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Thursday 10 July 2025
Former Marine Sentenced to 40 Years After Trial Conviction on Sextortion and Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Anthony Fritzinger, of Middletown, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for five counts of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), four counts of online exploitation of a minor, one count of possession of CSAM, and two counts of extortion. Fritzinger, 25, was convicted at trial on September 12, 2024.
“This defendant preyed on vulnerable children, manipulating and threatening them to produce explicit content for his own gratification,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “This case should also serve as a strong reminder that the proliferation of social media has expanded the manner in which young people can be targeted by individuals like Fritzinger, who look to exploit them. We will continue to do all we can to stand with survivors, protect children, and ensure their voices are heard as we pursue justice.”
“This case represents the very worst kind of online exploitation, and it is only through the extraordinary courage of the victims and the relentless work of our Special Agents that justice was served,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly Parrish, NCIS Carolinas Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to uncovering hidden threats, safeguarding children from predatory abuse, and holding offenders accountable—no matter where they operate or how they hide.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, the investigation began when Fritzinger used an anonymous account to try to extort an eighteen-year-old woman online. He threatened to distribute naked pictures created when she was a minor unless she obeyed his order to create and send him additional sexual photos. Her family contacted their local police, who referred the case to Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). From there, NCIS discovered that he had been serially stalking, soliciting, and extorting minors to obtain sexual images and videos for years.
Fritzinger used teen “dating” websites like Yubo, Spotafriend, and mylol.com to identify and contact potential victims, sometimes posing as a teenage girl. Then he began online “relationships” with victims, including on Snapchat and Instagram, in which he encouraged children to send him sexually explicit images and videos. Fritzinger taught his victims to engage in a dominant/submissive relationship in which he exerted total control over them and required them to perform sadistic, sexual punishments. He manipulated and coerced victims to continue sending images, including falsely claiming to be dying and exploiting their immaturity and personal histories. Then he extorted many victims, threatening to expose their images to their friends and family if they did not send more.
NCIS recovered a vast quantity of disturbing evidence from Fritzinger’s cell phone, laptop, social media accounts, and Dropbox account. He had collected hundreds of screenshots of young girls’ social media profiles, and thousands of sexually explicit chats revealed his extensive efforts to entice minors to produce child pornography. NCIS recovered hundreds of images and videos of enticement victims, as well as other images and videos of child pornography that the defendant had collected online, including those depicting victims as young as toddlers. Through painstaking effort, NCIS was able to identify roughly two dozen victims, spanning several states, including several who bravely testified against Fritzinger at trial.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The NCIS investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake D. Pugh and Erin Blondel prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-CR-00081.
Former Huntsville resident arrested on arson and fraud charges after deaths of twoRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 52-year-old year-old resident of Kansas City, Missouri, has been charged with multiple counts related to a conspiracy to commit arson against a property used in interstate or foreign commerce resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Authorities arrested Mario Raynard Roberson in the Houston area. He is now making his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned the 12-count indictment July 1. It alleges Roberson was responsible for a Huntsville house fire June 14, 2023, which killed two people.
According to the charges, Roberson held a State Farm Insurance policy on the home and recruited others to set it on fire to file a fraudulent insurance claim. The indictment alleges the two individuals died while igniting the blaze at Roberson’s residence.
“The defendant is alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to collect an insurance payout through a purported racially-motivated arson, which led to two deaths,” said Ganjei. “Now that he is in federal custody he will answer these charges, and, if found guilty, be held accountable for the death of these two men.”
Roberson is charged with conspiracy to commit arson against a property used in interstate or foreign commerce resulting in death which carries a possible life sentence, if convicted.
He is also facing nine counts of wire fraud for attempting to defraud the insurance company; conspiracy to violate the Travel Act related to the use of an interstate facility, the telephone, to commit arson; and with conspiracy to commit arson in connection with a federal felony offense. Each of those charges have varying possible prison terms up to a maximum of 20 years. He could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.
FBI – Bryan Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenón-Matos, Byron Black and Alexander Alum are prosecuting this case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former City of Raleigh Firefighter Pleads Guilty to Dark Web Drug Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A former City of Raleigh firefighter and his wife have pleaded guilty today to running a large-scale drug trafficking operation involving cocaine, methamphetamine, and other narcotics. Nicholas Banister, 36, and Amanda Banister, 36, admitted to using the dark web and cryptocurrency to distribute drugs across Eastern North Carolina.
“The defendant, a Raleigh firefighter, served in a position of public trust, but was hiding in plain sight as he and his wife sold numerous types of illegal narcotics around businesses the community frequently visits,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “I’m proud of our federal and state partners at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (NC ALE) for their hard work, which is holding these individuals accountable and making our community safer.”
“It is unfortunate to see someone we trust to help keep us protected involved in criminal activities that jeopardize public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “ATF realizes the danger and violence associated with drug trafficking, and we’re proud to work with our local and state law enforcement partners to break up those networks and better protect our communities.”
“A primary focus for ALE is reducing crime associated with alcohol establishments and protecting the safety of our communities. In this case, undercover ALE special agents conducted a comprehensive investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of two individuals — one of whom had taken an oath to protect others but instead chose to put lives at risk,” said Bryan House, Director of North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement. “We’re hopeful this case, along with our continued efforts, will have a positive impact on our state.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Banister conspired with his wife to sell cocaine and methamphetamine on four occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer at the Morgan Street Food Hall in Raleigh. The NC ALE executed a search warrant at Banister's residence in Raleigh, where they found 1,324.43 grams of methamphetamine, 844 grams of cocaine, over 7 kilograms of marijuana, 382 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, Xanax and Ecstasy pills, 216 units of LSD, 15 grams of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), two firearms, a digital wallet used to store cryptocurrency and $213,810 in U.S. currency. Banister had been selling cocaine, methamphetamine, and LSD every other week for at least a year prior to his arrest. Banister purchased the narcotics from the dark web using cryptocurrency, had them shipped to North Carolina, and then sold them to various buyers, primarily in the Glenwood South area. Banister utilized the Snapchat application to advertise narcotics by providing a “menu” for buyers. The following appeared on Banister’s Snapchat account and was presented in court:
Banister was employed with the City of Raleigh Fire Department at the time of the charged offenses.
Both Banister and his wife face a mandatory minimum of 10 years' imprisonment when sentenced at a later date.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after arraignment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II. The NC ALE and the ATF investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case. SAUSA Merle is a prosecutor with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-00106-D.
Former Business Vice President Indicted for Attempting to Extort His Former EmployerRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bryan R. Chapman, age 62, of Missouri, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on extortion charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Chapman was the Vice President of a nationwide business located in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. After he was fired, Chapman attempted to extort the business by claiming that he would expose that the company had taken trade secrets from a supplier. Chapman demanded six-months’ severance in exchange for his silence, which would have amounted to over $100,000. The company refused to be extorted.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the extortion offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Former Banker Arrested for Allegedly Obtaining $2.7 Million in COVID Business-Relief Funds Using Stolen IDs of Disabled PersonsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Wells Fargo & Co. banker and his brother have been arrested on an eight-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they schemed to fraudulently obtain more than $2.7 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds and federally-guaranteed small business loans, including by submitting applications using the stolen identities of developmentally disabled persons who lived in long-term care facilities, the Justice Department announced today.
Norayr Madadi, 40, of Burbank, and Vazrik Madadi, 44, of Glendale, were arrested Wednesday morning.
Both men are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering. Norayr Madadi is separately charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of making a false statement to a government agent.
They pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Wednesday afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered Norayr Madadi released on $25,000 bond, ordered Vazrik Madadi released on $50,000 bond, and scheduled a September 2 trial date.
According to the indictment returned on June 17 and unsealed Wednesday, Norayr Madadi was a banker at Wells Fargo and opened fraudulent accounts in the names of shell companies and persons including using stolen and fictious identities.
From March 2020 through April 2021, the defendants obtained millions in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) loans by submitting loan applications with false statements about revenues, operations, and employees. The defendants used fake and stolen identities to further the fraudulent scheme, including the stolen identities of two victims who are developmentally disabled and live in long-term care facilities.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) and PPP participating lenders disbursed the loans into bank accounts controlled by the defendants, including the Wells Fargo bank accounts opened by Norayr Madadi. The Madadi brothers allegedly spent the loan proceeds at casinos, paying for luxury cars and jewelry, and cash withdrawals.
Law enforcement believes the losses caused by this scheme are approximately $2.7 million.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 in federal prison for each wire fraud-related count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count. Norayr Madadi would face up to five years in federal prison if convicted of the false statements count and would face a mandatory two-year consecutive prison term if convicted of the aggravated identity theft count.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jason Pang of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case, with substantial assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Federal Judge in Chicago Sentences Corrupt Confidential Informant to 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man who cultivated a corrupt relationship with a federal law enforcement agent while trafficking cocaine has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.
In 2018, GARY HOWARD, 48, of Oak Lawn, Ill., attempted to purchase ten kilograms of cocaine. Unbeknownst to Howard, the seller was confidentially working on behalf of law enforcement. When the pair met in the parking lot of a furniture store in Chicago, Howard possessed more than $133,000 in a backpack and offered to buy half of the cocaine. Howard was arrested, and a subsequent search of his residence turned up more than $106,000 in cash, a drug ledger, and a loaded handgun.
At the time of the attempted drug deal, Howard was a registered confidential informant for Homeland Security Investigations and his handler was Special Agent Anthony Sabaini. Howard and Sabaini had cultivated a corrupt relationship in which Howard paid Sabaini thousands of dollars in exchange for sensitive law enforcement information and protection from other law enforcement agencies.
A federal jury last year convicted Howard of drug conspiracy and attempted drug possession. On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Howard to 13 years in federal prison.
Sabaini was convicted in 2023 of illegally structuring financial transactions, concealing material facts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and filing false federal tax returns. He was sentenced in October 2023 to more than six years in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
“The Sabaini-Howard partnership stained the reputation of HSI and law enforcement at large, as their actions eroded the public trust,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Shih and Jared Hasten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Corrupt confidential informants and those who work to corrupt federal law enforcement will be held accountable.”
Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional Seven Years in Prison for Threatening U.S. Probation Officer in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal inmate has been sentenced to an additional seven consecutive years in prison for threatening a U.S. Probation officer in Chicago.
GLENN BOWDEN was incarcerated in a federal prison in 2023 when he mailed a letter threatening to injure a U.S. Probation officer. The officer had conducted a presentence investigation of Bowden prior to Bowden’s sentencing on a federal robbery conviction in 2022. Bowden was serving a nine-year federal sentence in the robbery case.
In addition to the threatening letter, Bowden authored a letter purportedly from his prison chaplain and caused it to be filed with the Court in support of a motion for compassionate release. The chaplain had no knowledge of the letter. When interviewed by the FBI, Bowden falsely claimed that he did not type or send the letter to the Probation officer and that he knew nothing about the Chaplain’s letter or who wrote it.
Bowden, 64, most recently of Riverdale, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to mailing a threatening communication, obstructing an official proceeding, and willfully making false statements to the FBI. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold sentenced Bowden to seven years and three months in prison, which must be served after the completion of his sentence for the robbery case.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. The Federal Bureau of Prisons provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Kirsten Moran.
“Threats against Court personnel and other federal staff have no place in our system of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The sentence that the Court imposed in this case should send a clear message that such reprehensible conduct will be met with harsh punishment.”
“Threatening to assault federal personnel is a grave offense that risks the safety of all those who selflessly choose to protect and serve our communities,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “Any attempt to elicit violence against the federal workforce will be met with swift and full action by our dedicated law enforcement and prosecutorial partners.”
Federal Grand Jury in Chicago Indicts Three Individuals for Alleged Covid-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted three individuals for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.
TANIKA ECHOLS, ANTONIO ECHOLS, and TAMIA THOMPSON DAVIS engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL)–two sources of relief under the CARES Act, according to an indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois. The indictment charges Tanika Echols, 45, of Austin, Texas, and formerly of South Holland, Ill., with 13 counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering. Antonio Echols, 50, of Austin, Texas, and formerly of South Holland, Ill., who is Tanika Echols’s husband, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, while Davis, 27, of Austin, Texas, who is Tanika Echols’s daughter, is charged with four counts of wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that the defendants defrauded lenders of approximately $1.7 million in PPP loans and defrauded the SBA of approximately $307,000 in EIDL funds. Much of the money was used for the defendants’ personal benefit, including the purchase of mink coats from Andriana Furs in Chicago, the indictment states.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignments last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert. A status hearing was scheduled for Aug. 13, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Basil Demczak, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General, and Mark Reeves, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.
Pursuant to the CARES Act, a PPP loan allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll, rent, and utilities, while the EIDL program provided loan assistance or grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses.
According to the indictment, the defendants from 2020 to 2022 submitted more than 100 fraudulent applications to lenders, loan service providers, and the Small Business Administration, on behalf of themselves, seven other individuals, and two businesses owned by Tanika Echols and Antonio Echols. The applications and supporting documents contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the defendants’ companies, including the number of purported employees, revenue and payroll amounts, and other expenses, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the maximum penalty for each count of money laundering is ten years. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
echols_et_al_indictment.pdfEl Salvadorian National Convicted and Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry into the United States after Three Prior DeportationsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An El Salvadorian national, who was previously deported three times, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for unlawful reentry into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Juan Ruiz, 30, an El Salvadorian national who was unlawfully residing in Manchester, pleaded guilty and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Samantha D. Elliott to time served, or two months. Ruiz is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation to El Salvador.
Ruiz illegally entered the United States previously on three separate occasions and was deported on June 12, 2016, May 18, 2017, and October 14, 2021. On the evening of April 22, 2025, the Manchester Police Department responded to Ruiz’s apartment after receiving a report of a domestic violence incident. Law enforcement arrested Ruiz for simple assault. After learning of the defendant’s immigration status, they referred him to ICE.
ICE led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Durant Resident Pleads Guilty to Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Derek Michael James, age 41, of Durant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on January 27, 2025, James assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm.
The crime occurred in Bryan County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
James will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay More Than $650,000 in Restitution for Role in $14.5 Million Interstate PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced in federal court on July 9, 2025, to 15 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $659,152 on his conviction of fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Marc Andrew Martin, 46.
According to information presented to the Court, between March 2020 and August 2021, Martin and others—including Matthew Parker—conspired to defraud lenders of over $14 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loans. Parker, a licensed CPA from Detroit, recruited hundreds of small businesses in Pittsburgh and Detroit and falsified PPP loan applications. The Small Business Administration approved 226 of those applications, resulting in loans totaling approximately $14.5 million to businesses, the largest known PPP fraud in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Martin referred approximately $1,900,000 in fraudulent loan packages to Parker, who was sentenced in June 2025 to 24 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $14.5 million on his conviction of fraud conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Martin.
Defendants Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Middle GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Four defendants involved in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in Macon responsible for pushing kilogram quantities of the illegal drug into the community were sentenced to federal prison today for their crimes.
Denzelle Diangelo Willis, 34, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 278 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Willis previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 24.
James Richard Fuller, 33, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 181 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Fuller previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 24.
Julio Cesar Mendez, aka “Migo,” 29, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Mendez previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine on March 24.
Deion Jocoley Howard, 31, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 53 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Howard previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 24.
The sentencing hearings occurred on July 10 before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. There is no parole in the federal system.
“All those associated with these criminal organizations pushing large quantities of the most deadly and addictive drugs into the Middle District of Georgia will find their cases in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our office is working closely with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to make our communities safer.”
“This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “These defendants had total disregard for their actions that far too often have tragic consequences.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, with assistance from the Bibb, Peach and Monroe County Sheriff’s Offices, began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in Macon in November 2022, after FBI agents seized nearly eleven kilograms of methamphetamine resulting from a separate investigation into Julian Coker’s drug trafficking organization (for more information about this case, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/leader-armed-drug-trafficking-organization-sentenced-28-years-prison). DEA agents learned that Willis and Mendez sold methamphetamine and heroin throughout the Macon area. Between February and March 2023, agents used Confidential Informants (CI) to conduct three methamphetamine buys from Mendez and two heroin buys from Willis; the substances were later tested and contained fentanyl.
Using court-authorized wiretaps and surveillance, agents discovered Mendez maintained a stash house on Melbourne Street in Macon and supplied ounce quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana to a network of street-level dealers. Howard was a freelance illegal drug broker in Macon who facilitated drug transactions between mid-level dealers and upper-level suppliers. Howard connected Mendez with Willis’s methamphetamine supply. Willis obtained kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from a source in the Atlanta area for distribution in the Macon area. Fuller was Willis’s courier for resupply trips and deliveries to mid-level dealers.
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 case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Peach County Sheriff’s Office.
Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Coweta Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cody Michael DeGraw, age 30, of Coweta, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on or about December 20, 2023, until February 27, 2025, DeGraw knowingly possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which DeGraw accessed with intent to view.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DeGraw was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 52 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Drugs while in Possession of an Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for possessing fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute as well as possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Eddie Veilleux, age 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 52 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. Veilleux was also ordered to forfeit a 2020 Black BMW sedan. In March 2025, Veilleux pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
“This sentence reflects the serious consequences that come with trafficking drugs while illegally possessing a firearm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “We remain committed to investigating and disrupting drug traffickers and holding accountable armed convicted felons whose actions put our communities at risk.”
“Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Drug dealers are responsible for fueling drug addiction and much of the violent crimes across New England. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
On November 24, 2023, Veilleux was arrested on outstanding state charges. A search of his vehicle found small baggies of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and fentanyl, as well as a scale, ledger, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. A loaded Ruger .44 magnum revolver was found in the trunk of the defendant’s car. As a previously convicted felon, Veilleux was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy prosecuted the case.
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Colorado Woman Conspiring to Distribute Meth and Fentanyl Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced July 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to 76 months’ imprisonment.
Danielle Morris, 49, originally from Denver, Colorado, staying in Odebolt, Iowa, pled guilty February 12, 2025, to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from January 2024 through April 27, 2024, Morris and others conspired to distribute about one pound of methamphetamine and more than 1700 pills of fentanyl. On April 21, 2024, Morris, along with two others were headed to Colorado to pick up more methamphetamine and to sell fentanyl pills. When law enforcement tried to stop them, the fentanyl was thrown from the vehicle and later seized. Morris and the others recklessly attempted to elude law enforcement driving their vehicle at high speeds. Morris made a “false” 911 call in an effort to distract police and avoid capture. Later on the same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Morris and her co-conspirator’s residence and seized a small amount of methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded .22 caliber Beretta handgun.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Morris was sentenced to 76 months’ imprisonment and must serve a four-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Morris remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Ida and Sac County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Iowa Criminalistics Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Colombian Money Launderer Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems.
Argiro de Jesus Velasquez-Velasquez, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 102 months in prison. On Nov. 30, 2024, Velasquez-Velasquez pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and four counts of laundering of monetary instruments.
Velasquez-Velasquez was among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy. He is subject to deportation upon completion of his imposed sentence.
Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine seized at sea, 60 miles south of Jamaica, in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia, in March 2019.
In or about October 2016, an investigation began into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.
Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser, and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia either through the BMPE.
Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover agent and arrange meetings for the undercover and the undercover’s purported associates to collect bulk cash throughout the world. Velasquez-Velasquez was involved in cocaine trafficking in Colombia. He and his partner, co-defendant Jose Sanchez-Villanueva, would hire money brokers who would negotiate the money laundering contract by hiring a money launderer to pick up the bulk cash drug proceeds throughout the world, and would then direct where the money was to be sent to various accounts in order to conceal the nature of the funds and facilitate the payout of the laundered proceeds in Colombia for the benefit of the drug suppliers. At sentencing, Velasquez-Velasquez was held personally responsible for the laundering of nearly $600,000 in drug proceeds, however, over the course of the conspiracy Velasquez-Velasquez offered the undercover agent multiple additional contracts to launder large sums of cash drug proceeds.
Velasquez-Velasquez, a Colombian citizen who resided in Colombia was charged in a 50 count indictment along with 19 other individuals in March 2022. Velasquez-Velasquez was arrested in Colombia and extradited to the United States. Velasquez-Velasquez is the 13th defendant to be sentenced. All but one remaining defendant has been convicted either at trial or by pleading guilty. The remaining defendant is scheduled to plead guilty in August 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe, and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
City Man Who Fraudulently Obtained Titles to Multiple Philadelphia Properties Sentenced to Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Macangelo Tillman, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe to 72 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and over $150,000 in restitution, in connection with a scheme to steal the title to Philadelphia properties that were the subject of future sheriff’s sales.
In December 2023, Tillman was charged by indictment with five counts of wire fraud arising from the scheme. He pleaded guilty to those charges in March of this year.
As detailed in court filings and statements, as part of the scheme, the defendant had deeds prepared that fraudulently transferred the ownership of the properties either to himself or his associates. Then, Tillman or others associated with him and acting at his direction, recorded those deeds with the City of Philadelphia.
The defendant obtained notary stamps on deeds that were created to transfer title to properties by making false statements to notaries and/or using unauthentic notary stamps. He paid one notary public $50 to illegitimately notarize deeds that were purportedly executed by the grantor, without the grantors being present and/or without validating the identification for the grantors. He had a second notary do the same, as a favor to him. On other occasions, counterfeit deeds that were presented as legitimate to the Office of the Recorder of Deeds by Tillman, or others at his direction, displayed the forged signatures of the titleholders and were notarized using fraudulent notary stamps.
Tillman’s scheme victimized the City of Philadelphia, as well as 11 homeowners or their heirs. His criminal acts deprived the City of the revenue from sheriff’s sales, and the payment of outstanding taxes related to properties previously owned by deceased individuals, or then currently owned by financially distressed individuals. Additionally, any balance exceeding the amount due the City of Philadelphia from the proposed sheriff’s sales would have been distributed to the homeowner or their heirs.
Tillman’s scheme was motivated by his own, and his associates’, financial gain. Some of the stolen homes were rented, and others were sold to buyers who had no idea they were purchasing properties that had been acquired fraudulently.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.
Citizen of Mexico Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Leonardo Mendoza-Zavala, age 44, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on a charge of illegal reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about June 21, 2025, Mendoza-Zavlawas found in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Mendoza-Zavala had been removed from the United States on January 6, 2020, through Laredo, Texas, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiate 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 under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge 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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Cheektowaga man charged with receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned and indictment charging Roland Andrew, 63, of Cheektowaga, NY, with receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, in May 2025, the legal guardian of a 16-year-old minor female victim alerted Cheektowaga Police that numerous naked videos of the victim were sent to Andrew on the victim’s iPad. A review of the videos confirmed that they were child sexual abuse material. On May 7, 2025, Cheektowaga Police executed a search warrant at Andrew’s residence, seizing several items, including two three cellular devices, a tablet and a laptop. A review of the iPad recovered a text conversation between the victim and a telephone number, later identified as Andrew. During this conversation, the victim sent several videos which constitute child sexual abuse material.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason Allen Rhule, 45, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 24, 2024, Rhule was on parole for prior felony convictions when parole officers conducted a search of his residence as a condition of his supervision. Officers found a Taurus model PT-140 Millenium G2 .40-caliber pistol and a Palmetto State Armory model PA-15 multi-caliber rifle in Rhule’s bedroom. Officers also found loaded ammunition magazines, including high-capacity magazines for the multi-caliber rifle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Rhule knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of his prior felony convictions for attempted manufacture of a controlled substance in Putnam County Circuit Court on October 3, 2022, and attempted grand larceny in Kanawha County Circuit Court on July 31, 2023.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and West Virginia Parole Services.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-157.
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Cary Man Who Wounded Police Dog Sentenced to 12.5 Years for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Joshua Whittlesey, a resident of Cary, was sentenced today to 12.5 years in prison and $28,000 in restitution, for carjacking. The 26-year-old man pled guilty to the charge on November 13, 2024.
According to court records and other information presented in court, on July 21, 2023, Whittlesey went to Hendrick’s Cadillac in Cary under the guise of purchasing a Ford Raptor. While out on a test drive with the sales representative, Whittlesey brandished what the sales representative believed to be a firearm and ordered him out of the vehicle. The sales representative immediately called 911 to report the crime. Whittlesey took the vehicle and led officers from the Cary, Durham, and Raleigh Police Departments on a high-speed chase reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour. While fleeing from the officers, Whittlesey struck and wounded a Cary Police dog with the stolen vehicle. Whittlesey later abandoned the vehicle and was apprehended in Burlington. Whittlesey claimed that the apparent firearm was a BB gun, but law enforcement did not recover either.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cary Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaren E. Kelly and Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00115-FL.
Brothers from India sentenced to prison for smuggling fake or contaminated drugs into the U.S.Read the Press Release
Seattle – Two brothers from India were each sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison for their scheme to sell counterfeit and adulterated drugs in the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Avanish Kumar Jha, 39, and Rajnish Kumar Jha, 36, were arrested in Singapore on April 20, 2023, based on the 2022 indictment. The men were extradited to the U.S. in February 2025. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The issue here is the introduction of adulterated drugs to people who think they are getting lifesaving drugs… This activity has so much risk to cause harm.”
“When this investigation began, the first vial of medicine shipped to the undercover agent was not the cancer-fighting drug Keytruda at all but rather over-the-counter heartburn medicine in a bottle labeled as Keytruda. Keytruda’s active ingredient—the substance that could add months or even years to the lives of terminal cancer patients—was totally absent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The defendants made hundreds of thousands of dollars while defrauding people who were clinging to hope that a late-stage cancer medication could extend their life.”
The investigation of the Jha brothers began in 2019, when investigators reviewed internet postings and other evidence indicating that the Jha brothers and their company, Dhrishti Pharma International, were offering to sell prescription drugs to buyers in the United States and elsewhere. Undercover agents with the Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began communicating with the Jha brothers and ordered some of their products. Of particular concern was a “medication” labeled as “Keytruda,” a Merck drug for late-stage cancer. An analysis revealed that the Jha brothers were selling counterfeit Keytruda that contained none of active ingredient that made the authentic product effective. Other products contained contaminants.
The brothers shipped the counterfeit and adulterated drugs from India. They accepted various means of payment including wire transfers and direct money exchanges. In some cases, they used intermediaries in the United States to pick up cash payments. The drugs were packaged in such a way to avoid detection by international customs or other regulators.
In January 2025, a judge in Singapore ruled the men could be extradited to the U.S. In early June 2025, both defendants entered pleas of guilty to one count of smuggling.
In asking for the 30-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski wrote to the court, “Exporting counterfeit medicines is a cruel business that robs ill people of any hope for relief. Cancer patients unknowingly using fake Keytruda would have no chance of improvement with their terminal disease. The defendants profited by peddling counterfeit Keytruda and many other drugs, all in contravention of numerous U.S. laws and regulations that are meant to keep people safe…. Regrettably, schemes like this one are not unique. Many people line their pockets by flouting the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other important U.S. laws.”
“Americans expect and deserve drugs that are safe, effective, and that meet appropriate standards for quality, yet these individuals distributed counterfeit prescription drugs to vulnerable cancer patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “Such conduct cannot be tolerated, and the FDA will continue to work with the Department of Justice to bring to justice those who place American patients at risk.”
“This investigation is a prime example of collaboration between law enforcement agencies to leverage their unique authorities to target international criminal organizations,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “The Jha brothers, driven by greed, attempted to exploit vulnerable Americans battling serious illnesses by selling counterfeit cancer medications. HSI remains dedicated to pursuing and bringing to justice those who seek to victimize people with serious illnesses through these types of fraudulent schemes.”
Judge Martinez imposed a $50,000 fine on each defendant and in August will consider whether to impose $81,596 in restitution to Merck for the expenses incurred by testing the fraudulent and adulterated drugs for law enforcement. The judge noted that the entire thrust of the crime was to make money. “It is important to send a deterrence message to anyone who might send adulterated drugs into any country,” Judge Martinez said.
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and ICE HSI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the extradition. Significant assistance was provided by law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the ICE HSI Attaché and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Overseas Criminal Investigations, and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Bozeman man pleads guilty to cyberstalkingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - A Bozeman man accused of sending threatening emails to a student at Montana State University admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Rex Wu, Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking. Wu faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing has been set for November 6, 2025. Wu was released on conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that the MSU Police Department contacted the FBI in February 2023 because a student was receiving harassing and threatening communications. The emails were racially charged and included threats to kill the student and other members of the campus group she was affiliated with. The messages were sent from several accounts, including some on platforms that make it difficult to identify the owner. Law enforcement eventually identified Wu as the likely culprit by linking an IP address at a local apartment to him, as well as online donation records and various Gmail accounts. FBI agents interviewed Wu in Bozeman on February 27, 2025, and he admitted sending several harassing emails to the MSU student.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case. The FBI and Montana State University Campus Police conducted the investigation.
Armed Mexican national sentenced for firearms violationRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Tomas Ocamp-Mondragon, 37, a Mexican national illegally living in Tyler, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on August 5, 2024, Ocampo-Mondragon was stopped for a traffic violation in Smith County. It was determined that he was intoxicated, and he was arrested. During the arrest, a loaded firearm was discovered in his pocket.
Further investigation revealed Ocampo-Mondragon was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been found unlawfully present in the United States on September 14, 2019, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was also found to be in possession of a firearm during that encounter. He voluntarily returned to Mexico on January 3, 2020, and did not have permission to return to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Department of Homeland Security, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.
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Armed Carjackers Sentenced to Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two armed carjackers were sentenced to prison today for firearms offenses, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Joseph Jaream Stephens, 23, and Davon Omarion Long, 19, both of Charlotte, were each sentenced to seven years in prison and were ordered to serve five and three years, respectively, under court supervision upon completion of their prison terms.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on April 19, 2024, Long and Stephens approached a vehicle being fueled at the pump of a gas station located on W. Sugar Creek, in Charlotte. Armed with a handgun, Stephens approached from the rear driver’s side and confronted the driver, while Long approached the passenger side of the vehicle and pointed a handgun at two passengers. All three victims abandoned the vehicle and fled. After the victims fled Long got into the front passenger seat, and Stephens got into the driver’s seat. Stephens was unable to re-start the vehicle and both defendants fled on foot. Both men were apprehended across the street from the carjacking in a motel parking lot.
On February 14, 2025, the defendants pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. They remain in custody pending transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The ATF and CMPD handled the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Arizona man sentenced to prison for traveling to Washington for sex with fictitious minorRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 73-year-old Tucson, Arizona man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to four years in prison for travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Steven J. Migdon, was arrested in August 2024 following an online investigation by Seattle Police and the FBI. In the investigation, the undercover agent posed as a 13-year-old boy. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted that Migdon lived a crime free life for 73 years, but added, “Today we are here to confront the ugliness of what you did over ten days. The images you had on your phone represented real children and real abuse. These are among the most serious crimes we see in federal court, the crimes that exploit children.”
In July 2024, an undercover agent posted on a teen chatroom platform. Migdon replied to the 13-year-old persona and made the communication become more sexually explicit. Migdon requested, but did not receive, sexually explicit images from the “teen.” Migdon sent pictures of his face and penis to the undercover agent.
On August 5th Migdon flew from Tucson to Everett, Washington, believing he would meet the “teen” at an Everett hotel room. Instead Migdon was arrested. A search of his phone revealed that he had sent sexually explicit images to other children, and that he had images of child sexual abuse on his phone.
In asking for a four-year sentence and ten years of supervised release to follow, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “Despite age and experience, Migdon spent ten days communicating with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. Worse, the content of his phone confirmed his chatting and travel conduct were not stand alone. Migdon had been sexually communicating with unidentified minors in the days leading up to his travel to Washington for sex with a fictitious child.”
Migdon was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a fund for the known victims in the child sex abuse images he possessed. Migdon is required to register as a sex offender and will be on ten years of supervised release following prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Ardmore Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Todd Philip Wilkerson, age 53, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, punishable by up to life in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on March 26, 2025, Wilkerson knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a victim who was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and physically incapable of declining participation or communicating unwillingness to engage in that act.
The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department, and the Ardmore Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Wilkerson will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Disclose Unlawfully Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) at Offutt Air Force Base pleaded guilty today to conspiring to transmit classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information) on a foreign online dating platform beginning in or around February 2022 until in or around April 2022.
“The defendant, an employee of the United States Air Force with access to some of our Nation’s most closely held secrets, shared classified information with someone claiming to be a foreigner on an online dating platform,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Department of Justice stands ready to hold accountable those who violate their obligation to protect sensitive national security information entrusted to them.”
“Access to classified information comes with great responsibility. David Slater failed in his duty to protect this information by willingly sharing National Defense Information with an unknown online personality despite having years of military experience that should have caused him to be suspicious of that person’s motives,” said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska.
“Mr. Slater betrayed an oath he made to safeguard our nation’s intelligence,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “Leveraging his access to sensitive information, Mr. Slater chose to transmit material that put our country at risk. The FBI is extremely thankful for the work of our partners in this case. We will continue to partner together to defend the homeland by aggressively investigating and apprehending criminals and adversaries who pose a threat to our nation’s security.”
According to court documents, David Franklin Slater, 64, of Nebraska, after retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army, worked in a classified space at USSTRATCOM and held a Top Secret security clearance from in or around August 2021 until in or around April 2022. Slater pleaded guilty to willfully, improperly, and unlawfully conspiring to transmit National Defense Information classified as “SECRET,” which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a foreign online dating platform to a person not authorized to receive such information.
According to court documents, Slater attended USSTRATCOM briefings regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine that were classified up to TOP SECRET//SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (TS//SCI). Slater then conspired to transmit classified National Defense Information that he learned from those briefings via the foreign online dating website’s messaging platform to his co-conspirator, who claimed to be a female living in Ukraine on the foreign dating website. The co-conspirator regularly asked Slater to provide her with sensitive, non-public, closely held, and classified National Defense Information and called Slater in their messages her “secret informant love” and her “secret agent.” In furtherance of that conspiracy, Slater did, in fact, transmit classified National Defense Information to her, including regarding military targets and Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The charge of conspiracy to transmit national defense information provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Slater is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 8. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Omaha Field Office and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald J. Kleine for the District of Nebraska and Trial Attorney Emma Dinan Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/air-force-employee-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-disclose-unlawfully-classified-national-defense
Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Disclose Unlawfully Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
A civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) at Offutt Air Force Base pleaded guilty today to conspiring to transmit classified information relating to the national defense (National Defense Information) on a foreign online dating platform beginning in or around February 2022 until in or around April 2022.
“The defendant, an employee of the United States Air Force with access to some of our Nation’s most closely held secrets, shared classified information with someone claiming to be a foreigner on an online dating platform,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Department of Justice stands ready to hold accountable those who violate their obligation to protect sensitive national security information entrusted to them.”
“Access to classified information comes with great responsibility. David Slater failed in his duty to protect this information by willingly sharing National Defense Information with an unknown online personality despite having years of military experience that should have caused him to be suspicious of that person’s motives,” said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska.
“Mr. Slater betrayed an oath he made to safeguard our nation's intelligence,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “Leveraging his access to sensitive information, Mr. Slater chose to transmit material that put our country at risk. The FBI is extremely thankful for the work of our partners in this case. We will continue to partner together to defend the homeland by aggressively investigating and apprehending criminals and adversaries who pose a threat to our nation's security.”
According to court documents, David Franklin Slater, 64, of Nebraska, after retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army, worked in a classified space at USSTRATCOM and held a Top Secret security clearance from in or around August 2021 until in or around April 2022. Slater pleaded guilty to willfully, improperly, and unlawfully conspiring to transmit National Defense Information classified as “SECRET,” which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a foreign online dating platform to a person not authorized to receive such information.
According to court documents, Slater attended USSTRATCOM briefings regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine that were classified up to TOP SECRET//SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (TS//SCI). Slater then conspired to transmit classified National Defense Information that he learned from those briefings via the foreign online dating website’s messaging platform to his co-conspirator, who claimed to be a female living in Ukraine on the foreign dating website. The co-conspirator regularly asked Slater to provide her with sensitive, non-public, closely held, and classified National Defense Information and called Slater in their messages her “secret informant love” and her “secret agent.” In furtherance of that conspiracy, Slater did, in fact, transmit classified National Defense Information to her, including regarding military targets and Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The charge of conspiracy to transmit national defense information provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Slater is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 8. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Omaha Field Office and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Kleine for the District of Nebraska and Trial Attorney Emma Dinan Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
71-Year-Old Repeat Felon Sentenced to 15 Months for Defrauding Taxpayer-Funded ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON DC –Geary Simon, 71, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for defrauding the STAY DC rental housing assistance program out of more than $38,500 and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Simon, aka “Robert Sutton,” pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2024, to one count of wire fraud in connection with a presidentially declared disaster or emergency and to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Simon to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the D.C. government of $38,560.
According to court documents, Simon obtained $38,560 from the city government program called Stronger Together by Assisting You D.C., known as STAY DC. The program was intended to provide financial assistance during the Covid pandemic to help tenants cover housing and utility expenses due to a loss of income. In April 2021, the District allocated $352 million in federal relief funds for the program. Applicants applied for funds from the STAY DC program via an online portal operated by the D.C. Department of Human Services
Simon applied to the program on June 22, 2021. In his application, Simon claimed that he was a tenant who rented a property in the District at 2433 H Street, NW; that his landlord was “Robert Sutton;” and that Simon owed “Robert Sutton” $72,000 in past due rent. All of the statements were false. Simon was not a tenant at that address; “Robert Sutton” was not Simon’s landlord; Simon did not owe “Robert Sutton” the sum of $72,000 in unpaid rent; and the phone number and email address that Simon provided for “Robert Sutton” were for a phone number and email account that Simon created and controlled.
Unaware of the fraud, DC-DHS granted Simon’s application and issued Simon a check for $38,560 that DC-DHS would not otherwise have approved. Simon deposited the check into an account in the name of “The Geary Stephen Simon 2016 Irrevocable Trust.”
Simon used the taxpayer-backed relief funds to pay private school tuition and to satisfy his court-ordered child support obligations.
On March 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Simon’s home. Officers recovered two firearms. Simon has two prior felony convictions, including a conviction for carrying a pistol without a license. By virtue of the prior felonies, Simon was prohibited from possessing any firearms under federal law.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert.
24cr284
53 Members of the Criminal Organization known as a LAS FARC Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in San Juan, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 11, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 53 gang members from the municipality of San Juan with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) San Juan Strike Force, with the collaboration of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), San Juan Municipal Police, Guaynabo Municipal Police, and Bayamón Municipal Police.
“We are committed to dismantling criminal organizations that seek to profit through the distribution of dangerous drugs like cocaine and fentanyl across Puerto Rico and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “This organization employed violence and intimidation tactics to maintain control in the Santurce area, but with today’s arrest operation we reinforce our commitment to protect our communities and prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Our message to these criminals is clear: we are reclaiming our streets from the grip of drug trafficking and the violence it brings,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI. “State and federal law enforcement agencies stand united in this mission. Our unwavering commitment is to restore peace to our communities and safeguard the true families of our island.”
The indictment alleges that from 2019, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, El Mirador de las Casas, and Las Margaritas Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and other areas in and nearby the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit.
The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances in the Municipality of San Juan, specifically, the Santurce neighborhood and areas nearby, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of LAS FARC was to maintain control of all the drug trafficking activities within the controlled areas using force, threats, violence, and intimidation. In preserving power and protecting territory, members of LAS FARC would profit from the illegal distribution of narcotics and the trafficking of illegal firearms. When members of the LAS FARC perceived threats to the organization and/or its members, they would incur in violent acts including but not limited to murder to protect themselves and their organization. Members of LAS FARC would also transport, distribute, and profit from the distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the continental United States.
The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators used traffic barrels to prevent law enforcement from patrolling areas under LAS FARC’s control. The defendants provided armed escort to leaders and high-ranking members of the organization to protect them from law enforcement and/or enemy gang members, oftentimes using high powered rifles; they used to confront, intimidate and/or threaten law enforcement officers when patrolling the areas where LAS FARC operated. Leaders used part of the proceeds of the illegal activity to purchase legitimate assets, including, but not limited to, personalized jewelry.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. Forty-one (41) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimeand fifteen (15) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Alberto Valdez, a.k.a. “Pelota/Pelotero”
[2]Juan José De La Cruz-Natera, a.k.a. “Magu/El Gordo/Merengue/Merenguillo/Junior/Jr”
[3] Jesús Manuel Laureano-Pérez, a.k.a. “Mono”
[4] Carlos Alberto Pereira-Cruz, a.k.a. “Carlitos/Lebrón”
[5] Johan Oscar Pereira-Cruz, a.k.a. “Johi”
[6] Juan Rafael Concepción-Mercado, a.k.a. “Martillo”
[7] Moisés Serrano-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Bebote”
[8] José Luis Díaz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Jirafa”
[9] Gabiel Elias Lozada-Manzano, a.k.a. “El Father”
[10] Luis Abdiel Reyes-Nieves, a.k.a. “Tutin/La T”
[11] Xavier José Thompson-Bido, a.k.a. “Pimpollo/Ajusta Cuenta/Tarjeta”
[12] Ezequiel Olivo-Bido, a.k.a. “Cachete/Ct/Conejo”
[13] Raul Malavé-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Raulito”
[14] Luis Xavier Morales-Alonso, a.k.a. “Tostin”
[15] Christopher Cordero-Soto, a.k.a. “Big Boy/Biboy”
[16] Yanzie Vázquez-González, a.k.a. “Yancy/Intel”
[17] Ángel Luis Álvarez-Torres, a.k.a. “Luisito/La L”
[18] Michael Félix Sánchez-Ogando, a.k.a. “Panda/Bam Bam/Negro Mate”
[19] Jose Efraín Reyes-Ortiz
[20] Lázaro Escalera-Colón
[21] Anderson Melo, a.k.a. “David/Deivi/Bryan Sierra Ramos/Deivi Portorreal Diloche”
[22] Jean Carlos Ramos-Valdivia, a.k.a. “Caponi/El Flaco”
[23] Juan Carlos Uribarry-Carmona, a.k.a. “JC”
[24] Luis Manuel Olivo-Morán, a.k.a. “Luis Melo”
[25] Junior Francisco Alcántara-Escoboso, a.k.a. “Vaquero/Coronado”
[26] Yodnnel Adrián Vázquez-Kuidlan, a.k.a. “Gárgola”
[27] Ricardo Alfonso Fernández-Ulloa, a.k.a. “El Feo/Dior”
[28]Maycol A. Franco, a.k.a. “Maycol El Negro/Demensia/Negro/Michael El Negro”
[29] Jean Carlos Candelario-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Yankee”
[30] Jeffrey Figueroa-Rosado, a.k.a. “Jincho”
[31] Yoscar Argenis Restituyo-Campechano, a.k.a. “Restituyo/Joskal Alberto De La Cruz”
[32] Michael J. García-Torres, a.k.a. “Bollo/Bollo Loco”
[33] Pedro Santiago-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Cuate/El Cuate/Doctor”
[34] Michael Jovan Rodríguez-Cruz, a.k.a. “Kabe”
[35] Bryan Abdiel Camarena-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Vida Fácil/La Mosca”
[36] Christopher Casiano-López, a.k.a. “Ifer/Ifen”
[37] Edward Caleb Johnson-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Caleb/El Pelotero”
[38] Joseph David Vázquez-Ayala, a.k.a. “El Nuevo Pablo”
[39] Jowi Ramírez-Sánchez
[40] Diwell José Pierret-Mercedes, a.k.a. “Barber/Navaja”
[41] Juan Gabriel Morales-Alonso, a.k.a. “Maliant/Malanga”
[42] José Miguel Nieves-Caraballo, a.k.a. “Movie”
[43] Jonathan Prado-Torres, a.k.a. “Chayanne/Chayanne El Pato/El Pato/Chaiian”, “CH”
[44] Pablo Jonuel Fuentes-Morales, a.k.a. “Pablito”
[45] Alexie Manuel Delgado-Torres, a.k.a. “A6/Ale6/Taxista/A/X”
[46] Lennard Nicolás Santiago-Pérez, a.k.a. “Jekko”
[47] Yariel Enrique Morales-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Chantiel”
[48] Ramsiel Mercedes-Rivera, a.k.a. “Bebote”
[49] Bryan Joel Díaz-Hernández, a.k.a. “El Peke/El Futuro”
[50] Moisés Josué Benítez, a.k.a. “Jozzu”
[51] Hironel Burgos-Rosa, a.k.a. “Real Nicky”
[52] Roberto Crispín-Padilla, a.k.a. “El Domi”
[53] Estefany Dinanye Parra-Rosa
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; AUSA Laura Díaz-González and Special AUSA Carlos J. Romo-Aledo from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $3,924,753.75.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Wednesday 9 July 2025
U.S. Department of Justice Sues California for Violations of Title IX and for Denying Athletic Opportunities to GirlsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed a lawsuit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams.
According to the complaint filed in United States District Court in Santa Ana, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) have engaged in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them, depriving these girls of the equal education and athletic opportunities afforded to them by federal civil rights law. Thus, the suit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief for violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding.
As alleged in the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education’s “current allocation of funds to CDE for fiscal year 2025 totals approximately $44.3 billion, of which approximately $3.8 billion remains available for drawdown by CDE, including both discretionary grants and formula grants.”
“The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”
“California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over. California must comply with Title IX and end its civil rights violations against women. No person, no state, is above the law.”
“Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.”
CDE has authority over CIF and local school districts’ interscholastic athletic policies, and CIF oversees 1.8 million students and more than 750,000 student-athletes in grades 9 through 12.
The complaint is available here.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard M. Park of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section, Senior Counsel Robert J. Keenan and Trial Attorneys Matthew J. Donnelly and Aaron I. Henricks of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are handling this case.
Two South Florida Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On June 13, Jeremiah Wolliston, 23, and Keith Patrick, 38, of West Palm Beach, Florida, were sentenced to 168 months and 72 months in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to their involvement in a scheme to buy stolen business checks from the mail and commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, between December 2022 and May 2024, Wolliston and Patrick were involved in a conspiracy with others to buy stolen business checks from the mail, which were then altered and deposited into fraudulently opened bank accounts. As part of the scheme, Wolliston and Patrick set up fictitious corporations in Florida and Georgia using the names of their corporate victims and opened fraudulent bank accounts. Wolliston and Patrick deposited the checks before making ATM and counter withdrawals, wire transfers, and drafting checks to transfer the money to other members of the conspiracy. Total losses related to the scheme exceeded $4.5 million.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) made the announcement.
USPIS, Homeland Security Investigations, USPS Office of the Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, West Palm Beach Police Department, and the Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office jointly investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.
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.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
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-20440.
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Two More Former West Virginia Correctional Officers Sentenced Prison for Civil Rights Crimes in Connection with Death of InmateRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two former correctional officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, were sentenced today for their roles in an assault that resulted in the death of a pretrial detainee, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Corey Snyder, 30, of Shady Spring, was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison for conspiring with other officers to violate inmate Q.B.’s civil rights by using unreasonable force against him, resulting in Q.B.’s death. Jacob Boothe, 27, of Rainelle, was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to intervene to stop fellow officers from assaulting Q.B.
According to court documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, Snyder and Boothe responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. When they arrived, officers were engaged in using force to restrain and handcuff Q.B. Snyder also began using force, including putting his arm around Q.B.’s neck and taking him to the floor. Snyder and other officers then conspired to violate Q.B.’s civil rights by unlawfully punishing Q.B. to retaliate against him for his attempt to leave the pod. As a part of that conspiracy, officers brought Q.B. to an interview room, where Snyder and other officers used unreasonable force against Q.B., including striking Q.B. in the head multiple times, kicking, knee-striking him, pulling and twisting his fingers, and using spray, all while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Boothe was present during the assault and had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B., but he chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so.
Snyder and Boothe each further admitted knowing that officers could not use unreasonable force to punish inmates, including pretrial detainees such as Q.B. In addition, Snyder admitted that he knew the interview room to which officers brought Q.B. was a “blind spot” – meaning, there were no surveillance cameras to record what happened there. Prior to the assault of Q.B. on March 1, 2022, Snyder and other officers would bring inmates, including pretrial detainees, who had engaged in misconduct to “blind spots,” so that officers could use unreasonable force without being captured on video, thereby avoiding accountability for their actions.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed today’s sentences.
Snyder and Boothe are two of six correctional officers who were indicted in this case. In November 2024, defendants Mark Holdren and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. On July 9, 2025, Judge Goodwin sentenced Holdren, 41, of Beckley, to 20 years in prison and Walters, 33, of Rainelle, to 21 years in prison, with each prison sentence to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ashley Toney pleaded guilty on August 8, 2024, to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Judge Goodwin sentenced Toney, 25, of Fairdale, to six years and six months in prison on June 9, 2025.
On January 27, 2025, a federal jury returned guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester, 35, of Odd, to 17 years and six months in prison on May 15, 2025.
Prior to the indictment of the six defendants, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer, 26, of Bluefield, to nine years in prison on May 7, 2025. Fleshman, 23, of Shady Spring, is scheduled for sentencing before Chief Judge Volk on July 14, 2025.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made today’s announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:23-cr-188 (Snyder) and 5:24-cr-123 (Boothe).
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Two Former West Virginia Correctional Officers Sentenced to Prison for Federal Civil Rights Crimes in Connection with Death of InmateRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two former correctional officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, were sentenced today for their roles in an assault that resulted in the death of a pretrial detainee, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Mark Holdren, 41, of Beckley, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Johnathan Walters, 33, of Rainelle, was sentenced to 21 years in prison, with each prison sentence to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Holdren and Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring with other officers to violate inmate Q.B.’s civil rights, resulting in Q.B.’s death. According to court documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, Holdren responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. When Holdren arrived, officers were engaged in restraining Q.B. Holdren began using force against Q.B., including multiple knee-strikes that he knew were unreasonable.
Holdren and other officers then conspired to violate Q.B.’s civil rights by unlawfully assaulting him as punishment for his attempt to leave the pod. As a part of the conspiracy, Holdren and other officers brought Q.B. to an interview room, where Walters joined them. In the interview room, Holdren and other officers used unreasonable force against Q.B., including striking Q.B. in the head multiple times, kicking, knee-striking him, pulling and twisting his fingers, and using pepper spray, all while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone.
After assaulting Q.B. in the interview room, officers transported him to another pod. During the transport, Q.B. became limp and was unable to walk on his own. Walters and other officers then carried Q.B. by his arms and legs to the pod’s entryway door, where Walters admitted he used unreasonable force to swing Q.B.’s head into the metal door to open the door. Walters and other officers then carried Q.B. into a cell, where they dropped the unresponsive and handcuffed Q.B. onto the concrete floor. Shortly thereafter, responding emergency medical personnel declared that Q.B. was deceased.
With their guilty pleas, Holdren and Walters each further admitted knowing that the interview room to which officers brought Q.B. was a “blind spot” – meaning, there were no surveillance cameras to record what happened there. Holdren and Walters were aware that, prior to the assault of Q.B. on March 1, 2022, officers would bring inmates, including pretrial detainees, who had engaged in misconduct to “blind spots” in the jail, so that officers could use unreasonable force without being captured on video, thereby avoiding accountability for their actions. Holdren and Walters each further admitted knowing that officers could not use unreasonable force to punish inmates, including pretrial detainees such as Q.B.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed today’s sentences.
Holdren and Walters are two of six correctional officers who were indicted in this case. In November 2024, defendant Corey Snyder pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty in August 2024 to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Snyder and Boothe are scheduled for sentencing before Judge Goodwin on July 10, 2025.
Ashley Toney pleaded guilty on August 8, 2024, to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Judge Goodwin sentenced Toney, 25, of Fairdale, to six years and six months in prison on June 9, 2025.
On January 27, 2025, a federal jury returned guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester, 35, of Odd, to 17 years and six months in prison on May 15, 2025.
Prior to the indictment of the six defendants, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer, 26, of Bluefield, to nine years in prison on May 7, 2025. Fleshman, 23, of Shady Spring, is scheduled for sentencing before Chief Judge Volk on July 14, 2025.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made today’s announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188.
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Two Former West Virginia Correctional Officers Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of InmateRead the Press Release
Two former correctional officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, were sentenced today for their roles in an assault that resulted in the death of a pretrial detainee, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Mark Holdren, 41, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Johnathan Walters, 33, was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Holdren and Walters had each pleaded guilty to conspiring with other officers to violate inmate Q.B.’s civil rights, resulting in Q.B.’s death. According to court documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, Holdren responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. When Holdren arrived, officers were engaged in restraining Q.B. Holdren began using force against Q.B., including multiple knee-strikes that he knew were unreasonable.
Holdren and other officers then conspired to violate Q.B.’s civil rights by unlawfully assaulting him as punishment for his attempt to leave the pod. As a part of the conspiracy, Holdren and other officers brought Q.B. to an interview room, where Walters joined them. In the interview room, Holdren and other officers used unreasonable force against Q.B., including striking Q.B. in the head multiple times, kicking, knee-striking him, pulling and twisting his fingers, and using pepper spray, all while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone.
After assaulting Q.B. in the interview room, officers transported him to another pod. During the transport, Q.B. became limp and was unable to walk on his own. Walters and other officers then carried Q.B. by his arms and legs to the pod’s entryway door, where Walters admitted he used unreasonable force to swing Q.B.’s head into the metal door to open the door. Walters and other officers then carried Q.B. into a cell, where they dropped the unresponsive and handcuffed Q.B. onto the concrete floor. Shortly thereafter, responding emergency medical personnel declared that Q.B. was deceased.
With their guilty pleas, Holdren and Walters each further admitted knowing that the interview room to which officers brought Q.B. was a “blind spot” – meaning, there were no surveillance cameras to record what happened there. Holdren and Walters were aware that, prior to the assault of Q.B. on March 1, 2022, officers would bring inmates, including pretrial detainees, who had engaged in misconduct to “blind spots” in the jail, so that officers could use unreasonable force without being captured on video, thereby avoiding accountability for their actions. Holdren and Walters each further admitted knowing that officers could not use unreasonable force to punish inmates, including pretrial detainees such as Q.B.
Holdren and Walters are two of six correctional officers who were indicted in this case. In November 2024, defendant Corey Snyder pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty in August 2024 to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Snyder and Boothe are scheduled for July 10.
In August 2024, Ashley Toney pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. On June 9, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin sentenced Toney to 78 months in prison.
On Jan. 27, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 210 months in prison.
Prior to the indictment of the above six defendants, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Q.B. On May 8, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to 108 months in prison. Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Volk on July 14.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Twelfth Individual Charged in Alvarado Police Officer Shooting at Prairieland Detention CenterRead the Press Release
A twelfth individual has been charged for his role in the shooting of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
According to a criminal complaint filed today, Benjamin Hanil Song, a former United States Marine Corps reservist, joined ten others in an organized attack against officers at the Prairieland Detention Center just after 10:30 p.m., Friday, July 4.
The complaint alleges that group was dressed in black military style clothing. The group began shooting fireworks towards the detention center. Some then sprayed graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot at the facility. Correctional officers called 911 to report suspicious activity. An Alvarado police officer responded to the scene and, upon exiting his vehicle, the officer was shot in the neck by a defendant positioned in nearby woods. Another alleged assailant across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility.
As alleged in the complaint, Song purchased four of the guns that were found in connection with the shooting. Two AR-style rifles were found at the scene, which records show were purchased by Song. One of the abandoned rifles at the scene had a binary trigger, used to “double” a regular rate of fire, allowing a shooter to fire more rapidly than a standard semiautomatic gun. Police also recovered additional firearms in searches of residences and vehicles, including another AR-15 style rifle in the back of a van driven that night by Bradford Morris, who was charged in a separate complaint on Monday. Song also purchased that rifle, according to court documents. Joy Gibson—also charged in Monday’s complaint—had a pistol in her backpack when apprehended. Records show that Song purchased this firearm in October 2024.
Ten assailants charged in Monday’s complaint fled from the detention center but were apprehended by additional responding law enforcement officers. Song, however, was not located by law enforcement officers that night. As alleged, the location data associated with Song’s cellular telephone indicates that his phone was located within several hundred meters of the Prairieland Detention Center from late in the evening of July 4, 2025, until after dark on July 5, the day after the shooting. Additionally, the complaint alleges that on July 6, a white Mercedes Benz registered to a relative of Song was found on the same block of Bradford Morris’s residence. A DFW Airport camera captured an individual—believed to be Song—driving the Mercedes on May 23, 2025.
Song has been charged by federal complaint with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The ten others charged with these offenses in Monday’s complaint include Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto. The FBI has deemed Song a wanted individual and advises that he should be considered armed and dangerous. As described in the attached notice, the FBI is seeking the public’s assistance in Song’s apprehension.
Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson praised the tireless efforts of all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in this case to date. “The swift response of nearly 70 law enforcement officers to the site of the shooting hemmed in several of the attackers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “The quick action and professionalism of our state and local law enforcement officers in the immediate aftermath of the shooting resulted in the prompt capture of ten of the assailants. Though Song escaped the scene by hiding overnight, he will be relentlessly pursued until he is in custody.”
“Benjamin Hanil Song is wanted by the FBI for his connection to the violent assault that occurred at the Prairieland Detention Center. He is considered armed and dangerous, and we ask that the public contact law enforcement immediately if he is seen,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We are committed to apprehending Song and are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. If you have any information, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or you can submit a digital tip to fbi.gov\prairieland.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Song is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, he faces a minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Links are below to the FBI Wanted Notice for Song, and the Criminal Complaint filed.
https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/additional/benjamin-hanil-song
us_v_song_complaint.pdfTennessee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employee Retention Credit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering, for his role in a scheme to claim refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Ryan Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the false returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million.
Glidewell is set to be sentenced on Nov. 12. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – A Tennessee man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering, for his role in a scheme to claim refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Ryan Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the false returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million.
Glidewell is set to be sentenced on Nov. 12, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robey Lee Butler, age 36, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to three years’ probation for one count of Possession of Stolen Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sallisaw Police Department, and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office.
On January 13, 2025, Butler pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 7, 2023, law enforcement discovered Butler in possession of a semi-automatic rifle. That rifle was later revealed to be stolen out of McCurtain, Oklahoma, in LeFlore County.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarrod A. Leaman, and Lewis M. Reagan and represented the United States.
Stillwater Man Charged with Producing, Receiving, and Possessing Child Pornography and Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
FBI Seeks to Identify Additional Potential Victims
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal Grand Jury has charged LEE GRANT CLARK, 78, of Stillwater, with two counts of production of child pornography, and one count each of receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and aggravated sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On July 1, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a five-count Indictment against Clark, charging him with the crimes listed above. According to public record, in October 2024, FBI agents began investigating a computer user requesting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through a file-sharing website. An investigation into the IP address of the user led authorities to Clark’s home in Stillwater. FBI agents spoke with officers with the Stillwater Police Department, who alerted the agents of a report involving Clark’s alleged sexual abuse of two minors around 2004. The Indictment further alleges that Clark produced CSAM on at least two occasions and sexually abused minors under the age of 12.
The FBI is seeking to identify potential additional victims. Anyone with additional information to report can contact the FBI at [email protected].
If found guilty, Clark faces up to life in federal prison. He also faces fines of up to $250,000 for each count.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that Clark is innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office (Stillwater Resident Agency) and the Stillwater Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
St. Louis County Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a sex offender who possessed child sexual abuse material and distributed it to others to 12 years in prison.
Steven Martin Reich, 56, of St. Louis County, Missouri, will also be placed on supervised release for life after his release from prison.
Reich pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.
The investigation began with a CyberTipline Report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Reich uploaded an image of child exploitation material to the social media application Kik. CSAM was found on his phone as well as chats with someone who said they were a sixth grader named “Tasha.” Reich discussed his interest in engaging in sexual contact with Tasha and requested nude images of her. Reich believed he was communicating with a juvenile, but Homeland Security Investigations special agents determined that Tasha may be an adult male living in Utah. Investigators also located evidence that Reich distributed CSAM to people with whom he’d been communicating on social media application Wickr, and a search history indicating Reich sought out CSAM.
Reich was placed on the sex offender list after pleading guilty to child molestation in the first degree in St. Louis Circuit Court in 1999.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Scott County Cattle Farmer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Georgetown, Ky., man, Robert Conley, 71, has pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to providing a criminally false claim in order to obtain COVID relief funds.
In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, established many programs that were funded primarily by the federal government and administered by state workforce agencies. One of the programs provided support to farmers and ranchers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP provided financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities with financial assistance for sales losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency administered the program. CFAP applicants electronically certified that the information provided was accurate and were warned that any false statement or misrepresentation to the USDA or any misapplication of loan proceeds could result in sanctions, including criminal penalties.
Conley is a buyer and seller of cattle in Georgetown and is also part owner of Paris Stockyards in Paris, Ky. According to Conley’s plea agreement, on May 26, 2020 and on September 29, 2020, he filed two CFAP applications. In additional to the two legitimate applications, Conley directed and caused four individuals to unwittingly submit false CFAP applications claiming they owned 20% of Conley’s cattle. At Conley’s direction, the four individuals received a total of $1,206,539.80 in CFAP funds, which they remitted back to Conley.
Additionally, Conley caused the submission of three false applications under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), claiming three of the individuals had payroll expenses associated with Conley’s cattle operation. As a result of those false PPP applications, another $72,660 was fraudulently obtained.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Janet M. Sorensen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the USDA-OIG and IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States.
Conley is scheduled to appear for sentencing on October 9, 2025. He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Salem Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salem, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his participation in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and laundered the proceeds.
Gino Castillo, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2025, Castillo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Castillo was among 27 individuals charged, beginning in October 2022, in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. Castillo was charged, by indictment, on April 24, 2024. All 27 individuals have pleaded guilty; 22 have been sentenced.
The DTO distributed counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, among other drugs, to individuals in the Lynn area. In May 2022, Castillo bought 500 pills containing fentanyl from members of the DTO for redistribution to others. In October 2022, Castillo was observed assisting a DTO leader, Lawrence Michael Nagle Jr., with moving into an apartment on Phillips Street in Salem where drugs would be stored. During a search at the Salem location on Oct. 25, 2022 counterfeit pills were located in a safe in the bedroom and hidden in the tank of a toilet.
Lawrence Michael Nagle, Jr. pleaded guilty in April 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman, John O. Wray and Alexandra Amrhein of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.Rhode Island Man Arrested for Threatening President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff MillerRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man has been arrested and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence today for threatening to kill President Donald Trump, United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, announced Acting Rhode Island United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Court documents allege that on June 27, 2025, Carl D. Montague, 37, issued a profanity-laced posting on Truth Social threatening to shoot and kill President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Miller.
Montague is charged by way of a criminal complaint with threats against the President; interstate threats; threats to assault; and kidnap, or murder of a United States official, judge, or law enforcement officer. He was arrested without incident this morning and is scheduled to make an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Amy E. Moses at 1:00 PM.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, United States Secret Service, and the Providence Police Department.
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criminal_complaint_affidavit.pdfRepeat Offender Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Stolen Mail and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Quadarius Thomas, 30, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of stolen mail and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Chief Johnny Jennings with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement
According to court records and the sentencing hearing, Thomas was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to prison. He was released from custody in 2023 and was placed under court-ordered federal supervision. Court records show that, in November 2023, Thomas was driving a vehicle in Charlotte when he was pulled over for a license plate violation. During the traffic stop, Thomas impersonated another individual and provided the CMPD officers with a driver’s license in that person’s name. Thomas also indicated to the officers that he had a firearm in the vehicle but did not have a concealed carry permit and was issued a citation in the identity theft victim’s name.
In December 2023, CMPD issued a warrant for Thomas’s arrest after it was determined that Thomas had provided false information during the traffic stop. CMPD officers located Thomas, and following a short foot chase, he was taken into custody. A CMPD officer searched a small satchel recovered from Thomas during the arrest and found approximately $7,000 in cash, numerous licenses, and stolen checks, including a stolen $2.4 million U.S. Treasury check. Law enforcement also searched Thomas’s residence and recovered additional fraud-related items, including 10 South Carolina drivers’ licenses and accompanying bank cards, bank checks, a South Carolina ID hologram, a printer, and two laptops.
On August 7, 2024, Thomas pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail and aiding and abetting and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Thomas is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department led the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Francis Combs, 55, of Cool Ridge, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 1, 2024, Combs sold a Jimenez Arms model JA-Nine 9mm pistol to a confidential informant. Combs admitted to possessing the firearm and further admitted to selling a substance containing a quantity of fentanyl to the confidential informant during the transaction, which took place at Combs’ residence.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Combs knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 26, 2007, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Wyoming County Circuit Court on October 1, 2019.
Combs also admitted selling a substance containing a quantity of fentanyl and a Bryco Arms model Jennings J-22 .22-caliber pistol to a confidential informant in Raleigh County on July 30, 2024.
Combs is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Alexander A. Redmon have prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-188.
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Providence Man Admits to Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has been convicted for a second time on federal methamphetamine trafficking charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
David Vasbinder, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In February 2022, Vasbinder was arrested by Glocester, RI police after an officer stopped him for speeding and learned that an arrest warrant for him was pending in Providence in an unrelated matter. A court-authorized search of Vasbinder’s vehicle following his arrest resulted in the discovery of 126 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine and various items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs. Additionally, police seized a total of $972 in cash from Vasbinder’s person and his vehicle.
Court records reflect that in October 2019, Vasbinder was convicted in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida on two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine. He was sentenced in December 2019 to a term of incarceration of 48 months to be followed by three years of supervised release.
The case in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine D. Lowell.
The matter was investigated by the Glocester Police Department, Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, and the West Warwick Police Department.
Port Arthur felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Port Arthur convicted felon has been sentenced for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Carl Sampson Solomon, 43, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 9, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on March 27, 2024, Sampson was stopped for a traffic violation on Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur. During the stop, Solomon advised officers he had a firearm holstered under the seat. A search of the vehicle revealed the firearm and a small baggie of marijuana. Further investigation revealed Solomon had previously been convicted of five felonies and was on felony probation. Federal law prohibits convicted felons of possessing or owning firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Philadelphia Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Leading Large-Scale Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 180 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, crack, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Mikal Davis, 47.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Davis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture of heroin, five kilograms or more of a mixture of cocaine, 400 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, and 28 grams or more of crack. Davis, who led the drug trafficking organization’s activity in Philadelphia and Johnstown, was one of the targets of a federal wiretap and was intercepted obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Accompanied by distributors below him, Davis frequently traveled between Philadelphia and Johnstown with drug shipments which were then stored and processed at “stash houses” throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania for distribution. During a meeting with a drug source in California for a resupply, Davis arranged for the drug parcels to be mailed to Johnstown for distribution. In the Philadelphia area, Davis met with drug sources and purchased over 2,000 grams of heroin and fentanyl and over 5,000 grams of cocaine from a source in New Jersey.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Davis. Additional agencies participating in this investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.