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2 September 2025
Two Detroit Men Plead Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Eric Jaeshon Ray, also known as “Brody,” 31, and Franklin Fitzgerald Elly, also known as “Costco,” 36, both of Detroit, Michigan, each pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about May 2025 to in or about July 2025, Ray and Elly conspired together and with other individuals to distribute fentanyl in the St. Albans area of Kanawha County. On four separate occasions between May and June of 2025, Elly assisted Ray in distributing a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in St. Albans as part of the conspiracy.
Ray and Elly are scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2025, and each faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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-128.
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Two Admit to Roles in Fentanyl Distribution Operation in Northern PanhandleRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Two people have admitted to their roles in a drug distribution organization transporting fentanyl from Chicago, Illinois, to Weirton, West Virginia.
Stephen Price, also known as “Sleepy,” 40, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty to eight counts involving the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. Paula Jean Truax, 44, of Weirton, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. According to court documents, Price and Truax worked together with others to sell large quantities of fentanyl in Hancock County, West Virginia, and elsewhere.
Price faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison for one of the charges. He faces up to 20 years for each of the remaining counts. Truax faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office; the Brooke County Sheriff’s Office; the Weirton Police Department; the West Virginia State Police; the Jefferson County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office; the Steubenville, Ohio, Police Department; and the Wheeling Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Illinois Laws Providing In-State Tuition and Scholarships for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
The United States is challenging Illinois laws providing in-state tuition and scholarships for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates or scholarships, in direct conflict with federal law. On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Illinois against the State of Illinois, Governor Pritzker, the State Attorney General, and the boards of trustees of state universities in Illinois seeking to enjoin the State from enforcing the Illinois laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Illinois laws that requires colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain Illinois residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. The Illinois laws blatantly conflict with federal law and are thus in conflict with the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
“Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice has already filed multiple lawsuits to prevent U.S. students from being treated like second-class citizens — Illinois now joins the list of states where we are relentlessly fighting to vindicate federal law.”
“Illinois has an apparent desire to win a ‘race to the bottom’ as the country’s leading sanctuary state. Its misguided approach mandating in-state tuition, scholarships, and financial aid to illegal aliens plainly violates federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “This policy treats illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states and incentivizes even more illegal immigration, all on the taxpayer’s dime. Illinois citizens deserve better.”
This lawsuit follows two executive orders signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. The first, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” orders all agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The second, “Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens,” directs relevant officials to “take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens.”
Two Pensacola Men Charged in Federal Indictment for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ronald Dale White, 39, and Darius Rafael Whisler, 33, of Pensacola, were indicted by a federal grand jury this week, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and multiple counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Ronald White was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Whisler was arraigned in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on August 26, 2025. White was arraigned in federal court before Judge Cannon on August 28, 2025. Trial is scheduled for October 6, 2025, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
If convicted, White and Whisler face up to life imprisonment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.
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 available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Tallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Ryan Isbell, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court for production of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am truly thankful for the tremendous work of our local and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and put an end to this defendant’s sexual exploitation of minors. Protecting the most vulnerable members of our community from disgusting predators is a top priority, and my office will aggressively prosecute these cases to bring offenders like this to justice for victimizing our kids.”
Court documents reflect that in 2020 the Tallahassee Police Department received reports that Isbell’s social media account contained child pornography. During the execution of a November 2020 arrest warrant, law enforcement encountered a minor victim who had been exploited by Isbell. A search of Isbell’s computer and cellular telephone confirmed the exploitation had been recorded.
Isbell faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years’, and up to 30 years’, imprisonment followed by lifetime supervision thereafter upon release.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Arranging Sale of Drugs to DEARead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man who arranged for the sale of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to 15 years in prison.
Jerry Massey, 33, pleaded guilty in April to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl, five counts of distribution of meth and fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of count of distribution of meth and heroin.
The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Massey in January of 2022, and made a series of drug purchases that were arranged by him in St. Louis, St. Louis County and Illinois. The sales included meth and fentanyl on Jan. 18, 2024, January 24, January 31, February 8, February 29, March 7, March 14. On February 14, the DEA purchased fentanyl and cocaine. On March 27, investigators conducted a court-approved search of Massey’s home and found a large amount of cash and 29 pills containing fentanyl, Massey’s plea agreement says.
Darrion Dardon, 32, previously pleaded guilty conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and distribution of meth and heroin. Darius Smith, 31, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Ronald Finney, 32, and Michael Davis, 34, pleaded guilty to three drug charges and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In their plea agreements, Davis admitted selling meth and fentanyl on January 18. Smith gave Massey the meth that he sold on January 24. Dardon sold meth and a mixture of heroin, cocaine and xylazine on February 29. Finney sold meth and Davis sold fentanyl during the March 14 transactions.
When Finney’s home in St. Louis County was searched on March 27, investigators found fentanyl, cocaine base and meth, as well as a handgun and drug paraphernalia. Davis’ home in St. Louis contained fentanyl, a digital scale, a kilogram press, drug paraphernalia, a handgun, meth, cocaine base and cocaine.
Finney and Davis await sentencing. Dardon was sentenced to 84 months in prison and Smith to 96 months.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Granger is prosecuting the case.
Springfield, Vermont Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Straw-Purchasing 19 Firearms and Robbing 3 BanksRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 29, 2025, Stephen Loewe, 43, of Springfield, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 45 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Loewe previously pleaded guilty to straw purchasing 19 firearms between December 2023 and May 2024, and admitted as part of his plea that he robbed the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield on August 13, 2024, the M&T Bank in Springfield on August 13, 2024, and the M&T Bank in Putney, Vermont on August 14, 2024.
According to court records, Loewe purchased the 19 firearms at a firearm store in New Hampshire, falsely stating that the firearms were being purchased for his own possession. Instead, Loewe provided the firearms to another person. 18 of the firearms were handguns that Loewe provided to his drug dealer in exchange for crack cocaine. At the time he gave him the firearms, Loewe knew his drug dealer was prohibited from possessing firearms due to the drug dealer’s criminal history. One of the firearms trafficked by Loewe was subsequently recovered during a search of a drug den on Reed Street in Springfield, Vermont. A second firearm trafficked by Loewe was recovered at the scene of the shooting of a police officer in Springfield, Massachusetts. Loewe was arrested on July 31, 2024 after stealing a vehicle and leading police officers on a chase. After he was released from state custody, Loewe proceeded to commit the three bank robberies. Loewe admitted after his arrest for the bank robberies that he used the money he obtained from the robberies to purchase crack cocaine.
“The straw-purchasing of firearms and intentional provision of them to drug traffickers is an exceedingly serious crime,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “A key aspect of federal firearm background checks is to confirm the person purchasing the firearm is the intended recipient. Straw-purchasing intentionally circumvents this safeguard by allowing prohibited people to possess guns, and arming criminals with firearms that cannot be traced back to them as purchasers.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Drescher commended the collaborative investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Vermont State Police, and the Springfield, Vermont Police Department. Assistance was also provided by the Chester Police Department, the Weathersfield Police Department, the Bellows Falls Police Department, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department in the response to the bank robberies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne Smith and Jonathan Ophardt. Loewe was represented by Assistant Federal Defender Steven Barth.
South L.A. Man Arrested on Federal Complaint Charging Him with Illegally Towing Government Vehicle Used During Immigration ArrestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man and tow truck driver was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with stealing government property by illegally towing a vehicle used by law enforcement officers to conduct an immigration-related arrest last month.
Bobby Nunez, 33, is charged with theft of government property. Nunez is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Nunez on August 15 interfered with federal law enforcement officers in downtown Los Angeles who were arresting Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, 23, an illegal alien from Colombia residing in downtown Los Angeles. The officers used two government law enforcement vehicles to box in Martinez’s vehicle and prevent her from escaping. Both government vehicles had their emergency lights activated during this incident, which occurred at the exit of a luxury apartment complex’s parking structure.
During the officers’ struggle to arrest Martinez, Nunez approached Martinez’s vehicle and began pressing the passenger side door of her vehicle on an officer, who then threatened Nunez with arrest. After being told the officers were conducting a federal investigation, Nunez swore at the officers and told them “Something was going to happen” to them.
A second man then approached Martinez’s vehicle to interfere with the arrests. While officers addressed this man’s interference, Nunez got into his Dodge tow truck and towed one of the government vehicles that was boxing in Martinez’s vehicle. At the time of this interference, the government vehicle had its keys inside and a firearm locked in a safe inside it as well.
Two days later, law enforcement observed Nunez’s tow truck parked in an assigned residential space at the same luxury apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Nunez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Neil P. Thakor of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Shiprock Man Charged with Assault and Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges for firing multiple rounds at two people during a domestic dispute on the Navajo Nation.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2025, Bryson Chee, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, who had been drinking and behaving erratically, arrived at a residence in Shiprock as a passenger in a vehicle with two others. After exiting the vehicle, Chee retrieved a handgun, pointed it at the occupants, and then began shooting as they attempted to drive away. A nearby witness and child took cover as shots were fired. Investigators later recovered multiple spent shell casings and confirmed bullets struck the victims’ vehicle.
Officers from Navajo Nation Police Department located Chee shortly after the shooting. Chee ignored commands to stop and threw a backpack containing a loaded handgun down a steep embankment before being taken into custody.
Chee is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Chee faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Chee).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sex Offender Who Possessed Gun, Approached Children Sentenced to 8 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender caught with a pistol after a road rage shooting to eight years in prison.
Leroy Richard Walker Jr., 54, of Franklin County, pleaded guilty in April to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted firing a shot from a pistol after he believed a driver passed him and then pulled in front of him on Nov. 25, 2022, as they exited Interstate 44 in Eureka, Missouri.
Walker was also investigated twice for violating the sex offender restrictions barring him from schools and school bus stops. He admitted approaching and speaking with two children who were waiting for the school bus on Nov. 28, 2023, in Franklin County. On May 14, 2024, Walker pulled up in front of a high school in Franklin County, Missouri and began speaking with a 16-year-old girl who was also waiting for the school bus. He offered her a ride home and dropped her at a commercial business. On the way, he put his arm around the victim. The victim told authorities that she got into Walker’s car because she felt pressured by him and believed he could grab or hurt her.
Walker has prior felony convictions for first-degree assault, attempted forcible rape, armed criminal action, burglary, tampering, stealing a motor vehicle and escape.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Pacific Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson 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 the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Scott County Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Georgetown, Ky., man, Marvelous Davis, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to 93 months in prison, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to his plea agreement, on November 12, 2024, law enforcement performed a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Davis was a passenger. During the search of the vehicle, law enforcement located an unserialized firearm, also known as a “ghost gun,” under Davis’ seat. Law enforcement also found 39.7 grams of pressed pills containing fentanyl. Davis admitted to possessing the drugs with intent to distribute to others and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
Under federal law, Davis must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Chief Darin Allgood, Georgetown Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, KSP, Lexington Police Department, and Georgetown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Rosedale Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Terry Allen, 57, of Rosedale, Maryland, to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) – Philadelphia Regional Office; and Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to the guilty plea, in 2022, during an investigation into a target, the FBI discovered that the target paid Allen more than $270,000. Agents later learned that Allen was supplying the FBI target with diverted prescription drugs. As a result, the FBI partnered with the DEA and identified Allen as the leader of a Baltimore-region drug trafficking organization (DTO). Agents soon learned that from 2022 to 2023, Allen’s DTO flooded the Baltimore community with thousands of diverted oxycodone pills.
The DTO’s members deployed a vast network of pseudo-patients to acquire diverted oxycodone pills. Pseudo patients are individuals recruited by drug traffickers to enter “pill-mill” clinics with fictitious complaints of pain to receive prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances. As part of the conspiracy, pseudo-patients gave their oxycodone prescriptions to DTO members in exchange for cash payments or oxycodone.
In February 2023, law enforcement received court authorization to intercept phone calls and text messages from numerous DTO members’ cellular phones. Intercepted calls revealed that Allen was distributing vast quantities of oxycodone.
On these calls, Allen openly discussed the large quantity of drugs she possessed for redistribution. She acquired her vast supply of oxycodone from her large pseudo-patient network. Intercepted calls revealed how Allen and her top oxycodone supplier, Co-Conspirator 1, collaborated to manage the pseudo-patients. Co-Conspirator 1 managed 12 pseudo-patients to acquire oxycodone, which Co-Conspirator 1 then resold to Allen. During their intercepted calls, Allen and Co-Conspirator 1 discussed inventory; transferred pseudo-patients to pill-mill clinics that would easily refill oxycodone prescriptions or give higher dosages; and arranged for pseudo-patients to pass urine screenings.
Additionally, through the investigation, law enforcement uncovered Allen’s money laundering. A review of Allen’s bank records revealed she received and spent more than $2 million from 2017 to 2023. Agents traced Allen’s drug transactions through peer-to-peer applications such as Zelle and Cash App.
In May 2023, agents obtained more than 30 search warrants for residences, vehicles, and persons involved in the investigation. On May 31, agents searched Allen’s residence, located in Rosedale, Maryland. As law enforcement searched Allen’s house, she agreed to speak with FBI agents in a separate room. Allen then admitted to using pseudo-patients to acquire oxycodone that she redistributed on the street.
During the search, agents found approximately $39,380; drug ledgers; a calendar with annotations regarding medical appointments for pseudo-patients; distribution quantity of oxycodone pills, suboxone strips, and Adderall pills; a Glock 19 9mm handgun; and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun. The money and firearms were connected to Allen’s drug trafficking activities.
Authorities arrested Allen, but after her bail hearing, she was released on home detention. In August 2023, while on home detention, law enforcement learned that Allen was distributing oxycodone. On September 13, law enforcement searched her home and found two pseudo-patients’ prescription-pill bottles, containing 200 oxycodone 20MG pills.
During the investigation, agents obtained Maryland Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) records for all of the DTO’s pseudo-patients’ oxycodone prescriptions. According to PDMP records, members of the conspiracy illegally re-distributed at least 3,000 kilograms of converted drug weight worth of oxycodone.
Through the conspiracy, Allen sold approximately 4,454 pills, containing 30 milligrams of oxycodone for $45 per pill; approximately 12,835 pills, containing 20 milligrams of oxycodone for $30 per pill; approximately 6,749 pills, containing 15 milligrams of oxycodone for $20 per pill; and approximately 770 pills, containing 30 milligrams of Adderall for $20 per pill. Allen received approximately $735,860 from selling the pills. In addition to using her residence in Rosedale to distribute drugs, Allen leveraged the proceeds from her drug trafficking activities to pay the mortgage for the property. At Allen’s sentencing, the Court imposed a $735,860 forfeiture money judgement and ordered the forfeiture of Allen’s house in Rosedale, Maryland.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin C. Miner and Ari D. Evans who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY – U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on August 29, 2025.
Jerry Lamont, 61, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $35,630 in restitution and $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Lamont was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025.
Between January and December 2024, Lamont uploaded multiple pictures and videos of child pornography into his Dropbox cloud storage account. Lamont possessed 12 electronic devices, all of which contained child pornography. The material depicted children as young as infants being sexually abused, computer-generated imagery, bestiality, and bondage. Forty-one children have been identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as victims whose images Lamont possessed. Restitution was ordered to several of the victims and the South Dakota ICAC Digital Investigations Fund.
“This defendant was in possession of 13,137 images of child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Due to the relentless and collaborative work of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, the defendant was located, apprehended, and swiftly prosecuted for his exploitative conduct. The defendant is now out of our community as he begins his 15 year sentence in federal prison.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Lamont was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh Trafficker Sentenced for Cocaine and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Wilbert Lee Howard, III, 42, to 16 years in federal prison for leading a major cocaine trafficking operation in the Raleigh area. Howard pleaded guilty to his crimes on June 12, 2025.
“This defendant had multiple prior state convictions for cocaine trafficking and possessing firearms, but he never learned his lesson. He continued to pump poison into our neighborhoods instead of being a contributing member of society,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Our neighborhoods, families, and communities are safer with this man behind bars. If you think you can make money and get away with selling drugs in Eastern North Carolina, you are wrong. Our federal and state law enforcement will find you, take your drugs, guns, cars, and money, and you will go to prison. Justice in this case is strong, it’s fair, and it sends a message loud and clear.”
According to court documents and information presented in court, from September 2023 to July 2024, Howard distributed approximately 14 kilograms of cocaine in Raleigh and its surrounding communities. The investigation revealed that Howard was obtaining kilograms of cocaine and distributing them to other drug dealers for sale in the Raleigh area. Law enforcement conducted multiple traffic stops of individuals working with Howard and recovered cocaine, marijuana, and cash.
On July 17, 2024, officers executed search warrants at properties used by Howard for drug trafficking and recovered cocaine, cash, and multiple firearms, including a shotgun and a 9mm handgun.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00264.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jeremy Dale Shuck, 47, of Coal City, pleaded guilty today to distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 16, 2024, Shuck sold approximately 13.92 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $200 in a service station parking lot in Beaver. Shuck admitted to the transaction as part of his guilty plea.
Shuck is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
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).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell have prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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. 5:25-cr-41.
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Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that David Andrew Ogden (39, Winter Park) has pleaded guilty to five counts of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and one count of possession of CSAM. For each production count, Ogden faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison. The possession count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 13, 2025.
According to court documents, on September 8, 2024, Ogden entered an apartment without permission where three minor children were sleeping. Ogden began touching two of the children and used his cellphone to produce CSAM of them. Following Ogden’s arrest later that night, a search warrant was executed on his cellphone which revealed additional CSAM Ogden had produced in 2022 and 2024 involving two other minor children. Ogden’s phone also contained more than 1,000 AI-generated CSAM images and 10 AI-generated videos, some of which portrayed the abuse of children between the ages of 2 and 6 years old.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Winter Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison on Firearms Violations and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Summit County man has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for manufacturing firearms and machine gun conversion devices from his home using a 3D printer and selling them through a popular social media platform.
Alexander Beattie, 34, of Barberton, Ohio, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in May to the following charges:
- Engaging in the Business of Dealing Firearms Without a License
- Engaging in the Business of Manufacturing and Dealing Firearms Without a License
- Manufacturing a Firearm Without a License
- Felon in Possession of Ammunition; previous convictions for burglary in 2011 and domestic violence in 2018.
- Possession of Child Pornography
Beattie was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $54,500 in restitution and $5,000 in Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments. The sentence was imposed by Judge Adams Aug. 28, 2025.
According to court documents, from about Feb. 1 – Nov. 4, 2024, Beattie used a 3D printer to manufacture illegal firearms, parts, and suppressors in his house. These firearms without serial numbers, are untraceable, and typically manufactured at home, are known as “ghost guns.” “Ghost guns” are unable to be tracked or traced since they do not have serial numbers or other record of being manufactured or sold. Beattie used a popular social media platform to market his manufacturing services and find paying customers by sharing photos and videos that highlighted the quality of his illegal products.
U.S. Attorney's OfficeDuring the investigation, agents also found that Beattie’s electronic devices contained child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), that included children who were under the age of 12.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.
Northeast Missouri Felon Caught Twice with Guns and Drugs Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a northeast Missouri felon who was on supervised release when he was caught twice with drugs and guns to 153 months in prison.
Darek A. Wilson, 40, of Kahoka, in Clark County, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on July 29, 2024, a U.S. Probation Officer was at Wilson’s home when he spotted suspected methamphetamine in Wilson’s bedroom. The officer went on to find a Glock handgun, 61 rounds of ammunition, fentanyl, meth, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms. Wilson was on supervised release after pleading guilty on Nov. 10, 2021, to one count of possession with the intent to distribute meth.
An arrest warrant was sought, and when the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Northern Missouri Drug Taskforce and the Kahoka Police Department returned to Wilson’s home, they found 12 firearms hidden in the false ceiling of a bedroom and a safe containing a digital scale, $4,394 in cash, 241.63 grams of meth, 19 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and 15 more guns. Wilson lived 231 feet from a school property.
The U.S. Probation Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Northern Missouri Drug Taskforce and the Kahoka Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nauman Wadalawala prosecuted the case.
North Texas Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
A North Texas man who produced sexually explicit photos of two children in Fort Worth was sentenced to 60 years in prison today, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Scott Wayne O’Toole, 60, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children following an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On August 28, 2025, O’Toole was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 360 months per count, for a total of 720 months.
According to court documents, authorities in Alaska began investigating O’Toole in December 2024 after the discovery of a USB drive containing child sexual abuse material at a hotel where O’Toole resided while on a temporary duty assignment as a school bus driver.
This case involved the coordinated efforts of the FBI, the Fairbanks, Alaska Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the District of Alaska, and the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material from Canada into the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while illegally crossing from Canada into the United States, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jose Rodriguez-Garcia, 27, a Mexican national pleaded guilty to one count of transporting child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for December 15, 2025.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on June 6, 2024, Rodriguez-Garcia and another man were observed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol crossing from Canada into New Hampshire at Hall Stream Road. A search of the defendant yielded several electronic media devices, including a thumb drive which depicted CSAM.
The charge of transporting CSAM carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years. 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.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican National Charged with Drug Trafficking Conspiracy after Seizure of 29 Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Geovanni L. Cano, 39, was charged in a six-count criminal complaint on Aug. 29, 2025. Cano was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and five counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, between January and August 2025, Cano distributed approximately seven kilograms of methamphetamine to law enforcement through six controlled buys conducted in Kansas City, Mo. Cano distributed the drugs on behalf of a Mexico-based broker. On Aug. 28, 2025, investigators arrested Cano while he was in possession of approximately 3.7 kilograms of methamphetamines. A federal search warrant was executed at Cano’s residence in Kansas City, Ks. Investigators located approximately 18.6 kilograms of methamphetamine in the residence.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Kansas City, Kansas Police Department; and IRS-Criminal Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Missouri Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Martinsville Doctor Sentenced to 40 Years for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Martinsville-based doctor, who was found guilty of more than 450 counts of multiple drug charges at the conclusion of a three-week jury trial in December 2024, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to 40 years in federal prison.
Joel Smithers, 42, of Texarkana, Texas, was found guilty of one count of maintaining a place for the purpose of illegally distributing controlled substances and 466 counts of illegally prescribing Schedule II controlled substances.
“This defendant’s actions betrayed his oath to his patients, his community, and the healthcare system at large,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes, and the destruction wrought by the opioid epidemic in our communities, an epidemic fueled by the flagrant misconduct of Dr. Smithers. When doctors betray the trust placed in them, they must be held accountable.”
“Dr. Smithers failed his patients and the community he swore to serve. Healthcare providers play a vital role in dispensing medications that address their patients’ health requirements. By overprescribing and irresponsibly diverting dangerous controlled substances he put the citizens lives at risk. Not only did we conduct a criminal investigation into Dr. Smithers, but the DEA also revoked his DEA Registration. This action, and today’s sentence prevents him from prescribing medications, ensuring the safety of the public from his negligent practices,” said Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Washington Division.
“Dr. Smithers operated like a drug dealer with a prescription pad, flooding communities with addictive and deadly opioids, all while pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “I'm proud of the work done by my Major Crimes and Emerging Threats prosecutor M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, in partnership with our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and federal and local law enforcement, to hold him accountable.”
Smithers opened an office in Martinsville in August 2015 and prescribed controlled substances to every patient in his practice, resulting in over 500,000 Schedule II controlled substances being distributed. The drugs involved included oxymorphone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl. A majority of those receiving prescriptions from Smithers traveled hundreds of miles, one-way, to receive the drugs. Smithers did not accept insurance and took in over $700,000 in cash and credit card payments prior to a search warrant being executed at his office on March 7, 2017. Effective April 17, 2019, the DEA Acting Administrator revoked Dr. Smithers’ DEA Registration Number.
Smithers was previously convicted in 2019 of these charges. However, after his conviction, the United States Supreme Court changed the law concerning jury instructions in cases involving illegal distribution of controlled substances by health care providers. Accordingly, a new trial was ordered and occurred in December 2024.
At sentencing, the Court determined that Smithers obstructed justice by perjuring himself when he testified at trial. The Court further found that Smithers was a leader of this extensive criminal activity extending from August 2015 to August 2017. Finally, the Court determined that Smithers abused a position of public trust and misused a special skill when he unlawfully distributed numerous Schedule II controlled substances.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad (Roanoke and Bristol offices) and the Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. DEA Task Force Officers with the police departments of Bristol, Martinsville, Buena Vista, Roanoke, and Roanoke County; the Sheriff’s Offices of Henry County and Pittsylvania County; the Virginia State Police; and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General assisted in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Randy Ramseyer and Corey Hall and Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case in this most-recent trial for the United States.
Last Defendant in Drug Conspiracy Case Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison on drug conspiracy-related charges for trafficking fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio.
Andree L. Padgett, 35, of Euclid, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in April to the following charges:
- Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Distribution of A Controlled Substance
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for drug trafficking in 2016 and 2023
Padgett was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. The sentence was imposed by Judge Polster on Aug. 28, 2025.
According to court documents, from about June 27 to about July 13, 2023, Padgett, along with two other co-conspirators, knowingly participated in selling illegal substances containing fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio.
In total, the members of this conspiracy sold over 300 grams of fentanyl. Additionally, on two separate occasions, Padgett sold a total of six firearms along with the fentanyl.
Because of the defendant’s significant criminal history, he was designated a career offender.
Co-defendant Ambray N. Underwood, 27, of Cleveland, was previously sentenced to 108 months (nine years) in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Co-defendant Tashaun N. Bell, 24, of Maple Heights, was previously sentenced to 46 months (3.8 years) in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Both co-defendants pleaded guilty to their respective roles in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian S. Deckert and Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 47 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting A Minor and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 47 years in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for sexually exploiting a toddler and possessing the child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of several minors.
Damian Amalfitano pleaded guilty to one-count of sexual exploitation of children and one-count of possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II ordered Amalfitano to pay $2,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance (AVAA) fund. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Amalfitano must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student.
“Today’s sentence reflects the defendant’s deplorable behavior and the seriousness of this crime against a vulnerable child who the defendant sexually abused,” said Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “The collection of child sexual abuse material showed that the defendant sexually abused the victim for multiple consecutive days and recorded the abuse.”
"Damian Amalfitano posed a significant threat to children as demonstrated by his repeated perverse and sick exploitation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nathaniel Holland for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Even in the darkest corners of the internet, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will exert every effort to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. Today's sentencing reflects our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for our most vulnerable victims."
Amalfitano admitted that beginning at an unknown time, but no later than September 22, 2010, and continuing to at least October 30, 2021, Amalfitano sexually abused a two-year-old child by engaging in sexually explicit conduct with said child for the purpose of producing CSAM and possessed CSAM of several other minors.
A forensic examination of his electronic devices found that he had a total of approximately 350 images and six videos of CSAM on two digital devices, depicting CSAM as young as toddlers. He also admitted that he engaged in sexually explicit conduct with three other minor victims.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of $848,247 in Cryptocurrency from Confidence ScamsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint today against $868,247 in Tether (USDT). As detailed in the complaint, the funds are alleged to be ill-gotten gains from several cryptocurrency-related confidence scams that targeted victims in the District of Columbia, Texas, Illinois, and Florida, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Co-conspirators stole funds from at least four victims between September 2022 and February 2025 and laundered the funds through a convoluted web of cryptocurrency wallets to evade detection and avoid accountability.
Joining in the announcement were Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office.
In late 2022, the FBI Honolulu Division Cyber Squad opened the investigation after a victim in Hawaii reported being defrauded out of $1.3 million by the LME Crypto Group, a scam group impersonating the London Metal Exchange while operating a complex cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme by cultivating long-term relationships with victims online and eventually enticing them to make investments in fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms.
At least one victim of the LME Crypto Group was defrauded in the District of Columbia. In December 2023, that victim reported a $30,000 loss to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).[1] The victim’s complaint explained that they “thought it was an investment to earn big profits in a short amount of time.” The victim went on to state that they bought cryptocurrency through an online platform and invested it in “an app called LME.”
Cryptocurrency investment fraud typically begins by criminals contacting potential victims through seemingly misdirected text messages, dating applications, or professional meetup or investment groups. In the four cases highlighted in the complaint, the victims were each approached through seemingly misdirected text messages.
Next, using various means of manipulation, the perpetrators gain the victim’s affection or trust. The perpetrator then recommends cryptocurrency investment by touting their own, or an associate’s, success in the field.
A common tactic is to direct a victim to a fake investment platform hosted on a website that mimics a legitimate platform. The perpetrator assists the victim with opening a cryptocurrency account, often on an exchange based in the U.S., and then walks the victim through transferring money from a bank account to that cryptocurrency account. Next, the perpetrator provides instructions to the victim regarding how to transfer their cryptocurrency assets to what is in actuality a fake investment platform. On its surface, the fraudulent platforms often show lucrative returns, encouraging further investment; underneath, all deposited funds are routed to a cryptocurrency wallet address controlled completely by the perpetrators.
The perpetrators frequently allow victims to withdraw some of their “profits” early in the scheme to engender trust and help convince victims of the legitimacy of the platform. As the scheme continues, victims are unable to withdraw their funds and are provided various excuses as to why. Ultimately, victims are locked out of their accounts and lose all their funds.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, and investment scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov. In 2024 alone, approximately $5.8 billion in losses from cryptocurrency investment fraud was reported to the IC3.
The FBI Honolulu Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided invaluable assistance. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Columbia Acting Deputy Chief Kevin Rosenberg and Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Rick Blaylock Jr., along with Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz, Ethan Cantor, and Gaelin Bernstein from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice, and Daniel Zytnick with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice.
25cv2967
[1] The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is the United States’ central hub for reporting cybercrime. It is run by the FBI, the lead federal agency for investigating cybercrime.
tron_20250902_civil_complaint_25-cv-2967.pdfJury Convicts Omaha Man of Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Fentanyl DealingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that on August 28, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Jeron Morris, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The verdict followed a two-day trial in front of United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher. Before trial, Morris pleaded guilty to three other charges – conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Buescher scheduled sentencing for December 3, 2025. Morris faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.
Evidence at trial established that a Federal Bureau of Investigation task force identified a residence in Omaha that was suspected of being a stash location for drugs, including fentanyl pills. During the investigation, Morris was identified as living in the residence. On May 17, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence. In an upstairs bedroom, they found two loaded Canik 9mm handguns and more than $1,000 in cash on a bed. The items had been dumped out of a drawer of a bedside chest of drawers. In a closet of that bedroom, investigators recovered a heat-sealed package of approximately 993 fentanyl pills. Morris was arrested during a traffic stop nearby and found to have a baggie containing another 87 fentanyl pills. During a post-Miranda interview, Morris admitted the drugs and guns were his, describing the guns by caliber, color, and attachments.
Morris faces enhanced statutory penalties because of prior convictions for Bank Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
Co-defendant Kadonta Muldrew, 31, of Omaha pleaded guilty to three charges – conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl pills, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl pills, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Muldrew faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. Muldrew’s sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2025.
As part of the investigation, more than $135,000 in cash was seized. That money will be forfeited to the United States as proceeds of drug dealing.
Omaha FBI Field Office Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “FBI Omaha and our partners are laser-focused on crushing violent crime and stopping the flow of drugs into our communities. The guilty verdict of Jeron Morris is a testament to our shared mission of safeguarding our neighborhoods and ensuring people’s right to live without the threat of violence. In this case, Morris was previously sentenced for brandishing a firearm during a bank robbery. He resumed his criminal activities within months of his release from federal prison. FBI Omaha will continue to surge resources as part of Operation Summer Heat, a nationwide initiative to address violent crime in our country.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department with assistance from the Council Bluffs Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, Papillion Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Iowa State Patrol. A sergeant from the Lincoln Police Department testified at trial as an expert in drug trafficking. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jamaican National Charged with Committing Robbery in Mount Vernon and Discharging Firearm at Police While in FlightRead 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 a Complaint against Jamaican national JAMAIRE ROBERTSON in connection with the armed robbery of a gas station attendant working in Mount Vernon, New York, in the early morning hours of August 29, 2025. ROBERTSON was arrested the same day and presented in Manhattan federal court on Saturday, August 30, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine A. Parker, who ordered him detained.
“As alleged, Jamaire Robertson committed a terrifying gunpoint robbery of a gas station attendant and then, minutes later, shot at police officers trying to stop him on a residential street in Mount Vernon,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Those willing to use guns and violence to terrorize our community and put law enforcement lives at risk should expect to face serious consequences. Anyone who disrupts the safety of New Yorkers and the dedicated officers responsible for keeping us all safe will be swiftly brought to justice.”
“Jamaire Robertson and his associate allegedly robbed a local gas station employee by brandishing firearms to forcefully steal the victim’s wallet, and Robertson allegedly fired upon officers,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Not only did Robertson’s alleged actions terrorize a random citizen for a nominal payout, but they also recklessly endangered the lives of local law enforcement officers. This arrest reflects the FBI’s enduring determination to apprehend any armed criminal through Operation Summer Heat, so our communities are protected from unnecessary acts of violence.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed on August 30, 2025, in White Plains federal court:[1]
On the morning of August 29, 2025, ROBERTSON and an associate (“Suspect-2”) exited a vehicle registered to ROBERTSON parked near ROBERTSON’s apartment in the Bronx and set out together on foot at approximately 5:19 a.m. toward a gas station on Mount Vernon Avenue in nearby Mount Vernon.
At approximately 5:29 a.m., ROBERTSON and Suspect-2, each brandishing a handgun, violently robbed the gas station’s attendant, stealing approximately $500-$600 in cash on the victim’s person along with the victim’s wallet. The robbery was captured on video surveillance.
The perpetrators fled the gas station and separated, with ROBERTSON seeking cover on a residential street in Mount Vernon near its border with the Bronx. There, ROBERTSON was observed in flight by New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers who were aware of the gas station robbery that had taken place minutes before. When the NYPD officers sought to approach ROBERTSON, he opened fire with his handgun and fled, discarding his weapon and a black hooded sweatshirt he wore during the robbery, which were recovered from the scene.
Security camera footage from ROBERTSON’s apartment building captured him returning home in his underwear and a t-shirt at approximately 6:25 a.m. and disposing additional articles of clothing down his building’s trash chute later that day, before his arrest.
If you have information to report regarding this robbery, please contact the FBI through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or by completing its online tip form at tips.fbi.gov.
* * *
ROBERTSON, 28, a Jamaican national, is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. ROBERTSON is also charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
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 the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarlitto 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._robertson_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.
Houston Man Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ANACLETO SILVA-HERRERA (“SILVA-HERRERA”), age 40, a resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge, Jane Triche Milazzo, on August 20, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession, with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine. SILVA-HERRERA was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, SILVA-HERRERA, and other co-conspirators, distributed, and possessed with intent to distribute, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana. SILVA-HERRERA transported kilogram quantities of cocaine, and proceeds from the sale of narcotics, on behalf of a co-conspirator, a known Mexico-based source of supply.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Honduran national sentenced for methamphetamine in federal prisonRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Honduran national serving a federal prison sentence in the Eastern District of Texas has been sentenced for possessing contraband, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Viljar Eduardo Rosales-Lara, 35, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited object in prison and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 2, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Rosales-Lara, while serving a federal prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Beaumont, was found to have 15 individually wrapped bundles of methamphetamine during a pat-down search inside his prison cell.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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Honduran National Guilty of Making False Statement in Passport Application, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – PEDRO NOLOCOS ROSALES (“ROSALES”), age 64, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on August 19, 2025, to a three-count indictment for making a false statement in a passport application, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government funds announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to court documents, ROSALES applied for a United States passport and falsely used the social security number (“SSN”) and name of another person for over 20 years. ROSALES, using this SSN, also applied for Social Security Administration (“SSA”) Disability Insurance Benefits, and converted to his use, money belonging to the United States and the SSA. Approximately $186,078.60 in U.S. Government funds were released to him by the SSA from April 2003 through August 2023 as a result of ROSALES’s fraud.
ROSALES faces up to ten years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 as to Count 1; a mandatory consecutive two years imprisonment as to Count 2; and up to ten years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 as to Count 3. Upon release from incarceration ROSALES may be sentenced to a supervised release period of up to one year on Count Two, and up to three years on Counts One and Three. ROSALES also agreed to pay $186,078.60 in restitution. He also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee as to each count.
The case was investigated by the U.S Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Hartford Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA ROMAN, 33, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Connecticut. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and other investigative techniques. A wiretap revealed that Roman, the president of the Loose Cannonz motorcycle club, was attempting to broker transactions of kilogram quantities of fentanyl and carfentanil. The investigation further revealed that Roman and his associates were receiving shipments of fentanyl and cocaine for distribution in the Hartford area.
On May 18, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from Roman. On June 7, 2023, Roman was arrested at Hartford residence and investigators seized approximately 50 grams of fentanyl from him. On that date, a search of the Loose Cannonz clubhouse in East Hartford revealed an additional 50 grams of fentanyl.
On May 5, 2025, Roman pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Roman, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 22.
This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Robert Dearington through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
Government Contractor Agrees to Pay $3.1 Million to Resolve Alleged Violations of the False Claims ActRead the Press Release
BOISE – Sanford Federal, Inc. and its owner, Joseph Mandour, agreed to pay $3,100,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act in their acquisition and performance of 49 government contracts across the United States and involving multiple Federal agencies.
The United States alleged that Sanford and Mandour violated the False Claims Act by knowingly misrepresenting the identities of individuals alleged to be employees, using unknown persons and fraudulent credentials to sweeten their contract bids, and misrepresenting Sanford’s size to acquire set-aside contracts in violation of Small Business Administrative rules. The United States also alleged that Sanford and Mandour acquired a service-disabled veteran owned small business set-aside contract and then knowingly violated a limitation on subcontracting that required such contracts to be performed by service-disabled veteran owned small businesses.
“Government contractors are important partners that help us achieve our various government missions. But misrepresentations in bids undermine the integrity of the bid process and deprive legitimate businesses of the opportunity to compete for government contracts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott. “We will continue to protect the right of small businesses and service-disabled veteran owned businesses to obtain government contracts without being undermined by fraudulent bid practices.”
“This settlement demonstrates that the VA OIG will actively investigate fraud allegations involving VA contracts that are set aside for service-disabled veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this case.”
“Lying to the government undermines the trust and integrity essential to fair competition in our country,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip C. Mazzella of the Department of Commerce OIG. “If these lies go unchecked, our ability to effectively monitor and operate vital government programs in the United States will be significantly weakened. To hold these bad actors accountable, Commerce OIG along with our federal partners, will continue to aggressively pursue and investigate allegations of false certifications made by government contractors.”
“When unscrupulous individuals manipulate programs intended to support small businesses, they undermine trust, weaken competition, and deny opportunities to honest business owners,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher W. Dillard of the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS stands with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative law enforcement partners to root out fraud and hold accountable those who prey on Federal programs.”
This matter was investigated jointly by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Department of Commerce, the United States Air Force, the United States Army, and the United States Department of Defense. Additional assistance was provided by the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration. Assistants United States Attorney Elliot Wertheim and Robert Firpo handled the investigation.
The claims resolved by the settlement against Sanford Federal, Inc. and Joseph Mandour, are allegations only and there has been no admission or determination of liability.
Settlement Agreement###
Georgia Man Admits Trafficking Methamphetamine Pills to ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYRONE BROWN, 33, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a methamphetamine trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately January 2022 and March 2024, Brown mailed parcels containing methamphetamine pills from Georgia to addresses in New Haven associated with Gregory Grant and others. Investigators identified approximately 79 suspicious parcels shipped from Brown to Grant during that time. In January 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of an intercepted parcel and found 16 ziplock sandwich bags containing a total of more than four kilograms of multicolored methamphetamine pills and a firearm. The investigation also revealed that Grant made multiple payments to Brown during the conspiracy.
Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for December 2.
Brown has been detained since his arrest on April 7, 2025.
Grant, of New Haven, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
Fresno Man Sentenced to over Seven Years for Possessing Ammunition After Firing an AR-15 Style Rifle from a Moving Vehicle in a Residential NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. —Timothy Scott Chenot, 34, of Fresno, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to seven years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Chenot drove around a residential neighborhood in Southeast Fresno late at night on August 2, 2024. As he drove, he fired an AR-15 .223 caliber rifle out his truck’s window. Chenot unloaded several rounds into unoccupied cars parked on the side of the road before discarding his firearm on the street and driving away. Responding officers, however, pulled Chenot over and arrested him. They found several empty shells, ammunition, and open alcoholic containers in the truck. Police also found and seized the firearm and several spent shells at the scene of the shooting.
.223 Caliber AR-15 Chenot Fired Out of His Moving Vehicle
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community‑based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Learn more at Justice.gov/PSN.
Fresno Man Sentenced to Five Years for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Ady Perez, 26, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to five years in prison for possessing over 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Perez was arrested while trying to sell 1,500 fentanyl pills. Perez attempted to flee in his car but quickly ran into a police vehicle and was arrested. Shortly after his arrest, law enforcement searched his apartment and seized two loaded firearms, large amounts of cash, and additional fentanyl and Farmapram (Benzodiazepine) pills packaged for distribution.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin Heinz prosecuted the case.
Former Vanderburgh County Director of Finance Sentenced to 1.5 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing over $125,000 in Public FundsRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Regene Newman, 59, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 1.5 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Newman has already paid $101,133.55 in restitution to two victims, and settled privately with a third.
According to court documents, Regene Newman exploited positions of public trust over a period of more than seven years, stealing over $125,000 intended for community programs and nonprofit organizations. She used the funds to support a lavish lifestyle, making large purchases at retailers including Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Bath & Body Works, Bra Goddess, Hobby Lobby, Target, and Macy’s.
From 2015 to June 2021, Newman served as Director of Finance for the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office, where she had authorized access to both an office credit card and a debit card for My Goals, a nonprofit operating under the Prosecutor’s Office to assist at-risk youth.
Between March 2016 and March 2021, Newman made approximately $60,028.66 in unauthorized purchases with the My Goals debit card. To conceal the theft, she arranged for the Prosecutor’s Office to make sham “donations” to the nonprofit by submitting false Accounts Payable Vouchers. These fake donations created the appearance that the funds would be used to support My Goals’ mission of helping the community. During that time, Newman also made $26,381.04 in unauthorized purchases using the Prosecutor’s Office credit card.
In June 2021, Newman left the Prosecutor’s Office and became Business Director for Vanderburgh County Community Corrections. There, she gained access to a separate county credit card and later requested responsibility for managing the checking account of a local nonprofit that supports individuals battling addiction. Once granted access, she made an additional $10,725 in unauthorized credit card purchases and $23,929.46 in unauthorized debit card purchases.
“Regene Newman stole from public institutions and nonprofit organizations whose mission was to serve vulnerable members of the Vanderburgh County community. She deliberately exploited positions of public trust to fund a lifestyle of self-indulgence—stealing not only taxpayer dollars, but also resources earmarked for addiction treatment and youth intervention,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Today’s sentence is a stark reminder that those who abuse positions of trust and steal from the public will be held accountable.”
“This sentencing underscores an uncompromising truth: those who corrupt positions of trust and steal from the public will be brought to justice,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge, Timothy O’Malley. “For years, Regene Newman diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to serve at-risk youth in Vanderburgh County, instead funding a life of personal extravagance. This calculated abuse represents not only financial theft, but a profound betrayal of the very communities these resources were meant to uplift. The FBI will continue to pursue those who exploit the public trust and ensure they are met with the full weight of accountability.”
“This outcome reflects the strength of interagency collaboration and the importance of vigilant oversight,” said Paul Joyce, State Examiner. “The State Board of Accounts is proud to work alongside our federal partners to uncover fraud and restore integrity to public service. We remain steadfast in our mission to ensure that public funds serve the people- not the personal interests of those entrusted to manage them.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Board of Accounts investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
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Former General Manager Admits Embezzling $878,000 from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The former general manager of a Missouri company on Wednesday admitted embezzling $878,000.
Kristina Higgins, 54, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bank fraud and agreed to repay the money. She admitted issuing company checks to pay a total of $878,711 in personal credit card bills and using a stamp to add the company owner’s signature on the checks. In December of 2022, she falsified information to ensure that the checks would be honored when the company enrolled in the bank’s positive pay system, her plea agreement says.
Higgins is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4. Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million or both prison and fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.
Former DPHSS Employee Sentenced for Defrauding Assistance ProgramsRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Natasha Peredo Vitug, age 49, was sentenced to one month of imprisonment and 11 months home confinement. She was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Theft Concerning Program Receiving Federal Funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(A). The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $149,944.84, and $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Defendants convicted of SNAP fraud are barred from further participation in the program.
Natasha Peredo Vitug was previously employed as an Eligibility Specialist at the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS). In that role, Vitug was responsible for processing benefits applications, determining eligibility, and issuing benefits. During the time of her employment, Vitug exploited her position in order to unlawfully re-apply for Cash Assistance Program (CAP) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in the names of beneficiaries who had left Guam or terminated their participation in the programs.
“Taxpayers deserve accountability for funding that supports public programs,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Vitug’s corrupt conduct deprived the SNAP program of important resources. I applaud the efforts of law enforcement in bringing her to justice.”
“Ms. Vitug abused her position of trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds meant to help low-income families put food on the table,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain dedicated to protecting these programs, and we will pursue these investigations at all levels.”
This investigation was conducted by Guam DPHSS Investigation & Recovery Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin K. Petersburg prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
Former Bronx District Leader and Board of Elections Employee Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Extortion and FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that NICOLE TORRES, a former elected district leader in the Bronx and employee of the New York City Board of Elections (the “NYC-BOE”), was sentenced today to two years in prison for participating in conspiracies to commit extortion and mail fraud for illegally demanding payments from Bronx residents in exchange for selecting those individuals as poll workers and for agreeing with others to falsify documents to make it appear that certain individuals had worked as poll workers when they had not. TORRES previously pled guilty on April 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, who imposed today’s sentence.
“For years, Nicole Torres abused her power to corrupt one of New York City’s most fundamental democratic processes,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “By shaking down Bronx residents and falsifying election records, she undermined trust in the very system New Yorkers depend on to make their voices heard. New Yorkers can and should rely on the integrity of the election process, and public officials who contaminate the process and betray this city and its people will be held accountable.”
As detailed in public filings and public court proceedings:
From at least 2019 through at least 2024, TORRES was a district leader for New York’s 81st Assembly District in the Bronx. In addition, from at least 2016 through at least 2024, TORRES was an employee of the NYC-BOE. While working at the NYC-BOE, TORRES had at times been responsible for ensuring that poll workers were paid for their work during early voting and Election Day. TORRES abused her power as a district leader and a NYC-BOE employee to engage in two illegal schemes.
First, from at least 2019 through August 2024, TORRES agreed to require and required Bronx residents to pay a sum of money, usually $150, either to her or to a local organization (the “Bronx Organization”) in exchange for TORRES selecting those individuals as poll workers for upcoming elections. Both the Bronx Organization and TORRES profited from the scheme. TORRES personally obtained at least approximately $28,000 in illegal payments. TORRES received the payments, often in the amount of $150, through mobile payment applications, money orders, and checks. In certain instances, TORRES received money orders or checks that were written out to the Bronx Organization, and TORRES altered the payee line on those money orders or checks to say “Nicole Torres” so that she could deposit that money into her personal bank account.
Second, from at least 2018 through August 2024, TORRES agreed to falsify the Election District Forms Booklet—which is a NYC-BOE record in which poll workers record their attendance at a particular poll site—to make it appear that certain individuals (the “‘No Show’ Poll Workers”) worked as poll workers during early voting and Election Day when, in truth and fact, and as TORRES well knew, those individuals did not work on those dates. TORRES often worked with coordinators who oversaw the Forms Booklets at specific poll sites. These coordinators signed in “No Show” Poll Workers in the Forms Booklets, frequently at TORRES’s direction. TORRES and her coconspirators then received the salaries for the “No Show” Poll Workers—sometimes through the mail—and split the fraudulently obtained salaries among themselves.
Based on her participation in the two schemes, TORRES personally earned at least approximately $40,970.
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In addition to her prison term, TORRES, 44, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture of $40,970.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin M. Burkett and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution.
Final two defendants sentenced in multi-state conspiracy responsible for hundreds of firearms trafficked to MexicoRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two men have been sentenced following their convictions of conspiracy to traffic firearms and smuggling goods out of the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Esteban Rios Reyes, 35, a legal permanent resident of Silverhill, Alabama, pleaded guilty Jan. 28, while Alex Santos Lopez, 22, a U.S. citizen residing in Oaxaca, Mexico, admitted his guilt Feb. 16, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Lopez and Reyes to serve 90 and 87 months in federal prison, respectively. Lopez was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term, while Reyes, who is not a U.S. citizen, could lose his status to reside in the United States. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about how frequently the organization exported weapons and coordinated across several states in the months before the smuggling attempt. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane emphasized Lopez’s and Reyes’ leadership roles in the organization and the lengths they went to conceal their behavior.
On Sept. 6, 2023, Lopez drove a truck towing a utility trailer and attempted to exit the United States. An outbound inspection led to the discovery of 270 firearms, 251 firearm magazines, nine sights and 1,541 rounds of ammunition. The weapons were a combination of assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and rifles, many of them disassembled. All the items were individually wrapped and hidden either behind a false wall that was built into the utility trailer or inside water heaters that Reyes had purchased to disguise the load.
The investigation revealed that this was not the first load of firearms that the organization had attempted to traffic into Mexico. The traffickers had been acquiring firearms since 2022 at various locations across the United States, including Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Tennessee. The weapons were then stored at stash houses in Texas, disassembled and wrapped, and ultimately concealed in trailers before being smuggled into Mexico.
This operation led to arrests in numerous districts across the United States, resulting in the disruption of several smuggling attempts and the seizure of nearly 1,000 firearms destined for Mexico.
Co-conspirators Felipe Garcia, 36, and Angel Carreno, 25, both of Dallas, and Jose Luis Pacheco, 25, a U.S. citizen living in Guadalajara, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the trafficking organization and were ordered to serve 57, 57 and 54 months in federal prison, respectively.
Lopez and Reyes have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee A. Fry prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enacted in June 2022. It is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Man of Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced the conviction of Alexander Brock, age 59, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles and less than an hour of deliberation, the jury unanimously convicted Brock of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, between July 31, 2018 and August 9, 2019, Brock acted as a middleman by repeatedly brokering ounce-quantity deals between his four co-conspirators, all of which have been convicted in this case, to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine in East Baton Rouge and Iberville Parishes, while also converting cocaine into crack cocaine and distributing those substances to his own customers. In addition to finding Brock guilty, the jury determined that the conspiracy involved more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 28 grams of crack cocaine.
As a result of his conviction, Brock now faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of forty years as well as a fine of up to $5 million and supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as Deputy Chief of the Organized and Violent Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Benjamin Anderson.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
El Salvador Arrested for Assaulting Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
Fargo – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that on August 28, 2025, Carlos Jose Guzman-Pineda, age 27, a citizen of El Salvador, was charged by complaint with assaulting Border Patrol Agents. The complaint alleges that on August 25, 2025, a vehicle occupied by Guzman-Pineda was stopped by law enforcement. During the traffic stop, Border Patrol Agents determined that Guzman-Pineda was an illegal alien from El Salvador. Guzman-Pineda attempted to evade his arrest by violently assaulting Border Patrol Agents. He faces charges with penalties of up to 8 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Border Patrol, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee.
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Eight Defendants Charged with Immigration Violations in CantonRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging eight individuals with immigration and identity theft-related violations.
According to court documents, the defendants were found Aug. 6 at a manufacturing facility in Canton. Four of the defendants were previously removed from the U.S. but were found in Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.
The defendants and their charges are:
Marcial Ajanel-Alvarez, 46, of Guatemala:
- Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previous removal from the United States Dec. 27, 2011.
Emilio Alvarez-Perez, 31, of Guatemala:
- Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previous removal from the United States Sept. 4, 2013.
- False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, Title 18 U.S.C. 1015(e).
- Misuse of Social Security number, Title 42 U.S.C. 408(a)(7)(B).
- Aggravated Identity Theft, Title 18 U.S.C.1028A(a)(1).
Justo-Amaya Calles, 55, of El Salvador:
- Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previous removal from the U.S. Dec. 3, 2012.
- False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, Title 18 U.S.C. 1015(e).
- Misuse of Social Security number, Title 42 U.S.C. 408(a)(7)(B).
- Aggravated Identity Theft, Title 18 U.S.C.1028A(a)(1).
Domingo Calel-Herrera, 34, of Guatemala:
- False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
- Unlawful Use of Identification Documents 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a).
- Misuse of Social Security Number 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
- Aggravated Identify Theft 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1).
Juan De Leon Hernandez, 33, of Guatemala:
- False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
- Misuse of Social Security Number 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
- Aggravated Identify Theft 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1).
Pedro De Leon Hernandez, 21, of Guatemala:
- False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
- Unlawful Use of Identification Documents, 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a).
- Misuse of Social Security Number, 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
- Aggravated Identify Theft, 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1).
Diego Perez-Ajanez, 37, of Guatemala:
- Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previously removed May 19, 2013.
- False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
- Misuse of Social Security Number, 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
- Aggravated Identify Theft, U.S.C. 18 § 1028A(a)(1).
Victor Ramos-Santis, 44, of Guatemala:
- False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
- Misuse of Social Security Number, 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
- Aggravated Identify Theft, U.S.C. 18 § 1028A(a)(1).
The investigations leading to the indictments in these cases were conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The prosecution on these cases is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Rolph for the Northern District of Ohio.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ecuadorian National Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Recording His Sexual Abuse of Minor VictimRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ENRIQUE PAULO PUCHA-JIMENEZ, 34, a citizen of Ecuador last residing in Danbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 300 months of imprisonment for recording his sexual abuse of a minor girl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions between November 2020 and August 2023, Pucha-Jimenez sexually abused a minor girl, who was between the approximate ages of nine and 12, and used his cellphone to take photographs and videos of his sexual abuse of the victim.
On August 16, 2023, Danbury Police arrested Pucha-Jimenez on state sexual assault and risk of injury offenses. Subsequent forensic analysis of Pucha-Jimenez’s cellphone revealed 576 images and 36 videos of child sex abuse material involving the minor victim.
Pucha-Jimenez has been detained since his arrest. On August 1, 2024, he pleaded guilty in federal court to production of child pornography. The state charges against Pucha-Jimenez are pending.
Pucha-Jimenez faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Danbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury.
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.
Department of Justice Wins Significant Remedies Against GoogleRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division won significant remedies in its monopolization case against Google in online search. In United States et al. v. Google, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia prohibited Google from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app; ordered Google to make certain search index and user-interaction data available to rivals and potential rivals; and ordered Google to offer search and search text ads syndication services to enable rivals and potential rivals to compete.
The court’s ruling today recognizes the need for remedies that will pry open the market for general search services, which has been frozen in place for over a decade. The ruling also recognizes the need to prevent Google from using the same anticompetitive tactics for its GenAI products as it used to monopolize the search market, and the remedies will reach GenAI technologies and companies.
“This decision marks an important step forward in the Department of Justice’s ongoing fight to protect American consumers. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue our legal efforts to hold companies accountable for monopolistic practices,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“The first Trump administration sued Google to restore competition for millions of Americans subjected to Google’s monopoly abuses. Today, the second Trump administration has won a remedy to do just that,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We will continue to review the opinion to consider the Department’s options and next steps regarding seeking additional relief. I am immensely proud of the dedicated public servants of the Antitrust Division and their tireless work on this case alongside our state partners.”
Filed in President Trump’s first term, the Justice Department’s case against the Google search monopoly has unified the country. The Department’s original filing in October 2020 was joined by eleven State Attorneys General. Additional states filed a related action as the case progressed, and ultimately, the United States was joined in pursuing the remedies ordered today by 49 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia.
Under the remedies ordered today, Google will be barred from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app. Google cannot enter or maintain agreements that (1) condition the licensing of any Google application on the distribution, preloading, or placement of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app anywhere on a device; (2) condition the receipt of revenue share payments for the placement of one Google application on the placement of another Google application; or (3) condition the receipt of revenue share payments on maintaining Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app on any device, browser, or search access point for more than one year; or (4) prohibit any partner from simultaneously distributing any other GSE, browser, or GenAI product.
In addition, Google will have to make certain search index and user-interaction data available to certain competitors. Google will also be required to offer certain competitors search and search text ads syndication services, which will open up the market by enabling rivals and potential rivals to deliver high-quality search results and ads and compete with Google as they develop their own capacity.
For years, Google accounted for approximately 90 percent of all search queries in the United States, and Google used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in search and search advertising. Google entered into a series of exclusionary agreements that collectively locked up the primary avenues through which users access online search, requiring that Google be the preset default general search engine on billions of mobile devices and computers and, in many cases, prohibiting preinstallation of a competitor. Using its monopoly profits, Google bought preferential treatment for its search engine and created a self-reinforcing cycle of monopolization — shutting out potential competitors, reducing innovation, and taking choice away from American consumers.
The Department of Justice and the states proved that Google broke the law over the course of a bench trial that started in September 2023 and lasted nine weeks. In August 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia released a 277-page opinion, concluding that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly” in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. Today’s decision follows a 15-day remedies trial in May 2025.
Child Sexual Abuser on the White Earth Indian Reservation Sentenced to 20 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Joseph Daniel Schultz, age 43, has been sentenced to 240 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for sexually abusing a minor victim on the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indian Reservation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“The sexual abuse of a child is an unforgivable crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Schultz violated a young girl on the White Earth Indian Reservation, shattering the trust and safety every child deserves. That child showed courage no child should ever have to summon. Two decades in prison stands as reminder that attacks on Minnesota’s children will be met with condemnation and severe consequences.”
Throughout the fall and winter months of 2023, the defendant sexually abused a minor victim under the age of 9 on the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indian Reservation. Schultz’s abuse of the minor victim took many horrific forms and lasted for months. He abused a position of trust and control in sexually abusing the victim. The victim experienced many horrific forms of sexual abuse at the hands of Schultz. In January 2024, when Schultz was arrested for an unrelated charge, the victim bravely disclosed the sexual abuse to a trusted adult. Earlier this year, Schultz pled guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact.
As the government noted at sentencing, at least one in four girls in the United States experiences child sexual abuse. These numbers are starker for Native women and girls: Native Americans are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault crimes. The impact of childhood sexual abuse is hard to overstate. Childhood sexual abuse results in devastating and lasting physical, emotional, and mental impacts, particularly with children as young as the victim in this case. Child victims of sexual abuse are at increased risk of suicide, chronic health conditions, and revictimization. In short, there can be little room for doubt that child sexual abuse, particularly for Native girls, opens a Pandora’s box of lifelong consequences.
The defendant was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge J. Patrick Schiltz. Chief Judge Schiltz found that the defendant was subject to sentencing enhancements due to the age of the victim, the position of trust and control Schultz held over the victim, and the fact that Schultz qualified as a repeat and dangerous sex offender. In handing down the twenty-year sentence, Chief Judge Schiltz explained that this was a “horrible crime and it will have a horrible impact.” Chief Judge Schiltz noted the lasting impact these crimes have on their young victims, stating that the victim and her siblings will “spend all of their lives grappling with the harm committed in this case.”
“Schulz’s unspeakable actions violated the safety and innocence of a child,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The children of the White Earth Nation, and all children, deserve to grow up free from the fear, trauma, and abuse inflicted by Schulz and horrible predators like him. This sentence reflects the full force of the FBI and our law enforcement partners that will be brought to bear to pursue justice for all victims and prosecution for anyone who exploits and abuses a child. We will stop at nothing to protect children and bring child predators to justice.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the bravery of the young victim in this case, who courageously came forward and reported this horrific abuse. She saved herself and likely others from the defendant’s predatory crimes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also appreciates the excellent work of the FBI and the White Earth Tribal Police, who investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Baumel prosecuted the case.
Brevard County Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Matthew William Smolik (44, Titusville) to nine years in federal prison for distribution of cocaine. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $10,500, the proceeds of Smolik’s cocaine distribution. Smolik pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025.
According to court documents, between September and November 2024, Smolik sold over half a kilogram of cocaine and a small quantity of fentanyl to a confidential source. In December 2024, search warrants were executed on two residences identified as stash locations for Smolik. During the search, agents located another nearly half kilogram of cocaine and drug processing materials.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Titusville Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington handled the forfeiture.
Bowling Green Man Sentenced to over 18 years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green man was sentenced on August 26, 2025, to serve 18 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to court documents, on or about February 15, 2024, in Warren County, Kentucky, Joshua O. Duncan, 40, possessed with the intent to distribute 4,667 grams of methamphetamine and 574.08 grams of fentanyl. In furtherance of his drug trafficking, Duncan also possessed a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver, a Springfield Armory .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, a Ruger .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol, and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. Duncan was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On August 21, 2018, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, greater than 2 grams of methamphetamine.
On August 27, 2012, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, cocaine.
On March 11, 2010, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, cocaine.
Based on this conduct, and Duncan’s criminal history, the Court imposed a sentence of 18 years and 4 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
“Joshua Duncan is a longtime drug dealer in and around Warren County that was given plenty of chances to reform his behavior. Unfortunately, he doubled down on his criminal ways, distributing even more methamphetamine and fentanyl into our community while armed with four handguns. Warren County is safer today because of this lengthy sentence—the culmination of fantastic work between local, state, and federal agents,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner.
ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes said, “We are proud to partner with the Warren County Drug Task Force and will continue to prioritize our investigative resources to focus on those who wish to deal in dangerous drugs and violence in Central Kentucky. This significant sentence is an example of what should be expected by our strong collaborative effort.”
“We are pleased to see justice served in the case of a significant drug trafficker selling poison in Bowling Green and Warren County. This case underscores the continued cooperation of law enforcement partners—local, state, and federal—working together to bring cases before the United States Attorney for prosecution and sentencing without the possibility of parole. The community can be assured that he will not be trafficking drugs for the next 18 years,” said Director Tommy Loving.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The ATF Bowling Green Field Office and Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II of the United States Attorney’s Office Bowling Green Branch prosecuted the case.
This conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 15.5 Years in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Roman Rodriguez, 26, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 15.5 years in prison for receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between Feb. 18, 2024, and Feb. 22, 2024, Rodriguez used an iPhone and the internet to receive and distribute images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Rodriguez received more than 600 images, which included depictions of the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children and at least one toddler.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Armenian Man Indicted in Austin for Alleged Role in Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods to RussiaRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Armenian national made his initial appearance in a federal court in Austin today after he was indicted and extradited on charges related to an alleged export control conspiracy.
According to court documents, from February 2022 until at least August 2024, Kamo Kirakosyan and others allegedly participated in a criminal conspiracy to export goods, including items that can be used for semiconductor manufacturing, from the United States to the Russian Federation through the Republic of Armenia without the requisite license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security. Kirakosyan and his co-conspirators are also alleged to have violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by engaging in transactions with and for the benefit of one or more entities on the Specially Designated Nationals list without the required licenses from the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The indictment alleges that Kirakosyan became the straw or substitute purchaser of U.S.-origin goods for his co-conspirators shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and the imposition of additional sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. In May 2022, Kirakosyan allegedly sent a co-conspirator instructions on opening a bank account in Armenia for the purpose of evading sanctions. The indictment further alleges that, while arranging the transshipment of goods to Russia, Kirakosyan represented himself to U.S. companies as the Armenian buyer of goods and did not provide truthful information about the end users, despite the U.S. companies’ requests for end user statements, and despite Kirakosyan’s knowledge that the unauthorized export or reexport to Russia of certain shipments was prohibited without a license.
Kirakosyan is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate federal law; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States; one count of attempted violation of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA); on count of attempted smuggling; one count of violation of the ECRA; and one count of smuggling.
Kirakosyan was initially charged in a criminal complaint on or about July 31, 2024. He was extradited to the United States on Aug. 29, 2025, and made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI and the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Berlin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Kirakosyan’s extradition to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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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