s person, vehicle, and residence resulted in seizures of more than 3 gross kilograms of suspected fentanyl, including packaging, and approximately $85,885 in cash proceeds from suspected fentanyl trafficking.
Both defendants made their first appearances in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Both defendants were ordered detained pending further court proceedings. Arraignments have been scheduled for October 22, 2025.
These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Portland Police Bureau, and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, which all participate in the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA). They are being prosecuted by Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is potentially enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
Taos Pueblo Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Taos Pueblo man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for exploiting his traditional role to sexually abuse multiple minors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between 2001 and 2010, Ben John Martinez, 76, an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo, abused his position of authority within the Taos Pueblo community to sexually abuse minors during traditional ceremonies and at his residence on the Taos Pueblo.
Martinez pled guilty to three counts of sexual abuse of children. Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany J. DuChaussee is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The FBI continues to investigate Martinez’s involvement in crimes against other victims. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or Chief Summer Mirabal of the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety at (575) 741-0764.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Bank Fraud Committed with Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Friday sentenced a man to 42 months in prison for orchestrating a check fraud scheme using checks that had been stolen from the mail.
Malik Jones, 28, of Berkeley, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. From March 2022 to at least October 2023, Jones was involved in “every step” in a scheme to steal checks from the mail and then commit fraud with those checks, according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.
In March of 2022, Jones bought a stolen “arrow key,” which allows access to U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes, from a mail carrier, Cambria M. Hopkins. Jones then paid others to steal mail from the collection boxes in the St. Louis area using Hopkins’ key, and he removed checks from that stolen mail. Jones also paid Hopkins to steal checks from the mail for him. After obtaining these stolen checks, Jones altered or created counterfeit versions of the checks, deposited these forged and fraudulent checks, and then withdrew the check funds. Jones used Instagram to recruit others to supply their debit cards and banking information to him so he or the account holder could deposit checks into those accounts. Jones attempted to withdraw the money before the banks realized the checks were fraudulent and split any resulting proceeds with the account holders.
Jones deposited or caused others to deposit forged or fraudulent checks with a face value totaling $1.2 million, although many of those fraudulent deposits were identified by the banks and rejected. Jones was ordered Friday to repay $21,635 to victims.
Jones’ crimes came a time when mail theft was a well-publicized problem, and his actions greatly contributed to this problem through their scope, Clow wrote. In letters to Judge Perry, victims wrote that they felt financially and personally violated by Jones’ crimes and were forced to close accounts, re-issue checks and change payment methods on multiple bills.
Hopkins, 30, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy and one count of unlawful use of a mail key and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
Senior Member of Mexican Cartel Indicted on Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Terrorism Charges for Operating Massive Timeshare Properties Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, charging Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon (Montero Pinzon), also known as “El Tarjetas,” “Moreno,” “El Chess,” “Cesar Hernandez Jimenez,” and “CH Jimenez,” a senior member of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), and his half-sister Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzon (Arredondo Pinzon), for their roles in an international fraud scheme organized and controlled by CJNG that targeted Americans who own timeshare properties in Mexico. Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition, Montero Pinzon is charged with conspiracy to provide and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. CJNG is a transnational criminal group based in Mexico. The defendants are Mexican nationals and are not in U.S. custody.
CJNG is a transnational criminal group based in Mexico. On February 20, 2025, CJNG was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Montero Pinzon continued to engage in CJNG’s timeshare fraud and in the laundering of victim funds derived from that fraud after CJNG was designated as an FTO and with knowledge of CJNG’s designation.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi; Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division (DEA New York); and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York), announced the indictment.
“This senior leader of a foreign terrorist organization allegedly defrauded innocent citizens to fuel terrorism against the American people,” stated Attorney General Bondi. “The CJNG and other cartels are on notice: no scheme, plot, or conspiracy will evade the reach of this Justice Department.”
“As alleged, Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon filled the coffers of a violent foreign terrorist and narcotics trafficking organization through a sophisticated fraud scheme that victimized thousands of American timeshare owners,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “CJNG funds its criminal terrorist operations using multiple tactics, from trafficking dangerous narcotics to executing complex fraud schemes, and our Office will continue to use all available tools and resources to protect American investors and the public at large, and bring to justice those who provide support to the cartel.”
Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and National Security Division, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, for their invaluable assistance during the investigation.
“For more than a decade, Julio Montero Pinzon, a senior CJNG cartel leader, and Griselda Arredondo Pinzon allegedly defrauded timeshare owners before laundering the illicit proceeds to fund their terrorist organization,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This alleged scheme spanned the globe and exploited thousands of victims, reflecting the cartel’s evolution of developing various mechanisms for criminal financing. Today’s significant disruption emphasizes the FBI’s determined resolve to not only eliminate any monetary source fueling criminal enterprises but also defend our nation against foreign adversaries.”
“CJNG has repeatedly victimized our communities through widespread drug trafficking, ruthless violence, money laundering, fraud, and other criminal schemes. Their cartel operations extend well beyond Mexico, pumping poison into American streets, fueling addiction, tearing apart neighborhoods, and corrupting financial systems,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Thanks to the relentless work of DEA’s Trident Initiative—an initiative built with our federal law enforcement partners and created specifically to target and dismantle drug cartels and their leadership, the DEA and our partners were able to pursue senior members like Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon, cutting off CJNG and its network of its illicit profits through money laundering and fraud. The DEA remains relentless in dismantling these cartels and our pursuit for justice. This is our global fight—and our promise to save lives.”
“Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion ran this timeshare fraud scheme like a business, with each member playing a role—finding the investors to victimize, manipulating the docs and online sites, moving and hiding the money, and securing funds to purchase and distribute deadly narcotics into the United States,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. “This massive, multi-million dollar fraud required timeshare owners to pay up front to sell or rent their timeshares, only to be left victim to the false promise of receiving money later. The CJNG cannot continue to operate with impunity—pocketing massive profits from narcotics trafficking and flat-out deception—which is why federal law enforcement will continue partnering in these investigations until this entire criminal organization is dismantled.”
As alleged in the indictment, since approximately 2012, CJNG perpetrated an “advance fee” fraud scheme targeting owners of timeshare properties in Mexico, including many cities in Jalisco. As part of the scheme, timeshare owners, many of whom were residents and citizens of the United States, were fraudulently induced to pay money up front either to sell or rent their timeshares under the pretext of fees and taxes, in exchange for false promises of receiving money later. Despite paying the advance fees, the victim timeshare owners did not receive the funds as promised and were unable to recoup their advance fee payments. The fraud scheme was multi-layered, and involved follow-on schemes in which the fraudsters contacted victim timeshare owners and claimed to be lawyers or government officials who could help the victims recover their lost funds, so long as they paid additional advance fees.
The timeshare fraud scheme perpetrated by CJNG was operated out of various call centers in Mexico, where fraudsters contacted and solicited timeshare owners. Since approximately 2012, Montero Pinzon participated in the creation and management of a financial network for receiving and laundering funds obtained from victims of CJNG’s timeshare fraud scheme. Arredondo Pinzon worked at a CJNG-controlled central office that oversaw the operations of the call centers and oversaw the receipt and laundering of victim funds.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each count.
Additionally, on August 13, 2025, U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Montero Pinzon for his role in CJNG’s timeshare fraud scheme. Arredondo Pinzon was previously sanctioned by OFAC for her role in CJNG’s timeshare fraud scheme. To date, OFAC has sanctioned over 70 individuals and entities based on their participation in CJNG’s timeshare fraud. Between approximately 2019-2024, approximately 6,000 U.S. victims have reported losses of approximately $350 million attributable to timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section and International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, with the Justice Department Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub and Andrew Wang are in charge of the prosecution with Trial Attorneys Brant Cook and Maryann McGuire. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The case is part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force.
Complaints are often under-reported. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint at IC3.gov. Additional resources for victims are available at: FBI Timeshare Fraud Victim Resource Page
The Defendants:
JULIO CESAR MONTERO PINZON (also known as “El Tarjetas,” “Moreno,” “El Chess,” “Cesar Hernandez Jiminez,” and “CH Jiminez”)
Age: 43
Puerto Vallarta, MexicoGRISELDA MARGARITA ARREDONDO PINZON
Age: 35
Puerto Vallarta, MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-169 (ARR)
25-cr-169_julio_montero_pinzon_et_al_indictment.pdfSenior CJNG Member Indicted on Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Terrorism Charges for Operating Massive Timeshare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed charging Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon (Montero Pinzon), also known as El Tarjetas, Moreno, El Chess, Cesar Hernandez Jimenez, and CH Jimenez, a senior member of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), and his half-sister Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzon (Arredondo Pinzon), for their roles in perpetrating an international fraud scheme targeting Americans who own timeshare properties in Mexico. Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon were each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition, Montero Pinzon was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and providing and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Both Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon are Mexican nationals and are not in U.S. custody.
“This senior leader of a foreign terrorist organization allegedly defrauded innocent citizens to fuel terrorism against the American people,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The CJNG and other cartels are on notice: no scheme, plot, or conspiracy will evade the reach of this Justice Department.”
“As alleged, Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon filled the coffers of a dangerous terrorist organization through a sophisticated fraud scheme that victimized thousands of American timeshare owners,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Terrorist cartels such as CJNG fund their activities not only through drug trafficking but also through complex fraud schemes, and this office is committed to aggressively prosecuting such crimes.”
“For more than a decade, Julio Montero Pinzon, a senior CJNG cartel leader, and Griselda Arredondo Pinzon allegedly defrauded timeshare owners before laundering the illicit proceeds to fund their terrorist organization,” said Assistant Director in Charge Christorpher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. “This alleged scheme spanned the globe and exploited thousands of victims, reflecting the cartel’s evolution of developing various mechanisms for criminal financing. Today’s significant disruption emphasizes the FBI’s determined resolve to not only eliminate any monetary source fueling criminal enterprises but also defend our nation against foreign adversaries.”
“CJNG has repeatedly victimized our communities through widespread drug trafficking, ruthless violence, money laundering, fraud, and other criminal schemes. Their cartel operations extend well beyond Mexico, pumping poison into American streets, fueling addiction, tearing apart neighborhoods, and corrupting financial systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino of DEA New York Division. “Thanks to the relentless work of DEA’s Trident Initiative — an initiative built with our federal law enforcement partners and created specifically to target and dismantle drug cartels and their leadership, the DEA and our partners were able to pursue senior members like Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon, cutting off CJNG and its network of its illicit profits through money laundering and fraud. The DEA remains relentless in dismantling these cartels and our pursuit for justice. This is our global fight — and our promise to save lives.”
“Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion ran this timeshare fraud scheme like a business, with each member playing a role — finding the investors to victimize, manipulating the docs and online sites, moving and hiding the money, and securing funds to purchase and distribute deadly narcotics into the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis of IRS-CI's New York Field Office. “This massive, multi-million dollar fraud required timeshare owners to pay up front to sell or rent their timeshares, only to be left victim to the false promise of receiving money later. The CJNG cannot continue to operate with impunity — pocketing massive profits from narcotics trafficking and flat-out deception — which is why federal law enforcement will continue partnering in these investigations until this entire criminal organization is dismantled.”
According to the indictment, CJNG has been perpetrating an “advance fee” fraud scheme targeting owners of timeshare properties since approximately 2012. As part of the scheme, timeshare owners, many of whom were residents and citizens of the United States, were fraudulently induced to pay money up front either to sell or rent their timeshares under the pretext of fees and taxes, in exchange for false promises of receiving money later. Despite paying the advance fees, the victim timeshare owners did not receive the funds as promised and were unable to recoup their advance fee payments. The fraud scheme was multi-layered, involving follow-on schemes in which the fraudsters contacted victim timeshare owners and claimed to be lawyers or government officials who could help the victims recover their lost funds, so long as they paid additional advance fees.
The timeshare fraud scheme perpetrated by CJNG was operated out of various call centers in Mexico, where fraudsters contacted and solicited timeshare owners. Since approximately 2012, Montero Pinzon participated in the creation and management of a financial network for receiving and laundering funds obtained from victims of CJNG’s timeshare fraud scheme. Arredondo Pinzon worked at a CJNG-controlled central office that oversaw the operations of the call centers and oversaw the receipt and laundering of victim funds.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison on each count.
On Feb. 20, CJNG was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and Executive Order 13224, as amended. Montero Pinzon continued to engage in CJNG’s timeshare fraud and in the laundering of victim funds derived from that fraud after CJNG was designated as an FTO and with knowledge of CJNG’s designation.
On Aug. 13, Montero Pinzon was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for his role in CJNG’s timeshare fraud scheme. On July 16, 2024, OFAC sanctioned Arredondo Pinzon for her role in CJNG’s timeshare fraud scheme. To date, OFAC has sanctioned over 70 individuals and entities based on their participation in CJNG’s timeshare fraud. Between approximately 2019-2024, approximately 6,000 U.S. victims have reported losses of approximately $350 million attributable to timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico.
Trial Attorneys Brant Cook and Maryann McGuire of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub and Andrew Wang for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with critical support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Complaints are often under-reported. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint at IC3.gov. Additional resources for victims are available at: FBI Timeshare Fraud Victim Resource Page
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Scribner Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Two Counts of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jordan Vaughn, 34, of Scribner, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 11, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for two counts of production of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Vaughn to 360 months on each count of conviction and ordered the sentences to run consecutively to one another, for a total of 720 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Vaughn is released from prison, he will begin a life term of supervised release.
The case began when it was discovered Vaughn had been sending images of his genitals to a minor child. Further investigation identified that Vaughn was sexually abusing multiple young children, aged 12 and younger, and preserving digital evidence of the assaults. Vaughn would additionally sexually assault one or more of his victims while the victims were asleep. A search of Vaughn’s phone located a large amount of child pornography in addition to evidence of production of child pornography. Vaughn worked at the Winnebago Police Department in Winnebago, Nebraska in late 2024 and early 2025 but was terminated over the instant offenses.
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods said in response to the conviction and judgment: “The successful investigation and prosecution of this egregious child sex offender not only ended the living nightmares of each vulnerable victim he targeted but also stripped this predator of his police badge and prevented him from carrying a weapon on the Winnebago reservation and having access to more children in the line of duty. The just and appropriate sentence in this case fits the outrageousness and depravity of the unthinkable crimes committed against these innocent children.”
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department in conjunction with the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Rochester man going to prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Daniel P. Walsh, 58, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Walsh came to the attention of the Rochester Police Department in November 2024, after Google reported that an account associated with Walsh had been flagged for containing child pornography. Rochester Police and the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence, during which they seized multiple computers and other digital devices. A forensic review revealed that Walsh received and possessed more than 600 images and videos of child pornography, to include child pornography depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct with adults, and children being subjected to violent sexual abuse. In many instances, Walsh superimposed the faces of minors that he knew onto the images of child pornography, so that it appeared that the minors were engaged in sexual acts.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Rochester company to pay $1.8 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations related to improper receipt of Paycheck Protection Program loansRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Durst Image Technology US LLC (Durst) agreed to pay $1.8 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they improperly obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for which they were not eligible.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to American businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. Regulations provided various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the applicants’ number of employees, including employees of the applicants’ foreign affiliates. Specifically, applicants for second draw PPP loans were required, generally, to have 300 or fewer employees.
The United States contends that Durst obtained a forgiven PPP loan that it was not eligible for because it exceeded the size requirements for a second draw PPP loan. In 2021, when Durst obtained a second draw PPP loan, it was a wholly owned subsidiary of Durst Group AG, a company based in Brixen, Italy with multiple subsidiaries worldwide. Durst Group AG and its affiliates, including Durst, had over 300 employees at the time of Durst’s PPP loan.
“PPP was designed to support small business during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “When companies fail to comply with the size and eligibility rules, this office is committed to recovering taxpayer dollars that were improperly obtained and spent.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party—known as a relator—can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Durst Image Technology US LLC, 24-cv-6185 (W.D.N.Y.). The relator will receive a share of the settlement.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell and USAO Investigator Margaret McFarland, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
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Red Bluff Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Ricardo Gutierrez, 28, of Red Bluff, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 24 years and four months in prison for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in April 2024, Gutierrez used four prepubescent children, including one toddler, to create two videos of the children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Gutierrez recorded himself and the child victims on video through Facebook Messenger.
Law enforcement was alerted about Gutierrez by a woman Gutierrez met on the Tinder dating app. Gutierrez had sent the woman an unsolicited photograph that depicted a clothed minor female approximately 6-8 years old looking away from the camera, accompanied by three iMessage emojis of a face with a hand over the mouth. Gutierrez then asked the woman if she had access to young girls. Gutierrez also sent the woman an unsolicited 17-second video that depicted an adult male engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor female approximately 5-8 years old.
Between November 2023 and July 2024, Gutierrez distributed several child sexual abuse images and videos to others through his Telegram and WhatsApp accounts, and via iMessage. This included the distribution of a video that depicted an adult male engaged in sexually explicit conduct with an infant. Gutierrez also possessed more than 4,800 files depicting the sexual abuse of children on his phone. The files included images of children engaged in sexual acts with adults and other children.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Pine Ridge Woman Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Her Leading Role in a Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy in Pine Ridge and Rapid CityRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a woman from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 19, 2025.
Kealey Twiss, 32, was sentenced to 19 years and two 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.
Twiss was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. She pleaded guilty on June 9, 2025.
The investigation revealed that Twiss and others distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine in Pine Ridge and Rapid City. Twiss was a leader in the conspiracy. Her role included setting prices, organizing the distribution, and engaging in interstate trips to obtain methamphetamine for further distribution in South Dakota. In sentencing Twiss to 230 months in prison, Judge Schreier denounced the terrible impact methamphetamine has on the Pine Ridge community.
This case was investigated by Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Twiss was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Perry Hall Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Terrell Ridgley, 34, of Perry Hall, Maryland, to 87 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release, after his conviction for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to the guilty plea, Ridgley engaged in drug trafficking as part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by co-defendant Tyon Bailey. On multiple occasions in late 2023, and early 2024, an undercover agent purchased quantities of fentanyl from Bailey. Throughout this time, authorities observed Ridgley meeting with Bailey and other DTO members. On January 3, 2024, law enforcement saw Ridgley exit a vehicle carrying what appeared to be controlled dangerous substances in his sweatshirt. After a K-9 scan of Ridgley’s vehicle, authorities discovered the presence of narcotics.
On February 12, Ridgley crashed his vehicle while driving on I-695. He then met Bailey and another associate at a nearby auto repair shop. Law enforcement engaged the individuals and recovered approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of cocaine, and a large quantity of cash and jewelry – all from Bailey. Authorities also recovered a Glock 23 firearm loaded with 23 rounds from a vehicle that Ridgley and the others were around moments before law enforcement engaged them.
In August 2024, law enforcement heard Ridgley — via court-authorized wiretap interceptions — discussing fentanyl distribution with Bailey. Specifically, Ridgley discussed the “blue stuff” stored at Bailey’s residence. Some of the fentanyl the undercover agent purchased from Bailey was in blue-powder form.
On October 3, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ridgley’s Perry Hall residence. While searching the premises, investigators observed Ridgley flushing a purple fentanyl mixture down the toilet, some of which law enforcement salvaged. During the search of the residence, investigators also recovered bags containing a fentanyl mixture in various colors, including purple, blue, and white.
In total, investigators seized more than 400 grams of fentanyl as well as cocaine from Ridgley’s residence. Investigators also recovered cutting agents used to prepare fentanyl for distribution. Ridgley admitted he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
Sentencing for co-defendants Tyon Bailey and Jaron Rhodes is scheduled for September 24, and October 15, respectively.
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region. The Baltimore SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Passaic County Woman Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining over $144,000 in Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey woman admitted that she defrauded the Social Security Administration by improperly obtaining over $144,000.00 in Social Security survivor benefits, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Joan Charnecky, 60, of West Milford, New Jersey, pled guilty on September 10, 2025, before Senior U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an Information charging her with theft of public money.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Social Security Administration provided widow’s insurance benefits to Charnecky’s mother. Those benefits were paid monthly through electronic funds into Charnecky’s mother’s bank account. After Charnecky’s mother died in 2012, Charnecky did not notify the Social Security Administration about her mother’s death, and she made withdrawals of the widow’s insurance benefits for her own personal use. Through an investigation by the Social Security Administration, it was determined that between 2012 and 2022, Charnecky withdrew approximately $144,768.30 in widow’s insurance benefits.
The charge of theft of public money carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2026.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Abrams of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Joel Bacher, Esq.
charnecky.information.pdfParkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aaron Lee Mitter, 39, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 11, 2024, Mitter sold approximately 24.52 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $280. As part of his guilty plea, Mitter admitted to the transaction. Mitter further admitted to selling an unregistered privately made firearm, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” and a magazine capable of holding 45 rounds of ammunition that day for $400.
On July 17, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Parkersburg apartment where Mitter was staying at the time. Officers seized approximately 45.67 grams of methamphetamine in the apartment during the search. Mitter admitted that he intended to use some of the seized methamphetamine and distribute the rest.
Mitter has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for domestic battery, breaking and entering, burglary, and theft.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wood County Sheriff's Office, and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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-182.
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Panama City Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Marlow Levell Allen, 46, of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, this repeat offender has been stopped from continuing to flood our streets with deadly drugs. My office will stand shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement in the fight to keep our communities safe and healthy, and we will achieve that goal by continuing to aggressively prosecute offenders like this defendant.”
Court documents reflect that in June 2022, as part of an ongoing drug investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at multiple residences connected to Allen in Panama City, Florida. During the search of the two residences, investigators located “crack” cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, two firearms, as well as other items indicative of drug distribution. Allen is a convicted felon, who has previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses, including Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Sale of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, Unlawful Firearms Possession, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, and Tampering with a Witness.
Allen faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Mark Walker.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Owner of Kansas City, Kansas Pharmacy Agrees to Pay $200,000 to Resolve Allegations of Violating the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Daniel Reif, Inc., doing business as The Medicine Shoppe, a retail pharmacy in Kansas City, Kansas, entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government agreeing to pay $200,000 to resolve allegations the pharmacy violated the civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
The U.S. Congress enacted the CSA to create “a closed system” of distribution for controlled substances in which the handling of the substances is subject to intense governmental regulation. Regulations promulgated under the CSA require that DEA registrants maintain complete and accurate records of each substance manufactured, received, sold, delivered, dispensed, or otherwise disposed of by the registrant. These requirements play a vital role in preventing the diversion and abuse of controlled substances. The CSA is enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division. Violations of the record-keeping requirements subject DEA registrants to civil monetary penalties.
The settlement resolves the government’s allegations that between December 31, 2021, through on or about February 23, 2023, the Medicine Shoppe violated the CSA and its implementing regulations by failing to maintain complete and accurate records and inventories of controlled substances and by failing to maintain certification records for retail sales as required by the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005.
“The Department of Justice scrutinizes pharmaceutical records for irregularities or suspicious patterns in how controlled substances are prescribed and dispensed. Without reliable data, we are immensely disadvantaged in our ultimate goal, which is to save lives by preventing the misuse of prescription narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “This settlement demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to enforcing these rules.”
“Failure to comply with laws and regulations set forth to protect the health of Americans comes with a hefty price tag,” Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “Daniel Reif, owner and Pharmacist-in-Charge of Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, learned that lesson. Registrants are held to high standards and the DEA works to ensure that these individuals are held accountable for their actions.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diversion Control Division, Kansas City Field Office conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Fleenor, Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator handled the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs office.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
###Ohio Man Found Asleep at the Wheel with a Loaded Gun Sentenced to 12.5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A Mahoning County man who was prohibited from possessing a firearm has been sentenced to prison after police officers found him unresponsive in his vehicle with a loaded gun.
Jermaine C. Bunn, 49, of Youngstown, was sentenced to 150 months (12.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after a federal jury found him guilty in May of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His previous convictions include assault in 1997 and possession of cocaine in 2010 and 2021. Bunn was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 25, 2024, Youngstown police officers responded to a 911 call about a driver reportedly passed out in a vehicle. When officers arrived on scene, they found the car running and the defendant asleep at the wheel in the driver’s seat. An officer noticed a black handgun was sitting near the door handle. Officers also noted that there was an alcoholic beverage in the cup holder. The firearm possessed by Bunn was a loaded Springfield Armory Model XDE-9, 9 mm, semi-automatic pistol. As a felon, Bunn is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Youngstown Field Office, the Mahoning Valley Violent Crime Task Force, and the Youngstown Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yasmine Makridis and Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
Oakland Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms Trafficking and PossessionRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Robert Earl Davis was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for dealing firearms without a license and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín handed down the sentence.
At the conclusion of a week-long trial in February 2025, a jury found Davis guilty of one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition as a felon. The jury acquitted Davis of a second count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between August 2020 and December 2021, Davis regularly traveled between Texas and California, purchasing firearms in Texas that he shipped to the East Bay. Davis advertised and sold the firearms for profit using social media platforms and mobile communications. Over this period of time, Davis trafficked and sold dozens of firearms, most of which were illegal under California law. In addition, on Dec. 21, 2022, a federal task force executed a search warrant on Davis’s residence and vehicle, where they found a firearm hidden in a hole in the wall and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in various calibers.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Topper made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martínez-Olguín also sentenced Davis to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $200 special assessment. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Mateer and Jonah Ross are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello, Mark DiCenzo, and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, and Fort Worth (TX) Police Department.
New York Man Sentenced for Threating Public OfficialRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Kevin Delgado, 40, of Bayside, New York was sentenced today to a year and a day in federal prison for threatening Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben C. Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to court documents, on October 21, 2023, AG Nessel posted to her X account a photograph of herself and her friend who had been murdered that day. Along with the photograph, AG Nessel described her friend’s faith and contributions to the community and expressed grief and shock about the murder. The next day, Delgado posted a threatening reply to AG Nessel’s post.
In May 2025, Delgado pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. Delgado also admitted that he intentionally selected AG Nessel as the object of his threat because of the actual or perceived sexual orientation and religion of the Attorney General.
“We must protect Americans so that they can speak without the fear of violence. And public figures do not give up these protections when they choose to serve us,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said.
“The sentencing of Kevin Delgado sends a strong message that public officials elected to serve the people cannot be hindered by threats and must be able to do their jobs free from intimidation,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Public Corruption and Civil Rights Squad and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their dedication and successful work in bringing this case to closure. I’d also like to thank the FBI New York Field Office for their assistance with this investigation. The FBI in Michigan will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, and hold accountable, those who issue dangerous threats against officials dedicated to protecting and serving our communities.”
This case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson.
New York Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Connection with 2023 Shooting Using “Ghost Gun”Read the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that TERRY BROOKS was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally possessing ammunition in connection with a November 12, 2023, shooting in which BROOKS shot an innocent bystander in the Bronx, New York. BROOKS’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett, who also presided over the guilty plea.
“Terry Brooks armed himself with an arsenal of weapons and shot an innocent bystander on the busy streets of New York City, seriously injuring that person,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Brooks cannot be in a position to harm or kill other New Yorkers. Today’s sentence protects New Yorkers from a violent, gun-toting offender and sends a message to anyone considering the same path: New York will not tolerate it.”
As alleged in the Complaint and the Indictment, court filings, and statements made in court proceedings:
Between July 2023 and August 2024, BROOKS purchased more than 50 firearm components online and possessed nine firearms, including two privately manufactured and un-serialized “ghost guns.” On November 12, 2023, while on a public sidewalk in the Bronx, BROOKS used one of those ghost guns, firing a shot at a man with whom BROOKS was having a verbal dispute. The bullet struck a nearby bystander, hitting her in the abdomen and eventually lodging itself near her spine. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where she received emergency medical treatment, including surgery.
After obtaining surveillance video footage and other records, officers were able to track and identify BROOKS as the shooter. On August 14, 2024, officers executed search warrants at BROOKS’s residences and recovered eight firearms, including the ghost guns, together with ammunition and firearm parts. Ballistics testing established that the shell casing found immediately after the November 2023 shooting had been fired by one of BROOKS’s ghost guns recovered pursuant to these warrants. The following week, on August 21, 2024, officers arrested BROOKS and recovered a ninth firearm.
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In addition to the prison term, BROOKS, 59, of the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to the victim of the November 12, 2023, shooting.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Grossinger and James Mandilk are in charge of the prosecution.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Aaron Dequawn Hardy, also known as “Detroit J” and “John,” 29, of Pontiac, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 10, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled delivery of a package to its mailing address in Huntington. Officers found the package had contained 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine and removed the methamphetamine before the controlled delivery. Officers arrested Hardy when he showed up at the mailing address to retrieve the package.
Hardy is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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. 3:25-cr-49.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Transporting Undocumented AlienRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Yuridia Rosas-Luna (35, Mexico) has pleaded guilty to being paid to transport undocumented aliens to further their illegal presence in the United States for financial gain. Rosas-Luna faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on May 21, 2024, a deputy from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for driving recklessly. Rosas-Luna was driving the car, which contained three passengers. Rosas-Luna and the passengers were unable to provide the deputy with any identification. As part of their investigation, deputies conducted a search of the sedan and the passengers. During the search, deputies located Mexican identification cards on all three passengers. Rosas-Luna told the deputies she was taking one of the passengers to see “family,” and later changed her story, stating she picked up her “friend” in Nassau County to take him to the hospital in Tampa. Rosas-Luna also told deputies she knew the passengers were from Mexico.
Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection determined that the three passengers were illegally present in the United States and were citizens of Mexico. One of the passengers had illegally entered the United States and was removed to Mexico eight days earlier, on May 13, 2024. During later questioning, Rosas-Luna told agents that she was going to receive $1,500 to transport one of the aliens from Kingsland, Georgia to Riverview, Florida.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elisibeth Adams and Ashley Washington.
Mexican National Admits Murdering Couple and their Unborn Child During Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta, an undocumented Mexican national living in Yakima, Washington, admitted in federal court today that he murdered a man and his six-months-pregnant wife while they were engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to his plea agreement, Madrigal-Birrueta and coconspirators fatally shot 44-year-old Cesar Murillo multiple times in the back of the head and the torso on August 28, 2022, during an argument. The shooting took place at a remote ranch outside of Yakima. Madrigal-Birrueta’s co-conspirators then buried the victim’s body near the ranch at Madrigal’s direction.
On September 2, 2022, Madrigal-Birrueta persuaded Murillo’s wife, Maira Hernandez, 33, who was unaware of her husband’s death, to come to the ranch by claiming her husband was waiting for her there. She agreed, and the defendant picked up Hernandez in Yakima and drove her to the ranch.
According to admissions in his plea agreement, when the visibly-pregnant Hernandez arrived at the ranch, the defendant’s coconspirators shot her multiple times in the head. Madrigal-Birrueta and his coconspirators then buried Hernandez near the ranch. The child died in utero when Hernandez was shot, killed and buried.
Madrigal-Birrueta admitted the murders were committed while he was engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The plea agreement said Madrigal-Birrueta’s coconspirators owed money to the couple for an unpaid drug debt.
Madrigal-Birrueta is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2026.
The superseding indictment also charges Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas with being an accessory after the fact to murder and a co-conspirator in Madrigal’s drug trafficking organization. Orizaba-Zendejas is set for trial beginning October 27, 2025
According to court filings, the investigation originated with the seizure of drugs from vehicles entering the United States through San Diego area ports of entry between August and October of 2021. By August of 2022, the investigation led agents to a group of individuals operating out of Yakima. Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) interviewed Murillo and Hernandez. Within days of those interviews, Murillo and Hernandez were murdered and their bodies buried at the Yakima ranch in the high desert. Court filings describe how these charges followed an exhaustive, years’ long investigation that employed geophysicists, ground penetrating radar, aircraft, laser imaging, chemical testing of the soil, numerous cadaver dogs, and other law enforcement techniques to search for the victims’ remains. HSI Special Agents successfully recovered the remains on September 13, 2023, aided by a Washington State Police Crime Scene Investigations team.
During the investigation agents seized methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, multiple firearms — including a machine gun — and body armor from Madrigal-Birrueta’s drug trafficking organization, to include the Yakima ranch.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Wong, Alexandra Foster, Mario Peia and Brandon Kimura.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr1684-RBM
Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta Age: 22 Yakima, WA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 4: Murder of Cesar Murillo in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, United States Code, Section 848(e)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years and up to life, or death
Count 5: Murder of Maira Hernandez in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, United States Code, Section 848(e)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum twenty years and up to life, or death
Count 9: Causing the Death of a Child in Utero – Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1841 and 1111.
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum life in prison or death
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Washington State Police
California Highway Patrol
Yakima Police Department
Tulare County Sheriff’s Office
Visalia Police Department
Fresno Sheriff’s Office
Fresno Police Department
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Marion County Man Sentenced for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Russell Lee Kirk, 43, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to thirty months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, during a traffic stop on Kirk’s vehicle, officers observed a firearm strapped to the steering column. Kirk is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior malicious assault and firearms convictions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Lowndes County Man Sentenced in OCDETF Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Lowndes County man was sentenced today to eight years in prison for drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Jimmy Johns, of Columbus, Mississippi pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to trafficking methamphetamine. Johns was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson on Monday to 96 months in prison for the charge. He was further sentenced to five years supervised release following his release from prison.
“Those who traffic dangerous narcotics into our communities will be held to account,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “The partnership between MBN, the Lowndes County S.O., DEA and ATF demonstrates what can be accomplished when each agency acts as a force multiplier for their partners.”
“Methamphetamine is one of the most destructive drugs impacting families in our state,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics is proud to work alongside our federal and local partners to protect the citizens of Mississippi and hold traffickers responsible.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.
This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is also a 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.
Longmeadow Woman Pleads Guilty to $20 Million Loan Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Longmeadow woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield, Mass., to a scheme to defraud commercial lenders by providing false and fraudulent rent rolls and forged lease agreements for properties located in Springfield, Mass.; East Longmeadow, Mass.; and Enfield, Conn.
Jeannette Norman, 57 pleaded guilty on Sept. 19, 2025 to one count of conspiracy to committed wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 22, 2026. In May 2025, Norman and her husband and co-defendant Louis R. Masaschi were indicted by a federal grand jury. In April 2025, Masaschi, pleaded guilty. In June 2025, Norman’s sister and other co-conspirator, Christine Gendron, pleaded guilty in a related case to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Masaschi and Norman were partners in dozens of limited liability companies, including JLL Realty Developers, LLC (JLLRD), through which they owned primarily commercial and some residential property in Western Massachusetts, Connecticut and elsewhere. Gendron was a certified public accountant and JLLRD’s financial manager. Between May 2016 and May 2019, Masaschi, Norman and Gendron conspired with each other and others to fraudulently obtain loans for their companies from financial institutions and commercial lenders by providing materially false, fictitious and fraudulent financial information – including false rent rolls and forged lease agreements. After receiving the loans, their companies made some or no payments and ultimately defaulted on the loans, causing substantial losses to the financial institutions and commercial lenders. In total, the fraud scheme involved $62,232,000 in loans and caused a loss of $20,099,295.
The charge of conspiracy to committed wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
Lockhart Woman Sentenced for Lead Role in Alien Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Lockhart woman was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 60 months in prison for her role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens from Eagle Pass to San Antonio.
According to court documents, Temple Ordaz-Alvarado, 50, was a leader, organizer and stash house operator for an Alien Smuggling Organization. She was responsible for the smuggling of 53 illegal aliens from Sept. 8, 2021, to May 21, 2024.
Ordaz-Alvarado was arrested during a traffic stop driving ahead of her co-conspirator, Honduran national Erin Gutierrez-Maradiaga, who was discovered to be transporting four illegal aliens. During the traffic stop, U.S. Border Patrol agents seized approximately $3,004 in proceeds from Ordaz-Alvarado.
Further investigation revealed that Gutierrez-Maradiaga had driven from Houston to Eagle Pass, where he stayed at a motel with Ordaz-Alvarado, who offered to pay him $1,500 per illegal alien to pick up and transport four illegal aliens to San Antonio. Gutierrez-Maradiaga picked up the four aliens and transported them to the motel room, where Ordaz-Alvarado provided them with food before their drive north on U.S. Highway 277.
Ordaz-Alvarado pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on Aug. 12, 2024. Gutierrez-Maradiaga was sentenced to 76 months in prison on March 7. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the court proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Joseph Duarte II prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Lee’s Summit Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing three shotguns.
Jacob A. Stockbridge, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to six and a half years in federal prison without parole for being a felon in possession of firearms.
On Nov. 20, 2022, Stockbridge was driving a stolen Ford F-150 truck when he struck another motorist after running a traffic light at the intersection of W. 23rd Street and S. Crysler Avenue, Independence, Mo. Stockbridge fled the wrecked F-150 truck holding a firearm and ran to a nearby gas station where he stole a Nissan Altima. Stockbridge left behind his wallet, containing his Missouri driver’s license, and his cell phone in the F-150. The other motorist had to be taken to a hospital for injuries sustained from the collision.
Police investigating the crash found in the F-150’s backseat three shotguns: two Winchester Model 97, 12-gauge shotguns, and a Beretta A391 Extrema 2, 12-gauge shotgun. All three shotguns and the F-150 truck were reported stolen the day before. Prior to Nov. 20th, Stockbridge had been found guilty on ten felony offenses in the State of Missouri.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Lee County Couple Arrested After Committing Five Armed Robberies in Counties Along I-75Read the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Taleah Williams (21, North Fort Myers) and Javion Ward (21, Fort Myers) with Hobbs Act robbery. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, Williams and Ward conspired to commit numerous armed robberies the week of September 15, 2025, in Hillsborough, Sumter, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, all in close proximity to I-75. For each robbery, Williams or Ward entered the stores armed with a firearm and demanded money from the clerk.
The complaint alleges that Williams devised a plan to rob stores near I-75. She provided the vehicle and the firearm that they would use. On September 16, 2025, Ward and Williams drove to a convenience store in Tampa. Ward entered the store, brandished a pistol, and demanded money, obtaining about $600.
In the early morning of September 17, 2025, Williams and Ward drove to a gas station in Lake Panasoffkee, where Williams attempted to rob the store using the same firearm, before she ultimately left without taking any money.
In the morning of September 19, 2025, Williams drove Ward to four more stores – in Gibsonton, Ellenton, Nokomis, and North Port – where each time Ward entered with a firearm and demanded money. In Gibsonton, Ward jumped over the counter to attempt to access the safe. In Ellenton, he threated to pistol whip the employee if they did not move faster.
A few hours after the last of the robberies, Williams posted photos on social media of Williams and Ward, with Ward holding cash in both hands.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence the morning of September 20, 2025, recovering items matching the clothing Williams and Ward had worn.
These arrests were the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the North Port Police Department, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Venice Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Leader of firearms straw purchasing conspiracy sentenced to 6 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The leader of a large-scale gun trafficking operation was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 72 months in prison.
Keith Davenport III, 22, of Columbus, and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024 for conspiring to commit an offense against the United States by making false statements on federal firearms forms. At Davenport’s direction, he and the others conspired to use stolen credit card information to place orders online for straw purchase firearms.
According to court documents, as the leader of the conspiracy, Davenport obtained the stolen credit card information, ordered the firearms online, recruited straw purchasers and then helped arrange for the re-sale of the firearms on the back end.
Davenport and the others were responsible for at least 42 guns being transferred illegally, and the scheme involved the attempted fraudulent purchase of more than 200 firearms. One of the guns was found shortly after purchase when Columbus police SWAT officers executed a narcotics trafficking search warrant. Another handgun was found on an individual illegally present in the United States during a 2022 traffic stop.
The defendant also has pending charges in Medina County, Ohio, that pertain to him trying to break into a post office and involved him allegedly assaulting two police officers and a hospital security officer.
While on bond in this instant case, Davenport was charged with domestic violence and assault and as a result the Court revoked his bond.
Davenport pleaded guilty in this case in April 2025 to the firearms conspiracy and to aggravated identity fraud.
Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, John Smerglia, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.
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Lancaster Man Charged with Gun Crimes, Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack and CocaineRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dwain London Jr., 37, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The indictment alleges that, on or about May 14, 2025, London knowingly and intentionally possessed, and intended to distribute, a mixture containing more than 28 grams of crack and a detectible amount of cocaine.
The indictment further alleges that London was found in possession of a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, a firearm he was not permitted to possess due to his status as a convicted felon.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment and a $5,500,000 fine, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lancaster County Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Kyle, South Dakota Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in a Drug Distribution Conspiracy in Pine Ridge and Rapid CityRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Kyle, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 19, 2025.
Nathan Tobacco-Clifford, 49, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Tobacco-Clifford was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pleaded guilty on April 23, 2025.
Tobacco-Clifford’s conviction stems from the distribution of methamphetamine on the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid City, South Dakota. During the course of the conspiracy, Tobacco-Clifford and several of his codefendants traveled from the Pine Ridge Reservation to Greeley, Colorado, to obtain methamphetamine from codefendant Misty Hornbeck. On one occasion, the co-conspirators attempted to bring methamphetamine into South Dakota from Colorado, but were arrested in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, en route to the Pine Ridge Reservation. Each of the codefendants sold methamphetamine to support their own drug use. Between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during this criminal enterprise.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Tobacco-Clifford was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.