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9 September 2025
Former CEO of Orange County-Based Private Equity Fund Charged with Conning Investors Out of $62.5 Million via Bogus Promissory NotesRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man who was the founder and CEO of a private equity fund has been charged with defrauding hundreds of investors out of approximately $62.5 million via a promissory note scam involving real estate, Broadway shows, and cryptocurrency, the Justice Department announced today.
Marco Giovanni Santarelli, 56, of Laguna Niguel, is charged with one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance on October 20 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
According to an information filed Monday, Santarelli founded and was the CEO of Norada Capital Management (NCM), a Laguna Niguel-based private equity fund. From June 2020 to June 2024, Santarelli solicited hundreds of investors nationwide to invest in unsecured promissory notes ranging from $25,000 to $500,000. He promised via marketing a high-yield monthly interest rate – approximately 12% to 15% – over three to seven years.
Santarelli told investors they would receive monthly interest payments from income generated from five categories of businesses in which NCM would invest their money, including e-commerce, real estate, Broadway shows, and cryptocurrency.
Via webinars, Santarelli promised that the notes were backed by diversified assets under management and offered steady, predictable monthly returns. He further promised that NCM was to be a “hands-off passive investment,” perfect for retirement funds, according to the information.
Santarelli also provided balance sheets to investors listing the status of the assets, liabilities, and equity of NCM to the note holders, which listed the total asset value between $143.3 million and $224 million.
In fact, NCM did not pay the promised returns and interest payments. Instead, the fund invested in risky assets that did not provide the promised safety and security, was unprofitable, had very little return on investment, and a large amount of debt. The balance sheets sent to investors hid more than $90 million in debt and included inflated assets. In Ponzi-scheme fashion, Santarelli made interest payments to investors using other investors’ money.
In total, Santarelli caused more than 500 investors to lose approximately $62.5 million.
An information contains allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Santarelli would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are investigating this matter with assistance from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Federal law enforcement has seized more than $5 million in proceeds connected to this scheme and continues to look for additional assets.
Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier is prosecuting this case.
Former Army Soldier Sentenced to Concurrent Sentences of Life for Sexually Abusing Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
Defendant faces a minimum of 30 years imprisonment
SAVANNAH, GA: A former Army soldier was sentenced on Thursday, September 4, 2025, after sexually abusing two children on Fort Stewart Military Reservation in Georgia.
Austin Michael Burak, 32, Oak Harbor, WA, was convicted of abusive sexual contact of a child and aggravated sexual abuse of a child following a jury trial in the Southern District of Georgia, said Meg E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker sentenced Burak to lifetime imprisonment for each of the two minor victims.
“There are appropriately severe consequences for sexually assaulting children,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who prey on the most innocent among us. The community is safer now that a sexual predator will spend the rest of his life imprisoned.”
As described in courtroom testimony, in August of 2017, Burak sexually abused and raped two minor boys while they slept in the safety of their own beds. Three other witnesses testified at trial to being sexually assaulted by Burak when they were minors, including one recounting years of sexual abuse at his hands.
“The FBI is unwavering in its commitment to protect our most vulnerable—our children,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentence ensures that Austin Burak will never again have the opportunity to harm another child, and it demonstrates the dedication of our agents and law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to bring justice to survivors of these heinous crimes.”
“The sentencing of Austin Burak represents a significant outcome in the pursuit of justice for the victims in this horrific case,” said Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Western Field Office. “Army CID worked diligently alongside our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to protecting our communities.”
The case was investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sherri A. Stephan and Michael Z. Spitulnik.
Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Arrest in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyzell Myrick, 29, of Bowie, Maryland, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Myrick is charged federally with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on Aug. 17, 2025, at around midnight, MPD officers were on patrol in the U Street corridor when they noticed Myrick allegedly carrying a firearm in his waistband. The officers recovered a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and an additional 20 rounds in the magazine.
Myrick is prohibited from possession of a firearm and ammunition due to a prior 2018 conviction for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the MPD. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Charges Filed Against Madison Man for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Alex Cornelius Smith, 47, of Madison, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Smith appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on September 5, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for October 27, 2025 at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Smith faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment with a maximum of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Harley W. Ferguson and Eric W. Welch.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Drug Trafficker Charged with Possessing 15 Kilograms of Cocaine in Hidden Compartment of CarRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced that EDDIE RUIZ has been charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. RUIZ was arrested on August 29, 2025, and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker in Manhattan federal court on August 30, 2025.
“As alleged, Eddie Ruiz was transporting over 15 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment in his specially modified vehicle,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Sadly, drug trafficking involves a vast, sophisticated, international network full of players who are motivated by profit and have no regard for the lives they ruin. New Yorkers want that network broken and the players taken off the streets. Together with our law enforcement partners, the women and men of the Southern District of New York will do everything in our power to fight drug trafficking on behalf of New Yorkers.”
“An authorized vehicle search revealed Eddie Ruiz allegedly possessed significant quantities of cocaine seemingly packaged for distribution that were hidden in storage compartments in the vehicle,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Ruiz’s alleged intentions to introduce addictive narcotics to our neighborhoods greatly jeopardizes the health and wellbeing of those residents. During Operation Summer Heat, the FBI will continue to apprehend and interrupt any criminal who seeks to supply lethal substances to our communities.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about the afternoon of August 29, 2025, a member of New York state law enforcement pulled over a vehicle that RUIZ was driving in Sullivan County near Mamakating, New York, for several violations of New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law. Following RUIZ’s suspicious behavior during that traffic stop, law enforcement officers approached the vehicle with a drug-detecting canine, which signaled that it had detected the scent of narcotics within. Law enforcement officers then began a roadside search of the vehicle and found a hidden compartment, also known as a “trap,” in its trunk. After partially opening the trap, the officers observed what appeared to be bricks of narcotics, as pictured below.
Once the automobile was transported to a secure law enforcement location, the officers fully opened the trap and found it to contain 15 tightly wrapped rectangular packages, packaged consistently with distribution-level quantities of narcotics and weighing approximately one kilogram each. Field-testing of these packages, pictured below, was positive for cocaine.
* * *
RUIZ, 47, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI, and the New York State Police and their Troop F Community Stabilization Unit and Troop K Community Stabilization Unit.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmi Schickler is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._ruiz_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Dealing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lawrence pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug distribution charges.
Hector Santana Guzman, a/k/a “DJ Black,” 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2025.
During an investigation of the transnational criminal organization 18th Street Gang, Santana Guzman met with a cooperating witness on two dates in June 2024 to sell fentanyl. On June 6, 2024, Santana Guzman sold approximately 50 grams of powder fentanyl to a cooperating witness. Later, on June 25, 2024, Santana Guzman again sold approximately 70 grams of powder fentanyl.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, who previously unlawfully resided in Lawrence under a false name, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances.
Eduardo Morales-Perez, a/k/a “Yenni Rafael Guerrero Aybar,” 41, pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2025 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Oct. 8, 2025.
In March 2018, law enforcement arranged an undercover cash pickup as part of a money laundering investigation. An individual arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location for the controlled purchase and provided $275,090 in cash to undercover law enforcement. That individual was driving a white Volvo registered to Morales-Perez’s girlfriend.
Following the transaction, the white Volvo was observed at a property in Peabody. In May 2018, during surveillance of the Peabody location, Morales-Perez was observed exiting a truck with a can of acetone – a chemical commonly used in the illicit manufacturing process of fentanyl analogues – and carrying it into the Peabody residence. A subsequent search of the Peabody property in May 2018 resulted in the recovery of one kilogram pill press; drug distribution paraphernalia; over 2.8 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues; over five kilograms of ANPP (a controlled substance that is frequently used in the manufacturing process of fentanyl); and $130,000 in cash that was packaged like the cash provided in the March controlled purchase. The drugs and cash were located in a hidden compartment above a light fixture.
The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley 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 Massachusetts State Police and the Medford, Peabody and Ipswich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.Defendant Charged with Threatening to Murder a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Robert Phillip Ivers, age 72, was charged by complaint with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Ivers was previously convicted federally of threatening to kill a federal judge.
“At a time when Minnesota is reeling from acts of violence, the last thing we need is someone spreading fear into our churches, libraries, and courts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Ivers’s threats are bone chilling. After the past few months, we are not taking chances. When someone threatens our community, we believe them, and we will act swiftly to protect Minnesotans.”
According to the complaint, on September 3, 2025, law enforcement responded to the Wayzata Library in Wayzata, Minnesota, based on a report of a man printing off copies of a manifesto entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge.” This man was Robert Ivers. Law enforcement learned that Ivers showed the manifesto to library staff including a page of the manifesto that talked about killing children and had a picture of a gun on it. Ivers also gave library staff a three-page “flyer” advertising his manifesto before he left the library. The flyer stated that the manifesto “is designed to teach extremists on how to plan, train, hunt, stalk and kill anyone including judges, their family members, politicians and more!” It also advertised that the “harsh reality is that judges are going to die.”
In investigating the case, law enforcement learned that, on August 28, 2025, Ivers had been reported for concerning behavior at an Episcopal church in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Ivers attended multiple services and told church members that he planned to attend upcoming church events on September 7 (a family picnic and potluck), September 11 (a blessing of children going back to school, with state legislators in attendance), and September 14 (an annual baptism service). Church staff searched Ivers online and discovered his history included past threats of violence, a felony conviction, and racist commentary. Church staff then contacted law enforcement.
On the evening of September 3, 2025, the Wayzata Police Department located Ivers and arrested him. During his transport, Ivers claimed that he was having a heart attack. Law enforcement transferred Ivers to the hospital from the jail. Ivers was subsequently released from the hospital later that night.
Law enforcement searched Ivers’s vehicle and found, among other things: (1) a photo of the former Pope with crosshairs centered on his head; (2) twenty copies of a spiral bound printed book titled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” by Robert Ivers; (3) multiple copies of flyers advertising the contents of the book; (4) lists of federal judges; (5) a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook; (6) a white foam box containing a toy replica firearm, a box of Co2 cartridges, and a container of pellets; and (7) a box of fireworks.
On September 5, 2025, Wayzata Police Department re-arrested Ivers. Following his arrest, Ivers was interviewed. Ivers admitted to showing a copy of his manifesto to library staff. Law enforcement asked Ivers if he thought his book would have scared anybody. In response, Ivers shouted: “It was supposed to!”
Ivers’s manifesto is 236 pages long. The cover page is entitled, “How to Kill a Federal Judge” and features a photo of a man holding a rifle. In his manifesto, Ivers focused on the perceived wrongs done to him by the judicial system. He discussed these wrongs—and his anticipated revenge—at length. The manifesto contains various types of writings and many disturbing sketches, apparently drawn by Ivers. The manifesto also contains handwritten threats to kill, including threats to kill judges, as well as their children and pets. Ivers made clear his purpose was to instill fear. He wrote, “If this book doesn’t instill fear in you then your already dead.”
Many names appear in the manifesto, including the names of federal judges. Ivers fixated on Federal Judge A, who presided over his federal trial, and Federal Judge B, who Ivers was previously convicted of threatening to kill. In the manifesto, Ivers threatens to kill Federal Judge A. Ivers has a long history of threatening judges and others. In 2019, Ivers was convicted at trial of threatening to kill Federal Judge B, a federal judge in Minnesota, in United States v. Robert Ivers, 18 CR 90.
“Threats of violence directed at federal judges not only undermine the integrity of our legal system but also pose a grave risk to the principles of justice and democracy,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners consider all threats of violence against judges, or any public servants, with grave seriousness. These actions will not be tolerated. As this chilling case confirms, we are fully committed to protecting judges who devote themselves to our communities and legal system.”
Ivers will make his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court. The United States will request that he be detained during the pendency of his federal case.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Wayzata Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for its quick action and important partnership in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendant Charged in over $50 Million Ponzi Scheme and Related Investment FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging PAUL REGAN with conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud. The charges in the Indictment arise from a scheme to defraud retail investors in projects called Next Level Holdings (“Next Level”) and Yield Wealth Ltd. (“Yield”) by misrepresenting how those companies would use investors’ money and the protections investors would have against losses. REGAN’s fraudulent scheme tricked over 300 people to invest more than $60 million in the Next Level and Yield investment products. When the fraud was eventually exposed, REGAN’s investors were left with over $50 million in losses. REGAN was arrested in the Southern District of Florida on September 4, 2025, and ordered detained following his removal from the Republic of Colombia. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
“As alleged, Paul Regan promised high returns but, in reality, he simply used money from new investors to pay off old investors, keeping the fraud going until pointed questions were asked,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “There is no place in our markets for scammers, particularly those who prey on Main Street investors. The women and men of the Southern District are committed to putting these scammers out of business permanently.”
“Paul Regan allegedly defrauded over 300 investors of more than $60 million through false promises of protected investments and guaranteed returns while using these deposits to quietly repay other entities,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “This alleged scheme was shrouded in deceit to entice hundreds of clients before ultimately betraying their confidence and their savings. The FBI will continue to investigate all widespread schemes exploiting the wallets of victims, regardless of where the defendant may be located.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed on September 4, 2025, in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least 2022 through December 2024, REGAN and a team of salesmen and associates defrauded hundreds of retail investors by offering investment products through two entities, Next Level and Yield, based on false and misleading statements. REGAN and his co-conspirators misrepresented how Next Level and Yield would use investors’ money and what protections investors would have against losses. These misrepresentations fraudulently induced over 300 people to invest more than $60 million in the Next Level and Yield investment products. When REGAN’s fraud was eventually exposed, REGAN closed Next Level and Yield, leaving investors with over $50 million in losses.
Next Level Notes
REGAN advertised himself as the Chief Executive Officer of Next Level and claimed that Next Level was in the business of providing capital and operational support to mining operations in Colombia. In exchange for this support, Next Level supposedly received precious metals at discounted prices, which Next Level sold at a profit.
In at least in or about mid-2022, REGAN and others began using Next Level to sell what REGAN called “Next Level Holdings Principal & Interest Protected Guaranteed Note[s]” (the “Next Level Notes”). REGAN sold Next Level Notes himself and recruited independent salespeople to sell Next Level Notes using information and sales techniques that REGAN and others working at Next Level provided.
According to marketing materials that REGAN circulated to investors and salespeople, investors who purchased Next Level Notes were guaranteed to receive double-digit returns, with no risk of loss, through Next Level’s precious-metals business. For example: Next Level’s marketing materials represented that investors who made a minimum investment of $50,000 could purchase a Next Level Note with a term of three, five, seven, or 10 years. Each Note came with a contractually guaranteed double-digit annual yield—typically between 12% and 15% depending on the duration of the Note; Next Level’s marketing materials represented that each Next Level Note came with a “noncancelable indemnity or surety bond backed by an insurance company that guarantee[d] that principal and interest will be paid in compliance with the contractual agreement or promissory note.” This meant that holders of Next Level Notes “[could not] lose their principal investment and also serve[d] as a guarantee that [investors] will receive the interest offered in our enhanced annuity note offering in full.”
The Next Level marketing materials that REGAN circulated also made representations about how Next Level would use investor funds and how it planned to protect investors from losses. With respect to returns, the marketing materials represented that Next Level had a successful track record in “gold and precious metals trade finance operations,” and that Next Level would use investor funds to finance mining operations and generate returns from selling precious metals. As for protections, the marketing materials represented that Next Level would obtain for investors “full insurance protections” from a handful of companies, including a Colombian entity (“Company-1”) and an American reinsurance company (“Company-2”). The marketing materials said that this insurance was designed to offer noteholders “ultimate safety and peace of mind for your retirement portfolio in these very uncertain times.”
Next Level issued each investor who purchased a Next Level Note a “Fully Insured Secured Promissory Note,” which set forth the terms of the investment (including the principal amount and interest rate) and included an “Unconditional Loan Guarantee,” representing that Next Level would provide the investor “with a noncancelable surety bond, or other like insurance policy or product to serve as an unconditional guarantee for the Holder that he shall receive payment of both principal and interest on this note.”
Consistent with that representation about insurance, Next Level also sent investors two insurance-related documents: the first was a document titled a “Surety Bond Contract,” purportedly from Company-1, which guaranteed that Company-1 would pay the noteholder the full amount of principal and interest Next Level owed under the note, in the event Next Level did not pay. The second was a document titled a “Reinsurance Cover Note,” purportedly from Company-2, which guaranteed that Company-2 would also insure the noteholder up to the full amount of principal and interest payments required under the terms of the note.
Between 2022 and late 2024, Next Level sold approximately 300 Next Level Notes to investors, including to at least one investor located in the Southern District of New York. In total, the investors in Next Level Notes sent more than $45 million to business entities under the control of REGAN.
Yield Term Deposits
In or about early 2024, REGAN and others launched a new business venture called Yield, which REGAN advertised as an alternative to traditional banks that could offer investors higher returns on their savings and greater protections.
In or about March 2024, REGAN began using Yield to sell what he called “Mega High Yield Term Deposit[s]” and “Super High Yield Term Deposit[s]” (collectively, the “Yield Term Deposits”). As with Next Level Notes, REGAN sold Yield Term Deposits himself and recruited independent salespeople to sell Yield Term Deposits using information and sales techniques that REGAN and others working at Yield provided.
Much like with Next Level Notes, REGAN circulated marketing materials to investors and salespeople, claiming that investors in Yield Term Deposits were guaranteed to make significant returns with no risk. For example: yield marketing materials described Yield as “revolutionizing the banking industry with Enhanced Term Deposits, offering yields up to 10.5% APY and security through insurance coverage up to $10 million.” The materials went on to explain that investors could invest in Yield Term Deposits, with terms of between five and 10 years. Investors would receive guaranteed interest payments each year, with rates ranging up to 10.5% per year, depending on the term of the deposit and other payment options the investor selected. The marketing materials represented that interest payments and investors’ principal would be fully insured, stating that “[y]our APY is 100% guaranteed and insured” and that Yield Term Deposits “offer[] additional insurance on deposits up to $10 million, ensuring unparalleled security for your savings”; similarly, Yield’s website advertised Yield as a new, digital bank that gave investors access to better interest rates and protections than traditional financial institutions. The website allowed investors to calculate returns they would receive from different Yield Term Deposits and touted that Yield Term Deposits were backed by insurers who “provid[e] our depositors the ultimate in insurance protection for both . . . principal and interest”; Yield’s website claimed that Yield would generate returns for investors through a “diverse portfolio that spans multiple industries, including the lucrative sectors of mining and rare minerals.” REGAN separately represented to investors and people selling Yield Term Deposits that Yield would also use investor funds to make investments in plans related to the Affordable Care Act.
Yield sent investors who purchased Yield Term Deposits a “Subscription Agreement” and a “Limited Partnership Agreement,” through which the investors purchased units in either the Mega High-Yield Term Deposit LP or the Super High-Yield Term Deposit LP. The agreements represented, among other things, that investors would receive “an annual percentage yield of no less than” between 5.5% and 8.5%, depending on the type of investment.
Over the course of 2024, Yield sold approximately 85 Yield Term Deposits, totaling more than $15 million deposited by investors.
The Defendant Defrauded Investors
The promises that REGAN and others made to investors about how Next Level and Yield would use their money and protect their investments were materially false and misleading.
When REGAN promoted Next Level Notes and Yield Term Deposits, a core component of that pitch was that Next Level and Yield would use investors’ money to generate significant returns, including through precious-metals operations and investments related to the Affordable Care Act. Those claims were false and misleading. In reality, REGAN and his co-conspirators ran Next Level and Yield like a Ponzi scheme, using money obtained from earlier investors to pay later investors and to pay commissions to salespeople. Meanwhile, Next Level and Yield made no meaningful investments in either precious-metals operations or investments related to the Affordable Care Act. Instead, REGAN and his co-conspirators misappropriated investor money, which included using investor funds for personal payments and sending large sums of money to entities that did not generate returns for Next Level or Yield, let alone investors.
Another important representation that REGAN made when marketing Next Level Notes and Yield Term Deposits was that investors would have insurance to guarantee promised interest payments and prevent them from losing their investments. Those representations were also false and misleading.
Next Level did not obtain insurance for the vast majority of noteholders and did not maintain insurance for any of them. Specifically, between in or about 2022 up to and including late 2023, Next Level obtained authentic surety bonds from Company-1 and reinsurance from Company-2 for approximately 70 Next Level Notes, with a total investment value of approximately $7.75 million. Next Level then stopped paying to maintain that coverage and did not purchase any surety bonds or reinsurance for the more than 200 Next Level Notes it issued over the course of 2024. Instead, Next Level sent the investors who purchased those notes forged surety bonds and forged reinsurance paperwork. REGAN and his co-conspirators also furthered this fraudulent scheme by sending investors and salespeople forged letters that appeared to come from a senior executive at Company-1 and represented that Company-1 would insure more than $100 million of Next Level Notes. Similarly, notwithstanding the representations that Yield Term Deposits had insurance to guarantee interest payments and protect up to $10 million of principal, Yield did not purchase or maintain insurance for Yield Term Deposits.
Investors Suffered Significant Losses
On or about August 30, 2024, a news outlet published an article about Yield and REGAN expressing skepticism about Yield. REGAN responded to the article by holding a videoconference with salespeople, in which REGAN claimed that the article was false and misleading and urged salespeople to continue selling Yield Term Deposits.
In or about November 2024, Next Level and Yield closed, leaving investors with over $50 million in losses.
* * *
REGAN, 48, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory term of two years in prison.
Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a civil enforcement action, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia and the authorities of the Republic of Colombia for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Burnett and Maggie Lynaugh are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._regan_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Davis Man Pleads Guilty to International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in the United States and CanadaRead the Press Release
Parampreet Singh, 59, of Davis, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, opium, and ketamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Parampreet Singh and his co-conspirators, including co‑defendants Amandeep Multani, 37, of Roseville, and Ranvir Singh, 42, of Sacramento, coordinated cocaine, heroin, opium, and ketamine deals in Canada. They coordinated these deals from California over encrypted cellphone applications. Parampreet Singh was the leader and organizer of the conspiracy. In total, between October 2020 and April 2021, they coordinated sales to undercover officers of approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, 1.5 kilograms of opium, 2 kilograms of ketamine, and multiple samples of heroin, for a total of $637,600 in Canadian dollars and $75,190 in U.S. dollars, in deals in Canada and Sacramento.
As part of his plea agreement, Parampreet Singh agreed to forfeit $2 million to the United States.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the York Regional Police in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Placer County Special Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Spencer and Haddy Abouzeid are prosecuting the case.
Multani pleaded guilty on Dec. 13, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2025.
Ranvir Singh is scheduled for a jury trial to begin on Oct. 6, 2025. The charges against Ranvir Singh are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Parampreet Singh is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 27, 2026. Parampreet Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Court Enters Consent Order Requiring North Carolina to Fix Inaccurate Voter ListRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has entered a consent order that remedies North Carolina’s failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The successful resolution of the case is another step toward achieving the mandate in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws which guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion.
In the lawsuit filed on May 27, the United States alleged that North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license number or last four digits of a social security number. When the lawsuit was filed, it is estimated that at least 100,000 voters did not have the required identifying information on North Carolina’s registration rolls. As of early September, that number has decreased as North Carolina engages in remedial actions to comply with HAVA.
“Unsuccessful intervenors showed breathtaking hubris when they made alarmist accusations against the Department of Justice, and yet claimed credit for the very relief that the Department actively pursued in the complaint,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Nevertheless, we are pleased with the progress North Carolina has made and will continue to make as it cleans up its registration rolls, as required by federal law.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Court Appoints Theodore S. Hertzberg as United States Attorney for the Northern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA, Ga. – Theodore S. Hertzberg will remain as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia after the judges of the United States District Court voted on Monday for him to serve in that role indefinitely.
“I am deeply honored that the Court has entrusted me with the continued leadership of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Hertzberg. “I pledge that the prosecutors under my charge will act decisively and aggressively to excise dangerous offenders from our community, and our litigators will represent the interests of the United States zealously. The citizens of the Northern District deserve nothing less.”
Pursuant to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, Attorney General Pamela Bondi previously appointed Mr. Hertzberg to serve as U.S. Attorney on May 13, 2025. Under 28 U.S.C. § 546(c)(2), a U.S. Attorney appointed by the Attorney General may only serve up to 120 days. Accordingly, Mr. Hertzberg’s term will expire today. However, based on the court’s vote yesterday, Mr. Hertzberg will continue to serve until the confirmation of a Presidentially appointed successor.
Today, Chief United States District Judge Leigh Martin May administered Mr. Hertzberg’s oath of office in front of an audience of U.S. Attorney’s Office staff, judges, federal law enforcement officers, and court personnel.
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hertzberg is the chief law enforcement officer for the Northern District of Georgia, which spans 46 counties in northern Georgia and is home to more than seven million citizens. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute federal crimes occurring in the district and to litigate and defend civil cases in which the United States is a party.
Since his initial appointment in May, Mr. Hertzberg has led the Office to take swift action targeting transnational criminal organizations, violent repeat offenders, drug traffickers, and cybercriminals. Under U.S. Attorney Hertzberg’s leadership, the Office has also sought to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in government by charging defendants with criminal misappropriation of federal funds and recovering tens of millions of dollars in civil settlements.
Mr. Hertzberg previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for nearly ten years. His tenure with the Justice Department began in the Savannah headquarters of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. In Savannah, Mr. Hertzberg prosecuted violent criminals, drug dealers, fraudsters, and money launderers while also serving as chief of the asset forfeiture section. Upon relocating to Atlanta in 2018, Mr. Hertzberg transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, where he prosecuted gang leaders, child sex predators, gun traffickers, armed felons, and other dangerous offenders. Even as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hertzberg has maintained his presence in the courtroom, personally prosecuting child exploitation and violent crime cases throughout the District.
Before joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Hertzberg practiced law in the New York office of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, and he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Kristi K. DuBose of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. He is a graduate of Amherst College and New York University School of Law.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Convicted Felon from Northampton Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Northampton, Mass. man pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield yesterday to firearm and narcotics offenses. The defendant was previously convicted in federal court of possessing a loaded ghost gun and ammunition.
Gabriel Lebron, 35, pleaded guilty to one count each of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 15, 2025.
On April 9, 2025, law enforcement Hadley responded to a 911 call about a man in the Howard Johnson hotel lobby brandishing a firearm where Lebron was found in possession of a Jimenez Arms, Model JA 25, .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with five rounds of .25 caliber ammunition, including one in the chamber, 10 “snap caps” of crack cocaine and two bundles of heroin. He was immediately taken into custody. At the time of his offense, Lebron was on federal supervised release for a Vermont firearms conviction for possessing a loaded ghost gun with a laser sight and multiple rounds of ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release in 2023.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of three years and up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided by the Hadley Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Second Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rockland, Mass. man has pleaded guilty to being to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Lamont Boswell, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 3, 2025. Boswell also pleaded guilty to violating the terms of his supervised release. He has been in custody since he was arrested for violating his conditions of federal supervised release on April 3, 2025.
On April 2, 2025, while conducting a wellness check on Boswell who appeared to be passed out in the driver’s seat of his parked car, law enforcement found a pistol inside the vehicle. The recovered firearm was a Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun, loaded with 13 9mm rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one 9mm round in the chamber.
At the time of the offense, Boswell was under federal supervision following a 2021 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In that case, Boswell was also found to have illegally possessed a loaded firearms while driving his car.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and the Scituate Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Company Insider Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Laboratory Research Products for Illegal Export to ChinaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Gregory Muñoz (47, Minneola) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $100,000, the proceeds of the wire fraud. Muñoz pleaded guilty on May 9, 2024.
Muñoz’s co-conspirator, Pen Yu, pleaded guilty in May 2024 and was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison, later reduced to two years and six months in prison. Another co-conspirator, Jonathan Thyng, pleaded guilty in July 2024 and was sentenced to probation.
According to court documents, beginning in at least July 2016 and continuing through at least May 2023, Yu ordered biochemical products from MilliporeSigma, a subsidiary of multinational science and technology company Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, with help from Muñoz, a MilliporeSigma salesperson, by falsely representing that Yu was affiliated with a biology research lab at a Florida university. This fictitious affiliation led MilliporeSigma to provide Yu millions of dollars’ worth of discounts and other benefits, such as free overnight shipping, not available to the public. Yu gave Muñoz thousands of dollars in gift cards for facilitating these fraudulent discounted orders. When the products arrived at the university stockroom, a stockroom employee diverted the products to Yu, who repackaged them and shipped them to China. To avoid scrutiny, Yu made false statements about the value and contents of these shipments in export documents.
This scheme continued until MilliporeSigma compliance personnel identified certain orders as suspicious, prompting the company to retain outside counsel who voluntarily disclosed the misconduct to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division one week later. MilliporeSigma made the disclosure well before its counsel had completed their investigation and understood the full nature and extent of the scheme. MilliporeSigma offered exceptional cooperation to the prosecution team, including by proactively identifying and producing documents to the Department that established probable cause to search residences and electronic devices of culpable individuals. MilliporeSigma’s cooperation allowed investigators to quickly identify the individuals responsible for the scheme, including Yu, Muñoz, and Thyng, and secure their felony guilty pleas.
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the cases.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Use a Weapon of Mass Destruction and to Destroy an Energy Facility in NashvilleRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility.
“For months, Philippi planned what he had hoped would be a devastating attack on Nashville’s energy infrastructure. He acquired what he believed to be explosives, surveilled his target, and equipped a drone to attack an electrical substation. Motivated by a violent ideology, Philippi wanted ‘to do something big.’ Instead, the FBI disrupted his plans, and Philippi now awaits sentencing,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and the FBI will continue to protect our Nation’s critical infrastructure from would-be saboteurs.”
“Our office is fully committed to thwarting dangerous attacks motivated by hate,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “I commend the agents who investigated this conduct and stopped this attack from victimizing our community. I commend the prosecutors who held the defendant accountable for his terrible actions.”
“Skyler Philippi planned to attack an energy facility with a drone containing explosives, which had the potential to knock out power to thousands of American homes and to critical facilities like hospitals,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Through rigorous investigation, his plan was disrupted. Protecting our communities from threats to public safety is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who attempt to damage critical infrastructure and threaten our national security.”
“As he admitted in federal court today, in furtherance of his ideological beliefs, Skyler Philippi conducted extensive research into explosive devices and potential targets to launch an attack against critical infrastructure,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI is committed to doing everything in our ability to detect, disrupt, and deter attacks by domestic violent extremists. It is thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the FBI Nashville Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, and law enforcement partners that Philippi’s plot was detected and stopped.”
According to court documents, in June 2024, Philippi communicated to a Confidential Human Source (CHS) that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia, Tennessee. In July 2024, Philippi told another CHS about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking several substations would “shock the system,” causing other substations to malfunction. Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient. Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation. Philippi said that his plan was to fly a drone with explosives attached to it into the electric substation, that he preferred to build a drone himself to avoid law enforcement detection, and that he wanted to attach TATP (Triacetone Triperoxide, a high-energy explosive material) or C-4 explosive material to the drone.
In August 2024, Philippi told an undercover employee (UCE) that he had written what he called a “manifesto” outlining his desire to attack “high tax cities or industrial areas to let the kikes lose money,” and about his previous affiliation with Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance.
In September 2024, Philippi conducted reconnaissance of a specific electric substation. Philippi ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other explosives from the UCEs. Philippi purchased black powder to be used in pipe bombs, which Philippi intended to use during the attack on the substation. Philippi texted: “if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.” Referring to the substation, Philippi stated, “Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework.”
On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi met the undercover employees at a hotel and participated in a Nordic ritual, which included reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin. Philippi told the UCEs that “this is where the New Age begins” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be remembered “in the annals of history.” Philippi and the UCEs drove to the operation site. The UCEs moved to their assigned positions as lookouts for Philippi. Law-enforcement agents arrested Philippi. When he was taken into custody, Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle, with the drone powered up, and the explosive device was armed and located next to the drone. Philippi was prepared to attach the explosives to the drone when he was arrested.
Philippi will be sentenced on January 8, 2026. At sentencing, Philippi faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Nashville Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
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Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Threats to Kill Cayuga County ManRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jerry Gordon, age 56, of Colorado, pled guilty Friday to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce to injure another person. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Gordon admitted that from April 22, 2025, to April 25, 2025, he sent four threatening text messages to a man in Aurora, New York. In the text messages Gordon told the victim to get his affairs in order before Friday April 25, 2025, as he was going to “drink your blood from the chalice that I will make out of your heart.” Gordon was arrested by FBI agents as he was getting off a plane in Syracuse, on April 25, 2025, after law enforcement became aware of the threats.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Vile threats to kill the citizens of our district will not be tolerated. Local, state and federal agents, working together, quickly responded to the impending threat and apprehended the defendant as he was getting off the plane having traveled from Colorado to Syracuse to attack the victim.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “This case demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to working with our partners to swiftly investigate, intercept, and bring to justice anyone who threatens our citizens with disturbing acts of violence.”
At sentencing before United States District Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe on November 24, 2025, Gordon will face a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police, Syracuse Regional Airport Authority Police Department, Syracuse Police Department, Cornell Police Department, Tompkins County Sherriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Oneida County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown is prosecuting the case.
Cleveland Man Sentenced to Nearly 14 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Sell Fentanyl and MethRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to prison for taking part in a drug conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout Northeast Ohio.
Davion Shepherd, 31, was sentenced to 167 months (approximately 14 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko after pleading guilty to the following charges:
- One count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
Shepherd was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, from about Jan. 3-Feb 16, 2023, Shepherd and others intentionally conspired to distribute 10 grams or more of a mixture containing fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance and 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. Among the items that federal agents seized during a search warrant execution in Shepherd’s residence were 608.95 grams of a fentanyl analogue and 34.13 grams of methamphetamine.
Co-defendant Jerome A. Brown, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty to his lesser role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI Cleveland Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for knowingly providing false verifications of employment for foreign nationals seeking to stay in the United States on an immigration visa.
ZHAO TAI CUI charged F-1 visa holders a fee to falsely represent that they were employed by Cui’s company so they could improperly extend their stay in the United States. Cui advertised his fraudulent visa-related employment services on various websites and incorporated a company in Illinois with the sole purpose of serving as a sham employer. During the scheme, which began in 2013 and continued until 2019, Cui falsely claimed that at least 250 F-1 visa holders worked for his sham company.
Cui, 60, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman sentenced Cui to two years in prison and ordered him to pay a personal money judgment of $652,963.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Cui’s scheme was expansive and involved multiple levels of deception,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “This type of crime erodes the public’s faith in the immigration system.”
Charlotte Man Charged with Federal Crime in Fatal Attack of Iryna Zarutska on City’s Light Rail SystemRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte today, charging a Charlotte man with a federal crime in connection with the fatal attack of Iryna Zarutska on the city’s light rail system, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr., 34, is charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”
“The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again. I want to thank Attorney General Bondi for her pursuit of today’s federal charges, which are the first step toward delivering justice for Iryna and her family – as well as the millions of Americans who deserve to live in our great American cities free from being targeted by violent criminals.”
“This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most—Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family. But crimes like this also affect everyone who relies on mass transportation to get to and from work and go about their daily lives, and federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems.”
“Iryna Zarutska had likely taken that train ride many times before. She was probably tired after a day at work and just wanted to go home, but tragically she never made it. We hope this federal charge will help bring her family a measure of justice and the courts will hold the subject charged in this horrific act accountable. Everyone in this country deserves to go work, to school, or just across town without fear of being attacked,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge.
According to allegations in the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint:
On August 22, 2025, at approximately 9:55 p.m., officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) responded to a call for service related to an assault that occurred on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte. Callers indicated that a woman had been stabbed by a male. Responding officers located the victim inside the rail car. The victim, subsequently identified as Iryna Zarutska, had sustained fatal stab wounds. A pocketknife and other items were collected from the scene.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed the victim entering the light rail car and sitting down in the row in front of Brown. Approximately four minutes later, Brown pulled a knife from his pocket and unfolded it before striking the victim three times from behind. Following the attack, Brown walked away from the victim. Responding officers located Brown on the light rail platform and he was arrested.
If convicted, Brown faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison or death. Ultimately, his sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The charges against Brown are allegations and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug charges on the Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A California woman who trafficked significant amounts of drugs on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Ashley Joceyln Cortez, 25, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that from October 2023 until May 21, 2024, Cortez trafficked substantial amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. She made four trips for a co-defendant beginning in November 2023. Cortez estimated she transported 23 pounds of meth, 4,500 fentanyl pills, five ounces of fentanyl powder, and three ounces of cocaine. She also estimated she transported $230,000 and watched a co-defendant distribute drugs out of her house in Box Elder.
On May 21, 2024, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at the co-defendant’s residence in Box Elder. During the execution of the search warrant, a law enforcement agent saw Cortez hiding in a bathroom with the water running. After detaining her, the agent noticed a large amount of methamphetamine and cocaine in the bathtub with the water running. It was apparent to the agent Cortez was attempting to destroy evidence. During the search, law enforcement seized approximately 64.5 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 98 grams of cocaine, and about 64 fentanyl pills. They also found approximately $8,800 in cash and a firearm.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, ATF, Tri-Agency Task Force, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, and Hill County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Buffalo man sentenced for his role in conspiracy to steal mailRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Eric Michael Robinson, 33, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail theft, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation, to include six months home detention, by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that in October 2024, Robinson conspired with co-defendants Lamor Runell Bolden and Antonio Jones, Jr. to steal mail from mail receptacles in Cheektowaga, NY. In addition, the defendants also possessed a key used to open authorized mail receptacles. Robinson drove Bolden and Jones to a mail facility in Cheektowaga at approximately 1:00 a.m. on the morning of October 2, 2024. Robinson parked behind a row of blue collection mailboxes outside the postal facility. Bolden and Jones got out of the car, while Robinson remained in the driver’s seat and kept watch. Jones opened the mailboxes with the stolen key and stole mail from the mailboxes. Bolden and Jones got back into the car and Robinson drove away from the mail facility. A short time later, their car was stopped by law enforcement. At the time the car was stopped, various opened and unopened pieces of mail were found inside. Robinson admits that he and his co-conspirators used the stolen key to open mailboxes at other locations around the Western District of New York.
Lamor Runell Bolden and Antonio Jones, Jr. were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons.
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Brookfield Man Charged with Money Laundering Conspiracy and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 12, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Ankurkumar Patel (age: 41) of Brookfield, Wisconsin, with one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of substantive money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(h) and 1957, respectively.
The indictment alleges that Patel conspired with others to launder over $1 million from elderly victims in multiple states, including a victim in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, who fell prey to a “Phantom Hacker Scam.” Phantom Hacker Scams are a type of fraud that primarily targets elderly victims. A participant in the scheme, who is often located overseas, poses as a customer service agent at a company or government agency. The purported customer service agent contacts the victim or induces the victim to contact the purported agent and falsely claims that the victim’s identity or bank account has been hacked or compromised. The fraudster then refers the victim to a co-conspirator posing as a law enforcement agent who directs the victim to move their funds, usually in the form of cash or physical gold, to a third-party or government account for safe keeping. The co-conspirator then coordinates the transfer of the victim’s funds to other participants in the scheme who act as couriers. The indictment alleges that Patel personally retrieved over $1 million from victims and conspired to launder it by distributing the money to other co-conspirators through anonymous, surreptitious transactions.
If convicted of the money laundering conspiracy, Patel would face a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not more than $500,000, or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. If convicted of the substantive money laundering count, Patel would face a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not more than $250,000, or twice the amount of the criminally derived property.
If you believe you or someone you know may have fallen victim to a similar scam, please contact the FBI at 414-276-4684.
This case was investigated by the FBI in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Homeland Security Investigations in St. Louis, Missouri. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter J. Smyczek.
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 him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Bristol Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking, Defrauding COVID-19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TERRY COLLINS, 31, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl and for laundering funds received through misrepresentations to a COVID-19 relief program.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the DEA New Haven Task Force, the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, the Waterbury Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies determined that Gawayne Fisher, also known as “Fruit” and “Tank,” was trafficking narcotics in and around Waterbury while on federal supervised release. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Fisher and others were selling large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, as well as counterfeit oxycodone and alprazolam (Xanax) pills. Collins supplied fentanyl to Fisher’s organization, and he maintained a location on Yale Street in Waterbury to store, process, and package narcotics.
Collins, Fisher, and two associates were arrested on April 13, 2023. On that date, a search of the Yale Street location revealed drug-processing equipment, approximately three kilograms of loose fentanyl, and approximately 75,000 individual bags containing fentanyl. In addition, a West Main Street apartment in Waterbury that Fisher used as a stash location revealed approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine, three kilograms of fentanyl, 125,000 individual glassine bags containing fentanyl, and $7,574 in cash, and a search of Fisher’s residence on Beverly Avenue in Waterbury, and his vehicle, revealed approximately $175,110 in cash.
The investigation also revealed that Collins defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), a COVID-19 pandemic relief program established by the U.S. Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act to provide financial assistance to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. In May 2021, Collins submitted documentation to the U.S. Small Business Administration that Platinum Liquor, a store he operated in Waterbury, had 14 employees and an average monthly payroll of $59,612. In fact, Platinum Liquor only had one employee and the store did not generate as much money as Collins claimed. Based on these misrepresentations, Platinum Liquor received a $149,030 PPP loan. Collins made additional misrepresentations in loan forgiveness documents and the loan was subsequently forgiven.
On October 2, 2024, Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of money laundering related to the PPP loan scheme. Collins, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 28.
Judge Bolden will determine Collins’ restitution obligation within 90 days.
On January 27, 2025, Fisher was sentenced to 217 months of imprisonment for this drug trafficking offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden, East Haven, Branford, Shelton, and Bristol Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Anthony Broadnax, 61, of Beckley, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after moving from Virginia to West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about May 2021 through on or about July 26, 2021, Broadnax resided in Beckley, West Virginia, after relocating from Virginia. Broadnax failed to register in West Virginia or update his registration in Virginia as required by SORNA after his relocation. Broadnax is required to register as a sex offender and comply with SORNA because of his convictions for aggravated sexual battery on August 25, 1990, and rape on February 7, 1991, both in Prince William County, Virginia.
Broadnax has a criminal history that also includes a prior conviction for failure to register as a sex offender.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
“It is vitally important that sex offenders are tracked and communities are kept aware through the enforcement of these registration and notification requirements,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Prosecuting SORNA violators is a top priority of this office and would not be possible without the outstanding investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and its coordination with other law enforcement agencies in these cases.”
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-226.
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Attorney General Bondi Issues Memo Upholding Constitutional Rights and Parental Authority in America's Education SystemRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi sent a memo to FBI Director Kash Patel and all 93 U.S. Attorneys entitled Upholding Constitutional Rights and Parental Authority in America’s Education System.
As Attorney General Bondi notes in the memo, “recent years have seen a disturbing trend in which government officials and public education authorities have ignored, dismissed, or even retaliated against concerned parents” for daring to voice opposition to their children’s curriculum. Notably, the prior administration engaged in such weaponization by targeting concerned parents at school board meetings with a threat tag reserved for potential terrorists.
Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, parents’ First Amendment rights – and their “fundamental right to direct the moral and religious education of their children” – will be protected from unlawful attacks.
Per today’s memo, Attorney General Bondi has instructed U.S. Attorneys to “work with federal, state, and local partners to identify and respond to credible threats against parents or violations of their lawful rights.”
Please read the full memo HERE
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Crimes on Public Lands
Yellowstone National Park
John Nofsinger, 31, of Columbus, Ohio pled guilty to operating a motor vehicle in Yellowstone National Park with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or higher and refusing to provide a breath test. On the same date Nofsinger was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration for refusing the official breath test, with credit for 2 days previously served. Nofsinger was sentenced to a 3-year term of probation for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol under certain terms and conditions, including a ban from Yellowstone National Park during the probation period. Nofsinger was also sentenced to pay a total of $800 in fines and court costs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 3 in Mammoth, Wyoming.
Michael O’Connell, 54 of Canton, Massachusetts, pled guilty to operating a motor vehicle in Yellowstone National Park under the influence of alcohol to the extent he was incapable of safely operating a motor vehicle and refusing to comply with an official breath test. For refusing to comply with the official breath test O’Connell was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration with credit for 1 day previously served. O’Connell was ordered to serve the additional 6-day sentence immediately and was not released from custody after the sentencing hearing. O’Connell was also sentenced to a 2-year term of probation for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol under certain terms and conditions, including a ban from Yellowstone National Park during the probation period. O’Connell was also sentenced to pay a total of $800 in fines and court costs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 4 in Mammoth, Wyoming.
Kyle Decare, 30 of Brighton, Michigan, pled guilty to operating a motor vehicle in Yellowstone National Park with a breath alcohol concentration of .08% and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license. Decare was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration with credit for 2 days previously served for driving the motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. For driving with a suspended driver’s license, the defendant was sentenced to a 2-year term of probation under certain terms and conditions, including a ban from Yellowstone National Park during the probation period. Decare was also sentenced to pay a total of $1,650 in fines and court costs because it was his second DUI conviction within one year. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 4 in Mammoth, Wyoming.
Drug Trafficking
Calvin Eugene Stroup, 42, of Greeley, Colorado, was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, in February 2024, agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) began an investigation into drug trafficking in Sheridan and Campbell Counties. Through the investigation, agents identified Stroup as a middleman, receiving large quantities from a source of supply and selling them to distributors in Wyoming. DCI investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Stroup was indicted on Jan. 15 and pleaded guilty on June 4. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Aug. 22 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00016
Collie Judson Warren, 49, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During an investigation into drug trafficking activities on the Wind River Indian Reservation and surrounding communities, Agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) observed Warren pick up suspected drugs from a known source of supply. Agents subsequently seized nearly two pounds of methamphetamine from Warren’s pickup. The FBI and DCI through the Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force investigated the offense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Warren was indicted on March 20 and pleaded guilty on June 6. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Aug. 22 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00055
Violent Crime
Matthew Jarrett Smith, 33, of Kinnear, Wyoming, was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents, on Dec. 5, 2024, law enforcement responded to an assault incident. The victim reported she had been assaulted by the defendant including being hit, kicked, and strangled, which resulted in extensive injuries to her neck and face, rib fractures, bruising and swelling, and a broken toe. The crime was investigated by the FBI and the BIA Wind River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the case. The defendant was indicted on Jan. 15 and pleaded guilty on June 2. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Aug. 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-00012
Drew Blackburn, Jr., 18, from Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for making interstate threats to injure another person. According to court documents, between August and October 2024, the defendant was incarcerated in South Dakota for conduct related to an assault on his victim. During that time, correctional officers audited his phone calls and learned he had been calling the victim with whom he was not supposed to have contact. They also found over 1,000 texts, some of them containing threats. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Blackburn was indicted on March 20, and he pleaded guilty on June 3. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Aug. 22 in Casper. Case No. 25-00046
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Juan Flores-Pinuelas, 37, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on Jan. 3, the defendant was arrested in Uinta County for domestic battery. Fingerprints taken at the time of detention indicated Flores-Pinuelas is a citizen of Mexico and agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted. They determined that Flores-Pinuelas had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in December 2018. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Aug. 18 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00100Jose Guadelupe Luna-Murillo, 29, of Jalisco, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on Nov. 3, 2024, the defendant was arrested in Sweetwater County for driving while under the influence. He provided a written statement that he was from Mexico and that he was in the U.S. illegally. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted and they took the defendant’s fingerprints. It was determined that Luna-Murillo had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in September 2018. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Sept. 4 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00009
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
14 Members of a Violent Gang in Arroyo, Puerto Rico, Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 27, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 14 gang members from the municipality of Arroyo with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Guayama Strike Force were in charge of the investigation of the case. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Response Team (SRT) collaborated during the arrests.
“These arrests show the relentless determination of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable criminal enterprises that use violence and intimidation to control drug territory,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to dismantle violent gangs and make our communities safer.”
“The FBI will not allow violent gangs to dictate the quality of life or diminish hope for the people of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Our office, together with our partners, will continue to dismantle criminal organizations fueling terror in our streets. The deliberate efforts of thugs to destroy prosperity will be met with the FBI’s relentless efforts to crush violent crime and defend the homeland.”
The indictment alleges that from 2020 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, fentanyl or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of any analogue of fentanyl, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of the Isidro Cora Public Housing Project (PHP), and other areas nearby the municipality of Arroyo, all for significant financial gain and profit.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendants established a drug distribution point operating within three apartments inside the Isidro Cora PHP, and that sellers would sell drugs through a window or balcony to avoid being seen and/or detected by law enforcement. Some of the defendants and their co-conspirators mixed fentanyl into the cocaine to be sold at the drug points as well as mixing xylazine with the fentanyl – a deadly combination. Court documents also reflect at least two overdose deaths of drug customers within the Isidro Cora PHP.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include: leaders, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to threaten rival drug trafficking organizations, and to discipline members of their own organization, to include giving beatings to other co-conspirators and residents of the housing projects, with different weapons, including horse whips, as a disciplinary measure if they stepped out of line.
The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are:
[1] Eduardo Contreras-Hernández, a.k.a. “Eddie/Paleta/Tipo/Paletita”
[2] Juan Carlos Soto-Santos, a.k.a. “Juanka”
[3] Jeremy E. Rodríguez-Cruz, a.k.a. “Gordo/Arabe”
[4] Edwin García-González, a.k.a. “Tabaco”
[5] José A. Torres-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Cholo”
[6] José A. Ruiz-Morales, a.k.a. “Shano”
[7] Yenaritza N. Escobar-Santiago, a.k.a. “Yuyo”
[8] Hermenegildo Ruiz-Robledo
[9] Mónica González-Rivera
[10] Savon Lee-Ewin, a.k.a. “Gringo”
[11] Joseph Rivera-Bustamante
[12] José Melendez-Pizarro, a.k.a. “Cabrilla”
[13] Victor Alexis Collazo-Bones, a.k.a. “Molle”
[14] Anyeli Andreina-Medina
Defendant [1] Eduardo Contreras-Hernández is also charged in Count Six with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Six, Contreras-Hernández faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $2,850,900.
The FBI thanks the PRPB Guayama Strike Force for their assistance in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice Daphne M. Cordero-Guilloty are prosecuting the case.
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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8 September 2025
Zuni Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting Zuni ResidentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison for shooting a man during a confrontation.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on September 19, 2024, Devin Wade Wyaco, 34, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, fired a handgun from the passenger seat of a moving vehicle at two bicyclists following a dispute, striking one of them in the abdomen. The victim was treated at a local hospital and survived the shooting.
As a previously convicted felon, Wyaco was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Wyaco pled guilty to three felony crimes: assault with a dangerous weapon; using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Wyaco will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has pleaded guilty to federal charges for sexually abusing a woman.
According to court records, on August 19, 2023, Stanton Hannaweeke, 63, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, used force to engage in nonconsensual sexual conduct with Jane Doe.
Hannaweeke pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse. At sentencing, Hannaweeke faces up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Hannaweeke will be subject to no less than five years and up to life of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
Wilmington Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Failure to Pay Employment Taxes on Behalf of Cash-paid EmployeesRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Del. – Domenico Mazzella, the owner and operator of a Wilmington restaurant, Mazzella’s Italian Restaurant, pleaded guilty in federal court to a multi-year scheme to evade taxes, announced Julianne E. Murray, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Mazzella pleaded guilty to four counts of tax evasion and twelve counts of failure to collect, account for, and pay over trust fund taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2017 through 2020, Mazzella defrauded the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). Mazzella failed to pay required employment taxes by paying a number of employees entirely in cash and concealing this cash payroll from his tax preparer. Mazzella also attempted to evade a substantial portion of his personal income tax by diverting over $600,000 from the business’s bank accounts to his personal account, falsely characterizing the payments as reimbursements for business expenses. Mazzella’s overstatement of expenses caused his tax preparer to underreport the restaurant’s income, which in turn caused Mazzella’s personal income to be substantially underreported on his tax returns.
Mazzella has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $549,370.39, consisting of evaded income taxes and employment taxes. At sentencing, he faces a maximum of five years in prison for each of the 16 counts of conviction. The Court will determine Mazzella’s sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors required by federal law.
“Domenico Mazzella’s actions were a deliberate attempt to cheat the American public and gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses and citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This plea demonstrates that our office, working with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue those who willfully evade their tax obligations.”
“IRS-Criminal Investigation takes these violations of law very seriously,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Field Office. “This plea exhibits a positive message to honest taxpayers and further demonstrates that the IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office are duty bound to protect the integrity of the U.S. tax administration system, and to make sure everyone complies with their tax obligations."
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan C. Williamson is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-113-GBW.
Two Men Admit Kidnapping St. Louis County Toddler in Attempt to Recover GunsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have admitted kidnapping a toddler in St. Louis County, Missouri in a bid to recover missing guns.
Kendal “KD” White, 20, of St. Charles, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of kidnapping. Cam’Ron Henderson, 20, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 11.
White admitted as part of the plea agreement that he believed that the father of the kidnapping victim, a 2-year-old, had taken firearms and other items from him. On Aug. 10. 2023, White, Henderson and others then began looking for the man and eventually found their way to the victim’s mother’s apartment in St. Louis County. When she did not answer the door, White and Henderson kicked it in. Both men were armed. After learning that their quarry was not in the apartment, White demanded that the mother turn over her daughter. She refused, and White struck her in the head with his gun multiple times before grabbing the toddler from her arms. White and Henderson fled with the girl and the victim’s mother called police.
When White and Henderson learned that an Amber Alert had been issued and included a description of the Hyundai Elantra they were driving, White paid three women to return the toddler to her uncle’s home.
The kidnapping charge carries a penalty of at least 20 years in prison. Henderson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2 and White on January 27.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Two Albuquerque Men Plead Guilty to Harboring Undocumented Immigrants and Ransom ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Albuquerque men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport and harbor undocumented immigrants after federal agents uncovered a stash house linked to a kidnapping and ransom scheme.
According to court documents, the investigation began on March 1, 2025, when the FBI received a kidnapping complaint reporting that the victim’s family was being extorted for ransom under threats of violence and cartel involvement. Agents traced the ransom calls to a residence in southwest Albuquerque and executed a search warrant the following day. Inside, they found 11 undocumented immigrants, including an unaccompanied minor, along with more than 20 cell phones and a ledger of smuggling activity. Victims reported being locked in rooms, threatened with violence, and told not to contact law enforcement. Both Isaias David Jose and Tomas Mateo Gaspar were identified as running the stash house and producing ransom videos.
Jose and Gaspar admitted to their roles in a conspiracy to transport and harbor undocumented immigrants in Albuquerque between late February and early March 2025. Jose maintained the stash house and took videos of the individuals he was harboring, while Gaspar lived at the residence without paying rent and supported the operation by cooking, cleaning, and helping manage the premises. Both defendants acknowledged they knowingly participated in the conspiracy, which was carried out in exchange for money.
At sentencing, Jose and Gaspar both face up to 10 years in prison. Upon their release from prison, Jose and Gaspar will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec is prosecuting the case as 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.
Three high-level MS-13 gang members plead guilty to 50-year sentences in large-scale racketeering conspiracy involving murder and other violent crimesRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – Eight El Salvadorian citizens who illegally resided in Houston and are members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders and acts of witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia aka Mejia, 28, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia aka Discreto, 29, Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa aka Darki, 40, and Marlon Miranda-Moran aka Chinki, 26, have now entered their pleas. Four others - Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, aka Destino, 33, Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez aka Largo, 35, Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora aka Garcia, 27, and Wilman Rivas-Guido aka Inquieto, 29 - also pleaded guilty to the same racketeering conspiracy Aug. 11.
“This case demonstrates the tremendous public safety threat that MS-13 and other criminal terrorist organizations pose to American communities,” said Ganjei. “Here, defendants carried out a series of murders - bludgeoning, butchering, and strangling their victims with sadistic glee. These are people without remorse or pity. When it comes to eradicating these gangs, the United States cannot afford to either relent or fail. As the facts of this case show, the stakes are too high.”
“These defendants carried out brutal murders in the name of MS-13, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats and their bare hands, and then sending photos of the victims’ bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants committed these unthinkable acts to maintain their status in a gang that spread fear in local neighborhoods and targeted those brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement. Today’s guilty pleas send a powerful message that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and hold accountable MS-13 members who use violence and murder to terrorize our communities.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, MS-13 is a violent international street gang involved in a variety of violent criminal activities across the United States, including Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York and California. MS-13 also has a large international presence in El Salvador and Honduras. To protect MS-13’s power, reputation and territory, members and associates must use intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, such as machetes.
As part of their plea agreements, all eight admitted to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area from 2017 through 2018. High-ranking MS-13 leaders based in El Salvador ordered and approved of the murders, sometimes listening by phone as MS-13 members carried out the crimes.
MS-13 members participated in the murders to increase or maintain their own position within MS-13’s ranks. MS-13 targeted the murder victims because they were believed to be members of rival gangs, cooperating with law enforcement or working against MS-13’s interests. MS-13 members committed the murders using machetes, a baseball bat and strangling. After the murders, MS-13 members sent photos of the victims’ bodies to high-ranking MS-13 members in El Salvador, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the victim’s bodies before sending the photos.
According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison while Miranda-Moran will receive a 35-year-term of imprisonment. Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora and Rivas-Guido have agreed to a term from 45-50 years, while Carbajal-Peraza is expected to receive 40-45 years of imprisonment.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown accepted the pleas and has set sentencing for November. At that time, he will consider the sentencing stipulations and impose any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; police departments in Houston and Galveston as well as Prince George’s County in Maryland; sheriff’s offices in Harris and Liberty counties; Texas Department of Public Safety; University of North Texas Center for Human Identification; U.S. Marshals Service; and Texas Office of the Attorney General led or contributed to the lengthy and complex investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
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.
Temu Agrees to $2M Civil Penalty and Injunction for Alleged Violations of the INFORM Consumers ActRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced today that a federal court has entered a stipulated order resolving a case against Whaleco Inc., doing business as “Temu.” Under the order, Temu will pay $2 million in civil penalties as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the INFORM Consumers Act in connection with its online marketplace.
The INFORM Consumers Act requires that online marketplaces clearly and conspicuously disclose identifying information about high volume sellers on their platforms and provide mechanisms for consumers to electronically and telephonically report suspicious activity to the marketplace. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the government alleged that Temu failed to sufficiently disclose certain information for high-volume third party sellers, such as seller addresses, and Temu did not consistently provide the reporting mechanisms required by law.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring American consumers have information about third-party sellers online and mechanisms to report suspicious marketplace behavior,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to ensure that online marketplaces follow the INFORM Consumers Act.”
In addition to imposing a $2 million civil penalty on Temu, the stipulated order requires Temu to put measures in place to ensure compliance with the INFORM Consumers Act going forward.
The United States is represented in this action by Senior Trial Attorney Sarah Williams and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Brazier for the District of Massachusetts, provided assistance. Tiffany M. Woo and Carl Settlemyer represent the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Stockton Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine and Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
Charles Billingsley Jr., 55, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 15 years and eight months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between March and December 2019, Billingsley conspired with other members of a Stockton-based drug trafficking organization to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. Billingsley regularly obtained and distributed methamphetamine and heroin on behalf of the organization. On Dec. 5, 2019, law enforcement officers searched Billingsley’s two adjacent residences in Stockton and seized more than 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 30 ounces of heroin, six ounces of cocaine, four loaded firearms, and more than $33,000 in cash. Agents also eradicated 451 marijuana plants that Billingsley was growing in one of the residences and seized more than 52 pounds of processed marijuana.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, the California Highway Patrol, and the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.
Statement of David X. Sullivan on his appointment by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut to serve as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
“I sincerely thank Chief Judge Shea and the District Court judges for allowing me to continue in my role as United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. I am honored that they, President Trump, and Attorney General Bondi have placed their trust in me to serve our country and the people of Connecticut alongside the hard-working men and women of the office, and federal, state, and local law enforcement.”
St. Louis Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $1.2 Million in MortgagesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a man to five years in prison for fraudulently obtaining home mortgages totaling more than $1.2 million.
Judge Autrey also ordered Edward James Mitchell Jr., also known as Musa Muhammad, to repay a total of $482,096 to lenders for their losses due to Mitchell’s scheme.
Mitchell, now 37, of St. Louis, participated in four fraudulent home mortgages from October 2021 through November 2023. Mitchell’s company, Home Team Solutions LLC, purchased three homes in St. Louis and one in Florissant. Mitchell then pretended to be one of his relatives to “buy” two of the homes, submitting fraudulent mortgage loan applications and false employment and financial information and using his relative’s Social Security number and birthdate. He bought another home himself and sold another to his paramour, again submitting false or fraudulent documents.
The total value of the loans was $1,226,550. All the lenders suffered losses due to Mitchell’s fraud. One home was sold at a discount. Another was sold in a foreclosure sale. A third was sold in a short sale.
“The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) carefully investigates allegations of mortgage fraud involving the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” said Korey Brinkman, Special Agent in Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Central Region. “We are proud to work with our partners in this investigation.”
Mitchell pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of bank fraud.
In October 2023, Mitchell legally changed his name to Musa Muhammad.
The FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Area Doctor Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a St. Louis, Missouri area doctor to 70 months in prison for two separate criminal cases, one charged in 2020 and one in 2024.
Dr. Asim Muhammad Ali, 54, was also ordered to pay $1,845,916 in restitution for the 2020 case and $3,902 for the 2024 case.
In the 2020 case, Dr. Ali was involved in a conspiracy to pay kickbacks for urine specimens referred for testing to one of the companies he owned, Central Diagnostic Laboratory. Dr. Ali also admitted signing prescriptions for controlled substances for patients who appeared to be selling or giving away their drugs. He also pre-signed prescriptions for controlled substances to be given to patients of one of his other businesses, the Institute for Pain Management LLC. Dr. Ali did not see the patients on the dates they received the prescriptions and rarely looked at patient charts or determined a legitimate medical need for the controlled substances.
Judge Autrey ordered Dr. Ali and a number of his codefendants in that case to pay $950,381 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, $13,993 to Tricare and $881,542 to Missouri Medicaid.
In the 2024 case, Dr. Ali agreed to perform health care services for the Medicare patients of a company Dr. Mohd Azfar Malik owned, Psych Care Consultants LLC, but bill using Dr. Malik’s name and Medicare billing number. The doctors billed Medicare for “annual wellness visits,” a comprehensive yearly appointment, but Dr. Ali did not see them in person and simply called asked a series of questions. Medicare paid $3,902 for the fraudulent claims.
Dr. Ali pleaded guilty in the 2020 case to one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances, one count of illegally prescribing controlled substances, one count of paying illegal kickbacks for referrals and one count of a submitting false claims. He pleaded guilty in the 2024 case to one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances and to maintain a drug-involved premises.
Dr. Malik pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements related to health care matters. He admitted submitting claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers in which he falsely claimed to have performed in-person services when he was out of the state or the country. He admitted billing a private insurance company for the intravenous infusion of ketamine that was performed by Dr. Ali, knowing that Dr. Ali was under indictment and lacked a DEA registration authorizing him to administer controlled substances. Dr. Malik admitted causing a total loss of $19,442 to Medicare, Medicaid, and the private health care insurers.
In August, Dr. Malik was sentenced to five years of probation, fined $20,000 and ordered to pay restitution of $19,442. He has also agreed to surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration registrations authorizing him to administer controlled substances.
“Health care providers who unlawfully distribute dangerous and addictive controlled substances not only endanger the lives of vulnerable individuals but also undermine the integrity of our nation’s health care system. Dr. Ali exploited the trust placed in him by his patients and engaged in kickback schemes for personal financial gain,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s sentencing highlights HHS-OIG’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold health care providers accountable for their unlawful actions.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric prosecuted the 2024 case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Sestric, Derek Wiseman and Jonathan Clow handled the 2020 case.
South Dakota man sentenced to over 12 years in prison for sexually abusing two victims on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – An South Dakota man who sexually abused two victims on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 148 in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Farron Gene American Horse, Sr., 40, was found guilty by a jury in April 2025 of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged at trial and in court documents that American Horse sexually abused the victims in September and October 2020 in Hays, on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. In October 2020, one victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, who had attained the age of 12 years but had not yet reached the age of 16 years, disclosed being sexually abused by American Horse. About this time, another victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, who also had attained the age of 12 years but had not yet reached the age of 16 years, disclosed that American Horse had touched her.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.
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Shiprock Man Charged in Stabbing that Left Victim Seriously InjuredRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges after allegedly attacking a woman with a knife in a grocery store parking lot, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.
According to court documents, on August 31, 2025, Navajo Police Department officers responded to a stabbing in the parking lot of the Bashas Grocery Store in Shiprock, New Mexico. Officers located the victim with serious stab wounds and significant blood loss. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment and survived.
A witnesses identified the assailant as Tony Tsosie, 56, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Tsosie was later detained nearby with blood on his hands and shoes matching prints at the scene. Tsosie denied involvement, provided a false identity, and claimed not to be carrying a knife, though a witness described him stabbing the victim multiple times after a verbal altercation.
Tsosie is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Tsosie faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Tsosie).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Shelton Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROSS DeLIBRO, 54, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 288 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing and possessing child sex abuse images.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2024, a detective assigned to the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit began an investigation into the sharing of child sex abuse images and videos over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The investigation revealed that an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to DeLibro’s residence in Shelton had been used to share child sex abuse videos.
The investigation also revealed that DeLibro had worked since at least 2007 as a preschool teacher and in-home nanny for several families with young children in Connecticut, and had a degree in early childhood education. He solicited in-home nanny business through a popular and legitimate employment website.
On May 1, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of DeLibro’s residence and seized his Apple MacBook Air, his iPhone, an external hard drive, and other items. Analysis of the seized items revealed image and video files depicting male children being sexually abused, including two images in which DeLibro appears engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler.
DeLibro has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 11, 2024. On May 15, 2025, he pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Shelton Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Scientific Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Nancy Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
San Gabriel Valley Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Role in $36.9 Million Global Digital Asset Investment ScamRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for his role in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims in an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia.
Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $26,867,242 in restitution.
He pleaded guilty on April 10 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business.
“This defendant will spend years in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy in which victims lost tens of millions of dollars, starting with the simple step of responding to unsolicited messages on their phones,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The public should always remember to be vigilant and wary of strangers marketing promising investment opportunities. Your retirement fund or children’s college money may depend on it.”
“The defendant was part of a group of co-conspirators that preyed on American investors by promising them high returns on supposed digital asset investments when, in fact, they stole nearly $37 million from U.S. victims using Cambodian scam centers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Foreign scam centers, purporting to offer investments in digital assets have, unfortunately, proliferated. The Criminal Division is committed to bringing to justice those that steal from American investors, wherever the fraudsters may be located.”
According to court documents, He was part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators who then laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets.
As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas would contact U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services to gain the victims’ trust. The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, the funds the victims sent to the scammers had been stolen. More than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited. He and other co-conspirators directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li, a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers. Li and Zhang each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov.12, 2024, and May 13, 2024, respectively.
He co-founded Axis Digital with defendant Jose Somarriba. Chinese national Jingliang Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds. Somarriba and Su each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business on April 14, and June 9, respectively.
The United States Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maxwell Coll and Alexander Gorin of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section, and Trial Attorney Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of more than 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of more than $350 million in victim funds.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov.
Roswell Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Making Bomb Threats to Government OfficesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Roswell man pled guilty to federal charges for making multiple bomb threats to government offices across several states.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2025, Jeffrey Ramon Diaz, 43, made threatening calls to several governmental agencies and offices, including a United States Senator’s office, the New Mexico Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County, the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, and the Governor of Pennsylvania’s office.
During the calls, Diaz identified himself by name and made explicit threats of violence and bombings. He told a congressional staffer he was threatening to bomb the Senator’s office. He left a voicemail for a New Mexico state court judge threatening to blow up the judge’s building and harm the judge. He also spoke directly to a receptionist at the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, declaring a bomb threat and threatening to set the building on fire. Additionally, Diaz called the Pennsylvania Governor’s office claiming he had placed a bomb in the Governor’s home and threatened to kill those inside.
Diaz knew at the time that he did not have bombs at any of these locations but made the threats intending to cause fear, panic, and intimidation.
On August 11, 2025, Diaz pled guilty to four counts of Malicious Threat to Injure by Fire or Explosive. At sentencing, Diaz faces up to 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber 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 with assistance from the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Las Cruces Police Department and Chaves County Sheriff’s Office. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher McNair is prosecuting the case.
Roanoke Man Who Posed as Baseball Prospect Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia man, who used burner phones to pose as officials from both Major and Minor League baseball teams, was sentenced recently to 41 months in federal prison for failing to register as a convicted sex offender and making false statements.
Janike Dunbar Holt, 29, a.k.a. “Nike,” a.k.a. “Janike Tagovailoa” a.k.a. “Keanu Tagovailoa,” a.k.a. “Trey Tagovailoa,” previously pled guilty to one count of failure to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement.
According to court documents, in August 2018, Holt was convicted of three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina after he had sexual relations with a fifteen-year-old. Holt was released from custody in October of 2018 and, after initially complying with his required sex offender registration requirements, Holt failed to report an address change in June 2022.
In March 2022, Holt began dating a woman (Individual 1) who had a minor child (Minor A). Holt was not the father of Minor A, but he told others that he was. In addition, Holt was asking several other women for money that he claimed was to support Minor A, to visit Minor A, or to help obtain custody of Minor A. However, Holt did not actually use the money for these stated purposes or otherwise provide this money to Individual 1 or Minor A.
Around October 2022, Holt began dating Individual 2. Holt falsely told Individual 2 that he had a child (Minor A) and got Individual 2 to give him $65 for diapers for the child and for gas to go visit her. Individual 2 gave Holt access to her bank accounts, and Holt stole $5,000 from her. Individual 2 was able recover this money from her bank.
At other times in 2022, Holt also dated Individual 3. While living with Individual 3, Holt stole at least three checks from her, which he subsequently made out to himself. Holt filled out one of these checks and asked another person, Individual 5, to cash it for him. Holt made out another of these stolen checks for $225,000, with the memo line reading “Lawsuit Refund.” The check was never cashed. Holt later made out another of these stolen checks for $75,000, with the memo line reading “Law-suit settlement.” He asked two other people, Individuals 7 and 8, to cash this check for him, but they refused.
On February 6, 2023, Holt asked a friend to drive him from North Carolina to Virginia, where he was planning to move. Holt lived with his brother in Roanoke for a few days before moving in with a new girlfriend, Individual 6. Holt continued living with his new girlfriend until March 14, 2023. While living in Roanoke, Holt never registered as a sex offender in Virginia, despite being required to under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Despite living with Individual 6, Holt also spent a significant amount of time at a house where the mother of two of his brother’s children (Individual 7) lived with her mother (Individual 8). Holt falsely told his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that he had been recruited to play for a Major League Baseball team. Holt used burner phones to send text messages to his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 while pretending to be actual individuals affiliated with a Major League Baseball team and a Minor League Baseball team. Holt used the names of these individuals without their knowledge.
Holt told his brother, Individual 6, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that they would all be moving as a result of his purported Major League Baseball career. In preparation, and at Holt’s urging, Individual 7 and Individual 8 sold some of their vehicles and gave Holt the proceeds. Holt also attempted to sell Individual 6’s vehicle without her knowledge.
On March 14, 2023, Holt was arrested on a warrant out of North Carolina. While being interviewed by a deputy marshal, Holt made several false statements, including that he had a child (Minor A), that he had not been living in Roanoke, Virginia but had been driving back and forth between Roanoke and North Carolina every other day, and that his probation officer was aware that he was habitually traveling between Roanoke and North Carolina.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci made the announcement today.
The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
An Oklahoma man was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Thomas Edward Gailus, 52, of Webber Falls, Oklahoma, used the dark web to access child sexual abuse material, which he collected in large quantities, including child sexual abuse material featuring prepubescent minors. Gailus had previously been convicted in 2005 of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and communication with a minor for immoral purposes in Washington State. At the time of the search of his home in 2023, Gailus possessed or accessed with intent to view child sexual abuse files with the same series title as the images that he was convicted of possessing in 2005.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Chris Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Goodwater of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
This case was a part of Operation Grayskull, a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI, led by the FBI Child Exploitation Operation Unit. Operation Grayskull resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Richard Charles Cart, 42, of Poca, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 28, 2025, Cart sold a Ruger model LCP .380-caliber pistol at a pawn shop in Charleston. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Cart knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for grand larceny in Kanawha Circuit Court on May 23, 2022, and for possession of methamphetamine in Jackson County, Georgia, Superior Court on August 8, 2019.
Cart is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-108.
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Previously convicted felon charged federally for possessing firearm during local gas station shootoutRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Trotwood man was charged federally today after he allegedly participated in a shootout at a local gas station last week.
Walter Rodgers, 35, is charged with illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime.
According to charging documents, on Sept. 2, Dayton police officers were dispatched to the Sunoco gas station on E. Third Street in Dayton due to early afternoon calls of a shooting. Rodgers allegedly ran inside the gas station after being shot at, retrieved a firearm from his bag and exited the Sunoco to return fire.
It is alleged that Rodgers possessed a firearm that law enforcement recovered at the scene. The gun was covered in blood; Rodgers was hit during the gun fight.
Court documents also detail that, during the shootout, Rodgers allegedly stated, “I’m going to do ya’ll like I did Cierra,” potentially referring to his former girlfriend Cierra Chapman, who was reported missing in 2022 and is yet to be found.
Rodgers was previously convicted in Montgomery County of aggravated burglary and abduction. Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Erica Lunderman is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Portland Man Charged with Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officer Near Local ICE OfficeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man made his first appearance in federal court today after assaulting a federal officer during ongoing protest activity near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Devin P. Montgomery, 49, has been charged by criminal complaint with the felony offense of assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, on the afternoon of September 4, 2025, Federal Protective Service (FPS) observed Montgomery operating an Unmanned Aircraft System, also commonly described as a “drone,” in a temporary flight restricted area near the ICE facility in Portland. The FPS advised Montgomery that flying a drone above or around the federal facility was prohibited due to the restriction imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Montgomery ignored FPS’s instructions and continued to operate the drone in the restricted area. Federal officers approached Montgomery, who became belligerent with the officers and began cursing at them. After his arrest, Montgomery spit in an officer’s face.
Since June 13, 2025, a total of 26 defendants have been charged with federal offenses committed at the ICE building, including assaulting federal officers, arson, possession of a destructive device, and depredation of government property.
Montgomery made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was released on conditions pending further court proceedings.
Felony assault of a federal officer is punishable by up to 8 years in federal prison.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Porcupine Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assault within the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Porcupine, South Dakota, convicted of one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on August 18, 2025.
Elijah Keith Battese, 25, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Battese was indicted for two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 2, 2025.
On September 27, 2024, Battese struck a juvenile male with a vacuum handle. The victim suffered a 1.4-inch laceration to his right-ear area, requiring eleven sutures from emergency medical services. The offense took place within the Pine Ridge Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Battese was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.