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11 September 2025
Cherokee, Iowa, Man to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Roger Strickland, age 62, from Cherokee, Iowa, was sentenced September 9, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, to over 5 years in prison. Strickland pled guilty on April 25, 2025, to two counts of possessing child pornography.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from June 2022, through May 2023, Strickland received and possessed child pornography. Agents searched Strickland’s home on May 25, 2023, and seized several pieces of evidence. Agents asked to speak to whomever at the home was downloading child pornography and Strickland replied, “It’s me.” Then, while agents were awaiting results of the forensic analysis of Strickland’s electronic devices, law enforcement was again notified Strickland was receiving and possessing child pornography. Strickland admitted that between August 2023, through February 2024, Strickland received and possessed more child pornography even while knowing he was actively being investigated. In total, over 225 videos and 8,000 images of child pornography were discovered on his electronic devices. Strickland further admitted that the images and videos involved material portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Strickland was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Strickland was also ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution to the child victims in the case. Strickland remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Cherokee Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR24-4067. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Chattanooga Man Sentenced to 24 Months' Imprisonment for Threatening to Kill Member of CongressRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On September 10, 2025, Garry Lebron Hayes, 45, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by the Honorable Curtis L. Collier, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for one year.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Hayes agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with knowingly and willfully transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c).
According to filed court documents, in July of 2024, Hayes called the district office of a Member of Congress and left the following voicemail: “Chattanooga. I’m in Chattanooga. Yeah, you better ask your kids to f***ing finally kiss your a**—‘cause I’m gonna beat your a** b**ch. I’m gonna kill your a**. I’m gonna kill you b**ch.” Additional evidence of Hayes’s relevant conduct introduced at the sentencing hearing revealed that, in January of 2024, Hayes, while outside the state of Tennessee, called the office of a different Member of Congress, which was not located in the state of Tennessee, and left that Member a voicemail, identifying the Member by name and stating: “I will slice your throat, mother f***er.”
The Court-determined applicable sentencing guidelines range was 18-24 months. The United States advocated for a top of the guidelines sentence of 24 months. In imposing a 24-month sentence, the Court stressed that society must be protected from Hayes, and others like him, who threaten to maim, and murder elected officials with whom they disagree.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph Carrico, Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney David P. Lewen, Jr. represented the United States.
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Bowdoinham Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bowdoinham man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony offense.
According to court records, in September 2024, Brunswick police responded to a Walmart regarding a potential shoplifting incident. Upon arrival, officers were directed to Rodney Skipper, 46, who had gone outside to his vehicle. Officers noticed Skipper had an empty pistol holster on his hip, and were told that Skipper had been seen with a firearm in the holster before their arrival. A subsequent search of Skipper’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a 9mm pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, and a 10mm pistol. Skipper was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of a prior felony for assaultive conduct.
Skipper faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release for up to three years following any imprisonment. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Brunswick Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ryan H. Guerrant, 34, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 26, 2023, Guerrant possessed a Bersa model BP9CC 9mm at a Beckley residence.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Guerrant knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and escape in Raleigh County Circuit Court on January 15, 2010, for possession of a firearm by a prohibited carrier in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 13, 2013, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 25, 2017.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 5:24-cr-93.
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Beaufort Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Michael Thomas Martin, 54, of Beaufort, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Evidence presented in court revealed that Martin received multiple pounds of methamphetamine through the mail. The shipments originated with a Mexican cartel, moving from Tucson to Phoenix before reaching Martin in South Carolina. To avoid detection, Martin used sophisticated packing methods to send and receive the drugs.
On March 5, 2024, DEA agents conducting surveillance watched Martin complete a drug deal in a North Charleston area known for high crime and narcotics trafficking. Agents followed him, conducted a traffic stop, and discovered a magnetic box hidden in the engine compartment containing 56 grams of crystal methamphetamine. A later search of Martin’s residence uncovered more crystal methamphetamine, along with marijuana, fentanyl, and ammunition.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Martin to 70 months in prison to be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Goose Creek Police Department, Charleston Police Department, and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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Atlanta travel agent sentenced to over a year in prison for taking money from his clients for travel services he never providedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Atlanta travel services vendor was sentenced today to one year and one month in prison for defrauding multiple individual and institutional victims.
According to court documents, Maurice Eugene Smith, 45, operated a luxury travel company called EUGENE TORIKO LLC, which offered customized travel planning services. From at least September 2022 through November 2024, Smith took customers’ money for booking travel and converted it to his own personal use instead of paying to secure reservations that he or his employees booked.
Customers paid Smith and EUGENE TORIKO thousands of dollars for luxury vacations to destinations such as St. Lucia, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Guatemala. Smith then used customer money to provide refunds to earlier customers or for his own personal enrichment, including on sports betting sites or to pay for his own travel to such destinations as Mexico and Panama.
Customers often learned that their travel and hotel accommodations were not paid shortly before departing for or upon arriving at their destinations. The cost had to be covered by the customers, who had already paid, and some were reimbursed by credit card or travel insurance companies.
In addition to individuals who booked travel through Smith and EUGENE TORIKO, two university sports programs and a college paid for travel services that were not provided. A university baseball team paid Smith for airline travel, but ultimately had to pay additional funds for and utilize transportation by bus because Smith failed to use the money the university paid to EUGENE TORIKO to purchase airline tickets.
A college booked a trip to Thailand for faculty and students, but EUGENE TORIKO purchased one-way airline tickets for all travelers but one. Faculty and students realized that Smith had only purchased one-way tickets after they were already in Thailand. The faculty and parents of students had to pay for their return tickets out-of-pocket and were reimbursed by the college.
Through a third-party sports event marketing company, a university and its foundation paid for travel arrangements to the Bahamas for its men’s basketball team to participate in a basketball foreign tour. The travel accommodations included, among other things, round trip airfare from Virginia to the Bahamas; ground transportation by charter bus; hotel accommodations including daily breakfast and lunch on tournament days; and sightseeing to a minimum of two destinations.
On April 17, 2024, the university foundation sent a wire transfer of $55,914.60 to the sports event company. Two days later, Smith invoiced the company for the services that EUGENE TORIKO was supposedly arranging for the basketball team. The company wired Smith $40,800. On May 20, 2024, Smith sent another invoice for the balance owed, $103,841. The company invoiced the university foundation, which sent a wire transfer of $103,841 to the company, which in turn paid EUGENE TORIKO $57,736.07 on May 29, 2024, and $11,220 on June 10, 2024. In total, the company paid EUGENE TORIKO the entire amount of the above invoice, $109,756.07, using funds paid by the university foundation. Additional family members, friends, and supporters of the basketball team also paid the company and EUGENE TORIKO to accompany the team on their trip to the Bahamas.
Although Smith reserved seats on flights from Virginia to the Bahamas and reserved a block of rooms, he made no payments toward any legitimate cost associated with the trip. As a result, the resort and the airline canceled the reservations. Instead, Smith used the money in part to pay for his own personal travel and to refund other victims from whom he had stolen money.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hood prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 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. 1:25-cr-73.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Unlicensed Firearms DealingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty to dealing firearms without a license.
According to court documents, between 2019 and 2023, Anthony Lutz, 43, sold dozens of guns for profit. Lutz’s operation was discovered after Mexican police seized one of his rifles at a crime scene in 2022, leading to an investigation by the ATF that linked him to 11 additional crime scene firearms, six from crime scenes in Albuquerque and six from crime scenes in Mexico, and uncovered evidence of approximately 82 firearms purchased by Lutz, including 50 of the same two AR-15 models.
In his plea agreement, Lutz admitted to building receivers into functional firearms and selling them for profit using online platforms such as JasonsGuns.com.
Lutz pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully dealing in firearms. In the plea agreement, the parties agreed to recommend that Lutz serve a term of five years of probation and pay a fine of $30,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
View the Plea Agreement (Lutz).pdfArkansas Man Convicted of Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Bobby Joe Sheffield, 52, of Paris, Arkansas, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the collaboration of our state and federal law enforcement partners in the execution of Operation Safe Summer, and this successful prosecution by the attorneys in my office, this predator is facing justice for his attempt to victimize and sexually exploit a minor child. My office is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community against the predations of offenders who seek to sexually exploit our children, and we will not hesitate to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Trial testimony demonstrated that in July 2024, federal, state, and local law enforcement executed Operation Safe Summer, an undercover operation designed to apprehend individuals who use the Internet to sexually exploit children online. During the operation, Sheffield communicated with an undercover officer, who he believed to be a minor female, and expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the child. When Sheffield arrived at a pre-arranged meeting location, law enforcement arrested him and found condoms in his possession. A subsequent search of his cellular phone confirmed his communication with the undercover officers.
Sheffield faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by a term of five years to life of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Harley W. Ferguson and Joseph A. Ravelo.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2025, at 3:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker.
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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
49 Members of a Violent Gang Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in Bayamón, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 3, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 49 violent gang members from the municipality of Bayamón with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Puerto Rico Police Bayamón Strike Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with the collaboration of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bayamón Municipal Police, the Guaynabo Municipal Police, and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO).
“Today is the anniversary of 9/11 – the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil that took nearly 3,000 innocent lives. After the attack, Americans came together in unity, resolve, and determination to confront those who sought to harm us.Today, we face another threat to our communities – one that comes to use from criminal cartels – now rightly designated as foreign terrorist organizations – flooding our streets with fentanyl, other deadly drugs, and violence. In recent years, overdose deaths, mostly from fentanyl, have averaged over 100,000 per year. Just as 9/11 demanded a national response, the toll of gang violence and drug trafficking in our communities demands action and unity,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners, including those who participated in this morning’s operation, are responding and taking action to make our communities and our streets safer. We are unified and our resolve is firm.”
“This investigation, which falls directly under the Attorney General’s “Commitment to Targeting Violent Crime” is an example of how working together with our federal, state, and local partners creates an outcome that is positive for the community,” said Gordon Mallory, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Miami Field Division. “The men and women of ATF continuously strive to take the necessary measures to fight violent crime to include the illegal use and possession of firearms. Because of the hard work of these individuals, the residents of this community can take their neighborhood(s) back.”
The indictment alleges that from 2019 through the present, the defendants worked as part of a drug trafficking organization known as “Bin Laden Records” that distributed illegal drugs for significant financial gain and profit -- including heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) – all within 1,000 feet of the Virgilio Dávila Public Housing Project (PHP), and within 1,000 feet of a public or private school and/or playground.
The charging documents further allege that when the members of the gang perceived threats to the organization and/or its members, they incurred in violent acts, including, but not limited to, murder to protect themselves and their organization. They also transported, distributed, and profited from the distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the continental United States. The defendants also engaged in the trafficking of illegal firearms and ammunitions. As part of the operations of the drug points, the defendants and co-conspirators would obstruct and delay the work of law enforcement agents by obstructing the main entrance of the Virgilio Dávila PHP with shopping carts.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including acting as leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. The defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Jonathan Berríos Rojas, a.k.a. “Manita”
[2] Adalberto Rivera Robles, a.k.a. “Batata/Bata/Gordo/B”
[3] Jonathan Bermúdez Valdés, a.k.a. “Valdes/V”
[4] Jovany Rivera Robles, a.k.a. “Wiliador 1”
[5] Raymond Sánchez Santiago, a.k.a. “Churrun/Peca”
[6] Luis Ramos Oyola, a.k.a. “Homero/Father/Gordo”
[7] Brian Rivera Robles, a.k.a. “Calva/Calvita/Carba/Calvi”
[8] Joseph Siraguza De Jesús, a.k.a. “Joker”
[9] Oscar Rosa Marrero, a.k.a. “Josky/Oski”
[10] Edgar Joel Figueroa Rondón, a.k.a. “Chencho/Edgar”
[11] José Romero Rivera, a.k.a. “Chaleco/Chale/Ñeco/Wiliador 3/Ñecombel”
[12] John Michael Díaz Díaz, a.k.a. “Oxy”
[13] Roberto Hernández Pacheco, a.k.a. “Chino/Pri”
[14] Jonathan De Jesús Bonilla, a.k.a. “Abuelito”
[15] Ángel Gabriel Mojica Valdés, a.k.a. “Tazmania”
[16] Ardwin Fuentes Rojas, a.k.a. “Bartolo/Barto”
[17] Raúl González Santiago, a.k.a. “Mambru”
[18] Luis Esteban Rivera Pérez, a.k.a. “Teta”
[19] José Rivera Nazario, a.k.a. “Jose”
[20] Carlos Victor Ruiz Jiménez, a.k.a. “Bimbo/Bin-B”
[21] Carlos Javier Reyes Núñez, a.k.a. “Dutty/Duty”
[22] Ricardo Rivera Figueroa, a.k.a. “El Viejo”
[23] Ricardo Rivera González, a.k.a. “Ricky/Kiki”
[24] Geraldino Castillo Genao, a.k.a. “El Domi”
[25] Suriel Rivera González
[26] Wilfredo Jesiel Barros Robles, a.k.a. “Wiliador 2/Wilo”
[27] Ángel Ocasio Cancel, a.k.a. “Garabato”
[28] Michael Paredes Tollinchi, a.k.a. “Tonka/Tractor”
[29] William Nieves Díaz, a.k.a. “Willy”
[30] Yeriel Dávila Cosme, a.k.a. “Yiyo/Guillo”
[31] Luis A. Malpica Negrón, a.k.a. “Malpi”
[32] Cristian Reyes Bonilla, a.k.a. “Bebo Magali”
[33] Wesley De Jesús Serrano, a.k.a. “Boss”
[34] Jomar Vélez Bermúdez, a.k.a. “Borra”
[35] Kevin O’neill Rodríguez Rosa
[36] Kiven J. Rodríguez Rosa, a.k.a. “Boli”
[37] Josué Raúl Cantres Ríos, a.k.a. “Bolita”
[38] Rafael González Lastra, a.k.a. “Rafy/Rafi”
[39] Efraín Ramírez Cortés, a.k.a. “Banano”
[40] Orlando Dávila Bonilla, a.k.a. “Alex Magaly”
[41] Christian J. Rivera Maldonado, a.k.a. “Plo Plo”
[42] Christian Malpica Sánchez
[43] Carlos Javier Vázquez Rodríguez, a.k.a. “El Javi/Javi”
[44] Luis Cartagena Cabezudo, a.k.a. “Nenguito”
[45] Edwin Rivera Román, a.k.a. “Zuldo”
[46] Rodney Alexis Maldonado Marquez, a.k.a. “Ronni”
[47] Joel Manuel Vélez Bally
[48]Arnaldo Rivera Rondón, a.k.a. “Nandy”
[49] Taina Michelle Colón De Jesús, a.k.a. “Griselda”
Sixteen of the above-listed defendants also face one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and five of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Upon conviction, all defendants are subject to a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $50,735,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; AUSA Andrés Orr Sevilla, and Puerto Rico Department of Justice Special AUSA Javier Rivera Rivera, are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug trafficking and the firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges.
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).
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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10 September 2025
Virginia Nurse Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A Virginia nurse was sentenced today to over 87 months in prison and ten years of supervised release for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on an end-to-end encrypted messaging application. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
“The defendant, who occupied a position of trust as a nurse practitioner, used an end-to-end encrypted messaging application to disseminate images depicting the abuse of young children and bragged about the effectiveness of the measures that he used to evade law enforcement detection,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He thought that he could use technology to hide his crimes, but he was wrong. His sentence today should serve as a warning – to those that would harm vulnerable children, we will identify you, prosecute you, and bring you to justice.”
According to court documents, Lucas Fussell, 43, formerly of Onley, Virginia, used the Session messaging application to send and receive numerous videos and images depicting the rape and sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys with another individual. Fussell, who worked as a nurse practitioner, also discussed several of his male patients, including children, in these communications, and boasted about the sophisticated technological measures he took to evade detection by law enforcement. The FBI came into possession of the other individual’s cellphone. In June 2024, Fussell sent an undercover officer nine videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys. Fussell was then arrested in July 2024 and has been detained since. In December 2024, Fussell pleaded guilty to the indicted charges without a plea agreement.
Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. CEOS’ High Technology Investigative Unit (HTIU) provided substantial assistance in investigating the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Attorney’s Office Charges 88 Defendants for Federal Drug Offenses During Summer 2025Read the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted 88 defendants between April and August 2025 for federal offenses related to the trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. These federal charges resulted from sophisticated, long-term investigations carried out by federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, many of which collaborate through one of the various long-standing drug task forces operating throughout South Dakota.
“Drug traffickers who flood our South Dakota communities with illegal narcotics will be met with the full force of federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota is proud to work alongside federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to protect the public by disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations. We will continue to use every legal tool available to ensure drug traffickers face significant sentences in federal prison for endangering our communities and fueling addiction.”
Leading the effort to identify and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in South Dakota are multi-agency drug task forces located throughout the state, including the following:
- Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF), comprised of the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), comprised of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, DCI, the South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP), and the South Dakota National Guard (SDNG)
- Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA-DDE), DCI, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS)
- Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of the FBI, BIA-DDE, DCI, SDHP, SDNG, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, Tripp County Sheriff’s Office, Ziebach County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mobridge Police Department
Among the 88 defendants indicted over the course of the last several months were 16 defendants arrested during Operation Snowy Ridge, a two-day, multi-agency drug trafficking takedown in Western South Dakota.
Examples of significant illegal drug cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office this calendar year, and the federal prison sentences that resulted, include the following:
- United States v. Rikki Barrowman, et al.: Defendant pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (150 pounds of methamphetamine) throughout Pierre, Rapid City, and several South Dakota reservations and was sentenced to nearly 23 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Guillermo Calderon, et al.: Defendant pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) within the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City area and was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, BIA-OJS, and OSTDPS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Curtis Cummings, et al.: Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (fentanyl) Resulting in Death. He was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison; his co-conspirators each received 20-23 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by UNET. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Nathan Johnson, et al.: This 24-defendant methamphetamine conspiracy spanned the state and was one of the largest drug conspiracies in South Dakota history. The lead co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 27-36 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), DCI, the SFADTF, and the SDHP, with collaboration from more than a dozen other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Cory Linderman, et al.: Defendant was part of a group of people who worked together to traffic approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Rapid City area. He was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison. Other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 14-22 ½ years in federal prison. The case was investigated by UNET. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Quantiae Harris, et al.: This 26-defendant methamphetamine and fentanyl conspiracy operated throughout the Sioux Falls area. To date, numerous defendants have pleaded guilty and Defendants Hailey Schneiderman and Heather Downey have been sentenced to 16 years and 10 years in federal prison, respectively. The case was investigated by the DEA, the SFADTF, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce is prosecuting the case.
- United States v. Misty Stahlhoefer, et al.: This seven-defendant conspiracy involved the distribution of approximately 30-35 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Pierre area. Misty Stahlhoefer was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison. Other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 2-18 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Pierre Police Department, the Chamberlain Police Department, and the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Calvin Taylor, et al.: Three defendants were charged with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) in the Aberdeen area. Two defendants pleaded guilty and one was convicted at trial. Defendants Hillard and Fowler have received 10 years and 25 years in federal prison, respectively. Taylor awaits sentencing. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution of illegal narcotics by the U.S. Attorney’s Office is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the United States Department of Justice to 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).
United States Attorney’s Office Charges 88 Defendants for Federal Drug Offenses During Summer 2025Read the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted 88 defendants between April and August 2025 for federal offenses related to the trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. These federal charges resulted from sophisticated, long-term investigations carried out by federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, many of which collaborate through one of the various long-standing drug task forces operating throughout South Dakota.
“Drug traffickers who flood our South Dakota communities with illegal narcotics will be met with the full force of federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota is proud to work alongside federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to protect the public by disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations. We will continue to use every legal tool available to ensure drug traffickers face significant sentences in federal prison for endangering our communities and fueling addiction.”
Leading the effort to identify and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in South Dakota are multi-agency drug task forces located throughout the state, including the following:
- Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF), comprised of the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), comprised of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, DCI, the South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP), and the South Dakota National Guard (SDNG)
- Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA-DDE), DCI, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS)
- Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of the FBI, BIA-DDE, DCI, SDHP, SDNG, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, Tripp County Sheriff’s Office, Ziebach County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mobridge Police Department
Among the 88 defendants indicted over the course of the last several months were 16 defendants arrested during Operation Snowy Ridge, a two-day, multi-agency drug trafficking takedown in Western South Dakota. The number also includes Defendant Mario Balquier, a large-scale methamphetamine dealer based in Mexico with high-level connections to the Sinaloa Cartel. Balquier, a U.S. citizen, fled to Mexico in 2013 after being indicted on federal drug charges. He was recently taken into custody with the assistance of federal agents from South Dakota following a high-risk fugitive arrest.
Examples of significant illegal drug cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office this calendar year, and the federal prison sentences that resulted, include the following:
- United States v. Rikki Barrowman, et al.: Defendant pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (150 pounds of methamphetamine) throughout Pierre, Rapid City, and several South Dakota reservations and was sentenced to nearly 23 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Guillermo Calderon, et al.: Defendant pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) within the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City area and was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, BIA-OJS, and OSTDPS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Curtis Cummings, et al.: Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (fentanyl) Resulting in Death. He was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison; his co-conspirators each received 20-23 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by UNET. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Dilges and Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Nathan Johnson, et al.: This 24-defendant methamphetamine conspiracy spanned the state and was one of the largest drug conspiracies in South Dakota history. The lead co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 27-36 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), DCI, the SFADTF, and the SDHP, with collaboration from more than a dozen other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Cory Linderman, et al.: Defendant was part of a group of people who worked together to traffic approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Rapid City area. He was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison. Other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 14-22 ½ years in federal prison. The case was investigated by UNET. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Quantiae Harris, et al.: This 26-defendant methamphetamine and fentanyl conspiracy operated throughout the Sioux Falls area. To date, numerous defendants have pleaded guilty and Defendants Hailey Schneiderman and Heather Downey have been sentenced to 16 years and 10 years in federal prison, respectively. The case was investigated by the DEA, the SFADTF, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce is prosecuting the case.
- United States v. Misty Stahlhoefer, et al.: This seven-defendant conspiracy involved the distribution of approximately 30-35 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Pierre area. Misty Stahlhoefer was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison. Other co-conspirators received sentences ranging from 2-18 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Pierre Police Department, the Chamberlain Police Department, and the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
- United States v. Calvin Taylor, et al.: Three defendants were charged with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) in the Aberdeen area. Two defendants pleaded guilty and one was convicted at trial. Defendants Hillard and Fowler have received 10 years and 25 years in federal prison, respectively. Taylor awaits sentencing. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution of illegal narcotics by the U.S. Attorney’s Office is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the United States Department of Justice to 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).
U.S. Attorney and HSI Announce Repatriation of 16th-Century Hebrew Religious Text to Jewish Theological SeminaryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel, announced today the repatriation of a valuable cultural artifact, the Chamisa Humshe Torrah (Five Books of Moses), Venice, Giovanni di Gara, 1588, and Haftarot, 1589, Miniature, 162+60 Leaves (the “Di Gara Text”) to the Jewish Theological Seminary of the University of Jewish Studies in Budapest, Hungary (the “Jewish Theological Seminary”) at a ceremony at the Hungarian Consulate in New York City. The ceremony was attended by, among others, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton; Hungarian Ambassador to the United States Szabolcs Takács; Hungarian Consul General Istvan Pasztor; Rector of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Professor Gábor Balázs; and HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel.
“The repatriation of the nearly 450-year-old Di Gara Text to the Jewish Theological Seminary marks the end of the text’s 80-year displacement from its rightful home,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “The Di Gara Text was looted from the seminary’s holdings during the occupation of Budapest by Nazi forces in 1944 and was found in the Southern District of New York in 2023. Our offices are honored to have had a role in returning this precious text to where it belongs.”
According to the stipulated facts in the voluntary forfeiture order, statements made in court filings, and relevant online publications:
Giovanni di Gara was a Venetian printer of Hebrew books in the 16th century. The Di Gara Text is comprised of two works from the Jewish faith: the Chamisa Humshe Torrah (Five Books of Moses), or the Jewish Torah in book form, and the Haftarot, a series of selections from the Hebrew Bible. An image of the leather-bound Di Gara text is included below.
Lelio Della Torre was an Italian Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived from approximately 1805 to 1871. At some point during his life, the Di Gara Text came into Della Torre’s personal collection (the “Della Torre Collection” or the “Collection”). Works in the Della Torre Collection were stamped to indicate that they belonged to the Collection.
In or about 1877, after Della Torre’s death, the Collection was sold to the Jewish Theological Seminary. In 1944, in the midst of World War II and the Holocaust, Nazi forces invaded Budapest and seized and occupied the Jewish Theological Seminary, looting its holdings. The Di Gara Text is believed to have disappeared during this period.
In March 2023, Hungarian officials notified the Department of Homeland Security that a volume that appeared to be the Di Gara Text was for sale for $19,000 on www.abebooks.com. AbeBooks is an online marketplace used by independent vendors to sell, among other things, rare books. An image of a stamp in the volume was consistent with the stamp used by Della Torre to mark items in his Collection.
In April 2023, Special Agents with HSI seized the Di Gara Text, and, on October 4, 2024, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres issued an order confirming the forfeiture of the Di Gara Text for the purposes of having this piece of cultural property returned to its rightful historical owner in Hungary.
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Mr. Clayton and Mr. Patel praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from HSI’s Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Squad. Mr. Clayton and Mr. Patel also thanked the Government of Hungary and the Hungarian Inspectorate of Cultural Goods for notifying the U.S. Government of the Di Gara Text’s presence in the Southern District of New York, providing helpful information to effectuate its seizure and forfeiture, and hosting today’s repatriation ceremony.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Gianforti is in charge of this matter.
Two Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Involving Manufacturing of Counterfeit Pills Containing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Massachusetts men pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to their roles in a conspiracy involving the distribution and manufacturing of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and other controlled substances.
Elmidio Crisostomo, 30, of Lynnfield and David Depena, 32, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencings for Dec. 10, 2025. In November 2023, both men were indicted by federal grand jury.
Crisostomo and Depena used an apartment in Lynn to manufacture counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and other controlled substances. The defendants then distributed thousands of these pills to customers in towns including Malden and Revere. During a search of the Lynn apartment in June 2023, a large hand-crank-style press used for manufacturing pills as well as multiple kilograms of pills and powder containing fentanyl and other controlled substances were recovered.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department and the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Three Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Three people have been sentenced for methamphetamine possession and distribution.
Cody Ray Robinson, 32, of Belington, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in Barbour County. Robinson was previously convicted for drug trafficking and petit larceny.
Emily Ann Swecker, 34, of Coalton, West Virginia, was sentenced to 110 months in prison. Swecker who has prior convictions for drug offenses was selling methamphetamine in Randolph County.
William Charles Wilson, also known as “BJ Wilson,” 40, of Franklin, West Virginia, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for selling methamphetamine in Pendleton County. Wilson was previously convicted of domestic battery, assault, and drug offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; and the Pendleton County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Three Defendants Federally Indicted for Armed Robbery Spree That Shut Down Fairgrounds of the Minnesota State FairRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Dylan Charles Jungwirth, age 21, Kenneth Toy Spight, age 21, and Kemonie Hurd, age 18, have all been indicted by a federal grand jury with Hobbs Act Robbery charges. On August 17, 2025, the defendants went on a spree of gas station robberies in a stolen vehicle, using a highly realistic airsoft gun to threaten store employees. Their spree caused the nearby Minnesota State Fair preparations to temporarily shut down.
“The State Fair is one Minnesota’s most cherished traditions. It is a time for all of us to come together and celebrate the state and the end of summer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “These defendants brought violence to that celebration with their armed robbery spree. Anyone who does that will see federal charges.”
On August 17, 2025, at 5:56am, defendants Jungwirth and Spight robbed a Speedway gas station in Roseville, Minnesota. A few hours later, at 8:34am, defendants Jungwirth, Spight, and Hurd robbed another gas station, this time a BP gas station in Little Canada, Minnesota. At 9:05am, defendants Jungwirth, Spight, and Hurd robbed a third gas station, a BP gas station in Roseville, Minnesota.
The defendants robbed all three gas stations at gunpoint. At the third gas station, one of the defendants demanded the cashier’s wallet. The cashier refused and attempted to grab the gun. The defendant then struck the cashier on the head with the gun, resulting in a laceration and burst blood vessel in the cashier’s eye.
After the third robbery, law enforcement spotted a suspect vehicle and pursued it into St. Paul, where the defendants crashed their car. One defendant was arrested while the other two fled on foot into the woods. A search ensued. The other two defendants were later arrested.
The robberies occurred as preparations were ongoing for the Minnesota State Fair. The pursuit and search took place near the State Fairgrounds. At 10:20am that morning, law enforcement sent out an emergency alert, telling people that the fairgrounds were closed due to police activity in the area and to avoid the area south of the fairgrounds. Law enforcement later issued a second “all clear” alert.
The defendants made their initial appearances yesterday afternoon in federal court. All three defendants are detained pending further proceedings. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Fair Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, and the St. Anthony Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Stone County Sex Offender Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Galena, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court yesterday for receiving and distributing child pornography.
Steven Vincent Sanchez, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 200 months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Sanchez to spend 15 years on supervised release following incarceration.
On April 22, 2025, Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. Sanchez has prior felony convictions for statutory sodomy in the second degree and loitering within 500 feet of a public park, and has been required to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline Report after the file sharing service Dropbox discovered a video file containing suspected child pornography. Investigators linked the file to Sanchez and executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence in Galena, Mo., on Aug. 7, 2023. Investigators seized several electronic devices and found 234 images and one video depicting child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
St. Louis County Fossil Company Operator Admits Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man who recreates fossils on Wednesday admitted stealing $106,923 in Social Security disability benefits.
Scott A. Taylor, 50, of Wellston, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money. Taylor was granted disability benefits on Sept. 5, 1996. At some point, he opened Taylor Made Fossils, which made multiple-sized cast or molded fossil recreations. All business paperwork was in Taylor’s girlfriend’s name, but he oversaw the business, his plea agreement says. Since 2014, the business generated income ranging from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per month in all but three months.
On Oct. 1, 2023, Taylor completed a continuing disability review report in which he falsely reported having difficulty walking, standing, concentrating, feeding himself, shopping, using his arms, managing money, seeing, hearing, speaking and caring for his hair. He stated his vision caused him to walk into people and objects and frequently fall down the stairs, that he was in extreme constant pain, that it was dangerous for him to leave the house alone, that he could not feel his hands or feet and that even normal items would become too heavy to lift. All the while, Taylor was carrying large or heavy objects, doing yard work, using a cell phone, and walking normally while unassisted and alone. Later that same month, Defendant falsely claimed he had received no wages or income and had no form of employment since 1997.
On Nov. 1, 2023, Taylor completed a function report in which he reiterated his false claims about his limited ability to see, move and care for himself.
After an investigation by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Taylor’s disability benefits were discontinued. Taylor stole a total of $106, 923, his plea agreement says.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9. The crime carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Meth and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy involving 19 defendants and over $1.8 million worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Dontrell A. Powell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 32 and a half years in federal prison without parole for one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Powell pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2025.
According to court documents, an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization began on Jan. 17, 2024, when a Trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol searched a vehicle on a car hauler at a truck stop in Oklahoma City, Ok. The Trooper found approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of fentanyl pills hidden in a subwoofer speaker box in the cargo area of a Dodge Magnum. The approximate street value of the drugs was $1,850,000.
Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration removed the fentanyl pills from the Dodge Magnum and replaced most of the methamphetamine with sham methamphetamine before conducting a controlled delivery of the vehicle the next morning.
On Jan. 18, 2024, Dontrell Powell and his brother, Dreshawn Powell, 28, also of Springfield, Mo., arrived at the parking lot in a 2018 Mercedes Benz GLE, which was registered to Dontrell. Dontrell Powell signed for the Dodge Magnum, which had been shipped from California to Missouri under a false name, and drove it out of the parking lot. Agents followed the Powell brothers and two codefendants to Dontrell Powell’s residence, where they were all arrested.
When agents searched Dontrell Powell’s residence they found an Anderson Manufacturing multi-caliber, semi-automatic pistol, two Glock carrying cases, three high-capacity Glock magazines, including a drum-style magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition, several types of ammunition, and approximately $140,000. Agents also located four more large subwoofer boxes at the residence and a loaded Glock, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the glove box of Dontrell Powell’s Mercedes.
Dontrell Powell is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. His brother, Dreshawn Powell, was sentenced on July 21, 2025, to 190 months in federal prison without parole for one count of aiding and abetting the attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Parsons, Kan., Police Department, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and the Labette County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Sports Park Executives Sentenced to Prison for Municipal Bond FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER, former executives of the Legacy Park sports complex in Mesa, Arizona, were sentenced yesterday to six and five years in prison, respectively, for securities fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with their scheme to defraud municipal bond investors. Both defendants previously pled guilty and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
“The significant sentences imposed for this municipal bond fraud, along with the parallel civil fraud action by the SEC, reflect the commitment of our Office, the FBI, and the SEC to hold accountable those who exploit the trust of investors,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Randy and Chad Miller orchestrated a sophisticated scheme that cost bondholders nearly $300 million. Their scheme undermined confidence in the $4 trillion+ municipal bond market that communities across America depend on to finance essential projects. We will continue to fight for the integrity and efficiency of the municipal bond market.”
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In addition to their prison terms, RANDY MILLER, 70, and CHAD MILLER, 41, were sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay money judgments in the amounts of $7,289,134.89 and $4,798,980.19.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which resolved a parallel civil action.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney L. Heavey and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution.
Somerset County Man Admits to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in the Deaths of Four Individuals and Possessing with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County man admitted to distributing fentanyl and cocaine resulting in the deaths of four individuals, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Mauricio Gutierrez, 52, of Somerset, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi today in Trenton federal court, to a four-count Information charging him with two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the evening of June 22, 2022, Gutierrez distributed fentanyl on two separate occasions from his personal residence in Somerset, New Jersey which resulted in the deaths of four individuals. On September 27, 2023, Gutierrez was arrested by law enforcement and found to be in possession of cocaine that was stored in both his private vehicle and personal residence. Gutierrez admitted that even after becoming aware of the deaths of the four individuals in 2022, he intended to distribute the cocaine that was located by law enforcement at a later date.
Each of the four counts is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison, and the sentence of each count may run consecutively. Each count also carries a potential fine of the greater of $1,000,000, or twice the gross profits or other proceeds for the offense, and the defendant must be sentenced to a term of supervised release after any term of imprisonment imposed.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the North Brunswick Department, under the direction of Chief Joe Battaglia, and Franklin Township Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Quovella Maeweather, for their assistance.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigations leading to these charges is part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) operations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincent D. Romano and Christopher Fell of the Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Anthony Pope, Esq. and Joseph Alter. Esq.
gutierrez.information.pdfSecond Man Pleads Guilty, Two Others Charged in Robbery of a Montgomery BusinessRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, AL – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a second man has pleaded guilty, and two additional men have been charged, in connection with the March 10, 2025, robbery of a Montgomery dry cleaning business.
On September 10, 2025, Spencer Thomas, 67, of Prattville, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Previously, Zedekiah Sykes, 58, of Montgomery, Alabama, entered a guilty plea to the same charge. Sentencing hearings for both men will be scheduled in the coming months.
In addition, 51-year-old Spirit Hooks and 55-year-old Clinton Thompson, both of Birmingham, Alabama, have been charged as the third and fourth alleged accomplices in the robbery. An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
According to court records, on March 10, 2025, Sykes, Thomas, Hooks, and Thompson forced their way into the business, located on East South Street in Montgomery, by shattering the front door with a rock. Once inside, the men confronted the business owner and forced him into an office where a locked safe was located. One of the intruders displayed what appeared to be a handgun, later determined to be a BB gun, and demanded that the victim open the safe.
When the owner struggled to recall the combination, one of the robbers struck him in the left eye, causing visible bruising and swelling. The group ultimately accessed the safe and stole approximately $8,000 in cash. Before fleeing, they zip-tied the victim’s hands and feet and took his cell phone and car keys. The assailants then used the stolen keys to drive away in the victim’s vehicle.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits.
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).
Salvadoran National and Convicted Child Molester Charged with Naturalization Fraud and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Isidro Arcenio Alvarado, 57, a U.S. citizen born in El Salvador, appeared in federal court yesterday for his initial appearance. On August 20, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with naturalization fraud and passport fraud. The indictment alleges that Alvarado lied about his criminal history on his application to obtain U.S. citizenship and used a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate to obtain a U.S. passport.
“We will not tolerate illegal aliens or lying immigrants who get status to stay in this wonderful country if they hurt children,” said United States Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We do not tolerate any crimes against children. If you do this, we will kick you right back out.”
According to the indictment, Alvarado allegedly knowingly made materially false statements under oath and penalty of perjury on his naturalization application and during a naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In response to the questions “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following:…[f]orcing or trying to force someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?”; “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?”; “Have you EVER given any U.S. Government officials any information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading?”; and “Have you EVER lied to any U.S. government officials to gain entry or admission into the United States or to gain immigration benefits while in the United States?” Alvarado answered “No.” Alvarado took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on October 12, 2022. On March 7, 2023, Alvarado used his fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate to apply for a passport from the U.S. Department of State.
On April 25, 2023, police arrested Alvarado and charged him with committing multiple sex offenses against a child. On July 8, 2025, in the Superior Court of North Carolina for Wake County, Alvarado pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent liberties with a child. The state court judge sentenced him to a suspended term of imprisonment of between 32 and 58 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. Alvarado confessed to committing these the crimes against a 10-year-old child from January 1, 2019, through April 10, 2021. State law enforcement agents did not arrest him until after he naturalized, so immigration officials were unaware of his crimes prior to granting citizenship.
Alvarado is charged in a four-count indictment. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison as well as the automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE ERO officers and HSI agents assigned to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Division is assisting with the initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-208-D-BM.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Saginaw Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing over Ten Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BAY CITY — Devante Thomas, 32, of Saginaw was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for his possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on Thomas following his guilty plea for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, in January of 2025, the Michigan State Police stopped Thomas’s car on I-75 in Birch Run and found over four kilograms of methamphetamine. The Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team and ATF special agents then executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence. Inside, they recovered 579 more grams of methamphetamine, 27 grams of fentanyl, 108 grams of cocaine, and four firearms.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, in conjunction with the Michigan State Police Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Orr.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that CURTIS ELLINGTON was sentenced to 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern for his enticement of a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity and for committing this offense while being required to register as a sex offender.
“Children deserve protection from those who would exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “There is zero tolerance for this heinous conduct. Our Office will pursue every lead, use every tool, and bring every resource to bear to ensure that predators like Curtis Ellington are removed from our communities. If you suspect sexual exploitation, please reach out to our law enforcement partners.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
ELLINGTON was convicted on or about January 12, 2007, in Orange County Court of Rape in the 1st Degree: Intercourse with A Person Less Than 11 Years Old and sentenced to seven years in prison. As a result of this conviction, ELLINGTON was required to register as a sex offender.
On or about April 7, 2023, ELLINGTON, who had traveled to Orange County, New York, from Kansas, slept at the home of a 15-year-old minor (“Victim-1”). While there, ELLINGTON engaged in sexual activity with Victim-1. Prior to engaging in sexual activity with Victim-1, ELLINGTON engaged in numerous communications with Victim-1 via Instagram in which ELLINGTON discussed his desire to engage in sexual activity with Victim-1.
Individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are urged to call 1-800-Call-FBI.
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In addition to the prison term, ELLINGTON, 36, of Junction City, Kansas, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Middletown Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office in Junction City, Kansas, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
Providence Man Convicted of Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man pleaded guilty today in federal court to trafficking in kilos of cocaine, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Eluid Rosa-Escudero, 35, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10, 2025. The sentence imposed in this matter will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Court documents reflect that a three-month, multi-agency investigation into Rosa-Escudero’s drug trafficking activities culminated on April 10, 2025, with the execution of a court-authorized search of his Providence residence and the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine, $10,000 in cash, and other items associated with the trafficking of narcotics.
Leading up to the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement surveilled the retrieval of a package suspected of containing cocaine delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to the front porch of a Providence residence. The package was retrieved by a person who arrived by car and then drove to a nearby gas station where the driver met with Rosa-Escudero, who was in a separate vehicle. As the two vehicles pulled away, Rosa-Escudero was followed by a law enforcement surveillance team to his residence. East Providence Police effected an investigative stop of the car driven by the person who retrieved the package from the porch of the residence, who they then identified as being 15 years old.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Lowell and G. Michael Seaman.
The matter is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service Contraband Interdiction and Investigations Task Force, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department, the Pawtucket Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Police.
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).
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Prison Sentence for Man Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter Related to Vehicular Crash on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 5, 2025, Desmond Waukau (age: 22), an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and former resident of Keshena, received a 42-month prison sentence following a conviction for involuntary manslaughter.
The sentence, imposed by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on May 30, 2025. Waukau will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence.
According to publicly filed court documents, Waukau drove a car far in excess of the posted speed limit on a state highway that runs through the Menominee Indian Reservation. Waukau attempted to flee from tribal law enforcement vehicles that were going the opposite direction, and then he failed to negotiate a turn onto Crowe Settlement Road, which is an unpaved road between Keshena and Middle Village. The resulting crash led to the death of a passenger. Later examination of the vehicle revealed Waukau was operating the vehicle at approximately 105 mph five seconds before the crash, and 65 mph at the time of impact.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crime and remarked upon the need to punish the defendant for his acts. The court also discussed the need to deter others in the community from engaging in reckless driving.
The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case.
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For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on XPrior felon charged with illegal reentryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Miguel Angel Ruiz Guevara, 53, a citizen and national of El Salvador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of removed aliens and re-entry of previously deported or removed aliens following a felony conviction, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on August 29th, 2025, investigators encountered Ruiz Guevara at a hotel in Bowmansville, NY. They approached the room that he was staying in and questioned Ruiz Guevara regarding citizenship. Ruiz Guevara did not have any documents that would allow him to be or remain in the United States lawfully, presenting instead an El Salvadorian passport. Further investigation determined that he was ordered removed from the United States on three occasions, in 1992, 2005, and 2011. In addition, in September 2004, Ruiz Guevara was convicted of DUI for the third time, a felony.
Ruiz Guevara made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.
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.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Previously removed alien imprisoned for 17 years for immigration, narcotics, and firearms violationsRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 31-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in the Weslaco area has been sentenced following his conviction for illegal reentry after removal, conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver over five kilograms of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Nicolas J. Ganjei.
Jorge Huerta-Garcia pleaded guilty to the immigration and drug/firearms crimes in August 2024 and March 2025, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve a total of 204 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Huerta-Garcia is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the extensive elements of the drug conspiracy which attributed 643 kilos of cocaine to Huerta-Garcia as relevant conduct. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he had serious prior convictions which included an aggravated assault and firearm possession.
A federal jury indicted Jorge Huerta-Garcia in March 2024 for illegal reentry after removal. During this time, law enforcement was also investigating him as part of a drug trafficking organization. In September 2024, he was charged with the additional possession of drug and firearms crimes.
On Nov. 28, 2023, several vehicles were traveling in tandem in Hidalgo County, including a Chevrolet Silverado truck which Huerta-Garcia was driving. Alvino Lozoya-Ramon was the passenger. They arrived at a residence in Brownsville where Juan Alberto Monroy-Villanueva was located. All three men then placed wrapped bundles from the location into the back seat of the Silverado.
Law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but a chased ensued. After crashing through a ranch gate, Huerta-Garcia successfully fled the scene, but authorities took Loyoza-Ramon into custody. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 39.46 kilograms of cocaine.
The investigation revealed Huerta-Garcia was an illegal alien from Mexico who had been previously convicted in 2017 of being a felon in possession of a firearm and removed from the United States in June 2022.
Authorities ultimately arrested him in March 2024, at which time they found a loaded AR-10 rifle and assorted rounds of ammunition and weapon magazines.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Loyoza-Ramon, 56, and Monroy Villanueva, 42, both Mexican citizens who illegally resided in Weslaco and Brownsville, respectively, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to deliver cocaine and were sentenced in December 2024. Loyoza-Ramon received a 120-month sentence, while Monroy-Villanueva was ordered to serve 48 months.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Previously Convicted Federal Felon Sentenced for Defrauding COVID-19 Loan Program and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Jemel Lyles, 43, of Washington, DC, to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $281,947 in restitution, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In his guilty plea, Lyles admitted to submitting applications for and receiving funds from six fraudulent CARES Act loans. Additionally, Lyles violated his supervised release from a previous federal conviction for obstruction of an audit.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations.
According to the guilty plea, between April 2020 through February 2021, while on supervised release for a prior federal felony fraud conviction, Lyles defrauded the SBA and PPP by obtaining six fraudulent PPP loans. In the relevant applications, Lyles inflated the applicant businesses’ number of employees and monthly payroll amounts to fraudulently increase the amount of PPP funds he received.
Lyles also knowingly submitted both false payroll documentation and false tax documents to support the false assertions. Under PPP regulations, Lyles’s prior felony fraud conviction made any business in which he had a reportable ownership interest ineligible to receive PPP funds. Lyles fraudulently obscured either his ownership interest in the applicant businesses or the fact that he would be the immediate recipient and have primary control over the PPP funds to evade this legal restriction.
When Lyles submitted one set of applications, he omitted his reportable interest in the applicant companies Green Capital Construction and Landscape, LLC (Green Capital) and JSL, Investments LLC. In another set of applications, Lyles used the identity of his then friend and employee to apply for PPP loans in the individual’s name. These loans were then deposited into bank accounts that Lyles was a signatory. Then Lyles proceeded to use PPP funds in impermissible ways, some of which included expenditures such as a home gym, jewelry, child-support payments, personal retail credit accounts, food, and personal financial investments. In total, Lyles defrauded approximately $281,900 in PPP funds from the United States and PPP lenders.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Wenner, who is prosecuting the federal case, and recognized the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced for Vandalizing Jewish PropertiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years of probation on her conviction of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and defacing and damaging a religious building, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Talya A. Lubit, 25.
According to information presented to the Court, Lubit and her codefendant, Mohamad Hamad, conspired to damage and deface the Chabad of Squirrel Hill. The Chabad is a center for Jewish educational programming and occupies a building for Jewish religious services in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In the early morning hours of July 29, 2024, acting on their plan to cause damage to a Jewish institution, Lubit and Hamad spray-painted the words “Jews 4 Palestine” with an inverted triangle onto the exterior of the Chabad building with red paint. The inverted triangle first appeared in videos posted online by Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, of the current fighting in Gaza, where the symbol was used to mark an Israeli target about to be attacked by Hamas fighters. The act of vandalism was born from Hamad’s and Lubit’s shared growing animosity towards Israel since the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and the war that ensued between Israel and Hamas.
Charges against Lubit’s codefendant Hamad, which also include making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the United States and possession of destructive devices, remain pending.
As part of her sentence, Lubit agreed to pay restitution of $10,534 for the damage done to the Chabad property, as well as graffiti that she and Hamad spray-painted on an entry sign to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh the same day.
The sentencing hearing included the reading of victim impact statements from both Chabad of Squirrel Hill and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh regarding the impact the defendants’ vandalism had on their institutions and community. Chabad of Squirrel Hill described the damage of the spray-painting as “not only physical but deeply symbolic” and “a painful reminder that we remain a target,” with the incident having “caused distress and fear among our members.” The Jewish Federation stated that “the hateful words and symbols painted on our Federation sign revived deep feelings of fear, violation and vulnerability” and that the vandalism’s “premeditated nature based on our remote location made it clear that the target was not just property, but our employees.”
“Talya Lubit instilled fear in the Pittsburgh Jewish community by spray-painting a synagogue with the mark of a designated foreign terrorist organization, along with vandalizing the sign of a building belonging to an organization that provides critical services to members of the Jewish community and others,” said Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. “Protected speech obviously does not include damaging or defacing religious property, and our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the civil rights of all members of our community to practice their faiths and to live without fear.”
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lubit.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for His Role in Violent Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Leevah Mills, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, five years’ supervised release, and $42,909 in restitution by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond for taking part in a violent armed carjacking.
The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2023 with one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to both charges in February of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in the early morning hours of July 11, 2023, Mills and two others carjacked a 26-year-old man who had just parked his car near his Northeast Philadelphia home, with the defendant and others pointing their semiautomatic pistols directly at the victim, at very close range. The carjackers then pistol-whipped the man, took his cell phone, and drove off in his Dodge Charger.
Philadelphia police officers soon located and followed the stolen vehicle. As Mills and his codefendants were trying to flee police in the Charger, they collided with another vehicle and crashed into a pole on Castor Avenue, where the stolen car caught fire and was destroyed. Police quickly apprehended all three carjackers after the crash.
Mills’ co-defendants, Emmanuel Sia and Kysime Brown, also pleaded guilty to the charges against them and are scheduled to be sentenced in October.
“This roving crew of criminals ambushed and assaulted an innocent victim just trying to park his car and get home,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “My office and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force will continue to target violent individuals like Leevah Mills, to improve public safety and the quality of life in our city.”
“Armed carjackings are brazen crimes that leave victims with lasting trauma and communities living in fear,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a measure of justice, but more importantly, it is a promise to our community that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not relent in protecting innocent people from senseless violence.”
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
Parolee Indicted for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted for illegally possessing a firearm.
Malik Holman, 27, was charged in a single count indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed on Sept. 5, 2025.
According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2025, Holman was observed by Kansas City Missouri Police Department detectives in possession of a firearm. Officers detained Holman, located the handgun, and placed him under arrest for illegally possessing a firearm. Holman had met with his state parole officer earlier that day.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Holman has a prior felony conviction for robbery.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Pensacola Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Rashaad Tariq Lee, 31, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison for Unlawful Possession of Stolen Mail and Means of Identification. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I truly appreciate the outstanding investigative work by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that put an end to this offender’s fraud and theft schemes. Mail theft and identity theft has a devastating impact on the victims of such crimes, and my office will aggressively pursue prosecutions to ensure offenders face maximum consequences for the harm they have caused.”
Court records reflect that on February 22, 2024, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a residential search warrant at an apartment Lee resided at and obtained through fraud, utilizing a senior citizen’s identity. Law enforcement located stolen mail, counterfeiting tools, and identification for individuals’ including driver’s licenses, social security cards, stolen and counterfeit checks. Investigators identified 71 additional victims based on the items located and seized from the residence.
“This prosecution sends the message that mail theft will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, Bladismir Rojo, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue criminals who victimize postal customers.”
“Teamwork delivers results,” said Sheriff Chip W. Simmons, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. “Through our partnership with the US Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, a suspect in a stolen mail and ID case has been sentenced to 25 months. If you steal from our community, you will face justice.”
Lee’s imprisonment will be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face an additional period of incarceration.
The case was investigated jointly by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted this case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Robbing Federal Investigation InformantRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for robbing a confidential informant who was working with a federal agency in a firearms’ investigation.
Carl P. Lewis, 28, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in May to the following charges:
- Robbery of Mail, Money or other Property of the United States
- Using or Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for robbery in 2016.
Lewis was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, in October 2024, a confidential informant with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was exchanging text messages with Lewis about the sale of several firearms. The two men agreed to meet at a pre-determined location to conduct the transaction. When the informant arrived, Lewis met with him and demanded $2,500 cash to purchase the firearms. The informant asked to see the firearms before handing over the money. Lewis then retrieved the firearms from inside the home but became agitated and threated the informant with violence. As the two men began to struggle for control of the firearms, a second male from inside the residence emerged and pointed a pistol with an attached laser beam at the informant. Lewis forcibly took the $2,500 cash from the victim against his will. The incident was recorded on video. Lewis was later arrested on a federal criminal complaint and found in possession of a rifle and two pistols.
This case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly L. Galvin.
North Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine into the Las Vegas area. The government recommended a prison sentence of 135 months.
According to court documents, Efrain Macias-Amaral illegally entered the United States. Between June and July of 2024, Macias-Amaral distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute over 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. On June 11, 2024, Macias-Amaral sold an individual more than 2,000 grams of methamphetamine. On July 3, 2024, Macias-Amaral sold the individual an additional 2,000 grams of methamphetamine. On July 11, 2024, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Macias-Amaral. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a suitcase in the truck with plastic baggies which contained 11,026 grams of methamphetamine. When he was stopped by police, he provided officers a Mexican identification card bearing the name of Juan Rea Estrada.
In April 2025, Macias-Amaral pleaded guilty to two-counts of distribution of a controlled substance—Methamphetamine and one-count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance—Methamphetamine.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis for DEA’s Los Angeles Division made the announcement.
The case was investigated by DEA and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Penetar prosecuted the case.
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Nogales Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Pointing Firearm at Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Erik Alberto Beal, 28, of Nogales, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Angela Martinez to 32 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Beal previously pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer.
On April 11, 2024, two uniformed Border Patrol Agents were tracking an illegal alien they saw cross into the United States near Beal’s residence in the border city of Nogales. The agents had split up and were searching around Beal’s residence when a pit bull was released from the side door in the direction of the one of the agents. The agent drew his service-issued firearm at the pit bull and began shouting. Beal then came out of his house, retrieved a semi-automatic handgun from his nearby truck, chambered a round, and pointed the gun at the uniformed agent. A brief, but tense, standoff ensued until the second agent arrived and drew his service weapon at Beal. Only then did Beal put down his gun.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah Schmit and Serra Tsethlikai, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-02352-TUC-AMM-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-146_Beal# # #
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.New Orleans Man Guilty of Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RICKEY SMITH (“SMITH”), age 46, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 2, 2025, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to distribution of forty grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
According to court documents, in the latter part of 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information from the New Orleans Police Department regarding SMITH’s drug distribution activity. Through investigation, it was determined that SMITH distributed over 40 grams of fentanyl from his apartment located within the Eastern District of Louisiana. On November 4, December 3, and December 17, 2024, SMITH sold 3.493 grams, 13.97 grams and 56.6 grams of fentanyl, respectively, to an individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer.
SMITH faces a minimum term of five years up to a maximum term of forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on August 21, 2025, LAWRENCE WATKINS (“WATKINS”), age 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on or about June 22, 2023, Louisiana State Police (LSP) Troopers, FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force (NOGTF) members, and other law enforcement personnel were conducting proactive patrols in the Algiers area of New Orleans to combat violent crime. While attempting to stop and investigate a suspicious Dodge Durango vehicle, it sped off, chased by law enforcement, before striking a utility pole. The Durango’s occupants, including WATKINS, fled the vehicle on foot, but were later caught. After WATKINS’s apprehension, officers recovered his backpack that contained a Century Arms Micro Draco 7.62x39 pistol, multiple rounds of ammunition, $1,053 in U.S. currency, drug paraphernalia, and quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana.
As to the drug trafficking charges, WATKINS faces up to twenty years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. WATKINS will be sentenced on November 20, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force, and the Louisiana State Police. Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger and Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
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New Mexico Resident Who Trafficked Firearms into Connecticut Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIMOTHY GREGORY, 43, formerly of Questa, New Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 21 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking firearms into Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigation revealed that Gregory had offered to sell and ship firearms to an individual in Connecticut who is prohibited from possessing firearms. In May 2024, Gregory mailed a parcel containing a Glock 42 .380 caliber pistol and three magazines to Connecticut. In June 2024, he mailed a .223 caliber AR15-style rifle and two empty 30-round magazines to Connecticut.
Gregory was arrested on July 18, 2024. On June 5, 2025, he pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking. He has been detained since his arrest.
This matter was investigated by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Task Force includes members from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.
Neenah Man Indicted for Child Pornography ProductionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on September 9, 2025, a federal grand jury issued a two-count indictment alleging that Jeffrey J. Haskell (age: 26), of Neenah, Wisconsin, used minor children to produce child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2251(e).
According to the indictment, on or about January 11, 2025, and again on or about January 24, 2025, Jeffrey J. Haskell “knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced” minor children for the purpose of “producing a visual depiction” of the minors engaged in “sexually explicit conduct.”
If convicted of either charge alleged in the indictment Haskell faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment. He could also be fined up to $250,000 per count and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.
This case was investigated by the Neenah Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact: Public Information Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Naasón Joaquín García Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy, Sex Trafficking, and Child Exploitation of Members of La Luz Del Mundo ChurchRead the Press Release
Communicado de prensa en espanol.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel; and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA (“NAASÓN”), ROSA SOSA, AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, and SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA with sexual, financial, and related criminal conduct victimizing members of the La Luz del Mundo (“LLDM”) Church over many years. As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants engaged in a racketeering enterprise (the “Joaquín LLDM Enterprise”) that exploited the LLDM Church and persisted for decades to facilitate the systemic sexual abuse of children and women—including the creation of photos and videos of sadistic child sexual abuse. For decades, the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise operated for the sexual gratification of NAASÓN and his father, the former leader of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise, Samuel Joaquín Flores (“Samuel”), who died in 2014.
NAASÓN was taken into federal custody earlier today in Chino, California where he is serving a state sentence for the sexual abuse of minors. GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN was arrested in Los Angeles this morning and is expected to be presented later today in the Central District of California. NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN was arrested outside of Chicago this morning and is expected to be presented later today in the Northern District of Illinois. SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, and GARCÍA PEÑA are at large and believed to be in Mexico. The U.S. government will seek their arrest and extradition to face these charges in the U.S. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska.
“As alleged in the Indictment, for decades, Naasón Joaquín García and the other members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise used their position in and the resources of the La Luz Del Mundo Church to sexually abuse girls, boys, and women,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “They exploited the faith of their followers to prey upon them. When they were confronted, they leveraged their religious influence and financial power to intimidate and coerce victims into remaining silent about the abuse they had suffered. The Indictment includes charges against those who systemically aided Naasón’s alleged sexual exploitation of teenagers and young women, including creating photos and videos of abuse and other unspeakable criminal conduct. We commend the victims who have come forward for their extraordinary courage and desire to bring an end to decades of abuse. This Office will hold Naasón and others who aided this alleged abuse fully accountable.”
“A yearslong investigation that spanned the country and involved the support of dozens of courageous victims culminated with today’s charges stemming from decades of alleged exploitation and outright abuse of young woman and children,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “The defendants are accused of targeting individuals who gave LLDM Church their unquestioning trust and devotion and who in turn endured unimaginable crimes. Make no mistake, the defendants’ alleged cycle of victimization ends today. I thank the brave survivors who provided law enforcement with vital information related to these allegations, and I encourage others with helpful information to do the same.”
“Behind the legitimacy of a church and their many believing congregants, Naasón and his co-conspirators built an alleged criminal empire on the sexual abuse of women and children,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “This illicit enterprise hid in the shadows of La Luz del Mundo church while engaging in sex trafficking, child pornography, forced labor, and unlawful financial dealings. Each person involved is complicit in promoting then hiding these insidious acts, but it is this investigation that will bring all the years of mistreatment and sexual abuses to light. IRS-CI and HSI special agents partnered on this case and worked closely with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to bring Naasón and his co-conspirators’ alleged crimes out of the dark for all the world to see.”
As alleged in the Indictment and documents made public in court:[1]
For decades, in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere around the world, NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, and GARCÍA PEÑA abused the power, doctrine, and structure of the LLDM Church to threaten, coerce, and sexually abuse girls, boys, and women in the LLDM Church; to engage in financial crimes; and to obstruct criminal investigations into their misdeeds. These defendants and their co-conspirators were part of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise that carried out this scheme over the course of decades, abusing generations of Church members and then destroying evidence to evade detection by law enforcement. The defendants and their co-conspirators used the LLDM Church as a vehicle to commit sex trafficking of women and children; to induce victims, including minors, to travel to engage in forced and unlawful sex acts; to produce, receive, distribute, and possess child pornography; to employ forced labor of Church members; to illegally structure cash transactions and bulk cash smuggling; and to obstruct justice to hide their crimes.
NAASÓN, the leader of the Enterprise, managed a close circle of co-conspirators who facilitated his abuse of teenagers and young women. NAASÓN also directed his co-conspirators to produce images and videos of child sexual abuse and send them to him for his own sexual gratification. Law enforcement has seized many of these images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors that were created at NAASÓN’s direction. NAASÓN also instructed co-conspirators to select young teenagers in his church for abuse and to systematically introduce the minors to NAASÓN’s illegal sexual desires through personal interactions with NAASÓN under the guise of Church activities.
NAASÓN and his co-conspirators manipulated the doctrine of the LLDM Church to facilitate this abuse. Through LLDM doctrine, NAASÓN and his co-conspirators developed a culture of unquestioning faith and obedience to NAASÓN, including by teaching congregants from birth that they would be eternally damned and ostracized from their family and friends in the community if they did not obey NAASÓN or if they questioned him. NAASÓN leveraged that fear to prevent the many teenagers and young women on whom he preyed from rejecting his sexual advances and from reporting the sexual abuse to law enforcement.
NAASÓN’s exploitation of the church and its members follows a deeply disturbing tradition established by his father (Samuel Joaquín Flores) and his grandfather (Eusebio Joaquín González, known as “Aarón”), who founded the church in Guadalajara, Mexico, in approximately 1926. Beginning with Aarón and continuing with Samuel and then NAASÓN, each member of the Joaquín family who has served as the leader or “Apostle” has taken advantage of his position of power and control over the LLDM Church to sexually abuse, exploit, and rape its congregants. Each leader manipulated girls and young women by conveying that they could earn a special “blessing” by serving him, which often ultimately included sexual activity, including oral sex, manual stimulation, and ultimately, penetrative sex with the victims. This abuse occurred over the course of generations.
SOSA was one of the principal co-conspirators of Samuel and groomed for his sexual abuse and directly herself sexually abused many minors and young women for years, which grooming continued after NAASÓN became the leader of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise.
GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, Samuel’s wife and NAASÓN’s mother, groomed for her husband’s sexual abuse and directly herself sexually abused minors and young women, similarly for years.
RANGEL GARCÍA was one of the principal co-conspirators of NAASÓN and groomed for his sexual abuse and directly herself sexually abused multiple minors and young women for years.
NAASÓN and other members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise have also corruptly used LLDM Church congregants’ money to fund NAASÓN’s sexual abuse. Many congregants made financial contributions to the LLDM Church on the belief that their money would fund legitimate Church activities in the U.S.; in Mexico, where the Church is based; and in multiple other countries around the world where the Church is active.
NAASÓN used these donations to fund international travel, including expensive flights and hotels, for himself, his family, and young women he and his co-conspirators arranged to travel with NAASÓN to ensure he always had someone available to sexually abuse. NAASÓN and his co-conspirators also used the funds to purchase sex toys used in the abuse and cleaning supplies to destroy evidence of the sexual abuse. NAASÓN also used donations to fund his lavish lifestyle, including expensive cars, jewelry, clothing, luxury vacations, and private jet charters.
NAASÓN and his co-conspirators have threatened and punished victims and destroyed evidence to prevent law enforcement from discovering their crimes. After NAASÓN was arrested in California in 2019 on state charges related to his sexual abuse of LLDM children and young women, members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise executed a scheme to pressure survivors of his sexual abuse into falsely stating that NAASÓN did not abuse them. NAASÓN’s co-conspirators, acting at his direction, punished those who tried to speak out. Members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise also destroyed evidence, which included shredding paper files, setting evidence on fire, and submerging electronic devices in water.
NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN falsely held himself out as a lawyer working on behalf of the LLDM Church, and he used that position to prevent and attempt to prevent victims of sexual abuse from reporting the abuse to law enforcement. GARCÍA PEÑA acted as the head of public relations for NAASÓN and the LLDM Church and abused that position to prevent victims of sexual abuse from reporting the abuse to law enforcement.
This investigation is ongoing. If you have been victimized by the defendants in any way or have any information about their alleged illegal behavior, please call 212-637-1033 or email [email protected].
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A chart containing the defendants’ names, ages, charges, and the maximum and minimum penalties is set forth below.
The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of special agents of HSI and IRS-CI. Mr. Clayton also thanked HSI Riverside, HSI Los Angeles, HSI Chicago, IRS Los Angeles, the New York City Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside Sheriff’s Office, the Redlands Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California and the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Government of Mexico for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Lisa Daniels, Elizabeth A. Espinosa, and Michael R. Herman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Count
Charge
Defendants
Maximum Penalty
1Racketeering ConspiracyNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA, 56
ROSA SOSA, 59
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, 46
EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, 79
JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, 37
SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA, 43
Life in prison for NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, and GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN;
20 years in prison for NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, and GARCÍA PEÑA.
2Sex Trafficking ConspiracyNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
ROSA SOSA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUN
Life in prison
10 years mandatory minimum
3Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and CoercionNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
Life in prison
10 years mandatory minimum
4Inducement to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual ActivityNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
20 years in prison5Conspiracy to sexually exploit childrenNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
30 years in prison
15 years mandatory minimum
6Child Exploitation EnterpriseNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
Life in prison
20 years mandatory minimum
u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._indictment_-_english.pdf u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._superseding_indictment_-_spanish.pdf
[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Naasón Joaquín García Acusado De Una Conspiración De Crimen Organizado, Tráfico Sexual Y Explotación Infantil De Miembros De La Iglesia La Luz Del MundoRead the Press Release
English version of release.
El Fiscal federal del Distrito Sur de Nueva York, Jay Clayton; El agente especial a cargo de la Oficina Local de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) en Nueva York, Ricky J. Patel; y el agente especial a cargo de la Oficina Local de Investigaciones Criminales del Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS-CI) en Nueva York, Harry T. Chavis, Jr., anunciaron hoy la revelación de una acusación formal contra NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA («NAASÓN»), ROSA SOSA, AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN y SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA por conducta sexual, financiera y delictiva relacionada con la victimización de miembros de la Iglesia La Luz del Mundo (LLDM) durante muchos años. Según se alega en la acusación formal, los acusados participaron en una organización criminal (la «Empresa Joaquín LLDM») que abusó de la Iglesia LLDM y persistió durante décadas para facilitar el abuso sexual sistemático de niños y mujeres, incluyendo la creación de fotos y vídeos de abusos sexuales sádicos a menores. Durante décadas, la Empresa Joaquín LLDM operó para la gratificación sexual de NAASÓN y su padre, el antiguo líder de la Empresa Joaquín LLDM, Samuel Joaquín Flores («Samuel»), fallecido en 2014.
NAASÓN fue detenido hoy por las autoridades federales en Chino, California, donde cumple una condena estatal por abuso sexual de menores. GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN fue detenido esta mañana en Los Ángeles y se espera que comparezca hoy mismo ante el Distrito Central de California. NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN fue detenido esta mañana en las afueras de Chicago y se espera que comparezca hoy mismo ante el Distrito Norte de Illinois. SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA y GARCÍA PEÑA siguen en libertad y se cree que se encuentran en México. El Gobierno de los Estados Unidos solicitará su detención y extradición para que se enfrenten a estos cargos en los Estados Unidos. El caso ha sido asignado al juez federal de distrito Loretta A. Preska.
«Según se alega en la acusación, durante décadas, Naasón Joaquín García y los demás miembros de la Empresa Joaquín LLDM utilizaron su posición y los recursos de la iglesia La Luz Del Mundo para abusar sexualmente de niñas, niños y mujeres», afirmó el fiscal federal Jay Clayton. «Se aprovecharon de la fe de sus seguidores para abusar de ellos. Cuando se les confrontó, utilizaron su influencia religiosa y su poder financiero para intimidar y coaccionar a las víctimas para que guardaran silencio sobre los abusos que habían sufrido. La acusación incluye cargos contra quienes ayudaron sistemáticamente a Naasón en la presunta explotación sexual de adolescentes y mujeres jóvenes, incluyendo la creación de fotos y vídeos de los abusos y otras conductas delictivas indescriptibles. Elogiamos a las víctimas que han dado un paso al frente por su extraordinario valor y su deseo de poner fin a décadas de abusos. Esta Oficina exigirá responsabilidades a Naasón y a otras personas que ayudaron en estos presuntos abusos».
«Una investigación de varios años que abarcó todo el país y contó con el apoyo de docenas de valientes víctimas culminó con los cargos presentados hoy, derivados de décadas de presunta explotación y abuso descarado de mujeres jóvenes y niños», dijo el agente especial a cargo de HSI, Ricky J. Patel. «Los acusados están acusados de atacar a personas que dieron a la Iglesia LLDM su confianza y devoción incondicional y que, a cambio, sufrieron crímenes inimaginables. Que no quepa duda: el presunto ciclo de victimización de los acusados termina hoy. Agradezco a las valientes sobrevivientes que proporcionaron a las fuerzas del orden, información vital relacionada con estas acusaciones, y animo a otras personas que tengan información útil a que hagan lo mismo».
«Tras la legitimidad de una iglesia y sus numerosos feligreses creyentes, Naasón y sus cómplices construyeron un presunto imperio criminal basado en el abuso sexual de mujeres y niños», afirmó Harry T. Chavis, Jr., agente especial a cargo de IRS-CI. «Esta empresa ilícita se ocultaba en las sombras de la iglesia La Luz del Mundo mientras se dedicaba al tráfico sexual, la pornografía infantil, el trabajo forzoso y las transacciones financieras ilegales. Todas las personas involucradas son cómplices de promover y luego ocultar estos actos insidiosos, pero es esta investigación la que sacará a la luz todos los años de maltrato y abusos sexuales. Los agentes especiales del IRS-CI y del HSI colaboraron en este caso y trabajaron en estrecha colaboración con el fiscal federal del Distrito Sur de Nueva York para sacar a la luz los presuntos delitos de Naasón y sus cómplices para que todo el mundo los vea».
Según se alega en la acusación y en los documentos hechos públicos en el tribunal: [1]
Durante décadas, en Estados Unidos, México y otros lugares del mundo, NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN y GARCÍA PEÑA abusaron del poder, la doctrina y la estructura de la Iglesia LLDM para amenazar, coaccionar y abusar sexualmente de niñas, niños y mujeres de la Iglesia LLDM; para cometer delitos financieros; y para obstruir las investigaciones penales sobre sus fechorías. Estos acusados y sus cómplices formaban parte de la Empresa Joaquín LLDM, que llevó a cabo este plan durante décadas, abusando de generaciones de miembros de la Iglesia y destruyendo luego las pruebas para evadir la detección por parte de las fuerzas del orden. Los acusados y sus cómplices utilizaron la Iglesia LLDM como vehículo para cometer tráfico sexual de mujeres y niños; para inducir a las víctimas, incluyendo menores, a viajar y a participar en actos sexuales forzados e ilegales; para producir, recibir, distribuir y poseer pornografía infantil; para emplear la mano de obra forzada de miembros de la Iglesia; para estructurar ilegalmente transacciones en efectivo y contrabando de grandes cantidades de dinero en efectivo; y para obstruir la justicia con el fin de ocultar sus delitos.
NAASÓN, el líder de la empresa, dirigía un círculo cercano de cómplices que facilitaban su abuso de adolescentes y mujeres jóvenes. NAASÓN también ordenaba a sus cómplices que produjeran imágenes y vídeos de abuso sexual infantil y se los enviaran para su propia gratificación sexual. Las fuerzas del orden han incautado muchas de estas imágenes y vídeos que muestran el abuso sexual de menores y que fueron creados bajo las órdenes de NAASÓN. NAASÓN también ordenó a sus cómplices que seleccionaran a adolescentes de su iglesia para abusar de ellas y que introdujeran sistemáticamente a las menores en los deseos sexuales ilegales de NAASÓN a través de interacciones personales con él bajo el pretexto de actividades de la Iglesia.
NAASÓN y sus cómplices manipularon la doctrina de la Iglesia LLDM para facilitar este abuso. A través de la doctrina LLDM, NAASÓN y sus cómplices desarrollaron una cultura de fe y obediencia incondicionales a NAASÓN, incluso enseñando a los feligreses desde su nacimiento que serían condenados eternamente y excluidos de sus familias y amigos en la comunidad si no obedecían a NAASÓN o si lo cuestionaban. NAASÓN aprovechó de ese miedo para evitar que las numerosas adolescentes y mujeres jóvenes de las que abusaba rechazaran sus insinuaciones sexuales y denunciaran los abusos sexuales a las fuerzas del orden.
La explotación de NAASÓN de la iglesia y sus miembros sigue una tradición profundamente inquietante establecida por su padre (Samuel Joaquín Flores) y su abuelo (Eusebio Joaquín González, conocido como «Aarón»), quienes fundaron la iglesia en Guadalajara, México, aproximadamente en 1926. Comenzando con Aarón y continuando con Samuel y luego NAASÓN, cada miembro de la familia Joaquín que ha servido como líder o «apóstol» se ha aprovechado de su posición de poder y control sobre la Iglesia LLDM para abusar sexualmente, explotar y violar a sus feligreses. Cada líder manipulaba a las niñas y mujeres jóvenes haciéndoles creer que podían obtener una «bendición» especial si le servían, lo que a menudo incluía actividades sexuales, como sexo oral, estimulación manual y, en última instancia, sexo con penetración con las víctimas. Estos abusos se produjeron a lo largo de varias generaciones.
SOSA fue una de las principales cómplices de Samuel y preparó a muchas menores y mujeres jóvenes para su abuso sexual, además de abusar sexualmente de ellas directamente durante años, lo que continuó después de que NAASÓN se convirtiera en el líder de la empresa Joaquín LLDM.
GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, esposa de Samuel y madre de NAASÓN, acicalaba a menores de edad y a mujeres para que su marido cometiera abusos sexuales y ella misma igualmente, abusó sexualmente de menores y mujeres jóvenes también durante años.
RANGEL GARCÍA fue una de las principales cómplices de NAASÓN y preparó el terreno para sus abusos sexuales, además de abusar sexualmente de múltiples menores y mujeres jóvenes durante años.
NAASÓN y otros miembros de la empresa Joaquín LLDM también han utilizado de forma corrupta el dinero de los feligreses de la Iglesia LLDM para financiar los abusos sexuales de NAASÓN. Muchos feligreses dieron sus diezmos a la Iglesia LLDM creyendo que su dinero financiaría actividades legítimas de la Iglesia en Estados Unidos, en México, donde tiene su sede la Iglesia, y en muchos otros países del mundo donde la Iglesia está activa.
NAASÓN utilizó estas donaciones para financiar viajes internacionales, incluyendo vuelos y hoteles caros, para él, su familia y las jóvenes que él y sus cómplices organizaban para viajar con NAASÓN con el fin de asegurarse de que siempre tuviera a alguien disponible para abusar sexualmente. NAASÓN y sus cómplices también utilizaron los fondos y diezmos para comprar juguetes sexuales utilizados en los abusos y productos de limpieza para destruir las pruebas de los abusos sexuales. NAASÓN también utilizó las donaciones para financiar su lujoso estilo de vida, incluyendo coches caros, joyas, ropa, vacaciones de lujo y vuelos en jets privados.
NAASÓN y sus cómplices amenazaron y castigaron a las víctimas y destruyeron pruebas para evitar que las fuerzas del orden descubrieran sus delitos. Después de que NAASÓN fuera detenido en California en 2019 por cargos estatales relacionados con el abuso sexual de niñas y jóvenes de LLDM, los miembros de la organización Joaquín LLDM ejecutaron un plan para presionar a las sobrevivientes de su abuso sexual para que declararan falsamente que NAASÓN no las había abusado. Los cómplices de NAASÓN, actuando bajo sus órdenes, castigaron a quienes intentaron denunciar los hechos. Los miembros de la organización Joaquín LLDM también destruyeron pruebas, lo que incluyó triturar archivos en papel, quemar pruebas y sumergir dispositivos electrónicos en agua.
NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN se hizo pasar falsamente por un abogado que trabajaba en nombre de la Iglesia LLDM y utilizó esa posición para impedir e intentar impedir que las víctimas de abuso sexual denunciaran el abuso a las fuerzas del orden. GARCÍA PEÑA actuó como jefe de relaciones públicas de NAASÓN y de la Iglesia LLDM y abusó de esa posición para impedir que las víctimas de abuso sexual denunciaran el abuso a las fuerzas del orden.
Esta investigación sigue en curso. Si ha sido usted víctima de los acusados de alguna manera o tiene información sobre su presunto comportamiento ilegal, llame al 212-637-1033 o envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected].
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A continuación, se incluye un cuadro con los nombres, edades, cargos y penas máximas y mínimas de los acusados.
Las penas mínimas y máximas previstas por la ley son establecidas por el Congreso y se proporcionan aquí solo con fines informativos, ya que cualquier sentencia de los acusados será determinada por un juez.
El Sr. Clayton elogió la excelente labor de investigación realizada por los agentes especiales de HSI e IRS-CI. El Sr. Clayton también agradeció a HSI Riverside, HSI Los Ángeles, HSI Chicago, IRS Los Ángeles, el Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York, el Departamento del Sheriff del Condado de Los Ángeles, la Oficina del Sheriff de Riverside, el Departamento de Policía de Redlands, la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de San Bernardino, la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA), las fiscalías federales del Distrito Central de California y del Distrito Norte de Illinois, la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos y al Gobierno de México por su ayuda.
Este caso está siendo tramitado por la Unidad de Delitos Violentos y Delincuencia Organizada de la Fiscalía. Los fiscales adjuntos Ryan W. Allison, Lisa Daniels, Elizabeth A. Espinosa y Michael R. Herman están a cargo de la acusación.
Los cargos que figuran en la acusación son meras acusaciones, y los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad.
Cargo
Cargo
Acusados
Pena máxima
1Conspiración de Crimen OrganizadoNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA, 56
ROSA SOSA, 59
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, 46
EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, 79
JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, 37
SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA, 43
Cadena perpetua para NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA y GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN;
20 años de prisión para NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN y GARCÍA PEÑA.
2Conspiración de tráfico sexualNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
ROSA SOSA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN
Cadena perpetua
10 años de prisión como mínimo obligatorio
3Trata sexual mediante el uso de la fuerza, el fraude y la coacciónNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
Cadena perpetua
10 años de prisión como mínimo obligatorio
4Inducción a viajar para participar en actividades sexuales ilegalesNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
20 años de prisión5Conspiración para explotar sexualmente a menoresNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
30 años de prisión
15 años de prisión como pena mínima obligatoria
6Conspiración de explotación infantilNAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA
AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA
Cadena perpetua
20 años de prisión mínima obligatoria
u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._superseding_indictment_-_spanish.pdf u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._superseding_indictment_-_english.pdf
[1] Como indica la fase introductoria, la totalidad del texto de la acusación y la descripción de la acusación que aquí se expone constituyen únicamente alegaciones, y todos los hechos descritos deben considerarse como alegaciones.
Monongalia County Man Admits to Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Fred Bolden, 61, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to moving to West Virginia and failing to update his required sex offender registration.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bolden is required to register for life as a sex offender because of a prior rape conviction in Ohio. He moved from Ohio to West Virginia in 2023 without updating his sex offender registration.
Bolden faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Mexican national illegally living in Nacogdoches, sentenced to federal prison for possessing firearm equipped with machinegun conversion deviceRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Nacogdoches, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a machinegun in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Joel Bustamante Moreno, 26, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession or transfer of a machinegun and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 10, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in December 2023, Moreno was identified during an investigation involving the distribution of machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) in the Nacogdoches area. MCD’s are small mechanisms that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a firearm, converting a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. On February 1, 2024, Moreno sold a pistol and an AR-style rifle that had been converted into fully automatic weapons. In addition to the firearms, Moreno sold two 100-round drum magazines and one 30-round magazine for the AR-style rifle, as well as three pistol magazines and live ammunition. After the transaction, law enforcement attempted to arrest Moreno and he fled the scene at a high rate of speed, eventually overturing his vehicle and continuing to evade on foot. Moreno was eventually located hiding inside of a residence. SWAT members were dispatched, and Moreno was taken into custody. Further investigation revealed Moreno was a Mexican national and did not have permission to be in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Nacogdoches Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Homeland Security Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
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Mexican National with Felony Drug Conviction Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national made her initial court appearance yesterday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Maria Vega-Villalba, 45, is charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 23, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J Albregts.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Vega-Villalba is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on May 16, 2024, and reentered the United States illegally. Fifteen months after Vega-Villalba was deported, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested her in a targeted operation on August 21, 2025.
On January 23, 2023, the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County, convicted Vega-Villalba of Attempt Sale or Transportation for Sale of a Narcotic Drug (Fentanyl). Upon release from prison, an Immigration Judge on May 14, 2024, ordered Vega-Villalba removed. Two days later, she was deported to Mexico.
If convicted, Vega-Villalba faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Jason Knight made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being RemovedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being removed multiple times was sentenced today to twelve months and one day in federal prison.
Fabian Arias-Ramirez, age 39, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Hampton, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 12, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been removed from the country.
At the guilty plea, Arias-Ramirez admitted he had previously been removed from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Arias-Ramirez was previously ordered removed in 2013 but absconded and was not actually removed until 2019. After being removed in 2019, he was caught attempting to enter the country on multiple occasions and removed each time. On April 22, 2025, immigration officials encountered Arias-Ramirez in Iowa Falls, Iowa, after he met with his probation officer following his second conviction for Operating While Intoxicated.
This conviction was Arias-Ramirez’s third federal conviction for a crime related to illegal immigration. He was previously convicted of two misdemeanor offenses of illegal entry. Additionally, he has been convicted of Operating While Intoxicated in Iowa state court twice, in 2013 and 2024, as well as being convicted of Criminal Mischief.
Arias-Ramirez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to twelve months and one day of imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-40.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Maryland Woman Arraigned for Defrauding the D.C. Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jariatu Jalloh, 39, a Maryland resident, was arraigned September 8, 2025, on nine counts of first-degree fraud and nine counts of first-degree theft related to fraudulent billing submitted to the District’s Medicaid program, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
According to the government’s evidence, Jalloh was employed by a District Mental Health Rehabilitation Service (MHRS) provider as a community support worker (CSW). MHRS provides for diagnostic and assessment services, counseling, medication, intensive day treatment, and crisis or emergency services. A CSW provides community support services by helping consumers learn and improve basic life skills, such as managing their medication, increasing social skills, and learning how to apply for housing or a job.
The indictment alleges that between August 2021 and continuing through July 2023, while employed by the District MHRS provider, Jalloh engaged in a scheme to defraud the District’s Medicaid program by submitting encounter notes for community support services she did not provide and overbilling for services she allegedly provided to District Medicaid beneficiaries. Through this scheme, Jalloh caused the District government and its Medicaid program to pay over $234,500 for CSW services she did not render and overpayment for services she allegedly provided.
Joining in the announcement was Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
This case is being investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuela Charles, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Making a [drug] run for border: Jury convicts driver who used Taco Bell wrappers to smuggle methamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 57-year-old Mexican national has been found guilty of conspiracy to import 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before convicting Jose Luis Valverde-Ramos following a two-day trial.
On June 14, Valverde-Ramos drove a Mitsubishi Outlander bearing Mexican plates to the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge in Laredo.
When questioned, Valverde-Ramos said he was going to Dallas to see a doctor for blood pressure treatment. Law enforcement noticed anomalies in the vehicle’s ceiling and referred him to secondary inspection.
At trial, the jury heard that an x-ray examination revealed the vehicle had a modified, non-factory compartment in the ceiling that was electronically controlled. Authorities discovered eight tube-like packages inside the box, each wrapped in clear plastic with Taco Bell Doritos Locos packaging around them.
The bundles field tested positive for methamphetamine which had a total weight of 51.15 kilograms.
The jury heard Valverde-Ramos asked if a GPS had been found in the vehicle, claiming someone contacted him about his arrival in Laredo, even though he had not shared his location. They also saw photos of the modified vehicle and listened to voice memos from others instructing Valverde-Ramos where and when to cross into the United States.
The defense argued Valverde-Ramos had no knowledge of the narcotics. The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 9. At that time, Valverde-Ramos faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Valverde-Ramos will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Oliver and Leslie Cortez prosecuted the case.
Kansas City Man Sentenced for Possession and Transfer of MachinegunsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for possession and transfer of machineguns, including machine gun conversion devices or “switches.”
Davorian M. Fleming, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 37 months’ imprisonment on Sept. 9, 2025.
On April 3, 2025, Fleming pleaded guilty to possession and transfer of machineguns. Fleming admitted the ‘switches” were machineguns and that he aided his co-defendants in the transfer of the machineguns.
Fleming’s co-defendant, K’Orion A. Duff, 23, also of Kansas City, Mo., was previously sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for his involvement in the distribution of machinegun conversion devices. Two co-defendants are still awaiting sentencing.
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess or transfer a machinegun, as that term is defined in Title 26, United States Code, Section 5845(b). This definition includes machine gun conversion devices often referred to as “switches.” A machine gun conversion device allows a semi-automatic firearm to be modified to function as a fully automatic firearm.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).