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9 September 2026
Project Safe Schools: Federal grand jury charges former high school teacher with enticement offense for alleged sexual relations with a minorRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that a former Muleshoe, Texas High School teacher has been charged in a federal enticement case involving a minor student.
A federal grand jury in Lubbock returned an indictment today charging Allegra Fey Mora, 28, with enticement of a minor for allegedly having sexual relations with one of her students.
“The full force of my office will be brought to bear on teachers, administrators, and school districts who perpetuate a cycle of abuse in our schools,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “No one who abuses a position of authority over a child in the Northern District of Texas will escape scrutiny. As I said before, Project Safe Schools is here to stay, and I’d encourage teachers, administrators and school districts to report any and all abuse that has occurred in the past to my office. If we find out about it on our own, the consequences will be more severe. And to North Texas parents, we will continue to fight for you to put bad actors in prison who abuse kids and create a culture of concealment in our North Texas schools.”
“Protecting children from exploitation is among HSI’s highest priorities, especially when allegations involve an abuse of trust by someone in a position of authority,” said HSI Dallas Deputy Special Agent in Charge Antwoine Jones. “HSI Dallas will continue working alongside our partners to identify, investigate and support the prosecution of those who target minors. Every child deserves to be safe from exploitation, including in the places where they should feel most protected.”
According to the indictment, from October 2025 to May 2026, Mora allegedly knowingly used a facility and means of interstate and foreign commerce, including a cellular telephone, to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity. Texas Rangers initiated an inquiry in June 2026 after receiving a report concerning possible inappropriate sexual conduct between Mora and a 17‑year‑old Muleshoe High School student. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted interviews, collected electronic evidence and executed search warrants related to the case. The evidence reviewed by investigators corroborates alleged explicit communications and conduct underlying the federal charge.
Mora was arrested by state authorities earlier this year and was released pending further state proceedings. If convicted, Mora faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in federal prison.
The Texas Rangers conducted the investigation with forensic assistance from Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam from the Lubbock Division is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Schools is a federal initiative aimed at protecting students, enforcing accountability and restoring transparency in public schools across North Texas. Project Safe Schools directly targets failures in mandatory reporting of educator misconduct and combats the practice known as “passing the trash,” where educators with known misconduct issues move between schools without disclosure of their prior wrongdoing. Project Safe Schools’ goals are to:
- Enforce mandatory reporting requirements tied to federal education programs.
- Hold school districts, administrators and teachers accountable through civil and criminal enforcement.
- Increase transparency in educator misconduct investigations.
- Strengthen student safety across schools in North Texas.
An indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Prior Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking & Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Michael Dontavious James, 34, of Marianna, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, 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: “Keeping dangerous career criminals off our streets remains a top priority for my office. We will aggressively prosecute these cases until our citizens have the safe, drug-free communities they deserve.”
Court documents reflect that on March 2, 2024, during a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper’s traffic stop, the Trooper smelled the odor of fresh green marijuana as he approached the defendant’s vehicle. The defendant was asked if there were any weapons in the vehicle, at which time he looked toward the front passenger windshield area and answered in the negative. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement located a black bag secured to a black hose that was connected to the engine. The bag contained .3 grams of alpha PiHP, 1.98 grams of methamphetamine, and 15.9 grams of cocaine base. The bag also contained two 9mm firearms with loaded magazines and a bullet in each chamber. The defendant is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.
James faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment on the controlled substances count, up to fifteen years’ imprisonment for the possession of a firearm by a felon count, and a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric Welch are prosecuting the case.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen Winsor.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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 available 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Pinedale Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinedale woman pleaded guilty in federal court to involuntary manslaughter for killing her husband during a physical altercation.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2025, Mabelene Grey, 46, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, confronted her husband, John Doe, at their residence in Pinedale, New Mexico, regarding an affair. A physical altercation ensued, during which Grey produced a firearm and, during the struggle, fired it, killing John Doe.
Grey pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. At sentencing, she faces up to eight years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
Pensacola Man Sentenced for Drug Distribution & Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Marcel Mickles, 49, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to multiple counts of distributing cocaine, unlawful possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and possession of firearms by a previously convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This serial felon’s days of flooding our streets with deadly drugs are over, and he’ll spend the next decade behind bars where he belongs because of his choice to poison our community with drugs and violence. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve to live on safe, drug-free streets, and my office will deliver on that promise with more aggressive prosecutions and lengthy prison sentences for career offenders, like this defendant.”
Court records reflect that the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received information that the defendant was selling cocaine from his residence in Pensacola, Florida. As part of an undercover operation, cocaine was purchased from the defendant. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his residence and located multiple loaded firearms throughout the house, methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, spice, and drug paraphernalia indicative of someone selling drugs. The defendant has multiple prior convictions, including armed robbery, aggravated battery, possession of controlled substances, and carrying a concealed weapon.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said: “This case is a direct result of strong partnerships. When local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office work side by side, we get results. This sentence reflects the power of that teamwork and our shared commitment to public safety. We are grateful for these partnerships and what they mean for the safety of our community.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Walter E. Narramore.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alphonso LeSean Johnson, 36, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2025, Johnson possessed a Taurus model G3C 9mm pistol in Parkersburg.
Federal law prohibits a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for domestic violence against a female victim who had cohabitated with and who was similarly situated as a spouse in Marietta, Ohio, Municipal Court on February 20, 2019, and for infliction of injury on a parent or child against K.D., with whom he shared a child in common, in Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, on March 16, 2010.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Moore Capito 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 presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys D. Keith Randolph and JC MacCallum are 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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. 2:26-cr-58.
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Owner of Physical Rehabilitation Company Sentenced to 38 Months in Prison for $20 Million Fraud on Health Benefit ProgramsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald announced today that NOSSON SKLAR, a/k/a “Nathan Sklar,” was sentenced to 38 months in prison for engaging in a scheme to defraud health benefit programs through the submission of more than $20 million in fraudulent claims.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this crime and our Office’s commitment to safeguarding affordable health care from fraud for all New Yorkers,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Nosson Sklar spent years bilking health care benefit programs of millions of dollars and will now spend serious time in prison for his conduct.”
According to the charging instruments, other public filings, and statements in public court proceedings:
SKLAR was the owner and chief executive officer of a company that operated a series of physical rehabilitation facilities around New York City (the “Rehabilitation Company”). Between at least January 2020 and in or about July 2024, SKLAR submitted or caused others to submit more than $20 million in claims for medical services to various health care benefit programs, asserting that those services were rendered by a physician who worked with the Rehabilitation Company (“Victim-1”). But that was false. Victim-1 did not provide those services, did not work with the Rehabilitation Company during that time, and did not authorize SKLAR to submit bills in his name.
In or about July 2024, Victim-1 spoke with SKLAR on at least two occasions about the fraudulent bills. During those conversations, SKLAR admitted that he had committed “fraud” by billing under Victim-1’s name, and that he did it “because [of] the money.”
Between at least in or about January 2020 and in or about July 2024, SKLAR caused more than $20 million in claims to be submitted to three separate health benefit programs (the “Health Plans”), which listed Victim-1 as having been the rendering provider for the Rehabilitation Company. Approximately $12.4 million of those claims were eventually paid by the Health Plans.
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In addition to the prison term, SKLAR, 56, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $12,440,000 and to pay Victim-1’s legal expenses.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorja N. Knauer and David A. Markewitz are in charge of the prosecution.
Orange County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Orchestrating Massive Health Care Fraud that Submitted Nearly $270 Million in Bogus ClaimsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for masterminding a massive health care fraud scheme in which nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims were submitted to Medi-Cal over an 11-month span for expensive prescription drugs containing generic ingredients that were not medically necessary and, many times, were not provided to the purported recipients.
Paul Richard Randall, 67, of Orange, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $178,746,556 in restitution.
Randall pleaded guilty on April 7 to one count of wire fraud committed while on release.
“This defendant took advantage of California’s weak systems allowing him to submit $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal in less than a year,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Today’s prison sentence underscore’s our department’s determination to aggressively punish criminals who steal from public health programs.”
“Paul Randall exploited a temporary change in Medi-Cal’s prescription drug reimbursement system to steal hundreds of millions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars meant to help California’s neediest residents,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who would abuse our public benefit programs to line their own pockets: The Fraud Division will aggressively prosecute you and seek to hold you accountable to the fullest extent permissible under the law.”
“This case exposes unbridled greed at the expense of patients and taxpayers,” aid Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
“Stealing funds meant for essential care and corrupting medical decisions through kickbacks is deeply harmful and erodes trust in our health care system. HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who exploit federal health care programs and ensure they are held fully accountable.”“The amount of money Paul Randall stole from California taxpayers through his fraud scheme is staggering,” said Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “By exploiting a loophole in the Medi-Cal system, he was able to bill nearly $270 million dollars, then launder it to evade detection and pay kickbacks to his co-schemers. Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to anyone considering defrauding health care benefit programs that the federal government is actively seeking fraudulent claims and will pursue prosecution.”
Randall, along with Kyrollos Mekail, 38, of Moreno Valley, and Patricia Anderson, 59, of West Hills, took advantage of Medi-Cal’s suspension of its requirement that health care providers obtain prior authorization before providing certain health care services or medications as a condition of reimbursement. The suspension of the prior authorization requirements was part of an ongoing transition of Medi-Cal’s prescription drug program to a new payment system.
Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid program, a public health insurance program which provides health care services for the state’s neediest residents, including low-income individuals, persons with disabilities, and individuals in foster care.
Through a business called Monte Vista Pharmacy, Randall and his co-schemers exploited Medi-Cal’s prior authorization suspension by billing Medi-Cal tens of millions of dollars per month for dispensing high-reimbursement, non-contracted, generic drugs through Monte Vista Pharmacy. Some prescription medications purportedly were to treat pain and included Folite tablets, a vitamin available over the counter.
Normally, these high-cost reimbursement medications would have required prior authorization under Medi-Cal’s old payment system. Medication involved in this scheme was medically unnecessary, frequently was not dispensed to patients, and procured by kickbacks.
From May 2022 to April 2023, Monte Vista billed Medi-Cal more than $269 million and was paid more than $178 million for 19 expensive, non-contracted drugs containing low-cost, generic ingredients that were not medically necessary, not provided, or both.
Randall also admitted that he committed the offense while on release in another criminal tax case in the Central District of California (USA v. Paul Richard Randall, No. 20cr31).
Randall and others then laundered their illicit proceeds by transferring the proceeds of the Medi-Cal fraud scheme to a third party to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to Anderson, to promote the fraud scheme and to conceal and disguise the transfers from detection by law enforcement.
Randall caused the wiring of at least approximately $269,120,829 in false and fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal for purportedly dispensing the fraud scheme medications that Anderson prescribed, on which Medi-Cal paid at least approximately $178,746,556. Randall started this fraud scheme while awaiting sentencing in another federal criminal case.
In his plea agreement, Randall agreed to forfeit property obtained from the fraud, including bank account balances exceeding $17 million, three vehicles, seven properties, and sports memorabilia, such as Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson baseball cards worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and Kobe Bryant game worn and signed sneakers.
Mekail pleaded guilty in August 2024 to two counts of health care fraud and awaits sentencing. Anderson is charged with two counts of health care fraud, and the criminal case against her is still pending. A criminal complaint was filed against Christina Mareik, a.k.a. “Christina Marie Sanchez Hernandez”, charging her with health care fraud and alleging that she played a key role in the Medi-Cal fraud scheme by creating fraudulent prescriptions for Medi-Cal beneficiaries and directing Anderson to sign them. The case against Hernandez is still pending.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the FBI, and the California Department of Justice investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section and Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the U.S. Department of Justice, Fraud Enforcement Division, are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling asset forfeiture matters in this case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/fraud.
Nebraska Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that United States District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Norfolk, Nebraska, man convicted of Assault on a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026.
Cody Dittman, 36, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Dittman was indicted for Assault on a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2026.
On May 2, 2025, Dittman refused to pull over after officers with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety attempted a traffic stop. Dittman led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit throughout the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, ultimately leaving Pine Ridge and entering Fall River County. During the pursuit, Dittman swerved his vehicle directly towards law enforcement officers deploying spike strips as they attempted to end the pursuit.
The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Dakota DCI, the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Dittman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Missouri man pleads guilty to enticing minor to engage in sexual actsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri man pleaded guilty to criminal charges after making plans to engage in sex acts while chatting with an undercover federal agent posing as an underaged girl.
According to court documents, Jason A. Teeman, 47, of Raymore, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography.
In July 2025, Teeman used social media and text messages to chat with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent purporting to be a 14-year-old girl in Kansas. During the conversations he made comments filled with sexual innuendo including how he only likes to “date young females” and “just keep in mind I’m the one risking going to jail here”. Teeman then made plans to travel from Missouri to Kansas to engage in sexual acts with the “girl” in the back seat of his car or at the girl’s home. After the agent explicitly claimed to be 14 years old, Teeman continued communicating in a sexual manner.
The FBI arrested Teeman after he arrived at the designated meeting location and confiscated his cellphone. Forensic analysis revealed 14 files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child erotica, including of children under 9 years old. His chat history revealed he sent multiple messages to other online users requesting they facilitate or assist in procuring a child for Teeman to have sexual contact with in exchange for money.
He is scheduled to be sentenced December 8, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.###
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY – U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026.
Eriberto Gonzalez-Ginez, 23, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Gonzalez-Ginez will also be deported back to Mexico upon completion of his sentence.
Gonzalez-Ginez was indicted for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in March 2026. He pleaded guilty on May 28, 2026.
On February 2, 2026, federal law enforcement officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, conducted a targeted enforcement operation regarding illegal immigration at a Rapid City residence. Gonzalez-Ginez is an illegal alien unlawfully present in the United States. Gonzalez-Ginez was in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck with a trailer hitched to its rear at the residence. When federal agents activated their emergency lights and sirens on their vehicles, Gonzalez-Ginez quickly put the truck in reverse, ramming into a federal agent’s duty vehicle. Gonzalez-Ginez kept his truck in reverse, pushing the federal agent’s vehicle back approximately ten feet. Gonzalez-Ginez then fled on foot, escaping authorities. Federal agents tracked his position again at the end of the month, where he unsuccessfully attempted to flee.
“This was outrageous and recklessly dangerous conduct by this lawless individual,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removable Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Smuggling Methamphetamine in Luggage at Memphis AirportRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Lonnie Moore, Jr., 38, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on August 22, 2025, Memphis Airport police officers intercepted luggage that belonged to Moore, who had just landed at the Memphis International Airport from Los Angeles, California. A police K9 indicated the luggage contained narcotics; therefore, officers seized the luggage.
Police discovered that the luggage contained a large clear vacuumed-sealed bag containing 12 individual wrapped bags of a green leafy substance, which weighed a total of 13.10 lbs. This green leafy substance tested positive for marijuana. Additionally, there was another large clear vacuumed-sealed bag containing 2 individual wrapped bags of a hard crystal-like substance, which weighed a total of 9.10 lbs. This substance tested positive, and was later confirmed by a laboratory, for methamphetamine.
On April 15, 2026, Moore pled guilty as charged. Moore has prior convictions in Mississippi for possession of cocaine and methamphetamine. On September 3, 2026, the Honorable United States District Judge Brian C. Lea sentenced Moore to 144 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of federal supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Drug smugglers who use domestic air travel to traffick meth threaten not only the critical infrastructure of the Memphis International Airport, but also the public safety of our citizens. The message is clear: our law enforcement partners will catch you, and we will convict and punish you for importing poison into West Tennessee.”
“This case should serve as a warning to would-be drug traffickers everywhere… find a new line of work; the DEA and our law enforcement partners will find you and bring you to justice”, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott. “Mr. Moore will serve a twelve-year prison sentence for his crimes, time that he could have spent as a productive member of society. Instead, he chose criminal behavior and the punishment that goes along with it.”
This case was investigated by the Memphis International Airport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Maryland Woman Sentenced to Prison for $1.1M Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
A Maryland woman was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for attempting to steal more than $1.1 million from the IRS by filing false tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2019 and March 2020, Kendra Scarborough, of Oxon Hill, filed three false tax returns in the names of purported trusts that she controlled. In total, these tax returns sought more than $1.1 million in refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Scarborough’s scheme resulted in the IRS issuing a refund of $412,000 to one of the purported trusts. Scarborough used these funds to pay for, among other things, the mortgage on her personal residence and other creditors.
Scarborough pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Debrorah L. Boardman ordered Scarborough to pay $410,117.44 in restitution to the IRS and forfeit to the government the proceeds from the tax refund that remain in her bank account.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Melissa Siskind of the Fraud Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Maryland Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges Connected to HSTF InvestigationRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man learned his fate in federal court, stemming from charges for his role as a drug supplier.
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Alcedo Hodge, Jr., 30, of Parkville, to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges are in connection with a multi-state Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) drug investigation.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Shane K. Todd, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to court documents, in 2024, the DEA investigated a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Richmond, Virginia. Investigators identified Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1) as one of the DTO’s re-supply sources, along with Hodge. Then in December 2024, law enforcement intercepted wiretap conversations about the DTO’s cocaine re-supply in the Baltimore Metropolitan area.
On December 5, investigators covertly followed a DTO member who drove from Virginia to Owings Mills, Maryland, to meet CC-1. During the surveillance, law enforcement observed Hodge arrive at a secluded shopping center parking lot. The DTO member and CC-1 then followed Hodge in their vehicles.
While in the parking lot, investigators saw CC-1 exit Hodge’s vehicle. Then, as Hodge left the parking lot, CC-1 called the DTO member over to his vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the DTO member after he returned to Virginia later that day. Investigators searched the DTO member’s car, recovering one kilogram of cocaine.
Additionally, in January 2025, investigators observed Hodge engaging in another suspected drug transaction. Then on March 17, 2025, investigators initiated a traffic stop on Hodge in Baltimore County after observing an additional suspected drug transaction. During the traffic stop, a K-9 unit scanned the vehicle and returned a positive alert for the controlled substances. Investigators searched the vehicle and recovered three kilograms of cocaine; a fully loaded Glock semi-automatic handgun equipped with a 22-round capacity extended magazine; and approximately $78,000 in cash.
After law enforcement arrested Hodge, investigators searched his Parkville residence. Inside his residence, investigators recovered an additional three kilograms of cocaine; another loaded firearm, which was stolen; and two digital money counters. Hodge acknowledged that he intended to use the recovered firearms and U.S. currency to facilitate his drug offense.
The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baltimore comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Miner who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Supervisory Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Sureños and Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, aka “Homie,” 34, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The defendant was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson on September 9, 2026.
According to court documents, Diaz-Aguilar managed the “Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” and is a member of the Sureños, a transnational criminal organization originating in Southern California. He is one of several defendants in United States v. Diaz-Aguilar et al.
Other defendants in the case include:
- Juan Martin Elvira Jr., of Rochester, Minnesota, sentenced to 75 months in prison on June 11, 2026, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
- Edward Gonzalez, of Hastings, Minnesota, sentenced to 120 months in prison on June 3, 2026, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
- Eric Anthony Rodriguez, of St. Paul, Minnesota, sentenced to 260 months in prison on August 13, 2026, following a six-day trial where he was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
- Bruce Michael Orton, of North Branch, Minnesota, sentenced to 140 months in prison on June 16, 2026, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
According to court documents, in the summer of 2024, law enforcement began investigating suspected methamphetamine trafficking in Rochester, Minnesota. In August 2024, agents executed a search warrant at a coconspirator’s residence and found approximately 7.6 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,500 M-30 fentanyl pills, a variety of marijuana products, cellphones, and nearly $8,000 in cash. A review of the coconspirator’s phone revealed messages with “Homie,” the coconspirator’s methamphetamine supplier, with transactions going back to April 2024. Agents later determined that “Homie” was Diaz-Aguilar.
From October 2024 through January 2025, law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Diaz-Aguilar and executed a search warrant at a stash house in Hastings, Minnesota, where agents found a bulk quantity of methamphetamine and used drug packaging that demonstrated hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine had recently traveled through the house.
In December 2024, Diaz-Aguilar traveled to Chicago with two coconspirators to obtain a bulk quantity of methamphetamine and traveled in a two-vehicle convoy back to Minnesota. Police stopped the vehicle driven by one of the defendant’s coconspirators, Edward Gonzalez, and located approximately 42 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk.
Agents later executed a search warrant at Diaz-Aguilar’s residence and seized his phones. Investigators found messages between the defendant and another coconspirator, Bruce Orton, about drug transactions dating back to August 2023 including discussions on pricing and the defendant’s access to 170 pounds of methamphetamine. Agents also found a ledger in Diaz-Aguilar’s closet that contained sales entries of bulk quantities of methamphetamine to others.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic deadly narcotics in Minnesota will be met with decisive action. My office remains fully committed to protecting the public by dismantling the criminal networks that put our communities at risk,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“Today, the ringleader of an organization responsible for flooding our streets with methamphetamine was brought to justice,” said DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “No one is above the law and today’s sentencing is yet another reminder that DEA will work tirelessly to take these criminals and their poisons out of our neighborhoods.”
“The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET) work collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies to disrupt and dismantle Drug Trafficking Organizations. This case is one example of positive outcomes achieved when working together. Minnesota and beyond are safer with these dangerous drugs off the streets and the suspects held accountable,” said Tim Parkin, Captain of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and Commander of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Minnesota State Patrol, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Minnesota Drug Task Force, Hastings Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Cannon River Drug Task Force, and the New Prague Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.
Note: Previous press release on the indictment (April 8, 2025) linked here.
Man Sentenced to 14 and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking Vehicle at Gunpoint in Backyard of Chicago ResidenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man who carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint in the backyard of a Chicago residence has been sentenced to 14 and a half years in federal prison.
On the evening of Nov. 2, 2023, KENNETH MERRITT and DAMARRI CONNER carjacked an Audi sedan in the backyard of a residence in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. A woman and her daughter had just returned home in another vehicle when Conner and Merritt sprang from a hiding place and attacked them. Merritt threw the mother violently to the ground, ripped her purse from her arms, and threatened to kill her and her daughter. Conner then pointed a gun at the woman’s husband, who had rushed outside to help his family. The carjackers took the Audi and drove off. The carjacking was captured on a home-security video, which can be viewed here.
Merritt, 29, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to carjacking and firearm offenses. On Sept. 3, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani sentenced Merritt to 14 and a half years in federal prison.
Conner, 23, of Chicago, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm offenses. Judge Harjani sentenced Conner on April 8, 2026, to the same period of incarceration as Merritt.
Merritt’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“This crime was heinous and violent,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Merritt’s case. “The trauma he inflicted on his victims will take years to repair.”
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – James Brooks was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and for possession of a semi-automatic handgun during a drug sale. The government recommended a sentence of 10 years in prison.
"Fentanyl is tearing apart families and poisoning our communities at an alarming rate,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “This sentence sends a clear and unwavering message to drug traffickers: if you flood our streets with lethal chemicals for profit, you will be caught, and you will face severe consequences in federal prison. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these deadly networks and protect the people of Las Vegas."
“Every drug trafficker operates with a single, ruthless purpose—profiting from human suffering,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “Alongside our partners, the FBI will continue dismantling their networks, erase their poison from our streets, and ensure every single participant faces justice behind bars.”
According to court documents, from October 28, 2023, to January 21, 2024, Brooks, also known as “Grizz,” conspired with co-defendant Geronimo Gutierrez to distribute pills containing fentanyl. During a drug transaction, Brooks possessed a 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine and paid cash to an individual for approximately 2,000 pills.
Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance. Illicit fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just two milligrams, about the size of a few grains of salt, can be lethal.
Brooks pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Gutierrez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to money launder. On January 12, 2026, Gutierrez was sentenced to 97 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Kidnapping his Estranged WifeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Chad Oso of La Mesa was sentenced in federal court today to 121 months in prison for kidnapping his estranged wife and violently tearing her away from their two young children, who were left home alone as he forced their mother into his vehicle and drove away.
Oso was convicted of kidnapping by a federal jury in March. According to evidence presented at the trial, Oso showed up at the victim’s La Mesa home on September 17, 2024, unannounced and uninvited. Oso made demands of the victim, but she rejected them. Oso became increasingly aggressive, escalating the confrontation to the point where the victim left the apartment in an attempt to alert a nearby neighbor.
Oso chased after her, beat her, dragged her down the stairs to the garage of the apartment complex and forced her into the hatchback area of his Toyota RAV4. He then drove the victim away from her home against her will, away from her children who were left alone with the door to their home wide open.
Oso then drove around La Mesa, refusing to let the victim go while she desperately tried to escape. The victim banged on the back window of the hatchback area of the RAV4 and screamed for help so loudly and desperately that members of the community saw her, were alarmed and called 911.
Police responded to the victim’s apartment complex, called Oso and told him to bring the victim home. But Oso did not bring the victim home. Instead, he drove the victim, against her will into Mexico, to leave her in the “desert.”
Once in Mexico, the victim stuck her hand out of the car window and pleaded for help from Mexican Customs Officials, who then directed the car back to the United States Border. There Customs and Border Protection officers rescued the victim and arrested Oso.
The victim suffered injuries to her face, head, chin, arms, hands, and legs as a result of Oso beating her, dragging her and forcing her into his car.
“Violently ripping a mother away from her young children is an unconscionable act of violence and cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We will always stand with victims and fight for justice on their behalf.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the extreme violence the defendant was willing to inflict and the grave danger his actions posed to the victim,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “We commend the citizens who reported what they witnessed and thank our partners at the La Mesa Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Their quick actions directly contributed to the victim’s safe recovery and return to her children. The FBI remains committed to pursuing justice for victims of violent crime and working with all of our law enforcement partners to continue reducing violent crime in our community.”
“This case is a stark reminder of how quickly domestic violence can escalate into life-threatening violence,” said La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney. “We are grateful to the members of the La Mesa community who recognized the danger and immediately called 911. Their actions, together with the response of law enforcement and the outstanding work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, helped bring this terrifying ordeal to an end and hold the defendant accountable.”
“CBP officers acted quickly and decisively to protect the victim and take the defendant into custody,” said Sidney Aki, Director of Field Operations for CBP’s San Diego Field Office. “I am proud of their swift response and grateful for the coordination among our federal, local, and international law enforcement partners, whose collective efforts helped bring this dangerous situation to an end.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Evangeline Dech.
Anyone who needs assistance can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Free and confidential help is available 24/7 at 800-799-SAFE (7233)or text START to 88788
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr2134-RBM
Chad Oso Age: 55 La Mesa, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Kidnapping (18 U.S.C. §1201)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and a $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
La Mesa Police Department
United States Border and Customs Protection
Man Pleads Guilty and Faces at Least 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Resulting in the Death of a Young WomanRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Hudeife Muhamud Mire, aka “Juice,” 24, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death.
His plea hearing was before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on September 8, 2026. Mire faces a statutory minimum of 20 years in prison and supervised release of at least four years.
According to court documents, in 2021, Mire conspired with others to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendant remained a part of the agreement until May 17, 2022, when he was arrested.
On April 16, 2022, Mire sold fentanyl to the victim, a 19-year-old woman. The victim died from an overdose minutes after consuming one of the pills. On May 17, 2022, police executed a search warrant at Mire’s apartment and seized roughly 180 grams of fentanyl pills and over $4,000 in cash. On May 19, 2022, state authorities charged the defendant with third-degree murder related to the woman’s death.
On June 1, 2022, Mire was released under certain conditions. However, days later, on June 4, 2022, and in violation of his release conditions, Mire flew to Kenya on a one-way ticket and remained there until January 6, 2026, when federal agents returned him to the United States. Mire admitted that he flew to Kenya to avoid investigation and prosecution for the offense.
“Today’s guilty plea represents a crucial step toward justice for the young woman and her family. Our office remains committed to holding accountable those who peddle deadly drugs into our communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“A 19-year-old woman lost her life to a pill that the dealer knew contained fentanyl, a substance that continues to destroy families and communities,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “Despite his best efforts to evade justice, Mire must now face the consequences of his actions, while also living with the knowledge that his dealings left a young woman’s family and friends grieving.”
“Mire’s plea agreement reflects the strength of our partnerships and the unwavering commitment required to bring fugitives to justice,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The gravity of the defendant’s crimes—including distributing fentanyl that caused a young woman’s death and then fleeing to obstruct justice—underscores the importance of holding offenders accountable. This outcome was made possible through close cooperation with the Government of Kenya, whose assistance ensured the defendant’s return to the United States to face federal charges. We are grateful for their collaboration and for the collective work of all our law enforcement partners who made this result possible.”
“Fleeing the country didn’t allow Mr. Mire to escape accountability,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. “This case is a strong example of what can happen when law enforcement partners stay committed to seeing a case through, no matter how long it takes or how far it leads. The BCA was proud to work alongside our partners here in Minnesota and internationally to help locate Mr. Mire and return him to the United States to answer for his actions, moving this case one step closer to justice for Samantha Myers.”
“Although no sentence given to Hudeife Mire will equal the loss experienced by the victim’s family and friends, we are grateful that there will be accountability for his role in her death. Fentanyl continues to be a plague on our society and hopefully this prosecution deters others. The CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force, Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, and Willmar Police Department would also like to acknowledge our state and federal partners who assisted in locating Mire in a foreign county and getting him back to the United States to be prosecuted,” said CEE-VI Commander Ross Ardoff, Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Tollefson, and Willmar Police Chief Mike Holme in a joint statement.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the CEE-VI (Cooperative Enforcement Effort) Drug and Gang Task Force, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, and the Willmar Police Department, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
Man Indicted on Distribution and Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced, today, that a Maryland man is facing federal indictment in connection with child sex abuse crimes.
Robert Paul Miller, III, 35, of West Friendship, is charged with distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and possessing CSAM.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Gregory Der, Howard County Police Department (HCPD)
According to the indictment, Miller distributed videos depicting adults sexually abusing minors. Miller also maintained a Dropbox storage account, associated with his email address, that contained one or more CSAM visual depictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Miller faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for distributing CSAM. Miller also faces a maximum of 10 years for possessing CSAM.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and HCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Maryam Zhuravitsky and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Long Island Contractor Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Fraud in Connection with Hurricane Sandy Recovery FundsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Alexander Almaraz, the owner of Design Concepts Group LLC (DCG) in Freeport, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 48 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to induce individuals to hire him and pay DCG to repair their Hurricane Sandy-damaged homes. Almaraz pleaded guilty to the charge in September 2024. As part of the sentence, restitution to the victims will be determined at a later date.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the sentence.
“Although years have passed since Hurricane Sandy caused historic damage to our district, the defendant’s victims still feel the emotional and financial pain caused by his selfish crimes,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence holds Almaraz accountable for using vital recovery funds to fund a lavish lifestyle while his customers were deprived of their homes and suffering emotionally and financially. For this crime of greed, it is fitting that the defendant’s home will be a federal prison.”
“Alexander Almaraz defrauded more than 20 victims of Hurricane Sandy by promising to raise their storm-ravaged homes and instead used the money for his own personal gain by spending it on luxury items. Almaraz unlawfully sought to profit from the money intended to assist these desperate homeowners following this devastating storm. May today’s sentencing send a message that the FBI will never tolerate those who exploit natural disaster recovery efforts for greedy purposes,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“Hurricane Sandy ravaged waterfront communities across Nassau County, and in the aftermath, this defendant capitalized on the loss and pain of nearly two dozen homeowners trying to rebuild just to fatten his own wallet,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly. “In his greed, Almaraz made promises he had no intention of keeping and stole more than a million dollars in recovery funds earmarked to help residents who suffered total devastation in the storm. To add insult to injury, while the construction on his victims’ homes remained unfinished, Almaraz was out buying land for himself with their funds. I thank our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their commitment to prosecuting heartless schemers who exploited Long Islanders during this tragic event.”On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York and New Jersey, causing catastrophic damage to low-lying and coastal areas, including many neighborhoods in the Eastern District of New York. New York residents whose homes were damaged were eligible to receive funding from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery through the New York Rising (NYR) program.
Almaraz entered contracts with homeowners who qualified to receive funds from NYR. As part of these contracts, Almaraz agreed to lift the victims’ homes and set them down on temporary support structures which would permit the foundations of the damaged homes to be removed and new foundations to be installed. After the new foundations were installed, Almaraz was supposed to lower the homes and reconnect the homes’ appliances. Between October 2015 and June 2019, Almaraz agreed to lift the homes of at least 20 customers who had received NYR funding and who collectively paid him approximately $2.5 million. Almaraz convinced many of these victims to move out of their homes and pay him rent to live elsewhere, all the while neglecting their projects and causing greater loss and suffering. Instead of performing the full scope of the agreed-upon work, Almaraz used the victims’ monies to pay for personal expenses, including credit card bills, land purchased in Kansas City, Missouri, and luxury automobiles, including a Lamborghini, a Porsche and a Jaguar. Almaraz’s fraudulent scheme caused more than $1.5 million in losses to NYR and the individual victims.The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Megan E. Farrell is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ALEXANDER ALMARAZ
Age: 55
San Antonio, Texas; formerly of Freeport, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-17 (JMA)
Lieutenant in Sinaloa and Beltran-Leyva Cartels Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Roberto Lopez, a/k/a Shrek, a/k/a NWA, was sentenced to nearly two decades in federal prison following his convictions for cocaine trafficking and money laundering. Lopez, who was hiding in Mexico for more than a decade before his capture and expulsion to the United States, smuggled weapons to Mexico and helped manage a vast cocaine-smuggling network in support of high-level cartel leaders.
“Before he went underground, Lopez was the head of domestic transportation for ruthless and far-reaching cartels that poured drugs into our community with military-level precision,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Even if it takes decades, my office and our law enforcement partners in the Homeland Security Task Force will never cease our efforts to track and arrest fugitives in their hiding places and hold them accountable for their crimes.”
“Lopez’s sentence is the result of a determined and coordinated effort to dismantle the criminal network he was a part of,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The success of this investigation demonstrates the strength of our Homeland Security Task Force partnerships and what we can accomplish when agencies work together.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In the early 2000s, Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a “La Barbie,” was an infamous and ruthless enforcer for the Sinaloa and Beltran-Leyva Cartels in their war against the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas. Valdez also partnered with U.S.-based trucking businessman Carlos Montemayor to operate a distribution network that moved up to 300 kilograms of cocaine per week to Atlanta, Memphis, and other cities while smuggling cash back to Mexico in shipments carrying no less than $1 million per load. In just a six-month period, the organization distributed 1,500 kilograms of cocaine in Atlanta alone.
The cartels’ operation is also estimated to have smuggled more than 1,000 rifles, 100-200 converted machineguns, and hundreds of magazines and ammunition drums into Mexico from the United States, along with silencers, night vision goggles, ballistic vests, helmets, and other tools of violence.
Lopez was the primary lieutenant for Valdez and Montemayor’s network, handling various logistics, including payments to truck drivers and stash house operators and the repackaging and transportation of money over the border. He was repeatedly intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps discussing loads of cocaine bound for the U.S. and shipments of cash destined for cartel leaders. When the investigation disrupted the organization, Lopez fled to Mexico, where he remained in hiding until his arrest there in 2024.
Roberto Lopez, 46, of Laredo, Texas and Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced to 18 years, 10 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. He pled guilty on May 19, 2026, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Following his indictment on December 15, 2009, Lopez was arrested in Mexico City on June 27, 2024, and expelled by Mexico to the United States on August 12, 2025.
In 2018, a federal judge in Atlanta sentenced Valdez to 49 years and 1 month in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. In 2019, Montemayor was sentenced to 34 years and 3 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
Assistant United States Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Elizabeth M. Hathaway and former U.S. Attorney John Horn prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Lexington Man Sentenced in Fentanyl Distribution leading to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Darryl Anderson, Jr., 27, was sentenced to 245 months in prison on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Chad Meredith for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
On January 7, 2023, Lexington Police Department officers responded to a fatal overdose in Lexington. At the scene, investigators recovered the victim’s cellphone and, using a passcode provided by a friend, found recent messages showing that the victim had arranged to purchase marijuana and three “30” pills from a contact saved as “DJ,” whom police identified as Anderson. Law enforcement also discovered drug evidence, including fentanyl residue on a bathroom sink, a cut straw, and a counterfeit blue “M 30” pill; laboratory testing confirmed both items contained fentanyl.
Anderson admitted selling pills to the victim on multiple occasions, including the night before his death, and noted that he purchased the pills for $10 each and sold them for $20. A search warrant executed at Anderson’s apartment led to the seizure of approximately eight pounds of marijuana, a digital scale, and $2,340 in suspected drug proceeds. Anderson acknowledged distributing fentanyl to the victim and that the victim’s use of that fentanyl resulted in his death.
“Fentanyl is a deadly poison, and those who knowingly distribute it must understand that their actions have consequences—especially when those actions result in the loss of a human life,” said Jason Parman, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This sentence holds Darryl Anderson accountable for selling fentanyl to a victim who ultimately paid the highest possible price. Our office, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who profit from this poison and hold them responsible for the devastation their drugs cause in our communities.”
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in South DakotaRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ronald A. Parsons, Jr. announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Las Vegas, Nevada, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026.
Jeffrey Skannal, 67, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Skannal was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 11, 2026.
For several months in 2024, Skannal served as a member of a California-based drug trafficking organization that brought large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to South Dakota and used short-term rental properties as bases of operation to distribute the drugs in and around Sioux Falls. Skannal participated in the conspiracy by driving rental cars loaded with drugs from California to Sioux Falls; assisting in packaging the drugs for sale; and accompanying other members of the organization on sales to sub-distributors.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Skannal must self-surrender no later than noon on Tuesday, December 1, 2026.
Killingly Man Admits Stealing $775K from Nonprofits in Windham and MiddlefieldRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, and Connecticut State Police Colonel Daniel Loughman announced that RYAN FITZGIBBONS, 44, of Killingly, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a fraud offense stemming from his theft of more than $775,000 from nonprofit organizations in Windham and Middlefield.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Fitzgibbons was employed as the executive director of the Holy Family Home & Shelter (“HFHS”), a charitable non-profit group in Windham serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness by providing emergency and temporary housing. Between approximately November 2021 and June 2023, Fitzgibbons stole approximately $734,683 from HFHS by making unauthorized wire transfers from the HFHS bank account to his personal accounts, unauthorized purchases and ATM withdrawals using the HFHS debit card, and writing checks from the HFHS account to himself and to “cash.” Fitzgibbons attempted to cover up his criminal behavior by providing false transactions and donation accounting reports to HFHS board members. As part of his scheme, in September 2022, Fitzgibbons failed to report to the HFHS board a $392,000 donation HFHS received from the estate of an individual. Fitzgibbons was terminated from HFHS in September 2023.
In approximately April 2024, Fitzgibbons was hired as the executive director of the Durham Middlefield Youth & Family Services ("DMYFS"), a charitable nonprofit based in Middlefield serving children and families by fostering a healthy community through prevention, intervention, treatment and community-building. Fitzgibbons used the DMYFS bank account to make approximately $40,769 in unauthorized purchases that he falsely justified as “marketing,” “wages,” and “software.” He was terminated from the position in August 2024.
Fitzgibbons pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He also has agreed to pay $775,452.21 in restitution.
Fitzgibbons is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for December 2.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Middlefield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Middlesex for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason Anthony Barrett, 47, of South Charleston, was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Barrett’s South Charleston residence and seized 432.5 grams of methamphetamine, 25.2 grams of cocaine, 11.4 grams of crack, and 13.68 grams of fentanyl. As part of his guilty plea, Barrett admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances and intended to distribute them to others.
Barrett further admitted that he sold 55.73 grams of methamphetamine on May 8, 2025, and 2.82 grams of fentanyl and 3.34 grams of crack on May 19, 2025, that both transactions occurred at his residence, and that he sold the controlled substances to a confidential informant.
Barrett has a criminal history that includes four prior convictions for domestic battery and prior convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance-cocaine and attempted escape.
Barrett is among more than a dozen individuals indicted by a federal grand jury following an investigation of drug trafficking in the Charleston area. Nine defendants pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine between June 2024 and May 2025. Barrett is among five defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the same federal investigation.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the Charleston Police Department. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-189.
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Justice Department to Conduct Election Monitoring in Rhode Island Primary ElectionRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice — through its Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Rhode Island — will be observing polling locations today in Pawtucket, Rhode Island as part of its mission to secure ballot integrity, maintain transparency into the voting process, and enforce compliance with federal law.
“This is our last stop on what has been a successful midterm primary monitoring effort,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud to say we have visited eleven states and hundreds of polling locations. We will continue this work through the midterm general elections to assure the American public of the fairness and security of the voting process.”
“The Rhode Island United States Attorney’s Office is proud to continue its partnership with the Civil Rights Division and coordination between the federal and local levels to ensure that elections are held in compliance with all laws,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles C. Calenda for the District of Rhode Island.
The Department will be sending four members from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and the Rhode Island USAO to various polling sites throughout the city.
On July 30, 2024, the Department secured a Consent Decree ensuring that the City of Pawtucket would meet its obligations under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act. United States v. City of Pawtucket et al., Case No. 24-cv-209 (D.R.I. 2024). Pursuant to this Consent Decree, the Department is authorized to observe election procedures.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
From now and up to Election Day on Nov. 3, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. If you would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at [email protected], and the Civil Rights Division will determine whether monitoring is warranted.
Justice Department Notifies Los Angeles County of Investigation into Whether Conditions at Downtown L.A. Jail Violate ConstitutionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States Department of Justice today sent a letter to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna to notify him and the County of Los Angeles that it is beginning an investigation into whether the County has violated the Constitution and federal law by failing to provide environmentally safe, humane, and habitable conditions for prisoners incarcerated at the Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) in downtown Los Angeles.
During this investigation, which will focus on the conditions of the facility itself and not the actions of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies who staff it, the Justice Department will determine whether the County has violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.
The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Personals Act (CRIPA), a federal statute intended to protect the rights of people incarcerated in state or local correctional facilities, among other state and locally run institutions.
“Whether a person is held in a county jail, awaiting trial, or after conviction, the environmental conditions in that jail need to meet constitutional standards,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “The Civil Rights Division is pleased to partner with the United States Attorney’s Office in its investigation of Los Angeles County’s Men’s Central Jail to determine whether the County meets those constitutional conditions.”
“Los Angeles County has a constitutional duty to provide safe, humane, and habitable conditions at Men’s Central Jail,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “We have reached no conclusions, but these concerns warrant a thorough investigation. If the evidence reveals systemic violations, we will act.”
The Justice Department has not reached any conclusion regarding allegations in this matter.
This new investigation is separate from a 2015 settlement in United States v. County of Los Angeles, (C.D. Cal., 15cv5903), which was related to mental health care provided at Los Angeles County jails.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department via civilrights.justice.gov/report.
Assistant United States Attorney Julie A. Hamill of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section is handling this matter.
Jurors Convict St. Louis County Felon Caught with Guns, Drum MagazinesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Wednesday found a St. Louis County felon caught with two guns guilty of a firearm charge.
Evidence and testimony at the trial, which started Tuesday, showed that a Hazelwood police officer stopped Paris D. McPeters on June 18, 2024, after he failed to stay in his lane. After learning that McPeters had an active warrant, the officer arrested him. Before the vehicle was towed, the officer asked McPeters whether there were guns or drugs in the vehicle and McPeters responded, “yeah.” A search revealed a 5.56-caliber semi-automatic rifle with a loaded 100-round drum magazine, five additional loaded large capacity magazines, a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a loaded 50 round drum magazine and extra ammunition, evidence and testimony showed. McPeters has numerous prior convictions. As a felon, he is barred from possessing firearms.
McPeters, 44, was found guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced December 9. The charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
The Hazelwood Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Christian Goeke and Joseph Green are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Jamaican National Sentenced to over 9½ Years in Prison for Illegally Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that DeWhite Dawkins, aka Dwight Dawkins, “Twin White,” and Kaleem Fraites, 42, a Jamaican national who has been unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this afternoon to 115 months in prison by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage for illegally reentering the U.S. after the defendant’s 2023 deportation.
At a separate sentencing hearing this morning, Dawkins was sentenced to 92 months in prison by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott for bribing a postal carrier to deliver packages of marijuana.
The sentences will run concurrently, and after completing them, Dawkins will be removed from the U.S. once again.
As detailed in court filings and statements, for more than a year, Dawkins, a marijuana dealer, paid a United States Postal Service carrier substantial bribes to deliver Priority Mail packages that contained marijuana to him and an associate. He admitted that, in exchange for the bribes, the carrier delivered some 15 parcels containing approximately 237 pounds of marijuana in total, which were shipped from California to addresses on the postal carrier’s route in Levittown, Pennsylvania. The marijuana in the 15 parcels was valued at approximately $450,000.
The illegal reentry case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Davison.
The bribery case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terri A. Marinari.
International Stock Manipulator Sentenced to 27 MonthsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced that JULIUS CSURGO was sentenced to 27 months in prison for manipulating 19 different “penny stocks” in a pump-and-dump scheme designed to fraudulently inflate the value of CSURGO’s own shares in those companies. CSURGO pled guilty on May 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who imposed the sentence on September 4, 2026.
“This sentencing reflects a clear and unambiguous message: those who manipulate our markets and defraud investors will not escape justice,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Julius Csurgo manipulated U.S. financial markets, exploited shell companies, and engaged in deceitful promotions to enrich himself at the expense of unsuspecting investors. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure our markets remain fair, transparent, and trustworthy.”
According to the Superseding Information, public filings, and statements made in court proceedings:
CSURGO, a Canadian-Hungarian citizen, orchestrated multiple “pump-and-dump” schemes along with his -co-conspirators. In his guilty plea, CSURGO admitted to securities fraud involving nineteen issuers. His sophisticated scheme involved gaining controlling interest of unrestricted stock, then concealing ownership by distributing shares among nominee entities through a Swiss corporation called Blacklight, S.A. While maintaining behind-the-scenes control over the shares and significant influence over company management, CSURGO and his co-conspirators funded promotional campaigns without disclosing their controlling interest or intent to sell. They took deliberate steps to hide that nominee entities were funding these promotions. During or shortly after generating market interest, CSURGO sold large percentages of holdings and collected the proceeds through the elaborate network of nominee entities he controlled, which he also used to distribute proceeds to his co-conspirators.
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In addition to his prison term, CSURGO, 71, of Toronto, Canada, was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to forfeit approximately $9,610,409.95.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He further thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, as well as authorities in Canada. Mr. McDonald also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which separately initiated civil proceedings against CSURGO.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Richman, Samuel Rothschild, and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution.
Immigration attorney arrested in alleged fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 44-year-old Houston woman has been charged with mail fraud and false statements in relation to her job as an immigration attorney.
Authorities have now taken Alla Nowowiejski into custody. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Bennett at 2 p.m. today.
According to the indictment, Nowowiejski accepted payments from clients to assist them with establishing or adjusting their work status and applying for work visas. However, she allegedly never submitted the applications or only submitted them in part.
The indictment further alleges Nowowiejski provided clients with false documents or reference numbers associated with active immigration cases unrelated to her clients. She allegedly used the documents and reference number to make the clients believe immigration authorities were processing their applications.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Service – OIG conducted the investigation with assistance of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Harris County Constable’s Office - Precinct 1. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun Trafficking in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Hugo Alberto Roman Aparicio, 42, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for a gun trafficking conspiracy. All guns were seized and forfeited.
According to court documents, Roman Aparicio and others, conspired to smuggle guns from Portland to Mexico. They hid 12 firearms in the spare tire compartment of a car, that Roman Aparicio obtained, to secretly transport the guns into Mexico.
Roman Aparicio, and others, arranged for the guns to be left with a co-conspirator in California, who was to complete the trip and smuggle the guns into Mexico. Investigators believe the guns were destined for cartels. The group was trying to impress a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) with the hope of receiving illegal drugs to sell in Oregon.
With the assistance of the California Highway Patrol, DEA task force officers located and stopped the courier in California before the guns could be transferred. The courier’s vehicle was searched, and law enforcement officers found the firearms hidden in the spare tire area.
On November 26, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 2-count superseding indictment charging Roman Aparicio with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to traffic firearms.
On May 22, 2026, Roman Aparicio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in firearms.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Tigard Police Department, Sherwood Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul T. Maloney and James Kilcup.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Portland comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, USMS, IRS-CI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Air, Army National Guard Counterdrug program, and Oregon-Idaho HIDTA with prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon
Illegal Alien from Mexico Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug, Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – An illegal alien from Mexico, who had been removed from the United States on at least two previous occasions before illegally reentering the country, pled guilty recently to distributing thousands of grams of methamphetamine and violating the immigration laws of the United States.
Miguel Alberto Sandoval Arellano, 41, a citizen of Mexico living illegally in Marshall, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of reentering the United States after having previously been removed, with an aggravated felony conviction before removal.
According to court documents, Arellano conspired with others to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Clarke County from approximately 2024 and 2025. Specifically, Arellano made drug sales to confidential sources working with the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force. During multiple transactions, Arellano provided the confidential source with methamphetamine ranging in weight between 725 grams and 1,485 grams. In all, Arellano made at least five sales to the confidential source.
As a result of these transactions, task force members obtained a search warrant for a farm property in Clarke County operated by Arellano. In a barn on the property, investigators located 4,631 grams of pure methamphetamine.
A second search warrant was executed at Arellano’s home in Marshall, Virginia. Investigators recovered $15,495 in cash. Some of that cash was identified as being the same money given to the confidential source to be used to purchase drugs from Arellano. In addition, Arellano admitted he worked for an individual in Mexico who sent him methamphetamine to distribute. Arellano would then wire the proceeds back to Mexico at the individual’s direction.
Further investigation revealed that in 2012, Arellano was federally convicted in the District of New Jersey for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. He ultimately served 37 months in federal prison. Following that sentence, and on at least two other occasions, Arellano was removed from the United States – once in 2013 and again in 2015. Following both removals, he unlawfully returned to the United States.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration Winchester Resident Office.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Endres is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Illegal Alien Faces Federal Charges for Identity Theft, Producing and Selling Counterfeit Social Security Cards, and Unlawful Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE – Derly Alvarez-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly trafficking counterfeit Social Security cards bearing information of real victims and possessing a pistol.
“Social Security fraud and identity theft strike at the heart of public trust and economic security. This alien’s alleged conduct not only jeopardized the integrity of our nation’s borders, but it also exposed unwitting victims to significant financial and legal issues stemming from the unauthorized use of their personal information,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office remains committed to protecting victims and holding accountable anyone who seeks to exploit them.”
“Counterfeit identification documents, including social security cards, are instruments of fraud that can upend victims’ lives, fuel criminal activity, and erode the integrity of our immigration, employment, and financial systems,” said Ellen Johnson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI will continue working alongside our partners to disrupt fraud schemes designed to profit from stolen identities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between March 11, 2026 and on May 19, 2026, Alvarez allegedly sold an undercover agent three Social Security cards in exchange for $750 per card. Following the transactions, Alvarez allegedly sent the undercover agent the corresponding birth dates for the individuals listed on the cards.
Agents set up an August 5, 2026 meeting with Alvarez to purchase two additional Social Security cards. When Alvarez arrived to complete the transaction, agents arrested him on a federal criminal complaint and seized four additional Social Security cards from him. During a subsequent federal search warrant executed at Alvarez’s residence, agents found a semi-automatic pistol. Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from possessing firearms.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”) determined that all the cards purchased or seized from Alvarez were counterfeit. SSA-OIG further confirmed the Social Security numbers on each card were legitimate and associated with real people.
Following his arrest on the complaint, a federal magistrate judge denied the United States’s motion to detain Alvarez. The United States immediately filed an emergency motion to stay and revoke the release order, arguing that there was a serious risk that Alvarez would flee. U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story granted both motions and ordered that Alvarez be detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bond through the conclusion of the case.
On September 1, 2026, a grand jury returned an 18-count federal indictment charging Derly Alvarez-Rodriguez, 41, of Mexico, with seven counts of Social Security fraud, seven counts of production of false identification documents, three counts of transfer of false identification documents, and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Today, a grand jury added two counts of aggravated identity theft, each of which carries a mandatory minimum of two years’ imprisonment.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with valuable assistance from the SSA-OIG.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Honduran Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DAVID VILLADARES-MONTOYA, a/k/a “Alex Montoya,” a/k/a “David Alexander” (“VILLADARES-MONTOYA “), age 39, a native of Honduras, was indicted on September 3, 2026 for illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, the defendant was found in the United States on August 27, 2026, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on August 14, 2023.
VILLADARES-MONTOYA faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 for re-entry of a removed alien.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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.
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Homeland Security Task Force Investigations Lead to Sentencings for Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
Memphis Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Trafficking 20 Lbs Of Meth To Marshall County
OXFORD, MS. – United States Attorney Scott Leary announced two separate convictions resulting from Homeland Security Task Force investigations.
Albert Ardell Scott, 38, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced today to ten years in prison for delivering 20 pounds of methamphetamine to Mississippi.
The DEA conducted this Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation. According to court documents, Scott made the methamphetamine delivery from the Memphis area to Byhalia, MS, in May of 2025. Scott was part of a multi-defendant conspiracy which operated in Tennessee and Mississippi. Several members remain currently charged by indictment, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chief United States District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Scott to 120 months, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted this case.
Tupelo Man Sentenced To Over 15 Years For Possessing Hundreds of Meth &Fentanyl Pills
In another case, James Homan, 44, of Tupelo, was sentenced today to over 15 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
The FBI conducted this HSTF investigation, which resulted in the seizure of more than 600 grams of methamphetamine and over 100 grams of fentanyl. Homan had a lengthy criminal history.
Chief United States District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Homan to 188 months, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Addison and Sam Stringfellow prosecuted the cases.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “Homeland Security Task Forces were created by Executive Order in 2025. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels and drug trafficking organizations operating in the United States and abroad. We are again seeing the great law enforcement results from the HSTF initiative. Methamphetamine is among the most addictive and destructive drugs this country has ever faced. Likewise, one fentanyl pill can be fatal, and in this case enough fentanyl was seized to create thousands of pills. The FBI and DEA took these drugs off the streets of the Northern District of Mississippi, and today our communities are safer. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Addison and Sam Stringfellow prosecuted the case. They are valuable assets to the Northern District of Mississippi.
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff said, "Homan intended to distribute massive quantities of deadly methamphetamine and fentanyl pills throughout Mississippi, putting our communities at risk and destroying lives in the process. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to others who engage in this dangerous and illegal activity: illicit drugs will not be tolerated. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting public safety and holding those who threaten our communities accountable for their criminal actions."
These operations and convictions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis not only on cartel crimes, but also on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ICE ERO, CBP, CBP OFO, CBP USBP, CBP AMO, CGIS, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS and with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
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Homeland Security Task Force Investigation leads to eight-year sentence for leader of trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
Seattle – The 32-year-old leader of a drug trafficking organization that preyed, in part, on those living unhoused in “The Jungle” and in the Seattle Chinatown International District was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to eight years in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Daniel Ibarra Loera, an illegal alien, living in Kent, Washington, was identified as a leader of a drug trafficking ring in a wiretap investigation in 2024-2025. The wiretap revealed Ibarra Loera was selling pound quantities of cocaine
and fentanyl as well. When law enforcement searched his residence in May 2025, they seized six firearms and ballistic vests that Ibarra Loera admits were used to protect his drug trafficking enterprise. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “You were the source of a significant amount of cocaine and fentanyl to some of the most vulnerable in our community. I hope you recognize that what you did contributed to the suffering of a lot of people.”
“Driven by greed, this defendant trafficked both cocaine and fentanyl to some of the most vulnerable in our community while possessing firearms and after entering this country illegally,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Our office only learned of his immigration status because he was caught trafficking large quantities of drugs. Now he appropriately faces a lengthy prison sentence and removal to Mexico.”
According to records filed in the case, in 2023, after incidents of drug trafficking-related violence in and around homeless encampments in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and the greenbelt adjacent to Interstate-5, commonly known as the “Jungle,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and the Seattle Police Department (“SPD”) began a narcotics trafficking investigation into individuals distributing controlled substances in these areas. Ibarra Loera was identified as a source of supply of both cocaine and fentanyl for street level dealers.
On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon. Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash.
Investigators searched Ibarra Loera’s home and a storage unit seizing guns, drugs and luxury cars that Ibarra Loera bought and sold to launder his drug proceeds. Investigators seized a 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, a 2017 Cadillac CTS-V, a 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and a 2018 Audi RS3 Quattro.
On May 5, 2026, Ibarra Loera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“As a leader of this drug trafficking organization, Mr. Ibarra Loera supplied kilogram quantities of cocaine to distributors including, irresponsibly, to people he barely knew,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Ultimately, the poison he supplied reached some of the most vulnerable members of the Seattle community. Mr. Ibarra Loera also possessed multiple firearms to protect the proceeds of the trafficking. The FBI and our partners will continue to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and across the state of Washington.”
“Mr. Ibarra Loera and his co-conspirators trafficked deadly drugs to some of Seattle’s most vulnerable living in homeless encampments in the Chinatown International District,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, “DEA, along with our federal, state, and local partners, is working to stop those who profit from poisoning our community. Fentanyl Free America is DEA’s unwavering commitment to protect the United States from synthetic opioids by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.”
Asking for a nine-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti told the court Ibarra Loera dealt “deadly, addictive and destructive substances… cocaine is one of the top three deadly substances.”
The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
HSTF Investigation Leads to Rio Rico Man Being Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Drug and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Hugo Jesus Munoz, 34, of Rio Rico, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Munoz previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.
As part of the drug conspiracy, Munoz distributed 4 kilograms of fentanyl and 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine using the U.S. Postal Service. As part of the money laundering conspiracy, Munoz had $105,000 in drug proceeds deposited into his personal and business bank accounts from his drug distribution customers.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This HSTF Arizona investigation involved agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration in Detroit, Michigan and Tucson, Arizona, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, United States Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-CR-2465-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-155_Munoz# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Gregg County tax preparer charged with federal violations related to falsified tax returnsRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Longview man has been charged with federal violations related to falsified tax returns in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jason Elias Briley, 42, was named in a 19-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in August 2026, charging him with aiding or assisting in tax fraud. Briley appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell on September 9, 2026.
According to information presented in court, Briley owned a tax preparation business in Longview and is alleged to have prepared federal tax returns on behalf of his clients that included false information in an attempt to increase the refund amounts. The documented tax loss is alleged to be approximately $370,000.
If convicted, Briley faces up to three years in federal prison. It is important to note that an indictment or arrest should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.
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Gary Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Postal Money Order Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Jordan C. Sneed, 32 years old, of Gary, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
McClendon was sentenced to 15 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $41,426.14 in restitution to victims of the offense.
Sneed is the last of five defendants to be sentenced in this case. Anthony Juan McClendon, the leader and organizer of the scheme, was sentenced on December 18, 2025, to 24 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release. On October 22, 2025, co-Defendant Reginald Russell was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for his role in altering the Postal money orders used in the scheme, after having been previously convicted of a similar offense in the Northern District of Illinois. Co-defendants Austin Hartman and Santiago Andrade also received prison sentences for participating in the scheme.
“Recidivist Jordan Sneed was sentenced to prison because he and his co-conspirators exploited the services of local banks and the United States Postal Service to make money through fraud. They used U.S. Postal Service money orders that had been altered to reflect higher face values than the amounts for which they had been purchased. In total, the conspiracy produced and negotiated over $120,000 worth of altered money orders at financial institutions throughout Northern Indiana. Unfortunately, Sneed engaged in this conduct within a matter of months after being released from a lengthy sentence in the Indiana Department of Corrections. Prior to this offense, Sneed had been incarcerated for approximately 10 years after a 2012 conviction for robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and carjacking in Vigo County, Indiana. Thanks to the partnership of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Porter County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Munster Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Lansing (Illinois) Police Department, and NDIN AUSA Zachary D. Heater, repeat offenders and fraudsters will be held accountable in the Northern District of Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Munster Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Lansing (Illinois) Police Department, and others. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs
Former Tax Startup CEO Federally Charged with Conning Venture Capital Funds Out of More Than $13 MillionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Inglewood woman has been arrested on a 15-count federal grand jury indictment charging her with defrauding venture capital funds out of more than $13 million by lying about her credentials and her now-defunct tax compliance startup company’s revenue, then using investors’ money to purchase a home, a Tesla, and pay for her wedding in the Caribbean, the Justice Department announced today.
Shiloh Luckey, 42, a.k.a. “Shiloh Johnson,” was arrested on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before she attempted to board a cruise ship for a vacation. Luckey was released on bond in the Southern District of Florida and is expected to appear in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
Luckey is charged with nine counts of securities fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering.
According to the indictment returned on September 1, Luckey founded the Los Angeles-based ComplYant App Inc. in 2019 and presented it as a tax compliance startup company that offered services to small businesses to help them navigate complex tax regulations in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. Luckey was ComplYant’s CEO and exerted managerial control over the company.
From September 2020 to September 2023, Luckey defrauded investors by promoting ComplYant as having existing customers and a significant recurring revenue stream. As part of the alleged scheme, Luckey persuaded victims to invest in the company by presenting them with pitch decks, investor materials, and updates that falsely inflated ComplYant’s revenue, customer base, subscriptions, and cash reserve balances.
Luckey also induced victims to invest by lying to them and representing that she was a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) with deep expertise in tax management, accounting, and compliance, when, in fact, she has never been a licensed CPA.
Relying on these false statements, pretenses, and misrepresentations, victims invested millions of dollars into ComplYant under the belief it was a promising start-up based on Luckey’s representations.
Luckey then used a portion of these funds to pay for personal expenses, including the purchase of her residence, the purchase of a Tesla automobile, and to pay her wedding on the Caribbean island of Anguilla.
By September 2023, ComplYant experienced severe liquidity issues and ceased operations, causing the investors to lose their investments.
In total, Luckey fraudulently obtained at least $13.3 million from her victims, with the victims losing their entire investments.
The indictment further alleges that, in September and October of 2022, Luckey engaged in a check kiting scheme to purchase her Inglewood home by intentionally writing a bad $1.5 million check from a ComplYant account with insufficient funds, depositing it into another ComplYant account at a different bank, and wiring the money to buy her home before the first bank realized the check was worthless.
Luckey then paid off the negative balance caused by her check kiting scheme by repaying the negative bank account balance with fresh proceeds from her securities fraud.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, Luckey would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud count, up to 20 years in federal prison for each securities fraud and wire fraud count, and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew M. Roach of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Former Postal Employee Sentenced for Obstruction of U.S. MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Lacresha Vining (“VINING”), age 27, of Independence, Louisiana, was sentenced to a one year of probation by U.S. District Judge Nannette J. Brown on September 3, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to obstruction of mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1701, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The Court also imposed a mandatory $10 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in September 2023, VINING knowingly obstructed the passage of mail while employed as a postal carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Kippers of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Former Nonprofit Executive Who Defrauded the Organization of More Than $1.6 Million Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison, Six Months of Home ConfinementRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John A. Miller, 77, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison, two years of supervised release with six months of home confinement, and $1,626,556 in restitution by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for defrauding the nonprofit organization for which he worked of more than $1.6 million and laundering the fraud proceeds.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in May 2025 and pleaded guilty this March to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction involving criminally derived property.
As detailed in court filings and statements, Miller served as the executive director and treasurer of a Philadelphia-based religious nonprofit organization that provided financial assistance to the widows and orphans of deceased clergy members.
From 2015 through 2022, he diverted money to himself by masking wires intended for beneficiaries with personal checks issued to himself. To conceal the payments, Miller made false and misleading records in the nonprofit’s internal accounting ledgers. In total, Miller misappropriated more than $1.6 million.
After Miller diverted the nonprofit funds into his personal accounts, he used the proceeds for personal expenses, including luxury travel and the purchase of a luxury condominium in Philadelphia. After being made aware of the fraud investigation, Miller liquidated the proceeds by selling the property. Despite the sale, law enforcement agents seized the fraudulent proceeds as the transaction took place.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alisa Shver, J. Andrew Jenemann, and Alexander Bowerman.
Former Navy Civilian Employee Sentenced to 72 Months for Bribery and Tax Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – James Soriano, a former public official at the Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego, was sentenced in federal court today to 72 months in prison for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.
According to his plea agreement, Soriano admitted he accepted bribes from defense contractors in the form of lavish meals, employment opportunities for family members and friends, and tickets to premier sporting events. In exchange, he used his position to help the contractors secure and maintain hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts.
Soriano also admitted to filing false tax returns in connection with the bribes he received.
U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson ordered Soriano to forfeit $209,527.51 and pay $18,722.40 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to Soriano’s plea agreement, the defense contractors – acting through their presidents, officers, and employees – gave various things of value to Soriano, including dinners at Ruth’s Chris, Island Prime, and Fogo de Chão; tickets to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game, 2018 World Series, and 2019 Superbowl; and jobs for Soriano’s family and friends, including Soriano’s wife and Soriano’s family friend, Liberty Gutierrez, who gave Soriano $2,000 a month in cash from her salary at one of the companies working under a defense contract.
In return, Soriano took official action to aid his benefactors, such as allowing defense contractors to draft government documents in competitive and non-competitive procurements, submitting those documents as part of the procurement process, and advocating for their selection as defense contractors. Soriano also willfully failed to disclose the cash payments he received from Gutierrez on his federal tax returns.
According to Soriano’s plea agreement, from approximately March 2016 through at least October 2019, Soriano and a coworker, Dawnell Parker, received bribes from Philip Flores, the president and CEO of Intellipeak Solutions, Inc., a defense contractor headquartered in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Soriano also admitted that from approximately May 2015 through at least October 2019, he separately received bribes from another defense contractor, with offices in San Diego and Stafford, Virginia, who gave him things of value, such as expensive dinners, a job for his wife, and rounds of golf at a private country club.
Further, according to Soriano’s plea agreement, from approximately June 2014 through at least October 2019, Soriano received bribes from Russell Thurston, the Vice President of Cambridge International Systems, Inc., a defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. In return for these bribes, Soriano used various methods to steer contracts to these defense contractors and kept his contracting activities hidden from the Naval Information Warfare Center.
“Corruption in federal procurement undermines fair competition and cheats law-abiding businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This is a strong sentence that proves corrupt officials will be held accountable.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Soriano should serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to enrich themselves through fraudulent contracting practices,” said John E. Helsing, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Department of War Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “This type of criminal behavior undermines the Department or War’s procurement system and erodes public trust. DCIS will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute public corruption affecting America’s Warfighters.”
“Mr. Soriano abused his position of trust to benefit favored contractors and undermine the integrity of the procurement process,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Merkal of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “This sentencing reinforces our unwavering commitment to holding public officials accountable when they betray the public trust for personal gain.”
“This case shows how greed and corruption drive people to exploit public systems for personal gain,” said Darren Lian, Special Agent in Charge with IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS‑CI’s financial expertise allows us to cut through even the most complex schemes, follow the money, and hold those who betray the public trust accountable.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.
DEFENDANT Case Numbers 23-cr-2282-TWR-1 and 24-cr-341-TWR-1
James Soriano Age: 65 Las Vegas, NV
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalties (per count): Five years in prison; $250,000 fine
False Statements in Tax Returns – Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7206(1)
Maximum penalties: Three years in prison; $100,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Former Marine and New Iberia Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Terrorism ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On September 8, 2026, Micah James Legnon, 29, of New Iberia, pled guilty in federal court to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Terrorists, in violation of Title 18, Section 2339A(a)(1) of the United States Code. His sentencing and the plea agreement’s formal acceptance before United States District Court Judge David C. Joseph is scheduled for December 11, 2026, at 2pm.
“Today’s guilty plea reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s actions and our Office’s commitment to stopping terroristic threats in their tracks—before they can cause harm,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “We are committed to protecting Louisiana citizens from these dangerous actors, and, along with our state and federal law enforcement partners, will hold accountable those who support vicious acts of terrorism and endanger innocent lives.”
“As we know in Louisiana from terrible experience, the threat from home-grown terrorists is real,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI is extremely grateful for the quick and decisive actions of our partners at the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office to interdict this threat and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its determination and resolve to prosecute this case. FBI New Orleans is working closely every day with our partners here in Louisiana and across the world to keep the people of this state free from terrorist violence.”
According to court documents, Legnon is a former U.S. Marine and former New Iberia police officer. In early 2025, Legnon joined the “Order of the Black Lotus,” a faction of the Turtle Island Liberation Front. Court filings describe the group as a radical, anti-government faction that used encrypted messaging to coordinate plans for explosive attacks. Members also discussed ways to build improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and use them in a specific, planned attack on a logistics facility in California.
Digital communication records showed that Legnon joined the group with full understanding of its purpose and agreed to use his military tactical experience to advance the planned attack. Throughout 2025, he talked with members about making IEDs and saved a photo of an explosive device with instructions on his phone. Legnon also offered to train others in urban tactics, target accuracy, and combat shooting. To this end, he downloaded and stored extensive combat-related guides, including material related to close-range combat, land navigation, patrolling, ambush tactics, and demolition. Legnon was further found to have kept assault rifles, SWAT and sniper training manuals, and other combat-related items at his home.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI with valuable assistance from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Nickel, with assistance from Executive Assistant Joanne-Henry Mills and Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon.
This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House-directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 6:26-CR-00198.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs: [email protected]
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
X: @USAO_WDLA
Facebook: USAO_WDLA
Cara Alexander: (337) 262-6704Florida Enforcement Leaders Hold Inaugural Meeting of the Florida Anti-fraud Task Force to Enhance Federal-State Cooperation to Detect, Investigate, and Prosecute FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, Florida United States Attorneys Jason A. Reding Quiñones, Gregory W. Kehoe, and John “Jack” P. Heekin, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier convened the inaugural meeting of the Florida Anti-fraud Task Force (“FATF”), a federal-state task force formed with a mandate to eliminate fraud within federal government benefit programs in Florida.
“President Trump has made clear that protecting American taxpayers from fraud is an enforcement priority, and under the leadership of Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, the Justice Department is building an aggressive, data-driven strategy to do just that,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The Florida Anti-fraud Task Force puts that strategy into action by bringing federal and state prosecutors, investigators, inspectors general, and data together to identify fraud faster, prosecute those responsible, and recover stolen taxpayer dollars. Florida is once again leading the way, and we intend for this partnership to serve as a model for fighting fraud across the country.”
“The Middle District of Florida is committed to protecting taxpayer-funded programs from fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Our dedicated staff and law enforcement partners will work zealously with the members of the Florida Anti-Fraud Task Force to investigate crimes, enforce the law, and prosecute those who commit fraud against our federal programs.”
“Thanks to the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Department of Justice is committed to fulfilling the fiduciary duty we owe U.S. taxpayers to safeguard their money against fraud, waste, and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, John “Jack” P. Heekin. “My district is aggressively pursuing frauds both large and small, and we are restoring the zero-tolerance threshold for crime that our citizens deserve.”
“The USDA Office of Inspector General is committed to partnering with federal, state, and local agencies to combat fraud in USDA programs that impact our communities,” said USDA Inspector General John Walk. “Leveraging resources across agencies at every level of government is key. I am proud to participate in the Inaugural Florida Anti-Fraud Task Force meeting which ensures strong collaboration going forward to fight fraud and hold those responsible who steal from Floridians and American taxpayers.”
The FATF is a first-of-its-kind task force that answers the call by Justice Department leaders and Florida citizens to build a model of federal-state cooperation to prevent and detect, investigate, and prosecute government program fraud and recover stolen taxpayer dollars. The meeting builds on the Justice Department’s recent announcement of the launch of the Fraud Division’s National Fraud Detection Center (NFDC), a prosecutor-led, multi-agency team designed to investigate the most harmful actors defrauding federal government programs, including illicit actors overseas and those operating fraud schemes across federal programs. The NFDC will bring together law enforcement agencies and analytical capabilities to generate criminal leads to drive more impactful prosecutions and enhance fraud-fighting results for the American people. The NFDC solves for a lack of cross-program visibility that has long hindered efforts to deter fraud on taxpayer-funded programs and has enabled some fraud actors to further perpetrate schemes across multiple taxpayer-funded programs without detection. The NFDC closes this gap by bringing partners across federal and state government together to break down silos and work collaboratively in a whole-of-government approach to eliminate fraud.
The NFDC’s success relies directly on the collaborative strength of partners across state and federal government. To that end, in July, the State of Florida’s Secretary of State and CFO joined several other southern states and entered into data sharing agreements with the Fraud Division and NFDC that provide access to publicly available corporate registration and public benefits payment data held by these state agencies, data which will help enforcers proactively identify connections and patterns across both business entities and public benefits payment activity. And, in August, the Fraud Division and NFDC announced data sharing agreements with fifteen federal agencies.
FATF will use leads generated by the NFDC to drive more impactful prosecutions and enhance fraud-fighting results for Floridians. FATF will also leverage the relationships, tools, and resources of other well-established and highly-effective anti-fraud task forces operating in Florida, including the Florida IG Council and the Florida Strike Force, a joint effort among the Fraud Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, FBI, and the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Federal and State Partners Represented at the FATF Meeting:
Federal Prosecutors: U.S. Department of Justice, National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
Federal Agencies: FBI, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Education Office of Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General, Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General, FDIC OIG, FHFA Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigations, Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Amtrak
Florida Prosecutors: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay, Associate Deputy Attorney General and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Director Kathleen Von Hoene.
Florida State and Local Agencies and Law Enforcement: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Financial Services, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), Miami-Dade Office of Inspector General, City of Miami, Palm Beach County Office of Inspector General, and Broward Sheriff’s Office.
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Felon in possession of a firearm sentenced to nine years in prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: An Ellabell man has been sentenced to federal prison following a firearms related plea agreement.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Torrence Veal, 37, of Ellabell, Georgia, was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
There is no parole in the federal system. Under federal law, it is prohibited for previously convicted felons to possess firearms or ammunition.
According to court documents and testimony, Veal was found in possession of a Glock, Model 48, 9 mm pistol in Chatham County in December 2024. Police officers with the Chatham County Police Department responded to a shooting at a Motel 6 in Savannah where officers learned that an altercation between Veal and an employee of the motel had occurred.
After the initial altercation, Veal left and later returned, located the employee in the parking lot and fired the weapon multiple times in the employee’s direction. Veal then discarded the firearm before fleeing the scene. A Chatham County firearm detection K-9 officer was dispatched to the location and a search of the area resulted in the firearm being discovered in a nearby gutter.
Investigators later determined the firearm was stolen. Veal’s lengthy criminal history includes prior convictions for aggravated assault.
“This significant sentence is a reminder that illegally possessing a firearm is a serious offense,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Illegally possessed firearms are a threat to neighborhoods far and wide; and those who endanger the public will face the consequences for their crimes.”
“Within minutes of this crime occurring, Chatham County Police Department patrol officers, detectives, and forensic specialists were on the scene to interview witnesses and gather the crucial evidence needed to make an arrest,” said Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley. “We are proud to partner with federal authorities in bringing repeat offenders to justice and keeping the streets of our county safe for everyone.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Chatham County Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case and was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia R. Jonese
Federal jury convicts three conspirators in $11M Medicaid fraud and kickback schemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted three defendants on charges relating to a Medicaid fraud scheme through a Henrico-based mental health agency. This case is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, twin sisters E'mon and Armone' Ambers, 31, and Traquan Brown, 32, participated in a scheme to defraud Medicaid through a mental health agency known as Divine Youth Counseling, LLC. E’mon Ambers was Divine Youth’s Chief Executive Officer and Armone’ Ambers was Divine Youth’s Program Director. Brown, who was involved in a romantic relationship with E’mon, was employed by Divine Youth and purported to provide counseling services on behalf of the agency.
According to court documents, between January 2022 and October 2025, Divine Youth submitted more than $11 million in fraudulent claims to Medicaid for mental health services known as Crisis Stabilization and Mobile Crisis. The defendants falsely claimed that two mental health professionals simultaneously provided services to Medicaid recipients, when in truth, at most a single mental health professional was present for the service. The false claims that two professionals provided “Team Treatment” services caused millions of dollars of loss to Medicaid.
The defendants also paid more than $470,000 in illegal kickbacks in the form of purchasing hotel rooms for Medicaid recipients. The defendants used the hotel rooms to incentivize recipients to obtain Medicaid services from Divine Youth, a practice the defendants knew and understood was wrong and unlawful.
E'mon and Armone' Ambers were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, payment of kickbacks, and transactional money laundering. E'mon faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 92 years in prison, and Armone' faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 42 years in prison. Brown was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud. He faces up to ten years in prison. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Court will hold a separate proceeding on Dec. 14 to address the defendants’ forfeiture obligations. The assets subject to forfeiture include $5,937,156.30 in funds seized pursuant to a federal seizure warrant. Additional forfeitable property includes assets involved in the transactional money laundering offenses, including two matching Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons and a residence purchased in Richmond, Texas.
The FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Day, Janet Jin Ah Lee, and Leighton Watson are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-24.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Men for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury in Providence returned separate indictments today charging two men with illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to the indictments, Edwin Aldana, 45, a citizen of Guatemala, was ordered removed from the United States on November 13, 2006. He later reentered the United States and was removed from the country again on September 7, 2020. On June 1, 2026, Aldana was arrested in Rhode Island. Aldana did not obtain the required consent from the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to reapply for admission to the United States.
In a separate indictment, Kevin Osvaldo Lopez Lopez, 25, a citizen of Honduras, was previously ordered removed by an immigration judge and departed the United States on January 12, 2021. On July 4, 2026, Lopez Lopez was arrested in Rhode Island. Lopez Lopez did not obtain the required consent from the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to reapply for admission to the United States.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lowell.
The matters were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Court Orders Forfeiture of Approximately $7 Million and Three Vehicles Following Conviction of Jamie P. McNamaraRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - On August 21, 2026, United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion entered a Final Order of Forfeiture in United States v. Jamie P. McNamara (“MCNAMARA”), Criminal Docket No. 22-151, requiring the forfeiture of over $7 million dollars in criminally derived funds, and 3 luxury vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
MCNAMARA plead guilty on May 29, 2026, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1349 and 1347, and was sentenced to ten years in prison on October 23, 2025.
According to court documents, MCNAMARA operated several laboratories in Louisiana and Texas, which obtained fraudulent doctors’ orders for genetic testing from telemarketers and call centers that used aggressive telemarketing campaigns to induce Medicare beneficiaries to agree to receive genetic testing. Orders for genetic testing were signed by purported telemedicine doctors who were not the beneficiaries’ treating physicians, did not perform consultations with the beneficiaries, and did not follow up with the beneficiaries after the testing was performed. To obtain the orders, MCNAMARA paid illegal kickbacks and bribes, which he disguised through sham contracts. In furtherance of the scheme, he also shifted the billing between his laboratories to evade scrutiny from Medicare and law enforcement and concealed his ownership and control of the laboratories by falsely listing the names of his family members as owners and company representatives on Medicare and other documents. In approximately one and a half years, the laboratories operated by MCNAMARA submitted over $174 million in claims to Medicare for genetic testing and received over $55 million in reimbursements.
Before MCNAMARA was indicted, law enforcement officers seized several of his assets that had been purchased with the proceeds of his scheme. In its recent order, the Court ordered the forfeiture of the contents of an investment account and a bank account held in the name of a company controlled by MCNAMARA, along with three vehicles purchased with proceeds of the offense, namely, a Land Rover Range Rover, a BMW, and a Ford F-150. In total, the forfeited accounts contained a value totaling approximately $7,051,089.08.
Asset forfeiture is a law enforcement tool that allows the United States to take property derived from, or used to commit, federal crimes. It is designed to strip criminals of the proceeds of their offenses, remove the instruments used to carry them out, and- where victims can be identified- return recovered funds to the people who were harmed.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney, Alexandra Giavotella, Asset Forfeiture Coordinator, handled the forfeiture component. Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.