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2 September 2025
Arizona and Indiana Individuals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Nationwide Bank Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Three of the leaders of a nationwide bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy were sentenced to a combined 421 months in federal prison.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Thaddeus Jerome Lee, Latroy L. Currie, and Johnnie Lee Thomas, were the founders and leaders of bank fraud and money-laundering conspiracies that operated from California to Connecticut, and numerous states in between, including Iowa. Over the course of approximately two and a half years, they attempted to deposit at least $15 million in stolen checks at various financial institutions throughout the country. They successfully obtained at least $2.9 million in fraudulent proceeds.
Lee and Thomas lived in Arizona, and Currie lived in Indiana. They recruited dozens of individuals to commit acts of bank fraud and money laundering as part of the scheme. They obtained tens of millions of dollars’ worth of stolen checks; created many fake business entities to facilitate the fraud and laundering; and supervised many co-conspirators who went into banks and credit unions in several states, opened fraudulent checking accounts, and deposited the stolen checks. Lee, Thomas, and Currie laundered the proceeds of the stolen checks by withdrawing the funds from the fraudulently obtained accounts and sharing the proceeds with their co-conspirators. Lee was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment, Currie to 135 months’ imprisonment, and Thomas to 135 months’ imprisonment. After completing their terms of imprisonment, all three will be required to serve terms of supervised release—Lee and Currie will serve five-year terms, and Thomas will serve a three-year term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Eleven more co-conspirators have been sentenced on similar charges for their roles in the conspiracy. Tiarra Lenae Jones, was sentenced to a 96 month prison term, followed by a five-year term of supervised release; Stephen Rashad Haley, was sentenced to a 384 month prison term, followed by a five-year term of supervised release; Lovely Hall was sentenced to a 60 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Kila Wright was sentenced to a 54 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Kira Ashleigh Johnson, was sentenced to a 42 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; John Ivory Winston, Jr. was sentenced to a 30 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Reanna R. Haymon was sentenced to a 12 months-and-one-day prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Shapara Monee Hunter, was sentenced to a 8 month prison term, followed by a two-year term of supervised release; Mario Ricardo Smith was sentenced to a 6 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Jazlinn Tapp, was sentenced to a 4 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; and Somore Renee Hill, was sentenced to a 12 months-and-one-day prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Four more co-conspirators, Malik K. Marshal, Toni Lynette Renfroe, Carnell A. Thomas, Jr., and Erin R. Smith, are awaiting sentencing.
“A combined total of 421 months in prison for the leaders of this check fraud scheme should send a message about the seriousness of the crime,” said Special Agent in Charge William Steenson of IRS Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office. “Stealing checks, money laundering, and bank fraud…these are not victimless crimes. The sentences imposed are the result of IRS-CI’s commitment to identifying and investigating check fraud and working with other federal agencies to ensure the guilty are held accountable.”
The FBI stated “These defendants orchestrated a sophisticated illegal scheme to defraud businesses and our banking systems. This kind of criminal activity erodes public trust and undermines our nation’s economic security. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable criminals who use deception and dishonesty to steal money from innocent victims and businesses. Financial fraud is not a victimless crime.”
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Postal Inspection Service; Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; Homeland Security Investigations; and Secret Service, as well as with assistance from numerous state and local agencies.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Lubben, Kristin Herrera, and Kyle Essley (former) prosecuted the case.
31 August 2025
Manderson Man Found Not Guilty of Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a man from Manderson, South Dakota, was acquitted of Involuntary Manslaughter following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, on August 28, 2025.
Matocika Poor Bear, age 20, was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. The indictment charged that on November 16, 2024, the defendant assaulted a man after an unknown dispute at a residence in Manderson, SD. The male sustained an injury and later passed away.
The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case.
30 August 2025
Margate Man Targeted Jewish and Black Americans Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Margate man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for a series of firearm offenses and for amassing weapons, tactical gear, and attack plans targeting Jewish and Black Americans.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith sentenced John Kevin Lapinski, Jr., 41, to 300 months in prison. Lapinski previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by a person subject to a court order, possession of an unregistered silencer, and possession of body armor by a violent felon.
On October 31, 2024, Margate Police responded to a call of shots fired in a residential neighborhood. Officers determined Lapinski—legally barred from possessing firearms—was the shooter. Inside his residence, officers observed a shooting target depicting a Black male riddled with bullet holes. A subsequent search uncovered an arsenal: five firearms, more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition, firearm parts and accessories, two silencers, body armor, smoke grenades, a Ghillie suit, and tactical gear.
Officers also found maps of local schools, parks, and other community sites scrawled with racial slurs targeting Black and Jewish people, as well as a a “target list” naming “groups to attack” based on race and religion. The list included a Jewish member of Congress, local synagogues, Jewish-owned businesses, and other religious and ethnically identified sites.
Investigators further linked Lapinski to an August 2024 shooting in which the home and vehicle of a Jewish resident were riddled with bullets.
“This defendant stockpiled weapons, tactical gear, and detailed attack plans to terrorize Jewish and Black Americans in our communities. His intent was not abstract—it was written on his maps, his targets, and his so-called hit list. Thanks to the swift work of our law enforcement partners, his plan never became reality. Instead of carrying out acts of racist violence, he will spend the next quarter-century behind bars. Let this sentence serve as a warning: hate-fueled violence will be met with decisive federal prosecution. We will disrupt your plans, seize your weapons, and ensure you never endanger the people of this District again.” - U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division; and Chief Jonathan Shaw of the Margate Police Department announced the sentence.
The ATF, FBI, and Margate Police Department investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60224.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
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Individual Indicted and Arrested for Production and Possession of Child Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 28, 2025, A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a three count indictment charging Felix Ebdiel Muñiz-Rivera, age 20, of Camuy, PR, for production and possession of child exploitation material. HSI special agents arrested Muñiz- Rivera yesterday, August 29, 2025.
According to court documents, from June 2025, through on or about August 2025, Felix Ebdiel Muñiz- Rivera, did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two five year old female minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, and the visual depiction was produced and transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, a cellular phone device. From June 2025, through on or about August 2025, the defendant possessed images of child pornography.
Felix Ebdiel Muñiz- Rivera is facing two counts of production of child exploitation material and one count for possession of child exploitation material.
The defendant had his initial court appearance on August 29, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The detention/bail hearing is scheduled for September 4, 2025, at 11:00 AM. If convicted for the charges of sexual exploitation of children the defendant faces no less than 15 years up to 30 years in prison; and for possession of child exploitation material, he faces up to 10 years in prison; all counts followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
"We remain committed to identifying and pursuing individuals involved in child exploitation and will ensure they face justice for their criminal actions," stated W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly work to safeguard those most at risk by vigorously prosecuting anyone who targets our children."
"The production of Child Pornography is considered a violent crime because of its severity and the impact of these acts to the victims.” stated Rebecca C. González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. “HSI has a strong commitment with our children, to protect them, but most importantly to give them the right tools to avoid and report these crimes. We need the community to join us in this fight, let’s protect our children together. Make a pledge to protect our minors at Know2Protect.gov”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/hsi/iguardian; and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.
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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29 August 2025
Wrentham Man Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wrentham man has been arrested and charged for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Wael Isreb, 66, was arrested and charged with one count of possessing child pornography. Isreb made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday and is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Sept. 4, 2025.
According to the charging documents, after receiving information regarding files on the Kik messaging application, a search was conducted at Isreb’s residence. Forensic analysis of electronic devices seized during the search revealed that Isreb allegedly possessed approximately 26 images and 115 videos of CSAM, including a video depicting the rape of a child who appeared to be approximately three to four years old. According to court documents, in 2021, Isreb was previously convicted in Massachusetts state court of possessing child pornography.
The charge of possessing child pornography while previously convicted of a like offense provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.00. 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.
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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Windsor Man Charged with Enticing Minors to Engage in Sexual Activity OnlineRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that CHRISTOPHER RODRIGUEZ, 31, of Windsor, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with enticing minors to engage in sexual activity.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in October and November 2023, Rodriguez used the social media applications LiveIn and Discord to communicate with an 11-year-old girl in Florida and coerced her to send him a sexually explicit video of herself. In November and December 2023, Rodriguez, posing as a teenager, communicated with a 13-year-old girl from Pennsylvania using Discord and iMessage, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with her, coerced her to send him sexually explicit images and videos of herself, and sent the minor female sexually explicit images he claimed were of himself.
The complaint charges Rodriguez with coercion and enticement of a minor, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Rodriguez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis L. Beyerlein.
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.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Waterloo man was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activities.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in October 2023, Gabriel Keith Usher, 47, began messaging over the internet with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old minor. Within days, Usher professed his love for the minor and suggested sexual acts they could engage in. When Usher arrived at a designated location to meet with the minor, law enforcement seized his cell phone. In October 2024, Usher was sentenced in Black Hawk County, Iowa to 5 years in state prison on unrelated state charges of enticing a minor under age 16, and sexual exploitation of a minor.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Usher will be required to serve a ten-year term of supervised release. Usher was also ordered to register. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department.
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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Wampum Resident Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Wampum, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 17 years of imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his conviction of producing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Thomas Hyatt-Baney, 22, on August 28, 2025. The Court ordered that restitution will be imposed at a future hearing.
According to information presented to the Court, on June 25, 2023, from 12:30 p.m. ET to 12:37 p.m. ET, using his phone, Hyatt-Baney produced three video clips depicting the sexual exploitation of a toddler. The sentence imposed also reflected Hyatt-Baney’s responsibility for the production of another video of the toddler and the possession of hundreds of videos and still images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hyatt-Baney.
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 (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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Violent Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
JOSHUA GILBERT, also known as “Lor Heavy,” 24, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 480 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang.
Today’s announcement was made was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and Acting Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal John Iverson.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder, and other acts of violence. Gilbert was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, a West End gang, and the PT Barnum gang. O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, customers, and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the cars to commit crimes. They frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities.
In November 2019, O.N.E. members stole a Lexus Rx350 from Rye, New York. In early December 2019, O.N.E. members were involved in multiple shots-fired incidents in Bridgeport. In one incident, the mother of rival gang members was shot outside of her Bridgeport home. In another incident, on December 8, 2019, O.N.E. members used the stolen Lexus in a shooting incident at the P.T. Barnum Housing Complex, damaging several cars, and then drove it to Newfield Avenue in Bridgeport where Gilbert and other O.N.E. members shot and killed Ty’Quess Moore, also known as “Breezo,” 18.
Gilbert and other O.N.E. members posted videos to social media in which they and others brandished firearms, celebrated violent gang culture, and referenced rivals who were killed.
Gilbert has been detained since his arrest on July 19, 2021. On November 21, 2023, a jury found him guilty of racketeering conspiracy.
Approximately 47 members and associates of multiple Bridgeport-based gangs were convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the police departments from Norwalk, Stamford, Fairfield, Stratford, Ansonia, Monroe, Waterbury, Naugatuck, Eastchester (N.Y.), Rye (N.Y.), and Newburgh (N.Y.). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, and Rahul Kale.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
Venezuelan Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Immigration and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 27, 2025, Julio Cesar Romero-Paredes, 47, of Venezuela, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 24 months’ imprisonment. Romero-Paredes previously pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States and possessing a firearm as someone who had illegally entered the United States.
According to court records, just before 1:00 am on November 7, 2024, Romero-Paredes drove his motorcycle around the barriers near the Haskell Library in Derby Line, Vermont. United States Customs and Border Protection Officers thereafter stopped Romero-Paredes riding the motorcycle southbound on Interstate 91. In a search of Romero-Paredes’s person and the motorcycle, law enforcement found: a Walther .22 caliber pistol, multiple firearm magazines, a suppressor, approximately 50 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, approximately 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition, multiple knives, handcuff keys, and a collapsible baton. Romero-Paredes, who is a citizen of Venezuela, later admitted to law enforcement that he was illegally in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of United States Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Cate and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn. Romero-Paredes was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Carmen Brooks.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 102 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 102 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On August 22, Juan Nunez-Bravo was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Nunez-Bravo tried to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry by telling a Customs and Border Protection officer that he was a U.S. citizen who had lost his documents. The officer discovered through fingerprints that Nunez-Bravo was, in fact, a Mexican citizen who had been previously deported in 1996 and 2012.
- On August 27, Jose Alfred Vasquez-Garcia, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, the defendant was aboard a 20-foot white boat with other undocumented immigrants when it was intercepted by a Customs and Border Protection vessel. Vasquez-Garcia had been previously deported on May 6 from the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On August 27, Luzbelen Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aggravated Identity Theft. According to a complaint, the defendant attempted used a bogus birth certificate to smuggle a child into the United States through the San Ysidro Port of Entry pedestrian lanes in a stroller. The woman claimed the child was her two-year-old daughter. A Customs and Border Protection officer asked the defendant to remove the blankets obscuring the child in the stroller and discovered a nine-year-old girl from Oaxaca.
- On August 27, Jonathan Gomez Rangel, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Gomez attempted to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry when Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 51 packages weighing 120 pounds of cocaine concealed in the roof of the vehicle.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On August 25, Mirhzan Javier Roa-Gomez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of misdemeanor illegal entry in March, was sentenced in federal court to 66 days in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
- On August 29, Hector Armando Ibarra Mendoza, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony stalking and injury to a spouse/cohabitant, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending August 29, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 42 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 6 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 23 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 56 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking and illegal reentry.
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
U.S. Attorney and FBI hold joint press conference to announce latest efforts in disrupting drug trafficking on the Wind River ReservationRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, representing members of the Safe Trails Task Force, held a press conference today to announce the latest efforts in reducing drug trafficking and illegal guns on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Nearly 100 personnel from the FBI converged on the reservation to issue arrest warrants for dangerous criminals who are distributing drugs and possessing firearms, either in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime or by them being a criminal in possession of a firearm.
“I want to be clear. We are going scorched Earth on criminal activity on the reservation and across Wyoming,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. “There should be no doubt in your mind that if you are pedaling poison to Wyoming’s communities, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. I also want to thank the Riverton Police Department, and members of the Safe Trails Task Force, including the FBI, BIA, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and Fremont County Sheriff’s Department for their continued efforts to reduce criminal activity on the reservation.”
"The FBI's Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force remains steadfast in its mission to crush violent crime and stop drug trafficking," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. "Together with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners, we will hold criminals fully accountable and ensure that families on the Wind River Indian Reservation and across the region can live in safety."The Safe Trails Task Force is a collaborative law enforcement effort focused on combating violent crime and drug trafficking, especially when it impacts the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes. It unites the FBI with various law enforcement agencies, including tribal police departments, state and local law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Attachments
Video and images of the press conference can be found here: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/oL1zYqUIROTwo Red Hill Fuels Department Employees Indicted for False Statement to Hawaii Department of Health Regarding May 6, 2021 Jet Fuel SpillRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced today that John Floyd, 63, of Mililani, Hawaii, and Nelson Wu, 38, of Waipahu, Hawaii, were indicted yesterday for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and causing another person to make a materially false statement or a material omission in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government of the United States.
According to the allegations in the indictment: Between May 6, 2021 and October 1, 2021, Floyd and Wu were civilians employed as Fuels Department Deputy Director and Fuels Department Supervisory Engineer, respectively, of the United States Navy, Navy Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor, which included the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (Red Hill). On May 6, 2021, two couplings on the pipeline at Red Hill failed during an attempted transfer of jet fuel. The attempted transfer was aborted after approximately 20,000 gallons of jet fuel from a storage tank flowed into the pipeline and then spilled into the tunnel. As the regulator of Red Hill due to an authorization by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Hawaii Department of Health issued a request for information (RFI) to the United States Navy regarding the May 6, 2021 spill. In connection with the Navy’s October 1, 2021 response to the RFI, Floyd and Wu allegedly willfully caused the Navy to falsely state that the May 6, 2021 spill involved an estimated 1,618 gallons of jet fuel, rather than 20,000 gallons as then known by Floyd and Wu to have been spilled, and omitted information and records material to the RFI.
If convicted of the charged offenses, Floyd and Wu face a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 on each charge.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan.
Todd County Man Acquitted of AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a man from Todd County, South Dakota, was acquitted of Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding after a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota, on August 27, 2025.
Joel Miller, age 51, was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. The charge related to an allegation that Miller assaulted a man in May 2025, in Todd County, and within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because federal law mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
The investigation was conducted by the Todd County Sheriff’s Office, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
Three sentenced to federal prison in DFW-area VIN flipping schemeRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – Two aliens from Honduras illegally present in the United States and one Dallas-area man have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a theft and fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Gustavo Adolfo Torres-Sadres, 38, of Honduras, and Julian Sanchez, 38, of Duncanville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and Paul Anthony Oliva Bejarano, 28, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. All three were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan. Torres-Sadres received 78 months in federal prison, Sanchez received 21 months in federal prison, and Bejarano received 18 months in federal prison.
According to information presented in court, the three men participated in a VIN (vehicle identification number) flipping scheme in which they conspired to steal vehicles and replace the VINs on the stolen vehicle with the VIN from a salvaged vehicle. Members of the conspiracy then sold the stolen vehicles as purportedly rebuilt vehicles.
This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
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Tangipahoa Parish Woman Guilty of Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that, LATIJERIA MARTIN (“MARTIN”), age 38, of Tangipahoa Parish, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry on August 12, 2025, to conspiracy to launder monetary funds. Judge Guidry scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2025. At sentencing, MARTIN faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $500,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration began a drug trafficking investigation into MARTIN’S boyfriend, Dequarius Hamler. Law enforcement officials suspected Hamler was having MARTIN deposit his illegal drug trafficking proceeds into a local bank to launder this drug money as legitimate funds. Bank records and financial documents showed that from January 1, 2021, through September 9, 2023, MARTIN and Hamler made numerous cash deposits totaling $454,589.10 through seven different bank accounts. MARTIN’S deposits to and from bank accounts under her name totaled $328,159.10, while deposits to and from back accounts under Hamler’s name totaled $126,430. MARTIN would make these bank deposits and withdrawals at the direction and instruction of Hamler, whom MARTIN knew was a drug dealer whose drug activities were the source of these funds. Employees at these banks confirmed MARTIN visited the bank often, sometimes multiple times a day, to make cash deposits and withdrawals. Frequently, the cash MARTIN deposited had the strong odor and residue of marijuana. A bank employee informed MARTIN the deposit and withdrawal actions amounted to criminal structuring and money laundering, and that the bank would no longer allow MARTIN to make these deposits. MARTIN relayed this information to Hamler, but despite this warning, Hamler continued to instruct MARTIN to continue concealing his drug proceeds through their bank accounts.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Stockton and Napa Residents Indicted for Drug and Gun Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment Thursday against Cruz Tinajero, 25, of Napa, and Ashan Naeem, 24, of Stockton, charging them with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm without a serial number, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between April 11, 2024, and Nov. 13, 2024, Tinajero and Naeem conspired to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl. Tinajero and Naeem also possessed a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle manufactured without a serial number.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Taskforce (METRO), and the Stockton High Intensity Narcotics Enforcement (SHINE), which is part of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (CVC HIDTA). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 investigation and prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The specific mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of California. OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, USMS, ATF, USPIS, BLM, USFS, Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, California National Guard, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, and Central Valley CA HIDTA. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California with the assistance of the Yolo County and Placer County District Attorney.
St. Lawrence County Man Charged with Possession of Bulk Quantity CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Casey Kocher, age 28, of Colton, New York, was indicted yesterday with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division made the announcement.
Kocher was stopped by the New York State Police in a rental vehicle in Colton, New York and allegedly possessed 25 kilograms of cocaine in a black duffle bag that was intended for further distribution. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Kocher appeared in federal court this morning before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favor and was ordered remanded to custody.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Drug distribution of this magnitude brings devastation to local communities by fueling addiction, driving violent crime, and endangering families and neighborhoods. Kocher showed no concern for his community as he allegedly brought bulk quantity cocaine to be disbursed among many, and now my office will bring the full force of the federal government to prosecute him. I thank our local partners in St. Lawrence County, the New York State Police, and the United States Border Patrol for their work in helping bring this individual to justice.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “The arrest of Casey Kocher and seizure of approximately 25 kilos of cocaine is a result of the collaborative efforts DEA New York and our law enforcement partners have when targeting those individuals responsible for poisoning our communities. I applaud the diligent work of our special agents and those officers who removed this trafficker and their illicit narcotics from the tri-state pipeline.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said: “The seizure of 25 kilograms of cocaine underscores the commitment of the New York State Police to protecting our communities from the devastating impact of narcotics trafficking. I commend the professionalism of our Troopers and thank our partners at the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their collaboration in this investigation. Together, we remain dedicated to disrupting the flow of illegal drugs and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”
The charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum prison sentence of up to life in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
DEA and the New York State Police are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt is prosecuting the case.
St. Lawrence County Couple Pleads Guilty to Assaulting and Interfering with a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Richard A. Dominie, age 22, of Lisbon, New York and Brianna H. Rathbun, age 19, of Massena, New York, have each pled guilty to assaulting, resisting and impeding federal officers. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector, made the announcement. Dominie pled guilty July 3, 2025, and Rathbun pled guilty today.
As part of their pleas, the pair admitted that on March 12, 2025, at approximately 9:45 p.m., Dominie was driving with Rathbun in the vehicle as a passenger, in a dangerous and reckless manner on County Route 4 in Fort Covington, New York. A United States Border Patrol agent was also travelling west on County Route 4 in an unmarked Border Patrol K9 vehicle, enroute to the Massena Border Patrol station to begin his shift. At the intersection of County Route 4 and State Route 95, the agent caught up to the Dominie and Rathbun and activated the emergency lights on his Border Patrol unit to pull the vehicle over.
Dominie exited the vehicle and aggressively approached the agent while the agent was still in his Border Patrol unit. The agent exited his Border Patrol unit and identified himself as law enforcement. The agent drew his service weapon and ordered Dominie to the ground. Dominie refused and pulled a folding knife from his pocket. The knife blade was not extended. The agent, with his firearm still drawn, demanded Dominie drop the knife, which Dominie did. Dominie returned to his vehicle only after Rathbun told him to.
Dominie and Rathbun exited their vehicle again. The agent grabbed Dominie’s left shoulder and placed him against the Border Patrol unit. Dominie shrugged the agent off and Rathbun then grabbed the agent’s right arm and pulled him away from Dominie. The agent reached to grab Dominie with his left hand, in which the agent was still holding the knife he had secured from Dominie previously, causing the knife to fall to the ground. Rathbun retrieved the knife from the ground. Rathbun got in the vehicle’s driver’s seat, Dominie got in the passenger seat and Rathbun drove away from the traffic stop. The agent, later joined by a second, marked Border Patrol unit pursued Dominie and Rathbun, and Rathbun stopped the vehicle only when she encountered a law enforcement checkpoint with spike strips designed to deflate the vehicle’s tires.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “The agent simply wanted to issue Dominie a warning to slow down but Dominie and Rathbun never gave him the chance. My office will not tolerate noncompliance of federal agents tasked with keeping this community safe. Anyone in this district who assaults or interferes with federal agents should expect to be prosecuted.”
Dominie is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2025, and Rathbun on December 23, 2025. At their sentencings, the pair each face up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting this case.
Spencer Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute it was sentenced on August 27, 2025, to more than eight years in federal prison.
Dylan Everett Halbur, age 33, from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 28, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on August 26, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a camper in Spencer, Iowa, where Halbur was known to reside and store items. Inside, law enforcement located approximately 45 grams of methamphetamine, $2,900 in cash, marijuana, a digital scale and other indicia of drug use and distribution. Halbur admitted the methamphetamine was his and that he intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another.
Halbur was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Halbur was sentenced to 105 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Halbur is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Spencer Police Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4077. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Six Defendants Indicted for Commercial Driver’s License Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the August 28, 2025 indictment of six individuals for a bribery scheme that enabled drivers to obtain a commercial driver’s license (“CDL”) without undergoing any of the legally required training or testing. The indictment alleges that a local restaurant owner, MAHMOUD ALHATTAB (“ALHATTAB”), in exchange for payments from CDL applicants, bypassed each of the three main federally-mandated steps of the CDL qualification process—knowledge testing, entry-level driver training, and skills testing.
The knowledge test is a written test that must be passed at an Office of Motor Vehicles (“OMV”) office, and includes questions on vehicle safety systems, emergency situations, procedures for various maneuvers, and extreme driving conditions. Entry-level driver training is required for most CDL applicants and includes demonstrating proficiency while operating a commercial vehicle on a public road. The skills test, which is administered by state-authorized examiners, requires performing a proper pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control skills, and safety-related maneuvers.
To defeat the knowledge test requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed two employees of a Donaldsonville, La. OMV office. These two employees, JENAY DAVIS (“DAVIS”) and SHAKIRA MILLIEN (“MILLIEN”), are accused of completing knowledge tests for applicants in exchange for payments from ALHATTAB. The indictment alleges that DAVIS and MILLIEN, when taking the applicants’ tests, performed internet searches to find the answers.
To defeat the training requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed two men who operated truck driver training businesses. These two business operators, CHRISTOPHER BRYAN BURNS (“BURNS”) and JONATHAN PARSONS (“PARSONS”) are accused of reporting in a federal database that the applicants successfully completed training when, in truth, the applicants did not train.
To defeat the skills test requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed BURNS and PARSONS, who, in addition to being trainers, were certified to administer the skills test. BURNS and PARSONS are accused of falsely reporting to the State of Louisiana that applicants had passed the skills test when, in truth, the applicants did not take the test. Additionally, according to the indictment, on some occasions, PARSONS paid another skills test examiner to assist in the scheme. That examiner, MARLINE ROBERTS (“ROBERTS”), is accused of creating phony score sheets to corroborate the false test reports.
All six defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. ALHATTAB and PARSONS are each charged with two counts of honest services wire fraud. BURNS, DAVIS, and ROBERTS are each charged with one count of honest services wire fraud. ALHATTAB, MILLIEN, and PARSONS are each charged with four counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. BURNS, DAVIS, and ROBERTS are each charged with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
The conspiracy and wire fraud counts are each punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The bribery counts are each punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Each count may also be punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years’ supervised release following imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge, and that each defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson thanked the Louisiana State Office of Inspector General and Louisiana Public Safety Services for their valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Six Defendants Indicted for Commercial Drivers' License Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the August 28, 2025 indictment of six individuals for a bribery scheme that enabled drivers to obtain a commercial driver’s license (“CDL”) without undergoing any of the legally required training or testing. The indictment alleges that a local restaurant owner, MAHMOUD ALHATTAB (“ALHATTAB”), in exchange for payments from CDL applicants, bypassed each of the three main federally-mandated steps of the CDL qualification process—knowledge testing, entry-level driver training, and skills testing.
The knowledge test is a written test that must be passed at an Office of Motor Vehicles (“OMV”) office, and includes questions on vehicle safety systems, emergency situations, procedures for various maneuvers, and extreme driving conditions. Entry-level driver training is required for most CDL applicants, and includes demonstrating proficiency while operating a commercial vehicle on a public road. The skills test, which is administered by state-authorized examiners, requires performing a proper pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control skills, and safety-related maneuvers.
To defeat the knowledge test requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed two employees of a Donaldsonville, La. OMV office. These two employees, JENAY DAVIS (“DAVIS”) and SHAKIRA MILLIEN (“MILLIEN”), are accused of completing knowledge tests for applicants in exchange for payments from ALHATTAB. The indictment alleges that DAVIS and MILLIEN, when taking the applicants’ tests, performed internet searches to find the answers.
To defeat the training requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed two men who operated truck driver training businesses. These two business operators, CHRISTOPHER BRYAN BURNS (“BURNS”) and JONATHAN PARSONS (“PARSONS”) are accused of reporting in a federal database that the applicants successfully completed training when, in truth, the applicants did not train.
To defeat the skills test requirement, ALHATTAB allegedly bribed BURNS and PARSONS, who, in addition to being trainers, were certified to administer the skills test. BURNS and PARSONS are accused of falsely reporting to the State of Louisiana that applicants had passed the skills test when, in truth, the applicants did not take the test. Additionally, according to the indictment, on some occasions, PARSONS paid another skills test examiner to assist in the scheme. That examiner, MARLINE ROBERTS (“ROBERTS”), is accused of creating phony score sheets to corroborate the false test reports.
All six defendants are jointly charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. ALHATTAB and PARSONS are each charged with two counts of honest services wire fraud. BURNS, DAVIS, and ROBERTS are each charged with one count of honest services wire fraud. ALHATTAB, MILLIEN, and PARSONS are each charged with four counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. BURNS, DAVIS, and ROBERTS are each charged with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
The conspiracy and wire fraud counts are each punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The bribery counts are each punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Each count may also be punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years’ supervised release following imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge, and that each defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson thanked the Louisiana State Office of Inspector General and Louisiana Public Safety Services for their valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Saginaw Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
BAY CITY — Turan West, 30, of Saginaw was sentenced yesterday to 162 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on West following his guilty plea for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in August of 2024, Michigan State Police Troopers stopped a car in the city of Saginaw and West was seated in the passenger seat. When the troopers asked the driver out of the car, West got into the driver’s seat and drove the vehicle while the troopers reached into the vehicle to stop him. West crashed the car into an ambulance that pulled over to help. West had a handgun inside the car, despite multiple prior felony convictions.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, after being adopted from the Michigan State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Orr.
Sacramento Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Roland Edward Bain, 40, of Sacramento, charging him with two counts of sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Bain sexually exploited two minors, one between 2021 and 2023, and another in 2024. Bain is currently in state custody on related charges.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Harman is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Bain faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Repeat Sex Offender from California Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
MIAMI –A registered sex offender from Escondido, California, has been sentenced to life in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Michael Gordon Douglas, 48, was sentenced on August 25, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to life in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervision as a sex offender. Douglas was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution. A federal jury convicted Douglas in May, following a five-day trial, of seven counts of CSAM distribution and one count of attempted enticement of a minor.
According to court records and evidence introduced during the trial, in 2023, Douglas communicated with an undercover agent who he believed was the mother of an eight-year-old girl. During the conversations, Douglas distributed CSAM to the undercover agent and arranged to meet the eight-year-old girl to have sex with her. On the day of a planned meeting in California, Douglas spotted law enforcement and attempted to flee in his vehicle. Agents stopped Douglas, and a female passenger jumped out screaming, “He’s got a grenade, he’s going to kill us!” Douglas then displayed what appeared to be a real grenade—later determined to be a replica—and engaged in a brief standoff with a SWAT team before being taken into custody.
Prior to his conviction in the instant case, Douglas was convicted in California in 2011 of distribution of matter depicting a minor in sexual conduct, possession of matter depicting a minor in sexual conduct, and attempt to distribute harmful matter to a minor.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn S. Gibson of HSI San Diego announced the sentence.
The case was investigated by HSI agents located in West Palm Beach, Florida and Oceanside, California.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chapman and Adam McMichael prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-80219.
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Recidivist Sex Offender Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography and Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man has been sentenced to federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material and fleeing from law enforcement in a stolen government vehicle.
Travis Jay Grygla, 44, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $27,551.79 in restitution to the United States Government.
According to court documents, in April 2024, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations learned that Grygla was storing child pornography at his residence and sharing it with a registered sex offender. Grygla was also a registered sex offender on federal supervised release following a 2008 conviction for distribution of child pornography.
On April 24, 2024, federal agents executed a search warrant at Grygla’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices, which he was prohibited from possessing while on supervised release. One of the devices contained over 200 media files of child sexual abuse material, including material with very young children.
While investigators were executing the search warrant, Grygla stole a government vehicle and fled the scene at a high speed. Law enforcement officers pursued Grygla and eventually apprehended Grygla in Castle Rock, Washington.
Grygla was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possessing or accessing with intent to view child pornography. On June 2, 2025, he pleaded guilty to an information charging him with distribution of child pornography and theft of government property.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Portland Police Bureau, Vancouver Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the pursuit. The case is being prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
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.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Palm Harbor Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced George Puskas, II (66, Palm Harbor) to six years and six months in federal prison for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Puskas was also ordered to pay $46,000 in restitution and will be required to register as a sex offender. Puskas pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025.
According to court documents, between December 2022 and August 2023, the FBI used a file-sharing program to connect to one of Puskas’s electronic devices and download from it several files of CSAM. In September 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Puskas’ home and seized several electronic devices. A forensic search of those devices revealed hundreds of photos and dozens of videos of CSAM, including images that depicted minors under the age of 12 and sadistic or masochistic conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Owner of California Blood Testing Laboratory Pleads Guilty to Tax and Health Care Related CrimesRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to tax and health care related crimes.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: from approximately 2015 to 2023, Armen Muradyan, of Burbank, owned and operated Genex Laboratories, a blood testing laboratory. Muradyan paid a nominee to pose as Genex’s owner, even though Muradyan solely controlled all aspects of Genex and the nominee neither owned nor operated Genex. The nominee also held Genex’s bank accounts into which Medicare deposited more than $23 million in reimbursements. Muradyan provided the nominee annual financial summaries purporting to show Genex had little or no income tax liability, and he instructed the nominee to report Genex’s financial activity on the nominee’s personal tax returns. The nominee provided these financial documents to his tax preparer, who prepared the nominee’s tax returns using the false information provided by Muradyan.
During these same years, Muradyan submitted his own federal tax returns that did not report any of Genex’s financial activity or the millions Muradyan used from Genex to pay for personal expenses.
In total, Muradyan is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $8.5 million, and approximately $2.7 million to the state of California.
Finally, in 2020, Muradyan submitted a false COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application. Under the EIDL program — created to aid small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic — a small business could receive a loan of up to $150,000 to cover six months of working capital. Muradyan filed the loan application on behalf of a fictitious company that Muradyan claimed had employees and generated nearly $1 million in income in 2019. In reality, Muradyan knew that the company did not have employees or income that year. As a result of his false application, Muradyan received nearly $100,000 in loans and used the proceeds for personal expenses, which was not permitted under the loan program.
Muradyan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion.
Muradyan is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 11. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiring to commit health care fraud, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Aveis for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case
Orange County Man Sentenced to One Year in Federal Prison for Running Illegal Sports-Betting Business and Cheating on TaxesRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in federal prison for running an illegal gambling business that took in unlawful sports bets, including from then-current and former professional athletes as well as a now-imprisoned former Major League Baseball (MLB) Japanese-language interpreter.
Mathew R. Bowyer, 50, of San Juan Capistrano, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb, who also ordered him to pay $1,613,280 in restitution.
Bowyer pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of operating an unlawful gambling business, one count of money laundering, and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.
Bowyer operated an unlicensed and illegal bookmaking business that focused on sports betting and violated a California law that prohibits bookmaking. Bowyer’s gambling business remained in operation for at least five years until October 2023 and at times had more than 700 bettors.
“[Bowyer’s] crimes were not a single indiscretion, but instead a multi-year operation that raked in millions of dollars for [Bowyer] and his associates to gamble and live an extravagant lifestyle, often through the exploitation of people [Bowyer] recognized were addicted and extending themselves beyond their means, money that was routed through multiple accounts and ultimately not reported to the government on [Bowyer’s] taxes,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
Bowyer operated this business out of various locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as in Las Vegas. Bowyer also employed agents and sub-agents – including casino hosts – who worked for his illegal gambling business who were paid a portion of the losses that bettors incurred and paid. His unlawful business used several Costa Rica-based websites and a call center so agents and customers could place and track bets. At times, Bowyer operated his illegal business while gambling at a casino – identified in court documents as “Casino A” – and sometimes paid his agents commission in Casino A chips.
One of Bowyer’s clients was Ippei Mizuhara, who is serving a 57-month federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in June 2024 to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. Mizuhara was the Japanese-language interpreter and de facto manager of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts and failing to pay tax on his gambling income.
From September 2021 to January 2024, Mizuhara placed at least 19,000 bets with Bowyer’s illegal gambling business through one of the betting websites Bowyer used for it. During this period, Mizuhara had total winning bets of at least $142,256,769, and total losing bets of at least $182,935,206, leaving Mizuhara owing approximately $40,678,436. On a regular basis during this period, Bowyer would increase Mizuhara’s betting limits.
From February 2022 to January 2024, Bowyer directed Mizuhara to make payments of at least $16.25 million to Bowyer-controlled bank accounts, all of which were proceeds of Bowyer’s illegal gambling business. Of these illegal proceeds, Bowyer transferred or directed the transfer of least $9.3 million to a casino in the form of wire transfers as payment for markers for Bowyer and his associates.
Other Bowyer gambling business customers included “Individual B,” a professional baseball player for a Southern California-based baseball club, and “Individual C,” a former minor-league baseball player.
Bowyer knowingly and willfully falsely reported his taxable income to the IRS on his tax return for the year 2022. On that year’s tax return, Bowyer reported $607,897 in total income. His unreported income for that year was $4,030,938, which was income from his illegal gambling business, including $3.8 million in wire transfers into one of his bank accounts, which he did not declare on his tax return. As a result of the false information Bowyer provided, he owes additional taxes of $1,613,280 for the tax year 2022, not including interest and penalties.
As part of his plea agreement, Bowyer agreed to forfeit $257,923 in U.S. currency and $14,830 in casino chips seized by law enforcement in October 2023.
IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section and Jonathan S. Galatzan of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
North Texas Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A North Texas man who used a ten-year-old child to produce child pornography was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Robert Owen Throgmorton, 63, was indicted in March of 2023 and pleaded guilty in May 2025 to production of child pornography. On August 21, 2025, Throgmorton was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison by United States District Judge Jane Boyle, after which he will serve a period of 10 years of supervised release. During this time, Throgmorton will be required to register as a sex offender. According to court records, Throgmorton has several related state charges pending in Rockwall County District Court.
“This crime shocks the conscience. This Office and our law enforcement partners will remain vigilant in bringing predators like the defendant to justice and in seeking the maximum punishment permitted by law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson.
“The 30-year sentence imposed on Robert Throgmorton reflects the seriousness of his crime,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI remains committed to protecting our communities from child predators and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those responsible for such acts are brought to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Fate Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Claire Demers and Myria Boehm prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that 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 to 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.”
North Dakota man sentenced in east Texas romance scam, ordered to pay over $4.7 million in restitutionRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Williston, North Dakota, man has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in a money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Daniel Boadu, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on August 29, 2025. Boadu was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4.7 million.
According to information presented in court, from at least August 2015 through February 2021, Boadu conspired with others to defraud individuals in what is commonly known as a romance scam. In a romance scam, culprits post fake profiles on various dating websites throughout the United States and the world. The profiles are used to lure unsuspecting victims looking for romance or companionship. After contacting the victim online, the culprit uses various forms of communication such as email, instant messaging, text messaging, smart phone applications and phone calls to build trust and form a relationship. Once trust has been gained, the culprit will convince the victim to provide money for various reasons. The victim then transfers funds or deposits money into bank accounts within the United States. The bank account holder in the United States will then transfer the fraudulently obtained funds to the culprit facilitating the fraud, often keeping a portion of the funds for themselves. In this scam, Boadu was one of the bank account holders in the United States.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Varadarajan.
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New Orleans Men Indicted for Federal Drug and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on August 7, 2025, YUAN BUGGAGE ("BUGGAGE), age 25, of New Orleans, and ALGERNON JACQUES ("JACQUES"), age 25, also of New Orleans, were charged in a recently unsealed six-count indictment with violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts.
BUGGAGE and JACQUES are charged in Count 1 with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, Tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846. BUGGAGE and JACQUES are charged in Count 2 with possession with intent to distribute those substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). In Count 3, BUGGAGE and JACQUES are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). In Count 4, BUGGAGE is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, beginning no later than March 31, 2025, and continuing to on or about April 24, 2025, BUGGAGE, and JACQUES, conspired, with others to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Tapentadol, a Schedule II controlled substance, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance. BUGGAGE, and JACQUES also knowingly possessed firearms, a Glock Model 23 Gen 5, .40 caliber pistol, a Glock Model 43X, nine-millimeter pistol, and a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
For the felon in possession count, on or about April, 24, 2025, BUGGAGE, knowing he had a previous felony conviction, illegally, possessed firearms, a Glock Model 23 Gen 5, .40 caliber pistol; a Glock Model 43X, nine-millimeter pistol; and a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol .
As to the drug trafficking conspiracy charge in Count 1, BUGGAGE and JACQUES face up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the drug distribution charge in Count 2, BUGGAGE and JACQUES face up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the charge of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in Count 3, BUGGAGE and JACQUES face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to the felon in possession charge in Count 4, BUGGAGE faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Orleans Police Department, and St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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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New Orleans Man Guilty of Violating Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – WILLIAM ROBINSON (“ROBINSON”), age 40, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025, before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to court records, ROBINSON pled guilty to Count Two of a seven-count superseding indictment. Count Two charged ROBINSON with being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). A New Orleans Police Department investigation developed ROBINSON, and his co-defendant, as suspects in a January 2022 French Quarter shooting. The shooting was captured on video surveillance and NOPD determined that ROBINSON, wearing an LA Dodgers World Series jacket at the time, was the actual shooter. NOPD recovered several various nine-millimeter spent shell casings from the shooting scene. In February 2022, NOPD executed a search warrant at a home where ROBINSON and his co-defendant stayed, and found the LA Dodgers World Series jacket matching the one ROBINSON was wearing in the video from the January 2022 shooting. Certified criminal records confirm that ROBINSON was a convicted felon when he possessed the ammunition he fired in January 2022.
Judge Brown set sentencing for December 4, 2025. ROBINSON faces a maximum term of ten years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Engaging in “Sextortion” Scheme to Produce Sexual Exploitation Depictions of Children as Young as Seven Years OldRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that COLE DIGGS (a/k/a Kevon Godson) (“DIGGS”), age 31, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on August 28, 2025 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to producing files depicting the sexual exploitation of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2251(a).
According to court documents, on numerous instances between November 2021 and December 2022, DIGGS engaged in a scheme to obtain sexually explicit depictions of at least six minors he met via a multimedia instant messaging application that allows users to exchange pictures and videos. The identified victims varied between the ages of seven years old and fifteen years old. In each case, DIGGS sought, and obtained, the sexually explicit depictions of minors by utilizing a “sextortion” scheme. To implement this scheme, DIGGS claimed to be a minor, sent sexually explicit depictions of adults, engaged in sexually charged communications to these minor victims, directed the minors on how to pose and perform when taking sexually explicit depictions, and, after the minors expressed reluctance to continue sending sexually explicit depictions, DIGGS used extortionate tactics to compel the minors to comply with his demands. Additionally, DIGGS, on multiple occasions, offered to purchase, and did in fact purchase, offered to trade, and did in fact trade, sexually explicit depictions of minors, including some of those he received via his extortionate scheme.
DIGGS faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, up to a maximum of thirty (30) years. DIGGS also faces at least five (5) years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. DIGGS may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Ashe has been scheduled for December 4, 2025.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Jersey Man Charged with Identity Theft and Bank Fraud for Fraudulent Transactions Throughout Florida and South CarolinaRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Michael Scott Hillwig, 58, of Camden, New Jersey, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with two counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of false use or forgery of a passport. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Hillwig appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick for his arraignment in federal court on August 27, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Trial is set for October 27, 2025, before United States District Judge Mark Walker.
If convicted, Hillwig faces up to thirty years’ imprisonment for each bank fraud count, a minimum mandatory two years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, and up to ten years’ imprisonment for the false use or forgery of a passport count.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and Holmes County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Harley W. Ferguson 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.
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.
Multiple Defendants Charged in Organized Retail Theft Conspiracy Involving Returns of Counterfeit Electronic GoodsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has charged seven defendants with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, and trafficking in counterfeit goods in connection with an organized retail theft scheme. Three of the defendants were arrested yesterday.
According to the indictment filed on Aug. 26, 2025, and unsealed today, Weidong Liu, 33, Chen Shen, 37, and Weiqin Xu, 34, all of whom are Chinese nationals, and four other defendants, who remain subject to arrest, engaged in a year-long scheme to steal genuine brand-name consumer electronics products, including computer tablets and earphones.
Under the scheme, the defendants allegedly purchased iPad tablets and AirPods earphones from a major retailer with stores throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere. The indictment describes that the defendants then returned to the same retailer counterfeit versions bearing the brand name’s trademarks and serial numbers that matched the iPad tablets and AirPods earphones previously purchased from that retailer, in order to obtain the original purchase value back. The counterfeits were returned in the purchased, genuine original packaging that also bore the brand name’s trademarks and the genuine products’ serial numbers. In many instances, the original packaging was resealed with imitation stickers that matched the original sealing stickers to make the return appear unopened. The defendants allegedly imported the counterfeits and the imitation sealing stickers from China. The indictment also alleges that the defendants exported the genuine iPad tablets and AirPods earphones to China.
United States Attorney Craig Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Brannigan made the announcement.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, defendants each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2320(a) and trafficking in counterfeit goods in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2320(a)(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Liu, Shen, and Xu all made their initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim. All three defendants will next appear on Sept. 3, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse for a continued arraignment and detention hearing.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Northern California 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).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Kassabian is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Andy Ding and Lance Libatique. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI, the California Highway Patrol C.T.I.P. (Cargo Theft Interdiction Program) Taskforce, Federal Air Marshal Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and FBI.
Middletown Resident Charged in Health Care Fraud Scheme Involving Durable Medical EquipmentRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that HABROON HABIB, 29, a citizen of Pakistan and lawful permanent resident of the U.S. residing in Middletown, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with offenses stemming from an alleged health care fraud scheme involving durable medical equipment (“DME”).
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the Medicare Advantage program, commonly known as Medicare Part C, offers Medicare beneficiaries managed care options by allowing them to enroll in private health care plans rather than having their care covered through Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service program, commonly known as Medicare Part B. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services contracts with private health insurers to administer the Medicare Advantage program.
It is alleged that Habib and Around the World Solutions LLC, a company he formed in January 2025, and others, engaged in a health care fraud scheme to defraud the Medicare Advantage program through the submission of fraudulent claims for DME, specifically orthotics, that were never provided to patients. Between February and June 2025, Around the World Solutions, which had a business address at a shared office space location in Middletown, billed various Medicare Advantage plan sponsors for orthotics purportedly provided to more than 400 Medicare beneficiaries around the U.S., none of whom resided in Connecticut. The beneficiaries did not ask for, or receive, the orthotics.
It is further alleged that Habib engaged in unlawful financial transactions involving proceeds of the scheme. In February 2025, Habib opened a checking account in the name of Around the World Solutions. Between March 12 and May 14, 2025, approximately $680,000 in checks from Medicare Advantage plan sponsors were deposited into the account. During this same two-month period, $425,000 was transferred out of the account via wire transfers to financial institutions in Pakistan.
It is alleged that HHS-OIG agents interviewed Habib on July 29, 2025, and informed him of the investigation. On August 21, 2025, investigators learned that Habib was scheduled to fly, using a one-way ticket, from JFK Airport to Pakistan on August 25.
Habib was arrested on August 24, 2025. He appeared the next day in New Haven federal court and was released on a $50,000 bond and is subject to electronic monitoring.
The complaint charges Habib with money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; making unlawful monetary transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; and conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud or by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain Louisiana Driver’s LicenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSE GUADALUPE MUNOZ-PEREZ (“MUNOZ”), age 46, a native of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on August 12, 2025 after previously pleading guilty to illegally using a social security number to obtain a Louisiana driver’s license, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
MUNOZ was sentenced to time served. Judge Vitter also sentenced him to one year of supervised release and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on July 24, 2020, MUNOZ applied for the renewal of a Louisiana driver’s license using the name and Social Security number of a real person, at a Public Tag Agency in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. A Public Tag Agency is an authorized entity that handles various vehicle-related transactions on behalf of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
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Mexican National Charged with Illegal Reentry to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 21, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Samuel Alfaro-Sanchez, 31, of Mexico, with being found in the United States on August 13, 2025, after having previously been removed from the United States.
Alfaro-Sanchez entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on August 28, 2025 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Alfaro-Sanchez be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Alfaro-Sanchez, a citizen of Mexico, illegally entered the United States on numerous prior occasions. In 2008, Alfaro-Sanchez voluntarily returned to Mexico after having been apprehended near Tucson, Arizona. In 2018, Alfaro-Sanchez was removed from the United States twice after having been apprehended first near Paso Del Norte, Texas in March and then again near Sasabe, Arizona in July. In 2019, Alfaro-Sanchez was again removed from the United States after having been apprehended near El Paso, Texas. In 2020, Alfaro-Sanchez was expelled from the United States twice in September after having been apprehended on two separate occasions near Douglas, Arizona. In 2021, Alfaro-Sanchez was expelled from the United States after having been apprehended near Douglas, Arizona.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Alfaro-Sanchez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Alfaro-Sanchez faces up to 2 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Special Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham. Alfaro-Sanchez is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
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).
Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to over 24 YearsRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Keith Ryan Noles, 44, of Marble, N.C., was sentenced yesterday to 296 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on drug and gun charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Noles and his co-defendant, Tina Hill, 47, also of Marble, were convicted at trial in March 2024, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Noles was also found guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to filed court documents and trial evidence, law enforcement in Texas intercepted more than eight pounds of methamphetamine. Trial evidence showed that law enforcement learned the methamphetamine was intended for Hill and Noles in North Carolina. The jury heard testimony that, between 2020 and 2021, the defendants’ source of supply or his representative made multiple trips to North Carolina to deliver packages of methamphetamine to Hill and Noles, and to pick up cash payments. After the drug delivery was intercepted in Texas, law enforcement planned a controlled delivery of the methamphetamine to Hill and Noles as originally planned. Noles was arrested soon after he arrived to assist with the delivery of the methamphetamine to his and Hill’s residence in Marble. Hill was later arrested at the residence.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case as well as the Andrews Police Department and the Graham County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle Chambers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are prosecuting the case. Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. Ms. Chambers is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA position helps ensure the effective and vigorous prosecution of federal court cases that impact the counties within the 43rd Prosecutorial District.
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor in Key WestRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A man has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child after communicating online with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles imposed the sentence on Clifford Frederic Lind, 41, who used the online alias “it is what it is.” Lind pleaded guilty in April to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor and attempting to entice a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May 29 and June 4, 2024, Lind exchanged messages through a social media application and text with someone he believed was an underage girl. During those exchanges, which took place while Lind was in Key West, he sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself and requested images from the individual he believed to be a minor. Lind also discussed plans to meet the purported 13-year-old in person to engage in sexual activity, including details about picking her up and where they would stay.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami, Key West Resident Agency investigated the case. The Key West Police Department provided invaluable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Maultasch prosecuted the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture.
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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Anyone with information relating to child sexual exploitation or abuse is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-10008.
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Man Charged with Aiming Laser Pointer at AircraftRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A North Kansas City. Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.
Aaron Randall Class, 53, was charged in a one-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 12, 2025. The indictment was unsealed and made public following Class’s arrest. The indictment alleges that on or about Nov. 23rd, 2024, Class knowingly aimed a beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft that was in the aircraft jurisdiction of the United States at the time of the incident.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, Class is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Branon Chlarson. It was investigated by the North Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Luzerne County Main Sentenced to 130 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Justis Shea, age 32, of Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley for one count of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances and one count of felon in possession of a firearm, with the sentences to run concurrent to each other.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Shea previously pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a synthetic cannabinoid, commonly referred to as K2, in a Luzerne County hotel room in June of 2024. As part of that plea, Shea also admitted to possessing, on or about July 2, 2024, a stolen Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle, which had previously been shipped in interstate commerce, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a felony.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), the Kingston Police Department, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted, and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
This case is also 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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Louisiana Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Prison for Various Internet Sex Crimes Involving a Martin County MinorRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A registered sex offender from Destrehan, Louisiana, has been sentenced to life in federal prison, followed by a consecutive 10-year term, for multiple child exploitation crimes, including attempted enticement of a minor, attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and offense by a registered sex offender.
In addition to the prison sentence, Nicolas James Palmisano, 45, was ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release, upon release from custody, and to pay restitution. U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez imposed the sentence on August 25 after a federal jury found Palmisano guilty in May following a two-day trial.
According to court records and evidence introduced during the trial, in 2019, Palmisano was convicted in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana for sexual offenses involving a juvenile. Upon the completion of his four-year prison sentence, Palmisano registered as a sex offender with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office in the town in which he resided.
In May 2024, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) learned that a minor had images of sexually explicit activity on her cellular phone. An MCSO computer forensic examiner recovered messages, images, and recordings from the minor’s cellular phone that were sent from Palmisano’s cellular number. Despite acknowledging that the minor was 15 years old, Palmisano wrote thousands of sexually explicit messages and sent multiple sexually explicit images, as well as audio and video recordings, of himself between February 22 and May 6, 2024. Palmisano also solicited, and obtained, sexually explicit images from the minor.
In August 2024, members of the FBI and MCSO arrested Palmisano at the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, after he arrived for his annual Sexual Offender Registration review and update. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Palmisano’s residence and recovered his cellular phone, which was found to contain the sexually explicit material that Palmisano and the minor exchanged.
FBI Fort Pierce investigated the case, with assistance from MCSO, FBI New Orleans, and St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Fort Pierce Branch Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Kahn Obenauf 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
To report online child sexual exploitation, visit https://report.cybertip.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in partnership with HSI and other law enforcement agencies.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-14044.
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Lexington Man Convicted of Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- A Lexington, Ky., man was convicted on Wednesday, August 27, by a federal jury in Lexington for several firearms offenses.
After 40 minutes of deliberation following a three-day trial, the jury convicted 41-year-old Keith Lamont Stallworth of carrying and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; possessing a machine gun; and failing to register the machine gun.
According to testimony at trial, in August 2023, Stallworth was arrested in possession of a .57 caliber Palmetto Arms pistol that contained high velocity rifle rounds and an extended magazine capable of holding an additional 29 rounds. A search warrant at Stallworth’s downtown Lexington apartment yielded a large quantity of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, hundreds of rounds of ammunition as well as a 9mm handgun and an illegally modified .40 caliber pistol. The pistol was installed with a machinegun conversion device, sometimes called a “switch” or “Glock switch,” that converted the firearm to a fully automatic weapon defined under federal law as a machinegun.
Stallworth previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and using a residence for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing controlled substances.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; Chief Michael Fleming, Nicholasville Police Department; and Sheriff Kevin Grimes, Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, ATF, KSP, Lexington Police Department, Nicholasville Police Department, and Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Stallworth is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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Leeton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Leeton, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
William N. Brown, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Brown was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On Feb. 13, 2025, Brown pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal. Brown admitted he was in possession of a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun with the serial number filed off, on Feb. 26, 2024. The shotgun was modified with both the barrel and butt stock sawed off.
Brown was arrested on Feb. 26, 2024, after witnesses reported seeing Brown walk to a neighbor’s house carrying a machete and a shotgun. Deputies of the Johnson County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office were granted a search warrant to search Brown’s residence and located the shotgun in a seating bench with a storage location.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has two felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, two felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon – exhibiting, two felony convictions for tampering, two felony convictions for driving while revoked or suspended, as well as felony convictions for assault, arson, burglary, stealing, possession of a controlled substance, and damage to jail property.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Johnson County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Lebanon Man Indicted for Attempting to Possess Precursor Chemical to Manufacture MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Charles Adams, age 40, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of attempted possession of a listed chemical with intent to manufacture a controlled substance.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about November 19, 2024 and November 22, 2024, Adams attempted to possess methylamine with the intent of unlawfully manufacturing methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Customs and Border Protection. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
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 maximum penalty upon conviction for the charged offenses is 40 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Leader of Transnational Criminal Organization Extradited from Jamaica Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Firearms to Trinidad and TobagoRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Shem Wayne Alexander (35, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle firearms from the United States to Trinidad and Tobago. Alexander faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Alexander was arrested in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request. He was extradited to the United States on December 20, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Alexander, a national of Trinidad and Tobago, and his co-conspirators unlawfully exported firearms, firearms components (including upper/lower receivers and gun parts kits), and related items from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between April 2019 and April 2022. On April 21, 2021, members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and Customs and Excise Division at the Piarco International Airport in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago seized a shipment containing two punching bags. Alexander and his co-conspirators had sent the shipment from the United States to Trinidad and Tobago describing the contents of said shipment as “household items.” In reality, concealed within the two punching bags were approximately eleven 9mm pistols, two .38 caliber special revolvers, a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun, three AR-15 barrel foregrips, 19 lower pistol grip assemblies, 11 forearm bolt assemblies, three AR-15-style barrels with forearm grips, 32 AR-15 magazines, one AR-15 drum magazine, 470 rounds of AR-15 ammunition, 34 9mm magazines, three 9mm drum magazines, 284 9mm rounds, fifteen .38 caliber rounds, 36 shells, six magazine couplers, and two shotgun chokes. Alexander and his co-conspirators arranged this shipment without written notice to the shipper as to the contents of the shipment.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, including HSI’s Legal Attaché for the Caribbean, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance provided by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (Transnational Organized Crime Unit and Special Investigations Unit), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and United States Customs and Border Protection. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Jamaica Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Jamaica Constabulary Force provided critical support in the extradition of Alexander. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Adam W. McCall.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious transnational criminal organizations.
(X-ray photo of one of the punching bags showing the firearms and firearm components concealed inside)
(One of the punching bags cut open with a firearm visible and protruding)
(Trinidad and Tobago Police Service opening a punching bag and revealing the hidden firearms components)
(Concealed firearms, firearms components, and ammunition retrieved from the punching bags)
Lawrence Man Charged with Possessing 10,000 Counterfeit Percocet PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was charged today in connection with an investigation targeting a drug manufacturing ring.
Joshua Morales, 31, of Lawrence, Mass., was charged with one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Morales was arrested yesterday on related state charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Morales was observed by law enforcement entering into a residence in Methuen and leaving with a large orange bag. According to court documents, investigators knew that the residence was an alleged drug distribution and manufacturing location. While under surveillance, Morales then allegedly drove to a location in Lawrence, where he was apprehended. During a search of Morales’ vehicle, 10,000 counterfeit Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl were allegedly recovered.
During a search of the residence in Methuen, an automated pill press was located, along with multiple kilograms of counterfeit Adderall and Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl and methamphetamine. Numerous items used in the pill manufacturing process, including cutting agents, blenders, scales, bowls and bags full of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine powders and binding agents were also recovered.
The charge of possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute provides for a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Peabody Police Department, Lawrence Police Department and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.