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18 August 2025
Nottingham Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Gino Michael Gelormino, 42, of Nottingham, Maryland, to four years in federal prison followed by two years supervised release for being a felon in possession of six ghost guns, a machine gun conversion device, and 1,258 rounds of ammunition.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
As part of ATF and MSP’s investigation into suspected Dead Man Inc. gang members, BCPD authored a state search warrant for Gelormino and his Baltimore County residence. On April 11, 2024, law enforcement executed the warrant with Gelormino present at the residence. Law enforcement searched the residence, recovering six privately manufactured firearms — also known as “ghost guns” — from a locked master bedroom closet. Gelormino’s wife confirmed that only she and Gelormino could access the closet and that all the items belonged to him. Gelormino is a convicted felon and cannot possess firearms or ammunition.
Additionally, three of the firearms were outfitted with loaded, high-capacity magazines along with various attached weapon-mounted lights and a red-dot sight. Law enforcement also uncovered a 3-D printed machine gun conversion device in the closet. A machine gun conversion device — also known as a “switch”— can convert a firearm from semi-automatic to fully automatic. Investigators also recovered three ballistic vests, approximately 1,258 cartridges of assorted ammunition, along with paperwork including receipts for orders that match the firearms, firearm parts, and firearm-related accessories recovered, and shipping labels and other firearm-related documents.
This case is part of a Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle violent drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations to reduce drug-related and/or gang violence in the Baltimore metropolitan and surrounding areas. The Baltimore Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, MSP, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Simpkins who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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North Hollywood Woman Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charges, Including Selling Ketamine that Killed Actor Matthew PerryRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley woman has agreed to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including that she provided the ketamine that ultimately resulted in the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023, the Justice Department announced today.
Jasveen Sangha, 42, a.k.a. “Ketamine Queen,” of North Hollywood, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Sangha, who is a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom, has been in federal custody since August 2024. She is expected to formally enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks.
Upon entering her guilty plea, Sangha will face at her sentencing hearing – which is expected to occur in the coming months – a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the drug-involved premises count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine distribution count, and up to 15 years in federal prison for the count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
According to her plea agreement, Sangha worked with Erik Fleming, 55, of Hawthorne, to knowingly distribute ketamine to Perry, a successful actor and author whose struggles with drug addiction were well documented. In October 2023, Sangha and Fleming sold Perry 51 vials of ketamine, which were provided to Kenneth Iwamasa, 60, of Toluca Lake, Perry’s live-in personal assistant.
Leading up to Perry’s death, Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that Sangha supplied to Fleming. Specifically, on October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of Sangha’s ketamine, which caused Perry’s death.
After learning from news reports of Perry’s death, Sangha called Fleming on Signal to discuss how to distance themselves from it. That day, Sangha updated the settings on the Signal apps to automatically delete her messages with Fleming. She further instructed Fleming to “Delete all our messages.”
Two days after Perry’s death, Fleming left Sangha a voicemail on Signal and texted, “Please call . . . Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry]. Only his Assistant. So the Assistant was the enabler. Also they are doing a 3 month tox screening . . . Does K stay in your system or is it immediately flushed out[?].”
In her plea agreement, Sangha also admitted to selling four vials ketamine to victim Cody McLaury in August 2019. McLaury died hours later from a drug overdose.
Sangha also admitted in her plea agreement to possessing with intent to distribute various drugs at her North Hollywood residence. In March 2024, law enforcement searched the residence and found 1.7 kilograms of pressed pills containing methamphetamine, 79 vials of liquid ketamine, MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets, counterfeit Xanax pills, baggies containing powdered ketamine and cocaine, and other drug trafficking items such as a gold money counting machine, a scale, a wireless signal and hidden camera detector, drug packaging materials, and $5,723 in cash.
She further admitted to using her North Hollywood residence to store, package, and distribute narcotics, including ketamine and methamphetamine, since at least June 2019.
The other defendants charged in this matter are:
- Mark Chavez, 55, of San Diego, a physician, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison at his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for September 17.
- Fleming, who pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 12, at which time he will face up to 25 years in federal prison.
- Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 19, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
- Salvador Plasencia, 43, a.k.a. “Dr. P,” of Santa Monica, pleaded guilty on July 23 to four counts of distribution of ketamine. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 3, at which time he will face up to 10 years in federal prison for each count.
The Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
New Orleans Pleads Guilty of Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on August 5, 2025, SCOTTY ANDREW BASCLE (“BASCLE”), age 25, pled guilty to distribution of more than 40 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). BASCLE faces a term of five up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least four years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. BASCLE’s sentencing is set for November 4, 2025.
According to court documents, on December 12, 2023, as a part of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigation, BASCLE met with individuals he believed to be buyers in the parking lot of a drug store in Metairie, Louisiana. Purchased from BASCLE was 59.78 grams of fentanyl and all parties departed the location. In January 2024, the individuals believed to be buyers began making contact directly with BASCLE by phone, following an introduction by one of the individuals believed to be a buyer.
During the investigation, ATF agents developed a description of BASCLE’s vehicle and on January 29, 2024, they obtained a search warrant for BASCLE’s black Toyota Camry. On January 31, 2024, an individual BASCLE believed to be a buyer arranged, by phone, a sale with BASCLE at the same drug store in Metairie. BASCLE was located at a residence in Kenner and seen exiting the residence to place something in the Toyota Camry, then return inside the residence. Agents surveilled BASCLE as he left the residence, entered the Camry, and drove to the pre-determined meeting place for the deal with the individual believed to be a buyer.
Assisted by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, agents stopped the vehicle in the drug store parking lot. BASCLE was detained and the vehicle searched. Agents recovered a knotted baggie containing 56.38 grams of a mix of heroin and fentanyl from a hidden compartment in the vehicle.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Jersey Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Role in Global Export Control and Sanctions Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, dual U.S. and Russian national Vadim Yermolenko was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 30 months in prison for his role in an illicit procurement and money laundering network that sought to acquire ammunition and sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Gonzalez ordered Yermolenko to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $75,547.00. Yermolenko pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, bank fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (OEE), and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York) announced the sentence.“The defendant lied to banks, facilitated the illegal export of ammunition and sensitive technology, and evaded income taxes, all as part of a global procurement and money laundering network operated on behalf of the Russian government,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence should send a message to all who would consider abusing the financial system to commit crimes on behalf of foreign nations: This Office will find you, prosecute you, and, if you are convicted, seek a significant prison sentence.”
“Vadim Yermolenko violated several US laws while endeavoring to help the government of Russia acquire dual-use technology and weapons to bolster its military. Today's sentencing should signal to all those attempting to evade US sanctions that the US government will work tirelessly to prevent American manufactured goods from being illegally procured and used to advance the militaries of adversarial foreign governments. The FBI will continue to be unrelenting in our efforts to defend the homeland, identity those responsible, and bring them to justice,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
“Through a sophisticated network of shell companies and bank accounts, Yermolenko laundered more than $12 million and purchased highly sensitive military equipment for Russia—aiding Russia’s military and intelligence agencies in violation of U.S. laws. Yermolenko’s greed and misplaced foreign allegiance created a potential threat to our national security, and law enforcement’s collaboration on this case ensures that our communities are safe from this potential vulnerability,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Estonian authorities for their valuable assistance.
As alleged in court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering (Serniya) and Sertal LLC (Sertal), two Moscow-based procurement companies. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including in the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.
The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing, and other military applications. Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies involved in the scheme were designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in February 2022.
To carry out the scheme, Yermolenko helped set up numerous shell companies and bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant, which he failed to report to the IRS. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance, and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant’s accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.
Co-defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act and was sentenced to 15 months’ incarceration. Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Reich and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Former Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell, former Litigation Analysts Emma Tavangari and Mary Clare McMahon, and former National Security Division Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee contributed to the prosecution.
The Defendant:
VADIM YERMOLENKO
AGE: 43
Upper Saddle River, New JerseyOther Defendants:
ALEXEY IPPOLITOV
AGE: 59
Moscow, RussiaYEVGENIY GRININ age: 47
Moscow, RussiaBORIS LIVSHITS
Age: 55
St. Petersburg, RussiaSVETLANA SKVORTSOVA
AGE: 44
Moscow, RussiaVADIM KONOSHCHENOK
AGE: 51
Tallin, EstoniaALEXEY BRAYMAN
AGE: 38
Merrimack, New HampshireNIKOLAOS BOGONIKOLOS
AGE: 62
Athens, GreeceE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-409 (S-3) (HG)
New Jersey Resident Sentenced for Role in Global Export Control and Sanctions Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, a New Jersey resident and dual U.S. and Russian national, Vadim Yermolenko, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a transnational arms dealing and money laundering network that sought to acquire ammunition and sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services. In addition to the term of imprisonment Yermolenko was ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $75,547. Yermolenko pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, bank fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
“The defendant lied to banks, facilitated the illegal export of ammunition and sensitive technology, and evaded income taxes, all as part of a global procurement and money laundering network operated on behalf of the Russian government,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s sentence should send a message to all who would consider abusing the financial system to commit crimes on behalf of foreign nations: this office will find you, prosecute you, and, if you are convicted, seek a significant prison sentence.”
As alleged in court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering (Serniya) and Sertal LLC (Sertal), two Moscow-based procurement companies. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including in the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.
The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing, and other military applications. Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies involved in the scheme were designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in February 2022.
To carry out the scheme, Yermolenko helped set up numerous shell companies and bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant, which he failed to report to the IRS. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance, and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant’s accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.
Co-defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg for National Security, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI’s New York Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (OEE), and Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation New York (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Estonian authorities provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew D. Reich and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell and former Litigation Analysts Emma Tavangari and Mary Clare McMahon for the Eastern District of New York, as well as former National Security Division Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee, contributed to the prosecution.
Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Large Methamphetamine BustRead the Press Release
Felix Ortiz-Plata, 44, a Mexican national residing in Stockton, and Anuar Castaneda Ortiz, 29, a Mexican national residing in Sacramento, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges arising out of a seizure of more than 260 pounds of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 5, 2022, law enforcement officers stopped Castaneda Ortiz’s vehicle. During a search of the car, they discovered more than 260 pounds of crystal methamphetamine packaged in 90 plastic bags on the backseat of Castaneda Ortiz’s car and in the trunk.
On Aug. 8, 2025, Ortiz-Plata entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine for his involvement in the crime. Today, Castaneda Ortiz entered his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.
Ortiz-Plata is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena C. Coggins on Nov. 21, 2025. Castaneda Ortiz is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2025. Each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that MARCO GOMEZ-ARGUELLO (“GOMEZ-ARGUELLO”), age 36, was sentenced on Wednesday, August 7, 2025, by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) and Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(b)(1).
GOMEZ-ARGUELLO was sentenced to time served. Judge Ashe also sentenced GOMEZ-ARGUELLO to one year of supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, GOMEZ-ARGUELLO reentered the United States after being previously deported on October 28, 2013.
Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry by A Previously Deported AlienRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Rodrigo Trejo-Maldonado (30, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Trejo-Maldonado faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
According to court records, Trejo-Maldonado was deported from the United States on November 30, 2018. He was found to be voluntarily back in the United States on July 25, 2025. He never received consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Watson.
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.
Member of Capital District Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Dealing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Todd Austin, age 64, of Gloversville, New York, was sentenced on Friday to 78 months in prison in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Austin admitted that between March and July 2023, he obtained methamphetamine from his Albany-based drug supplier that he then sold to others from his Gloversville residence.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Austin is released from prison.
Austin was one of nine defendants to be charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:
- Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Ahmad Burke was sentenced to 14 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Keisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30, 2025;
- Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2025; and
- Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 24, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Methamphetamine is a terrible drug that has plagued Upstate New York communities. With our law enforcement partners, we are fighting back. Anyone distributing meth in the Northern District of New York should be prepared to do federal prison time.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated, “Methamphetamine has a devastating impact on communities across our region. The DEA remains steadfast in targeting those who profit from this poison, and we will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to protect the public and dismantle these drug trafficking organizations.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated, “The United States Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine out of the mail and off our streets. This sentence not only holds Mr. Austin accountable for his crimes, but also sends a clear warning to drug trafficking organizations that attempt to exploit the mail system. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, the USPIS will use every available resource to combat the spread of dangerous, illegal drugs in our communities.”
Charges against the two remaining defendants, Felix Arencibia and Christian Mur-Santana, are pending. The charges in the indictment against Felix Arencibia and Mur-Santana are merely accusations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The DEA and USPIS are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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.
Meg E. Heap takes oath as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Margaret “Meg” Heap took the oath of office at 11:00 a.m. today, administered by U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall, to become the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Mrs. Heap as the interim U.S. Attorney effective August 18. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the United States Courthouse in Augusta.
“I am incredibly honored to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “I look forward to working with our partners in law enforcement to make this a safer place to live and raise our children.”
Before her appointment, Heap served as the Chairman and Vice Chair of Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Paroles. Mrs. Heap was appointed to the Board on January 19, 2021, by Governor Brian Kemp. In 1986, Heap began her legal career as a Volunteer Coordinator and Victim Advocate with the Chatham County District Attorney’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program. After attending Mercer University Law School, she received her Juris Doctor in 1992 and went on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, where she prosecuted felonies in the Superior and Juvenile Court.
From 1995-2010, Mrs. Heap served the citizens of the Eastern Judicial Circuit as an Assistant District Attorney and later served two terms as the District Attorney. As the District Attorney, she was named “2019 District Attorney of the Year” by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia.
As U.S. Attorney, Heap is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Georgia, which covers 43 of Georgia’s 159 counties with a population of more than 1.6 million people and includes the cities of Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick. She leads a team of approximately 70 attorneys and staff in prosecuting federal crimes in the district and defending the United States in civil cases brought in U.S. District Court. Learn more about the district at www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/about-district.
For any questions, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
McKinney felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation at Plano businessRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –A McKinney convicted felon has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Joe Anthony Plascencia, 32, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and was sentenced to 137 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, on August 14, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Plascencia was arrested after local law enforcement responded to a concerned 911 call from a Plano business. Upon arrival, officers located several firearms, including a pistol and a hunting rifle, as well as a large camo bag, ammunition, and body armor. Further investigation revealed Plascencia was a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
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 Plano Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver.
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Mastermind of Payday Loan Scheme Receives over Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Efrain Betancourt, Jr., 36, a dual citizen of Colombia and the United States, was sentenced on August 14 to 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded more than 600 investors out of over $66 million.
Betancourt was the chief executive officer and sole owner of Sky Group USA, LLC (Sky Group), a purported payday loan business. From January 2016 through March 2020, Betancourt and his co-conspirators sold promissory notes to investors to raise money that would be used to fund Sky Group’s payday loan business.
Instead of using investor funds to support Sky Group’s payday loan business, Betancourt paid millions of dollars in undisclosed commissions to sales agents and funded a luxurious wedding at a chateau in France.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had a parallel proceeding against Betancourt related to the same investment fraud scheme. The SEC’s proceeding was resolved in July 2022.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami, and Commissioner Russell C. Weigel, III, of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) made the announcement.
FBI Miami, the FBI’s South Florida Fraud Task Force, and OFR investigated the case. The SEC’s Miami Regional Office provided invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
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-20399.
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Los Angeles County, California Resident Sentenced to Prison for Large-Scale Fraud Claiming Loss or Damage to over 6,000 Ground ShipmentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Hacienda Heights, California, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and was sentenced in federal court to nine months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of federal supervised release, on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
On August 14, 2025, Ting Hong Yeung, 43, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak, who then imposed the sentence.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around August 2018 through in and around June 2020, Yeung, using various corporate entities, submitted or caused to be submitted over 6,000 fraudulent claim requests for lost or damaged ground package shipments that were not actually lost or damaged. Yeung subsequently received settlement payments related to these fraudulent claim submissions for lost or damaged shipments.
Prior to imposing sentence, Chief Judge Hornak noted the seriousness of Yeung’s offense and the impact that this large-scale fraud had on the ground package delivery company.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Yeung.
Lee County Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced James Randall Lacy (60, Fort Myers) to three years and one month in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Lacy pleaded guilty on May 16, 2025.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2025, Lacy passed a counterfeit $50 Federal Reserve note to a cashier at a store in Sarasota County. He was captured by store surveillance footage at the check-out counter during the transaction.
On March 14, 2025, Lacy passed a counterfeit $100 Federal Reserve note to a cashier at a supermarket in Fort Myers. Lacy was again captured by store surveillance footage during the transaction.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Judge Hands Man 24 ½ Years in Prison for Fatal Shooting at a Gender-Reveal PartyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nyjell Outler, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to a total of 24-and-a-half years in prison for the shooting death of 21-year-old Demetris Johnson and the shooting of Daloni Williams in March of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
A Superior Court jury found Outler guilty in March 2025 for voluntary manslaughter while armed in the fatal shooting of Mr. Johnson and for aggravated assault while armed in the shooting of Mr. Williams. The Honorable Jason Park sentenced the defendant August 15, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, at approximately 7:43 p.m., on March 20, 2021, Outler arrived at a gender-reveal party, on Madison St., Northeast. He was carrying an AK-style rifle (known as a “Draco”) in a backpack. He was at the party for a little more than a half hour before the shooting. After interacting with different guests throughout the evening, he stepped away from the driveway of the home where he had been hanging out, pulled the Draco out of his backpack, held it at his right side, and returned to the driveway where three young men, including Demetris Johnson and Daloni Williams, were. There were still dozens of other guests inside the house and inside the fenced-in area just off the driveway. When Daloni Williams took a couple steps toward the defendant with his arm extended, as if to say, “put that away” the defendant raised the Draco and shot Daloni Williams twice, from point-blank range. Outler then pivoted and pulled the trigger two more times as Demetris Johnson and the other young man on the driveway were trying to run away. One of the shots hit Demetris Johnson in the back. The defendant fled the scene.
Daloni Williams spent nine days in the hospital after emergency surgery to save his leg and had to undergo months of physical therapy. Demetris Johnson died in the backyard of the house hosting the gender reveal party.
At today’s sentencing hearing, the government requested that Judge Park sentence the defendant to a total of 35 years of incarceration. In support of its request, the government highlighted not only the egregious circumstances of the killing, but also informed Judge Park of multiple armed assaults and a misdemeanor sex offense the defendant is reported to have perpetrated since being brought back to Washington, D.C. from Florida.
At the time of the shooting, Outler was on a GPS monitor after he had been arrested and released for possessing another Draco in February 2021. About two hours after fleeing from the area, he cut off his GPS. He was on the run for 11 months, even making it into the U.S. Marshals Service Top 15 most wanted. Finally, in February 2022, Outler was arrested in Florida following an anonymous tip.
Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mabry Johnson and Sharon Newman, Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington and Shanika McCullough, and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Clark, Kristian Hinson, and Yasmin Emrani, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jamaican National Sentenced to Prison on Drug Conspiracy and Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - A Jamaican national who intended to distribute controlled substances that were shipped from California to Ohio through a global logistics company, and was residing in the U.S. illegally, has been sentenced to prison.
O’Shane Christopher Smith, 35, a citizen of Jamaica, was sentenced to 100 months (more than eight years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty to drug conspiracies, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and illegal reentry following deportation. As a term of his supervised release after imprisonment, Smith was also ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for deportation as provided by law.
According to court records, on Jan. 20, 2023, federal investigators intercepted a suspicious package that was mailed from a United Parcel Service (UPS) store in Inglewood, California. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found 5,323 grams (approximately 11 pounds) of methamphetamine packed inside the parcel. Agents proceeded to conduct a controlled delivery to the address as listed. After the package was delivered to a home in Cleveland, a person identified as Smith, arrived at the address, retrieved the UPS parcel and departed in a Jeep vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Ohio Highway State Patrol officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Smith was driving, at which time he accelerated in an attempt to elude them. Smith then crashed the Jeep into a small tree, quickly fled the vehicle, and began to run through neighborhood yards. He was apprehended by officers after a short foot chase. The defendant later admitted that a man had offered him $1,000, with $500 being paid initially and $500 later, to retrieve and deliver the UPS parcel with the drugs to him. Smith also admitted to illegally entering the U.S. from Mexico near San Diego, California, the previous year without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. The defendant was previously removed from the United States for illegal reentry in March 2021.
The case was investigated by the DEA Detroit Division’s Cleveland Field Office, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James P. Lewis and Elizabeth Crook for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indiana Woman Charged with Making Death Threats on Facebook Against President TrumpRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nathalie Rose Jones, 50, of Lafayette, Indiana, was arrested in the District of Columbia on Saturday, August 16, and charged in connection with making a series of threats on social media in which she threatened to kill President Trump, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Jones was charged in a complaint in U.S. District Court with threatening to take the life of, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, and transmitting in interstate commerce communications containing threats to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another.
“Threatening the life of the President is one of the most serious crimes and one that will be met with swift and unwavering prosecution. Make no mistake—justice will be served,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated law enforcement partners, especially the Secret Service Special Agents from New York and Washington, D.C., for their tireless commitment to protecting our leaders and our nation.”
“Protecting the President of the United States is our highest priority, and every potential threat is addressed with the utmost seriousness,” said Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the U.S. Secret Service, Washington Field Office. “Special Agents from New York and Washington, DC, working in close coordination with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, acted swiftly and decisively to neutralize this alleged threat before it could escalate. We are deeply grateful to the dedicated professionals who worked tirelessly to advance this investigation and safeguard our nation’s leadership.”
According to court documents, from August 2 to August 9, members of the U.S. Secret Service observed that Instagram user account “nath.jones” had posted threatening comments about the President of the United States. The Instagram user called for President Trump’s removal, labeled President Trump as a terrorist, referred to President Trump’s administration as a dictatorship, and stated that President Trump had caused extreme and unnecessary loss of life in relation to the coronavirus.
On Facebook between August 6 and August 15, “Nath.Jones” allegedly continued to post threatening comments about President Trump. In an August 6 post directed at the FBI, Nath.Jones wrote that “I am willing to sacrificially kill this POTUS by disemboweling him and cutting out his trachea with Liz Cheney and all The Affirmation present.”
On August 14, in a post directed to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Nath Jones allegedly wrote “please arrange the arrest and removal ceremony of POTUS Trump as a terrorist on the American People from 10-2pm at the White House on Saturday, August 16th, 2025.”
On August 15, the U.S. Secret Service conducted a voluntary interview with Jones, during which she stated the President was a “terrorist” and a “nazi,” that if she had the opportunity, she would take the President’s life and would kill him at “the compound” if she had to, that she had a “bladed object,” which she said was the weapon she would use to “carry out her mission of killing” the president, and that she wanted to “avenge all the lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic,” which she atrributed to President Trump’s administration and its position on vaccinations.
On August 16, Jones joined a protest demonstration that started at Dupont Circle, and circumnavigated the White House complex. Following the march, the U.S. Secret Service interviewed Jones for a second time, during which she admitted that she had made threats towards President Trump during her interview the previous day. She denied having any present desire to harm the President of the United States. Law enforcement arrested her and she confirmed that she was the owner of the Facebook user account “Nath Jones” and that she had posted the threatening statements.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter.
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Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tanisha Wooding, 46, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Wooding fraudulently obtained $91,664 in COVID-19 loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for her personal use.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about July 26, 2020, through on or about June 10, 2021, Wooding knowingly defrauded and obtained money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program authorized by the CARES Act. Wooding applied for and received four PPP loans totaling $81,664, falsely claiming on each application that the loan was for a business to cover payroll and other allowable expenses. Wooding listed an insurance agency on two of the applications, a carpet cleaning business on the third and a tax service on the fourth. Wooding also applied for and received a $10,000 EIDL program loan, falsely claiming the money was for an insurance business where she employed 10 people.
As part of her guilty plea, Wooding admitted that she did not own or operate any such businesses and had no payroll or other eligible business expenses during that time. The proceeds from each fraudulently obtained loan were deposited in Wooding’s personal bank account in West Virginia. Wooding admitted that she made dozens of cash withdrawals and mobile payment and digital wallet service transfers to spend loan proceeds for personal use.
The CARES Act made forgivable PPP relief loans available to adversely impacted eligible businesses and authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption.
Wooding is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Wooding also owes $101,204.31 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), , the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is prosecuting the case.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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. 3:25-cr-122.
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Houston man arrested for smuggling 40 illegal aliens locked behind false compartment in box truckRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Houston resident has been charged with smuggling more than three dozen people in truck discovered near Hebbronville with no means of escape, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Kenneth Gamboa is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Bajew at 9:30 a.m. Several others facing illegal reentry charges are also set to appear in federal court in relation to the smuggling event.
The criminal complaint alleges that on the very early morning hours of Aug. 15, Gamboa arrived at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Farm to Market Road 1017 in Jim Hogg County. He was allegedly driving a box truck with paper plates.
At primary inspection, a K-9 alerted to presence of humans or narcotics in the cargo area of the box truck, according to the charges. A subsequent x-ray scan allegedly revealed what appeared to be humans standing next to each other in the storage area of the box truck.
The investigation revealed a false wall in the storage area of the truck towards the front of the cargo area that had created a hidden compartment, according to the complaint. The charges allege it had multiple boards screwed shut to prevent the individuals from being able to get out on their own. Authorities allegedly had to remove the screws sealing the hidden compartment, at which time they discovered 40 people behind the false wall.
Law enforcement was able to determine that 26 of them had allegedly been previously removed from the United States. They now face charges of illegal reentry into the United States and possible prison terms of up to 20 years.
If convicted, Gamboa faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Houston conducted the investigation with the substantial assistance of Border Patrol and ICE-HSI San Antonio. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tory Sailer is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
A complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Harrisville Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Harrisville man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Ryan Vallee, age 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 108 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. Vallee was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution. In April 2025, Vallee pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material.
“The defendant is a recidivist offender who illegally sought out CSAM while on federal supervised release,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “This case is one of many that highlights the importance of reporting child sexual exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A cyber tip to NCMEC alerted law enforcement to online activity that led to the detection of the defendant’s crime.”
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on June 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Vallee’s home, car, and electronics. During the search, law enforcement found a cellphone that contained four videos of CSAM and 175 images of CSAM, and an SD card that contained 11 videos of CSAM. At the time, Vallee was on federal supervised release following prior convictions in 2017 for interstate threats, computer fraud and abuse, aggravated identity theft, and cyberstalking.
The Department of Homeland Security led the investigation. The New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office, the Harrisville Police Department and the Belmont Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
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Founder of Purported Artificial Intelligence-Powered Hedge Fund Sentenced to 30 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Mina Tadrus was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 30 months in prison for committing investment adviser fraud of more than $5.7 million in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in Tadrus Capital LLC, a hedge fund Tadrus founded and operated that purported to use artificial intelligence-based algorithmic trading models. As part of the sentence, Tadrus was also ordered to pay restitution of $4,224,850. Tadrus pleaded guilty in February 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York) announced the sentence.
“The defendant traded on excitement over the newest AI technology to trick investors to invest millions with his hedge fund. In the end, he perpetrated one of the oldest frauds in the book,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence serves as a reminder to all investment advisors that your clients place great faith in you to truthfully manage their investments, nest-eggs, and retirement savings. Our Office is committed to protecting the investing public, vindicating the rights of victims of economic crime, and prosecuting those who undermine the stability of our economy.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office for its assistance in this matter.
“Mina Tadrus shamelessly lied to investors of his hedge fund - many of whom were friends and family - preying on their trust to defraud them out of more than $5 million. Today, Tadrus learned that his scheme resulted not in wealth, but prison time. Ensuring fraudsters are held accountable in the criminal justice system is essential to the FBI's work on behalf of the American people,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
“While Tadrus sold a dream of high-profits to his investors, the only return they saw was the negative result of being swindled by someone they trusted. Today’s sentence and imposed restitution sees that Tadrus will spend real time behind bars and pay for his crimes. This new reality is not AI generated," stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
As set forth in court filings, Tadrus, a former stockbroker registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and derivatives consultant for a global financial institution, founded Tadrus Capital LLC in June 2020. Tadrus claimed to operate “the world’s first private high-yielding and fixed-income quantitative hedge fund” powered by artificial intelligence (AI) high-frequency trading models to guarantee investors up to 30% returns annually. In reality, Tadrus used no AI-based algorithmic trading. Tadrus also falsely claimed that Tadrus Capital was “recession-proof” and maintained liquidity with access to $5.5 billion in purchasing power.
Between September 2020 and July 2023, at least 31 individuals—predominantly Tadrus’s family, friends, and members of the Egyptian-American Coptic Christian community—invested more than $5.7 million with Tadrus Capital. Less than one percent of the investor funds were used for legitimate investment activities and none of those activities included the promised AI-based algorithmic trading. Instead, Tadrus used approximately $1.7 million of investor funds both to pay other investors the monthly returns he had falsely promised, and to pay himself, his employees, and his personal expenses.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan P. Lax is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MINA TADRUS
Age: 38
Tampa, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-393 (HG)
Founder and Former CEO of Charity Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Charity Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that KEITH TAYLOR, the founder and former chief executive officer of Modest Needs Foundation (“Modest Needs”), a charitable organization, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon to defrauding the charity and its donors by stealing millions in donations meant for low-income families and spending them instead on personal expenses—including rent in a luxury apartment building in midtown Manhattan, food delivery services, and lavish meals at some of New York City’s most expensive restaurants—and lying about the charity’s oversight and governance. TAYLOR also pled guilty to evading more than a million dollars in federal income taxes and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2026.
“Keith Taylor preyed on the trust of New Yorkers who gave generously to help struggling families,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Those who use charitable dollars to line their own pockets undermine the work of our many great charities and the special tax status charities enjoy. They must be brought to justice.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, the Complaint, filings, and court proceedings:
In or about 2002, TAYLOR founded Modest Needs, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that used a crowdsourcing model to help low-income workers pay for unexpected expenses like medical bills or broken appliances. Its mission was to provide short-term financial assistance to individuals and families living paycheck-to-paycheck who were faced with an unexpected crisis or expense that they could not pay.
Since at least 2015, TAYLOR embezzled more than $2.5 million from the charity and its donors and used that money to fund his lavish personal spending. TAYLOR regularly dined at Per Se, Jean-Georges, Masa, and Marea in midtown Manhattan, sometimes as often as twice a day, spending more than $320,000 of charity funds at New York City restaurants and steakhouses. Funds donated to the charity paid over $300,000 of TAYLOR’s rent for a luxury apartment on the 30th floor of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper. TAYLOR also used charity funds to buy himself expensive electronics, pay over $100,000 to food delivery services, and pay for his own medical expenses. TAYLOR put over $270,000 of charity funds directly into his personal brokerage account. TAYLOR also routinely paid his other personal expenses from the charity’s bank accounts.
TAYLOR continued to defraud Modest Needs and its donors, even after his arrest in June 2024 on these charges. Even though he purportedly resigned his employment with Modest Needs and no longer was supposed to have access to Modest Needs’ bank accounts, as a condition of his pretrial release, TAYLOR continued to use Modest Needs’ funds for his personal expenses, including to pay for meals, medical expenses, and rent for his luxury apartment, all in violation of the conditions of his pretrial release in this case.
TAYLOR attempted to hide his embezzlement of charity funds by creating a fake board of directors and claiming it had approved his personal spending and provided oversight over the organization. TAYLOR used the names of his acquaintances and falsely listed them on the charity’s tax forms and website as board members. TAYLOR’s acquaintances who were listed as the charity’s board members included a bartender from Jean-Georges, a friend, and his house-cleaner, none of whom ever attended a board meeting or even knew that they had been listed on the charity’s website or tax forms as board members.
For at least the calendar years of 2017 through 2024, TAYLOR did not file personal income tax returns or pay income taxes on the millions of dollars in income he received from the charity, evading more than a million dollars in federal income taxes.
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TAYLOR, 58, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison because he committed the offense while on pretrial release, and eight counts of tax evasion, each of which carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the exceptional investigative work of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office.
My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to do all that we can to protect the community from the devastating consequences of pernicious fraud schemes. If you believe you are a victim of Taylor's fraud, please contact [email protected].
If you are a victim, and would like to send the Judge presiding over this case a victim impact statement, which describes how this crime impacted you and your family, your statement can be emailed to [email protected]. The Court will consider any statements sent in connection with sentencing of defendant Keith Taylor.
If you are a victim, and would like to speak at Keith Taylor’s sentencing hearing, to describe to the Judge how Keith Taylor’s crimes impacted you and your family please email [email protected].
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli J. Mark, Rebecca R. Delfiner, and James G. Mandilk are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Head of Lynchburg Community Corrections & Pretrial Services Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The former acting director of the Lynchburg Community Corrections & Pretrial Services Department (LCCPS) pled guilty today in federal court for accessing a protected computer system to provide her then-boyfriend with privileged information, lying to federal investigators, and destroying evidence.
Jennifer Peters, 43, of Madison Heights, Virginia, pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy, one count of obstruction of a proceeding before a United States Agency, one count of making false representations, and one count of destruction of evidence.
According to court documents, in 2022, Peters worked for LCCPS and supervised an individual named Brendon Cole Webber – who was being supervised by that agency. In 2023, Peters assumed the role of Acting Director of the LCCPS. In approximately August 2023, Peters and Webber began a romantic relationship. Peters directly or indirectly supervised Webber’s probation throughout his LCCPS supervision. Peters, because of her role with LCCPS, had access to certain non-public, law enforcement materials, including the Lynchburg Police Department’s Records Management System (RMS). The RMS was a protected computer system that housed confidential non-public, law enforcement material.
Between November 11, 2023 and January 9, 2024, Webber and Peters conspired to have Webber access RMS information without authorization. Specifically, Peters provided Webber with access to non-public confidential material on RMS, and Webber disseminated that non-public information to others.
On November 30, 2023, Webber was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm in violation of Virginia law and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Webber and Peters knew there was an active warrant for Webber’s arrest and knew there was an active U.S. Marshal’s fugitive manhunt for Webber’s apprehension.
On or around December 19, 2023, at Webber’s instruction, Peters drove Webber from Lynchburg, Virginia to Hughestown, Pennsylvania with the purpose of obstructing the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive mission. Webber further directed Peters to book a hotel room during the drive.
When questioned by federal law enforcement regarding her relationship with Webber, Peters lied. Peters told investigators she had not had physical contact with Webber since December, that she did not know if Webber had an active phone number, did not know where Webber was physically located, and did not know Webber was going to leave Lynchburg. In addition, Peters told investigators she did not know where her own cell phone was located, when, in fact, she had given her cell phone to a friend to keep it away from investigators. After her interview with federal law enforcement, Peters retrieved her cell phone and threw it in a local landfill to destroy evidence contained within.
Webber was arrested in Hughestown, Pennsylvania on January 9, 2024.
Webber previously pled guilty to state charges of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice, as well as to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Webber pled guilty to federal charges in May, admitting to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon and two counts of conspiracy against the United States.
Both Webber and Peters will be sentenced later this year.
C. Todd Gilbert, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Stephen Farina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Lynchburg Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vito Iaia is prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty for Role in an Off-the-Books Payroll SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Kyle C. Dudek for the Middle District of Florida to conspiring to defraud the United States by operating an off-the-books payroll scheme. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Alexis Garcia conspired with others to operate an illegal, off-the-books cash payroll system for construction workers to avoid paying employment taxes to the IRS and to defraud workers’ compensation insurance companies. Between 2017 and 2019, Garcia managed and directed the operations of Tape Drywall Services Inc., located in Naples, Florida. Contractors entered into agreements with Tape Drywall to provide workers for various construction contracts and provided checks in the name of Tape Drywall for payment. Garcia and his co-conspirator would cash the checks and retain a small percentage as a fee. Garcia and his co-conspirator provided cash to the foremen who used the cash to pay the workers. In total, Garcia and his co-conspirator cashed over 3,600 checks totaling approximately $28 million.
Garcia and his co-conspirator did not report the wages to the IRS and did not withhold Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from those wage and pay them over to the IRS, as required by law. As a result, Garcia caused a loss to the United States of more than $4.2 million.
In addition, Garcia and his co-conspirator defrauded workers’ compensation companies by substantially misrepresenting the amount of Tape Drywall’s payroll. The misrepresentations resulted in substantially lower insurance payments.
The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yolande G. Viacava for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty for Role in an Off-the-Books Payroll SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Kyle C. Dudek for the Middle District of Florida to conspiring to defraud the United States by operating an off-the-books payroll scheme. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Alexis Garcia conspired with others to operate an illegal, off-the-books cash payroll system for construction workers to avoid paying employment taxes to the IRS and to defraud workers’ compensation insurance companies. Between 2017 and 2019, Garcia managed and directed the operations of Tape Drywall Services Inc., located in Naples, Florida. Contractors entered into agreements with Tape Drywall to provide workers for various construction contracts and provided checks in the name of Tape Drywall for payment. Garcia and his co-conspirator would cash the checks and retain a small percentage as a fee. Garcia and his co-conspirator provided cash to the foremen who used the cash to pay the workers. In total, Garcia and his co-conspirator cashed over 3,600 checks totaling approximately $28 million.
Garcia and his co-conspirator did not report the wages to the IRS and did not withhold Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from those wage and pay them over to the IRS, as required by law. As a result, Garcia caused a loss to the United States of more than $4.2 million.
In addition, Garcia and his co-conspirator defrauded workers’ compensation companies by substantially misrepresenting the amount of Tape Drywall’s payroll. The misrepresentations resulted in substantially lower insurance payments.
The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yolande G. Viacava for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Couple Sentenced to More than Nine Years Combined in Prison for Scheming to Defraud Pandemic Relief Loan ProgramsRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE - A Florida couple, formerly of Northwest Arkansas were sentenced on August 15, to more than nine (9) years combined in Federal prison. Julia Youngblood age 41, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay victim restitution in the amount of $6,131,511.16 on one count of misprision of a felony related to the scheme. Fawaad Welch age 41, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay victim restitution in the amount of $6,131,511.16 on one count of wire fraud
The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings, which took place in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May of 2020 through October of 2021, Welch, and Youngblood, applied for Pandemic Relief Loan Programs through their Arkansas business, Slipstream Creative, LLC, which was a Northwest Arkansas advertising and marketing company located in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Throughout the applications, Welch provided the lenders with false statements regarding their assets and liabilities and the intended use of funds received through the SBA7(a), Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Main Street Loan Programs. Welch then arranged for his wife, Youngblood, to sign those applications on behalf of the business. According to the informations filed by the Government, after receiving the loan funds, Welch then diverted large parts of the loan proceeds for the personal benefit of the couple. For example, in the applications submitted for these loans, the couple failed to disclose material information such as tax liabilities and the fact that they were receiving loans from the other loan programs. Also, within months of receiving $1.5 million in “working capital” Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds in October 2021, Welch transferred $1.3 million of that loan to the couple’s personal bank account. The couple then purchased a home in Florida using $445,000 of those Government program loan funds.
In April, Welch and Youngblood waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information.
According to the plea agreement entered into by Welch, after being asked by Generations Bank officials if Welch and Youngblood take salaries and informed that “the Fed restricts changes to your salaries with the [Main Street Loan Program] and doesn’t allow distributions,” Welch replied, “Yes sir we do at 10k a month, so all is good there. 5k a piece.” After receiving the $3 million in program funds, within a month Welch had transferred $950,000 in Main Street Loan Program funds out of the business and to the couple’s personal accounts.
Preceding the announced prison terms, the Government also forfeited over $1.2 million dollars in recovered loan funds from the couple’s accounts.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief all investigated the case.
U. S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff prosecuted the case for the United States.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Felon and Drug User Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and an illicit drug user.
Dustin Edward Talbott, also known as “Chunky Dunker,” 40, admitted during his plea that he knew he had previously been convicted of a felony offense and that he was an illicit drug user when he knowingly possessed a Ranger, Model 101-11A, .22 caliber rifle in Independence, Mo.
On April 8, 2024, at approximately 1:36 p.m., an Independence, Mo., Police Department officer observed a Chevy Cobalt with a stolen license plate. The officer saw the driver, who was later identified as Dustin Talbott, park at a local convenience store. After backup officers arrived at the scene, they detained Talbott and two other passengers. During the investigation, officers learned Talbott had a warrant for his arrest, and he did not have a valid driver’s license. Officers accordingly decided to tow the vehicle as it could not legally be driven without valid plates. While conducting an inventory search of the vehicle prior to it being towed, officers found the Ranger, .22 caliber rifle that was on the floorboard between the driver’s seat and driver’s door. Law enforcement officials also found a methamphetamine pipe on the driver’s side floorboard and two syringes in a passenger-door compartment. A box of .22 caliber ammunition was found in the glove box. At the scene, Talbott denied ownership of the firearm, but he admitted to previously putting the firearm in the trunk of the vehicle. Later, a detective interviewed Talbott and Talbott stated that he was with another person who Talbott claimed was shooting the .22 caliber rifle into a homeless camp earlier that morning. Talbott also admitted to using “ice,” which is street term for methamphetamine and also that he was a convicted felon who was not allowed to possess firearms.
Under federal statutes, Talbott is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo. Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Ex-Law Firm Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Todd M. Chapman, 57, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud. Chapman admitted that he embezzled at least $602,000 from a Huntington law firm while its officer manager, including funds from client trust accounts and proceeds from a Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as the firm’s office manager for approximately 30 years until April 2022. During this time, Chapman was authorized to write checks from the firm’s bank accounts for legitimate business expenses.
From approximately 2016 through approximately 2022, Chapman personally enriched himself by writing unauthorized checks from the law firm’s accounts and client trust accounts to himself. As part of his guilty plea, Chapman admitted that he carried out his scheme by using the trust he gained from his 30-year tenure with the firm to obtain complete and exclusive control of its day-to-day finances. To conceal or disguise the embezzlement, Chapman funneled money he stole from clients through the firm’s operating accounts, forged signatures on checks, created false documents, made false statements under oath in civil lawsuits by former firm clients, and made false statements to federal law enforcement agents investigating the loss of client funds at the firm.
Chapman embezzled at least $409,000 from the estates of three deceased firm clients, $100,000 that one minor client was supposed to receive upon turning 18, and $15,838.84 of an initial $20,000 settlement deposit for another minor client who suffered an injury as an infant. Chapman also embezzled $13,686.21 from a $20,375 PPP loan that the firm legitimately received to provide emergency financial aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chapman admitted that he spent the embezzled funds for his personal enjoyment and lifestyle.
Chapman is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Chapman also owes $602,000 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman, Erik S. Goes and Kathleen Robeson have prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-121.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to September 2024 Murder in NortheastRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derek Turrentine, 43, of the District, pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder while armed for the September 2024 shooting of James Thomas Price, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Turrentine’s guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, calls for a sentence of 17 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2025.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the morning of September 15, 2024, the defendant followed Mr. Price into an alley behind 400 50th Street NE. Mr. Price stopped and turned around to face Turrentine, and Turrentine produced a firearm and pointed it at the victim as he continued to walk toward him. As the defendant got close to the victim, they began to fight, and the defendant then fired multiple gunshots at the victim, who died as a result.
Turrentine was arrested in March of 2025 and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich.
Detroit Investment Fund Owner Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison in $39 Million Wire Fraud Scheme to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Andrew H. Middlebrooks, the former majority owner, chief executive officer, chief investment officer, and portfolio manager of EIA All Weather Alpha Fund 1 Partners (EIA), has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to charges of Wire Fraud for devising and executing a scheme to obtain over $39 million from investors by means of false and fraudulent material pretenses, representations, and promises, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
During the scheme to defraud Andrew H. Middlebrooks, age 33, was the majority owner, chief executive officer, and portfolio manager for EIA All Weather Alpha Fund (EIA). Middlebrooks solicited clients for EIA by telling them he was able to exploit “inefficiencies” in global equity markets which would result in large returns for investors. But the EIA’s fund failed to produce the predicted returns and suffered catastrophic losses.
Instead of informing EIA’s existing investors that the fund was failing, Middlebrooks solicited new investors with false statements about the fund’s performance and lulled existing investors by lying to them about the returns their investments generated. Middlebrooks also created and distributed false documents claiming that EIA’s performance was exceptional. In one document, created in the fall of 2019, Middlebrooks falsely claimed that EIA’s track record included a cumulative return of 476.81% with 81.82% of monthly trading showing a profit. Eventually, Middlebrooks’ scheme collapsed, resulting in losses to 97 investors exceeding $34 million.
“This financial charlatan used sophisticated methods and a complex web of deception to trick unsuspecting victims into trusting him with their money. Con artists like this will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
"The sentencing of Andrew Middlebrooks underscores the significance of white-collar crimes and the lasting harm they impose on hard-working Americans” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "White-collar crimes threaten the integrity of our financial systems and undermine the trust and security of communities. The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate those who violate federal laws and ensure they are held accountable. I want to thank the dedicated members from our FBI Detroit Field Office and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their tireless work in bringing this case to justice.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Both the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation wish to acknowledge and thank the Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
Chinese National Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Acting at North Korea’s Direction to Export Firearms, Ammo, Tech to N. KoreaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from China was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.
Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson.
Wen, who has been in federal custody since December 2024, pleaded guilty on June 9 to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013.
Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.
In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods – including sensitive technology – from the United States to North Korea via China.
In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.
In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.
In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments – which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator – left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.
In September 2024, Wen – once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials – bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.
In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.
Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.
During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.
Wen admitted in his plea agreement that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.
The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; DCIS; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Trafficking Firearms and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Brian Keith Adams, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland to nine years in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release for his role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy and distributing methamphetamine.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); and Chief Johnny Jennings, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to the guilty plea, in December of 2023, ATF special agents began investigating Adams after the law enforcement suspected he was trafficking firearms to the Baltimore area from North and South Carolina. Adams does not hold a federal firearms license and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Between February and June 2024, Adams sold more than 100 firearms to an undercover agent and more than 100 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine. The firearms transactions occurred in both Maryland and North Carolina. During one of the transactions, Adams was armed with a loaded firearm for protection.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, USPIS, HSI, MSP, DPSCS, BPD, PGPD, and CMPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Hagan who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Alabama Doctor Charged with $6 Million Telemedicine Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Alabama-based doctor has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a $6 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) and genetic testing primarily used to detect mutations in genes that could indicate a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers.
Tommie Robinson, 43, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of health care fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, between December 2018 and March 2021, Robinson worked with telemedicine companies to sign medical documentation, including doctors’ orders, for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment and genetic testing. It is alleged that these orders signed by Robinson were pre-populated based on telemarketing calls made to Medicare beneficiaries, that Robinson never had any contact with the beneficiaries himself and had no medical relationship with the patients. DME suppliers and laboratories ultimately submitted claims to Medicare for these signed orders. As a result of Robinson’s alleged participation in this scheme, over $6 million in claims were allegedly submitted to Medicare for DME and genetic testing that were medically unnecessary, based on false documentation, and tainted by kickbacks.
The charge of health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Robert Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; and Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigation Service, North East Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Units are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah StatementRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada released the following statement:
“Last week, Tom Artiom Alexandrovich was arrested in a Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children joint operation; and he was booked into the Henderson Detention Center. This important multi-agency operation targeted child sex predators who preyed upon the most vulnerable members of our communities. As a result of the operation, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution.”
15 August 2025
Utah Gymnastics Coach Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Adam Richard Jacobs, 35, of Woods Cross, Utah, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for child exploitation crimes after he admitted to possessing a hidden camera to produce child sexual abuse material. In February 2025, Jacobs pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, a U.S. District Court Judge, sentenced Jacobs to a lifetime term of supervised release.
According to court documents and admissions made at Jacobs change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning on a date unknown and continuing until March 2023, he transported a minor, in his role as a gymnastics coach, from Utah to other states including Florida and Texas. During this time, he placed a hidden camera in the minor’s hotel room and bathroom to produce child sexual abuse materials.
According to court documents, on two occasions, a USA Gymnastics World employee discovered a hidden camera in a unisex restroom at the facility and contacted police. A subsequent investigation recovered approximately 120 video files of victims in the restroom. Approximately 40 videos showed Jacobs setting up the cameras in his home and at USA Gymnastics World.
In conjunction with this prosecution, Jacobs was charged by the State of Utah in state court. Jacobs has entered a guilty plea in that case and sentencing is pending in the state case.
The case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Woods Cross Police Department, the Utah Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Kaysville Police Department, Clearfield Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Davis County Attorney’s Office.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Carl Hollan and Assistant United States Attorney Carol A. Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 85 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 85 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On August 8, Luanna Astiazaran, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the defendant applied for admission to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala hiding in the rear right quarter panel. The woman had to be extracted from the vehicle and needed medical assistance.
- On August 9, Emmanuel Ramirez Santiago, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, the defendant attempted to cross through the San Ysidro Port of Entry when a canine detection dog alerted underneath the driver’s side tailgate area of his Toyota Tacoma. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 162 packages containing 203 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle.
- On August 10, Juan Hernandez-Diaz, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted the defendant as he walked through the brush, approximately four miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and six miles north of the United Sates/Mexico International boundary. He had previously been deported in May from Brownsville, Texas.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending August 15, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 32 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 9 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 22 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 46 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for armed robbery, arson, drug trafficking and illegal reentry.
The District of New Mexico reported significant enforcement actions this week. An Albuquerque couple was indicted for conspiring to harbor illegal aliens and laundering proceeds from human smuggling through real estate. In Deming, a teenager was charged with firearms and drug trafficking offenses following an undercover purchase that included an ounce of cocaine, a handgun, and a Glock switch conversion device, as well as a high-speed flight from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint. Additionally, three criminal complaints were filed against separate defendants for possession with intent to distribute cocaine after seizures at the I-25 Border Patrol checkpoint on August 12 and 13.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Pittsburgh Residents Charged with Coercing a Minor to Engage in Sexually Explicit ConductRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – Two residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Sexual Exploitation of Children, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The six-count sealed Indictment was returned last month, and named Karen R. Allen, 37, and James Clark, 38. The Indictment has since been unsealed, and both defendants appeared for arraignment in federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Kezia O. L. Taylor.
According to the Indictment, on multiple occasions in August of 2024, Allen and Clark coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of this conduct.
The law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Men Sentenced for Role in International Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for their involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.
Yanbing Chen, 30, a Chinese national unlawfully residing in Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Angel Kelley to 57 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Chen pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Thong Nguyen, 31, of Everett, Mass., was sentenced by Judge Kelley to four months in prison, to be followed by one year of home detention, and two additional years of supervised release. In August 2024, Nguyen pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
In May 2023, Chen and Nguyen were among 12 individuals from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California charged in a superseding indictment for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization allegedly led by Jin Hua Zhang. According to the charging documents, Zhang’s organization was first detected in 2021 in the greater Boston area, throughout the United States and overseas. It was determined that for a fee, Zhang laundered bulk cash for drug dealers and laundered profits from other illegal businesses. In less than a year, Zhang and his organization allegedly laundered at least $25 million worth of drug proceeds and funds from other illegal businesses. Funds were allegedly traced and seized from the Zhang organization to Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, India, Cambodia and Brazil, among other locations.
In July 2022, on Zhang’s behalf, Chen delivered $50,000 in drug funds to undercover agents to be laundered. For a fee, Zhang converted these funds to Tether, a type of cryptocurrency, and laundered the funds back to criminal organizations who used his group’s services. Agents eventually traced funds from the Zhang organization to accounts in Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, India, Cambodia and Brazil, among other locations. Law enforcement seized cash and cryptocurrency in accounts tied to Zhang at the conclusion of this investigation.
In addition, in two separate meetings in August and September 2022, Zhang sent Chen from New York to meet with cooperating witnesses in Boston. Chen was recorded by law enforcement as he delivered five kilograms of cocaine at Zhang’s direction.
For his part, in March and April 2022, Nguyen laundered or attempted to launder over $213,000 in profits from a marijuana trafficking organization. Nguyen delivered funds to Zhang’s organization, who converted them to Tether and laundered the funds back to the drug organization which used his group’s services.
Jin Hua Zhang pleaded guilty in September 2023 and scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Quincy Police Department also provided valuable assistance to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Meghan C. Cleary and Brian A. Fogerty of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Illegal Aliens Charged with Assaulting Immigration OfficersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced the filing of criminal complaints against two illegal aliens in connection with assaults and resisting arrest during encounters with Federal law enforcement.
Adolfo Nimrod Hernandez-Ramos, 42, a Honduran citizen and national, and Tony Marcos Ferreira-Dos Santos, 30, a Brazilian citizen and national, are charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal officers in separate incidents. Both Hernandez-Ramos and Ferreira-Dos are unlawfully present in the United States.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the criminal complaints with Acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Baltimore Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore.
On June 6, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers possessed information indicating that Hernandez-Ramos entered the United States without inspection, in violation of federal law. As officers conducted surveillance in the area of Hernandez-Ramons’ Catonsville residence, ICE officers observed Hernandez-Ramos exit his residence and get into a vehicle. ICE officers then followed Hernandez-Ramos to a nearby shopping center where he parked his car. When law enforcement approached, Hernandez-Ramos exited his vehicle and began running. An officer attempted to grab Hernandez-Ramos’ arm, but he pulled his arm away and ran inside a store.
While officers attempted to arrest him, Hernandez-Ramos kicked at them, flailed his arms, grabbed a table, and clinched his arms and legs together to prevent arrest. Officers eventually secured one handcuff, but then Hernandez-Ramos grabbed the open handcuff and told an officer, “I’m going to slice your eye out.” Law enforcement ultimately took Hernandez-Ramos into custody. During the confrontation, officers suffered several injuries.
On or about June 8, 2025, two ICE officers arrived at a Wicomico County, Maryland location. The ICE officers — who were both wearing tactical vests with the words “POLICE” on the front and back of the vests — encountered two individuals. The officers recognized one individual as the subject of a final removal order. Law enforcement later identified the second individual as Ferreira-Dos Santos. As the officers approached, both men, including Ferreira-Dos Santos, fled.
After arresting the other person in connection with a final order of removal, ICE officers found Ferreira-Dos Santos. As officers attempted to apprehend Ferreira-Dos Santos, he resisted arrest and engaged in a physical struggle with the officers. Eventually, law enforcement took Ferreira-Dos Santos into custody.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO and HSI for their work in this investigation and BCPD for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Hanlon and Gerald Collins, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Mills, who are prosecuting these cases.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Two Admit Running Nearly 20-Year Pyramid Scheme that Victimized More Than 90 MissouriansRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two Missouri men on Friday admitted operating a long-running Ponzi scheme that cost more than 90 victims at least $3 million.
James “Jim” Johnson, 77, and Darrell Niswonger, 68, each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count each of wire fraud, securities fraud and investment adviser fraud as dozens and dozens of victims looked on in court. Niswonger also pleaded guilty to four additional counts of wire fraud. Both men admitted engaging in a scheme to defraud that began in 2006. The pair claimed they were investing clients’ funds in municipal bonds when they were really using that money to fund lavish lifestyles that included country club memberships, sponsored golf tournaments, hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements to Johnson’s home, educational expenses for a Niswonger relative and other personal expenses, their plea agreements say. Johnson and Niswonger also paid themselves a salary of $7,500 every two weeks and used some of the money to make payments to victims to lull them into believing that their investments were secure.
Operating out of a storefront in Perryville, Missouri as Johnson & Niswonger Financial Resources LLC since 2002, the pair initially offered clients annuities. But at least as early as 2006, the firm began experiencing cash flow problems. Johnson and Niswonger discussed offering clients what they referred to as tax-free and risk-free “municipal bonds.” Both men have now admitted as part of their guilty pleas that they knew they were going to use the money to keep their business and themselves afloat financially. The men had their clients sign one-page investment agreements that they called “Five Year Interest Bearing Note” or “Investment Note” or “Five Year Interest Bearing Investment.” They claimed clients would receive a guaranteed 5% return. The pair also persuaded clients to move their money out of legitimate investments into the fraudulent ones.
Johnson and Niswonger discouraged investors from withdrawing their money and urged them to roll over their bond investments because they lacked the funds to make the investors whole, their plea agreements say.
One investor asked them to withdraw his money from the “municipal bond investment” only to learn that Johnson had instead withdrawn money from the investor’s legitimate annuity. The son of an investor who died was told that he could not withdraw money until the bonds matured.
Over nearly 20 years, they took in millions of dollars from their friends, relatives and neighbors. Many victims encouraged others to invest, based on Niswonger and Johnson’s false claims about the investments’ success. Victims have now lost inheritances, the proceeds of selling their homes and farms and their life savings.
When Johnson & Niswonger shut down on April 22, 2025, they owed investors more than $3 million but had less than $22,000 in the bank account into which they have deposited investors’ money.
“Today, Jim Johnson and Darrell Niswonger finally admitted that they had been bilking clients for almost 20 years,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “This fraud has affected a large number of Perryville-area residents, many of whom knew or were even related to Johnson and Niswonger. It has been not only a betrayal of trust but a major financial loss for them. We will do our best to try and recover as much money as possible for these victims.”
“One of the defendants stooped so low that he even swindled his own family members – an act that shows there is no line he wouldn’t cross,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) says unlicensed, unregistered persons commit much of the investment fraud in the United States. Research the background of the person or firm before investing. The SEC has an online tool called, ‘Check Out Your Investment Professional,’ which can be used to vet a broker, investment adviser or a firm before trusting them with your money.”
Niswonger and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced on November 13. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. Securities fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine and investment adviser fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
As of their plea agreements, Johnson, of Perry County, and Niswonger, of Perryville, have both agreed to forfeit Johnson’s home, a 2019 Audi A5 Premium as well as $61,734 in two bank accounts and $10,302 in a brokerage account.
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Tulsan Sentenced After Pointing Gun at People Outside a BarRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Carl Anthony Epps, II, 43, to 84 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In February 2024, Epps was asked to leave a bar for harassing patrons. Upon leaving, Epps threatened an employee at the bar and claimed he had a firearm in his vehicle. Witnesses called 911 and told law enforcement that Epps pulled his vehicle in front of the bar and pointed a rifle with a green laser at the employee. When officers found Epps, they saw the gun sitting in his vehicle.
Epps will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Three men arrested, charged in postal theft ringRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Lamarious Bradley, Lucius Bradley, and Chad Brown, all of Rochester, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with mail theft, unlawful possession of USPS mailbox keys, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on November 28, 2023, U.S. Postal Service inspectors received notification that blue collection boxes were open in early morning hours in Irondequoit and Brighton, NY. A review of video in both areas identified a vehicle and three males. On December 4, 2023, inspectors once again received notification of that a blue collection box in Irondequoit had been opened. On this date however, mail was removed from the collection box. The same vehicle and three individuals were once again captured on video surveillance.
On December 7, 2023, a search warrant was executed at a residence associated with the vehicle, as well as the vehicle and the Exclusive Snacks and Lounge that the three males went to after allegedly stealing the mail. At the residence, inspectors recovered approximately $1,400 in money orders, and numerous checks which were not in the names of any of the defendants. Inspectors spoke with several of the legitimate owners of the checks recovered and all victims stated they originally deposited the checks into blue collection boxes. Inspectors also recovered a handgun, ammunition, and a quantity of marijuana. During a review of video from the Exclusive Snacks and Lounge, four individuals were seen inside the location sorting what appears to be hundreds of pieces of mail. One of the individuals was identified as Lamarius Bradley. Subsequent investigation also recovered text messages discussing the theft between the defendants.
The defendants made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen. Lamarious and Lucius Bradley were released on conditions. Chad Brown was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston Division, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Catholdi, the Irondequoit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Peters, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Three Indicted in Multi-State Prescription Fraud RingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ciera Washington, age 35, of the Bronx, New York; Raven White, age 35, of the Bronx; and Bryan Otero, age 36, of Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, have been arrested on an indictment charging them with healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that between April 2023 and October 2024, White and Otero provided Washington with the names, dates of birth, and Medicaid identification numbers of various people. Washington used that information to submit fraudulent prescriptions to numerous pharmacies, including in the Northern District of New York. The conspirators then dispatched rideshare drivers to the pharmacies to pick up the medications, whose costs were substantially covered by Medicaid. Washington directed the stolen medications to be delivered to Otero or other buyers, who paid Washington. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “As alleged, these defendants stole identities, submitted fraudulent prescriptions, got Medicaid to pay for those fraudulent prescriptions, and then sold the prescribed drugs. This was an abuse of the system on multiple levels, across several states. Working with our law enforcement partners, we have stopped this pernicious scheme. The perpetrators will now be held fully accountable.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli, Albany Field Office, said, “The alleged fraud in this case was widespread, compromising not just personally identifiable information of our citizens, but also exploiting Medicaid and our healthcare systems. The FBI will continue to work with all our federal law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice anyone looking to defraud valuable government programs meant to help those in need in order to line their own pockets.”
Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) said, “The defendants in this case perpetrated multiple avenues of fraud against the Medicaid program by stealing beneficiary information and causing false claims to be submitted for transportation and medications, which were diverted and sold. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of the federal health care system and hold accountable those engaging in fraud that targets its programs.”
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said, “Ciera Washington, Raven White and Bryan Otero are alleged to have callously preyed upon vulnerable New Yorkers in a complex scheme to defraud our state’s Medicaid system and illegally peddle drugs. Medicaid fraud undermines a vital program that provides health care to people in need. My thanks to Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services for their partnership in protecting Medicaid’s integrity and bringing these individuals to justice.”
The healthcare fraud and conspiracy charges filed against the defendants carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to twice the loss amount, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years; and the aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory two-year prison term that must run consecutively to any other prison term. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and the New York State Comptroller are investigating the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
Texas Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery While Posing as DEA AgentsRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—Two San Antonio, Texas, men were sentenced to federal prison Thursday for conspiring to travel from Texas to Southern Oregon to commit an armed robbery while disguised as agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Jose Manuel Lopez, 24, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release, and Juan Carlos Conchas, 23, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release. Restitution to the victim was ordered to be paid jointly.
According to court documents, on March 12, 2022, deputies from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office responded to a rural address in Josephine County, Oregon after receiving reports of an armed robbery in progress. The deputies found a residence with a closed driveway gate and two empty vehicles with Texas license plates in the driveway with their doors open. Deputies saw several people running toward the back of the property and found victims inside the house. The victims reported that armed individuals dressed in what appeared to be DEA attire and wearing body armor arrived at the property and used zip ties and duct tape to restrain several of them.
The deputies searched the property and found large plastic totes containing packaged marijuana in the buildings and vehicles. They also found body armor, firearms, ammunition, shell casings, and badges that resembled those carried by DEA agents along the path that the defendants used to flee the property.
Investigators learned that in late February 2022, the group traveled from San Antonio to Southern Oregon to steal over 200 pounds of marijuana and recovered photographs taken by the group in which they posed with firearms while dressed as DEA agents.
On October 13, 2022, Lopez and Conchas were located and arrested in San Antonio.
On September 1, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Morales, Acuna, Conchas and co-conspirators with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On December 6, 2024, Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and conspiring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute.
On April 16, 2025, Conchas pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and conspiring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute.
In addition, four co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and been sentenced on felony charges stemming from their roles in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. It is being prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Ten Individuals Charged with $9 Million Federal Loan Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Ten individuals face federal charges stemming from a fraud and money laundering operation that targeted government loan programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and Paycheck Protection Program. In addition, two of the defendants were charged with laundering the proceeds of a fraudulent unemployment insurance scheme.
“Fraud schemes, like the ones perpetrated by these defendants, stole valuable resources meant to assist small businesses and citizens during difficult times,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting and punishing cold-hearted criminals who target government aid programs for their personal gain.”
“PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “FBI Atlanta and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who exploited the pandemic as a means to enrich themselves.”
“An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of unemployment insurance fraud targeting state workforce agencies. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Between November 2020 and June 2023, David Nathaniel Black, Jr. and others used real companies’ information to submit unauthorized and false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications. The loan applications allegedly included false information about the companies, such as the number of employees, the need for the loan, the intended use of the funds, average monthly payroll, and gross revenue. The applications were supported by fraudulent documents, including false tax records, bank statements, and payroll. In addition, the defendants used stolen identification information belonging to the owners or officers of the companies to submit the applications without their knowledge. In total, the defendants allegedly obtained over $9 million in fraudulent loans.
After the loans were obtained, the defendants allegedly conducted cash withdrawals and transferred funds, sometimes using the funds to purchase luxury items. For example, Black used fraud proceeds for the following expenditures:
- $200,000 for a 2022 Bentley Bentayga;
- $350,000 for a 2020 McLaren 720S convertible;
- $142,680 for the down payment of a 2023 Mercedes Benz G-Class Wagon; and
- $180,645 to pay the annual rent for a luxury home.
David Nathaniel Black, Jr., 31, of Newnan, Georgia, was charged with 17 counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment per count, and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory, consecutive term of imprisonment of two years per count. Black was also charged with over 100 counts of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment per count.
In addition to Black, the following individuals were charged with multiple counts of money laundering:
- Rashad Avery, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia;
- Tara Batson, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia;
- Chris Elvins Constant, 25, of Ft. Pierce, Florida;
- Nicole Cooley, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland;
- Reginald Douglas, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia;
- Yvenord Guerilus, 24, of Miami, Florida;
- Carson Merice, 25, of Miami, Florida;
- Rise Robinson, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia; and
- George Thompson, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia.
Black and Constant are also charged with money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, for allegedly laundering proceeds from a fraudulent unemployment insurance scheme.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Connors and Sarah E. Klapman are prosecuting the case.
Nine of the defendants appeared in federal court this week following their arrests. If you know Rise Robinson’s whereabouts or have information that may lead to her arrest, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 800-CALL-FBI.
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Tampa Woman Indicted for Automobile Insurance Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Katrenia Lynette Harris (54, Tampa) with five counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. The indictment also notifies Harris that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture for not less than $49,772.40, the presently known proceeds of her fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, Harris fraudulently held herself out to individuals within the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere as an authorized insurance agent for a major automobile insurance carrier. Harris would, upon receiving a request for insurance from a victim-customer, impersonate the victim in order to obtain insurance policy documents. Victim-customers would pay Harris through various means, including primarily through “Cash App”, a mobile-phone based person-to-person money transfer service.
Harris would then forward the fraudulently obtained insurance documents to the victim-customer, however, she purposely failed to remit the victim’s payments to the insurance company, resulting in these insurance policies being cancelled for non-payment. Harris then attempted to conceal the policy cancellation from her victim-customers, resulting in multiple victims operating motor vehicles in Florida and elsewhere without valid automobile insurance.
Victims identified by law enforcement will directly receive notice of their rights pursuant to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. If you believe you are a victim and have not otherwise received notice, please visit the website listed below for more information on how to self-identify yourself to law enforcement.
Website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/katrenia_harris
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Florida Department of Financial Services – Bureau of Insurance Fraud. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Duso.
Sumter County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy in Sumter, Richland CountiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Jalik Shykeil Tucker, 30, of Sumter, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine and crack cocaine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that during March 2023, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office began a joint investigation after receiving information that Jalik Tucker was selling large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
RCSD narcotics investigators made several undercover buys of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Tucker over a three-week period. During this same time, law enforcement was able to identify two locations in Sumter County and one location in Richland County that Tucker was using in distributing his drugs. They obtained search warrants for all three locations.
During the search, police found more than $25,000 cash, including money they paid in purchasing the drugs. They also found methamphetamine, fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, firearms, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, digital scales, baking soda used in the making of crack cocaine, sandwich bags used to distribute the drugs, and an electric mixer also used in drug distribution.
Tucker faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $10 million restitution, and five-year term of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Tucker after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Statement Regarding United States Attorney Ryan Ellison’s Acting AppointmentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – On April 17, 2025, Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Ryan Ellison to serve as New Mexico’s United States Attorney on an interim basis for a period not to exceed 120 days. Following the expiration of his interim appointment, Mr. Ellison now serves as New Mexico’s Acting United States Attorney at the request of the Attorney General.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison issued the following statement:
“I’m honored to have President Trump and Attorney General Bondi’s confidence to continue serving as New Mexico’s top federal prosecutor. I applaud New Mexico’s federal district judges for declining to appoint someone other than the Trump Administration’s choice to lead the United States Attorney’s Office as they had the discretion to do at the end of my interim appointment. Consistent with the laws and Constitution of the United States, the appointment of a U.S. Attorney is a process that should be sorted out in a collaborative and professional manner between the executive and legislative branches of government. I am confident that process will eventually play out here and across the country. I thank New Mexico’s U.S. Senators for their commitment to reviewing my qualifications and I look forward to working with public servants of all political stripes to combat crime in New Mexico. In the interim, I will continue to lead the United States Attorney’s Office in the same way that I have over the last four months—without fear, without favor, and with public safety as my top priority.
For me, this job has never been about the title or the position. Since day one, I have rolled up my sleeves and worked with a great sense of urgency to address New Mexico’s systemic crime problem. In just a few short months, I have shifted the U.S. Attorney’s Office back into high gear to keep New Mexicans safe. Our partnership with the U.S. military and the U.S. Border Patrol has made our southern border more secure than at any point in our nation’s history. The evidence is in the numbers. Since I was appointed, illegal border crossings are down 92% and immigration-related prosecutions are up 180%. Moreover, we are confronting New Mexico’s crime epidemic head on by getting back to basics. Compared with the four months preceding my appointment, violent crime and firearms prosecutions are up 23% and drug prosecutions are up 53%. Meaningful progress will take sustained effort over time, but we’re headed in the right direction.
For however long I serve, I will work relentlessly to improve the quality of life in New Mexico by enhancing public safety. That starts by protecting our citizens and prosecuting those who commit crimes. The people of New Mexico deserve nothing less.”
Spokane Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that Charles Michael McClain, age 40, of Spokane, Washington was sentenced on firearm and drug trafficking charges. McClain was found guilty on May 6, 2025, following a jury trial. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced McClain to 20 years in federal prison.
Based on court documents and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, in early 2024, the Quad Cities Drug Task Force developed information that McClain was supplying illegal drugs, including fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and methamphetamine, to dealers in the Clarkston, Washington, area.
On May 6, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at McClain’s apartment on Riverton Avenue in Spokane. Agents located various drug paraphernalia, baggies, methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, and 359 fentanyl pills. Agents also located a firearm under McClain’s pillow and approximately $18,000 in the apartment. On scene, McClain told agents he had purchased approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills and 10 ounces of fentanyl powder every month for about a year. On May 6th, the day of the warrant execution, McClain had planned on making another purchase using some of the cash found in his apartment.
McClain been previously convicted in Washington state court of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, for which he was sentenced to 84 months in state custody.
U.S. Attorney Serrano said fighting the drug epidemic is an important part of building a safe and strong foundation for Eastern Washington, “Deadly drugs claim more victims every day, including here in Eastern Washington. We are prioritizing the prosecution of these cases and working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously disrupt the sources of drugs in our communities, keeping these dangerous substances out of the hands of drug traffickers and out of our communities.”
“Drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms are a deadly combination that puts out communities at extreme risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City Federal Bureau of Investigation. “When agencies work together, we can successfully put drug traffickers out of business and in prison.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdiction task force involving the numerous law enforcement agencies including the Lewiston Idaho Police Department, Clarkston Washington Police Department, and the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca R. Perez.
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