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Thursday 3 July 2025
Three Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three defendants convicted of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.
Rigoberto Buox, 44, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Catherine Henry yesterday to time served, almost three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
Buox previously had been removed from the United States in September 2016, following his encounter and arrest by the U.S. Border Patrol.
In August of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Buox had been arrested by the Phoenixville (Pa.) Police Department on an assault charge. ICE officers took the defendant into custody this April. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in May and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.
Kevin Portillo-Urquia, 32, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on Tuesday to time served, approximately three and a half months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
Portillo-Urquia had previously been removed in July 2012, after the U.S. Border Patrol found that he had crossed the border illegally.
In February of this year, ICE and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were conducting a joint enforcement operation in Philadelphia, when they encountered the defendant and confirmed that he was not the ICE fugitive they were looking for.
After determining that Portillo-Urquia had been previously removed from the United States for illegal entry, ICE took him into custody in March. In April, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty this week.
Wagner De Leon-Morales, 46, a Mexican national, was sentenced by Judge Henry on Monday to time served, almost three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
De Leon-Morales was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol after illegally crossing the border and was removed back to Mexico in August 2008. The U.S. Border Patrol then encountered De Leon-Morales in September of 2008, during an immigration inspection of a vehicle in Arizona, and he was again removed back to Mexico.
In March of this year, during an ICE worksite enforcement operation in Bethlehem Township, Pa., De Leon-Morales admitted to agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that he was in the country illegally. He was taken into custody in April, charged by information with illegal reentry in May, and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, ATF, and HSI and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Lewis Fallenstein, S. Chandler Harris, and Rebecca Kulik.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Embezzling More Than $500,000 from St. Petersburg CompanyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Zachary Rugen (34, Tampa) to 5 years in federal prison for wire fraud and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As part of the sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $440,755.18. Rugen pleaded guilty on April 8, 2025.
According to testimony and court documents, between October 2020 and March 2022, Rugen was employed as the personnel director for a small company in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rugen exploited that role to embezzle at least $503,372.01 from the company. He used his access to the employer’s payment processing system to direct funds intended for vendors and contractors to bank accounts he controlled. Rugen also paid some of his outstanding debts with company funds. To cover the fraud scheme, Rugen electronically submitted falsified and fraudulent payment invoices. Rugen used the ill-gotten funds to live lavishly, including taking expensive vacations and gambling, and for his personal expenses. During the sentencing hearing, the victim-company’s chief operating officer testified that the fraud caused substantial financial hardship from which it will take the company at least five years to recover. As a result of the embezzlement, one of the company’s vendors nearly went out of business.
During the investigation of Rugen’s embezzlement, law enforcement learned that Rugen was also illegally possessing two firearms. Rugen was prohibited from possessing the firearms due to a prior felony conviction involving impersonating a law enforcement officer.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tiffany Fields and Jennifer L. Peresie.
Three Indictments Returned for Previously Deported Illegal Aliens Identified in Recent Immigration Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE & PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced today that three previously deported aliens have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States.
Freddy Bravo Galvez, 32, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Tallahassee in June 2025, after previously being deported in 2013 and 2020.
Marco Tulio Gonzalez-Oliva, 25, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Fort Walton Beach in March 2024, after previously being deported in 2023.
Jose Alfredo Morales-Huerta, 48, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Pensacola in June 2025, after previously being deported in 2019.
The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Mountin, Jessica Etherton, and Brooke DiSalvo are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced for Carrying a Glock SwitchRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jimmy Bender, 19, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to 24 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, officers with the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD), Violent Crimes Response Team, were patrolling in the southeastern portion of Tallahassee due to complaints of criminal activity in the area. A TPD officer observed Bender commit a traffic violation and then stopped the vehicle. As the officers removed Bender from the vehicle, they discovered a Glock.40 caliber handgun with extended magazine. The handgun was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device, or “Glock switch,” which unlawfully enabled the firearm to shoot multiple rounds with a single trigger pull.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the hard work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners, our community can rest easy knowing this dangerous individual has been removed from our streets. Criminals considering carrying an illegally converted machinegun should know my office will aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the TPD Violent Crimes Response Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Stanislaus County Man Indicted for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Two MinorsRead the Press Release
On June 26, 2025, Gonzalo Hernandez, 37, of Oakdale, was charged in an indictment with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following Hernandez’s arrest.
According to court documents, between Aug. 2, 2021, and Nov. 13, 2023, Hernandez produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, in March 2024, Hernandez persuaded a second minor to produce images of that minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oakdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hernandez faces a minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison on each count, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Committing $1.2 Million Fraud Scheme While in Florida State PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Jared Borgesto Murray (41, St. Petersburg) to four years and nine months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Murray pleaded guilty on March 24, 2025.
According to court documents,between January 2019 and September 2020, Murray orchestrated a $1.2 million fraud conspiracy while he was incarcerated in a Florida state prison for a Pinellas County robbery conviction. From the state prison, Murray organized and directed the fraud conspiracy targeting a nationwide merchant. Murray used dozens of customers’ store accounts at the merchant to fraudulently purchase products. Murray and his conspirators sold the products online and retained the fraud proceeds, causing the merchant to lose $1,260,495.89.
Murray conducted the conspiracy using multiple contraband phones he had smuggled into the prison. Murray identified customers with merchant accounts and then called the merchant locations impersonating the customers to place orders for products using the customers’ open lines of credit.
Murray and his co-conspirators then advertised the products for sale online at a substantial discount. Murray communicated with potential buyers and sold the products from state prison via phone and email. Murray and the conspirators arranged delivery of the fraudulently purchased products to the purchasers who paid Murray and the conspirators via wire transfers and mailed checks. Murray directed several individuals to pick up fraud proceeds or fraudulently obtained products.
Murray used some of the fraud proceeds and fraudulently purchased products to build a house in Lake Placid, Florida. The house was forfeited by law enforcement along with $43,550 in fraud proceeds seized from two of Murray’s bank accounts.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Suzanne Nebesky.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 34 Years for Five Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah. E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who committed five armed robberies in Missouri and Illinois in 2023 to 34 years in prison.
Ronald O. Perkins, 30, of Black Jack, Missouri, was armed with a handgun, fired multiple shots during one of the robberies and often banged the gun on the counter while demanding money or pointed it at employees, according to evidence and testimony at Perkins’ trial in April.
Perkins first robbed a gas station and convenience store on Riverview Drive in St. Louis on Sept. 8, 2023. He demanded money and then grabbed cash out of the register. He fired several shots when an employee tried to intervene.
On Nov. 8, 2023, Perkins robbed a gas station on Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, stealing cash and a pack of cigarettes.
Less than two hours later, he robbed a 7-Eleven on Hoffmeister Avenue in St. Louis County, stealing cash.
Four days later, he robbed a gas station on Fee Fee Road in St. Louis County.
Five days after that, on Nov. 17, 2023, he robbed a liquor store on St. Louis Road in Collinsville, Illinois, again stealing money from the register.
At trial, jurors saw physical and electronic evidence and surveillance video that showed Perkins was responsible for all five robberies. Officers also recovered the gun that was a ballistic match to the firearm used in the first robbery from Perkins’ pants.
In court Thursday, Judge Pitlyk called the evidence “overwhelming.”
“Use of a firearm during a crime of violence can subject you to a sentence of seven years in prison consecutive to any other charge. In Ronald Perkins’ case, that meant he faced at least 31 years in prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Drake. “It’s a very old cliché, but violent crime really does not pay. Perkins fired multiple shots during one of the robberies and held employees at gunpoint. He netted a total of $1,650 from five robberies that left nine innocent employees and two customers terrified and mentally scarred. All of that for what works out to be just pennies for each day that he will spend in prison.”
Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis found Perkins guilty of four counts of robbery, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Columbia (Illinois) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Tiffany Becker 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.
St. Croix Man Sentenced for Shooting a Woman and Her DaughterRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on July 2,
2025, Miguel A. Marrero, 53, was sentenced by Senior District Judge Wilma A. Lewis on two
federal and two territorial charges. On the federal charges, Judge Lewis sentenced Marrero to 15
years’ imprisonment for discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence (Count
One) and 30 months’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm as a felon (Count Two). On the
territorial charges, Judge Lewis sentenced Marrero to 12.5 months’ imprisonment for assault first
degree (Count Five), and four years’ imprisonment for assault third degree (Count Eight). The
federal charges are to be served consecutively to each other and consecutive to the territorial
charges. The territorial charges are to be served concurrently. Judge Lewis also sentenced Marrero
to five years of supervised release.
According to Court documents, on July 4, 2024, at the Candido Guadalupe Terrace housing
community on St. Croix, Marrero’s minor son and a female minor got into a physical altercation.
The female minor’s mother observed the physical altercation, came running towards it, and then
confronted Marrero. They had a verbal altercation, and after the mother allegedly struck Marrero
in the face, Marrero pulled out a gun and shot her in the back. The female minor then fled, but was
shot twice by Marrero while running away, in the leg and ankle. Marrero then fled the scene. As a
result of her injuries, the mother was airlifted off island for medical treatment. Marrero was a
convicted felon, who had been convicted of a firearm charge in the District Court of the Virgin
Islands on June 7, 2000.
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and Homeland Security
Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rhonda Williams-
Henry.
###South Bend Man Sentenced to 46 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Yesterday, James E. Burch II, 38 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Burch was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, in August 2024, police were summoned to a residence where Burch was both seen and photographed pointing a .357 caliber revolver. When police arrived, they located the firearm and arrested Burch. Burch’s criminal history includes three prior felony conviction, any one of which prohibit him from possessing the firearm in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Shiprock Man Faces Federal Charges for Fatal Stabbing During Residential Break-InRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing a federal murder charge after allegedly breaking into a home and fatally stabbing a man during a violent altercation in the early morning hours.
According to court documents, on Friday, June 27, 2025, Armondo Paul, 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was arrested after officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a stabbing at a Shiprock residence. Upon arrival, officers found the victim deceased with a neck wound believed to be from a bladed weapon.
The investigation revealed Paul went to a home after midnight and turned off the power to that residence. After a young woman and her father exited their home to investigate, Paul forcibly entered their residence armed with a knife. After a brief struggle, Paul stabbed the male in his neck. Paul then fled the scene; he was apprehended later that day.
Paul is charged with second-degree murder. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Paul faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Paul).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rutledge, Tennessee Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On July 1, 2025, Patrick E. McAneny Jr, 28, of Rutledge, Tennessee, was sentenced to 292 months imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Upon his release from prison, McAneny will be on supervised release for 20 years. He will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, McAneny plead guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with use of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a).
According to the written plea agreement filed with the court, McAneny began an online relationship with a 12-year-old girl. On February 4, 2024, McAneny traveled from his home in Grainger County, Tennessee to pick up the minor from her home in Hamblen County, Tennessee. She did not have permission to leave her home. Her family reported her missing the same day. From February 4 to February 6, 2024, while at McAneny’s home he took photos, and video recorded the minor and himself engaged in sexual acts. McAneny sent a video of the minor victim engaged in sexual acts with him to a third party online. The person contacted law enforcement upon receipt of the video. Based on the call law enforcement was able to locate the 12-year-old girl at McAneny’s home.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico, of the FBI Nashville Field Office, made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Hamblen and Grainger County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan L. Gomez represented the United States at the sentencing.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Romanian Man Guilty of Access Device FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that TAMAS KOLOZSVARI (“KOLOZSVARI”), age 30, a Romanian national, pled guilty on July 1, 2025 to three counts of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(4).
According to court documents, on November 13, 2024 and November 14, 2024, KOLOZSVARI, and two others, possessed device-making equipment, namely credit/debit card skimmers, at three retail locations in the Eastern District of Louisiana and installed those skimmers on point-of-sale machines.
KOLOZSVARI faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100, as to each count. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for October 28, 2025.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General; Deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; Deputies with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office; and Officers with the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
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Robbers Sentenced for Kidnapping and Beating a Woman in Her HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Andrew James, also known as Jeremiah Butts, 32, of Washington, D. C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for a kidnapping he orchestrated in January 2024.
On January 16, 2025, a Superior Court jury convicted James and his co-defendant Taurean Hobdy, of kidnapping, first degree burglary, robbery, and felony threats. James was also convicted of offense committed during release, as he was pending charges at the time of the kidnapping.
Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced James to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hobdy was sentenced on May 30, 2025, to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
The United States Attorney’s Office requested a thirteen-year prison term for James, which would have been the top of his sentencing guidelines range. The United States Attorney’s Office requested a ten-year prison term for Hobdy, which would have been the top of his sentencing guidelines range.
The government’s evidence at trial established that on January 4, 2024, shortly after midnight, the victim arrived home to find James and an unidentified woman waiting for her inside the vestibule of the multi-unit townhome where she resided. James, armed with a handgun, forced the victim into an interior room of her unit and ordered the unidentified female to begin assaulting the victim. For approximately two hours, James held the victim against her will and demanded money she allegedly owed the defendant. In an extremely chilling moment, James ran bathwater while simultaneously threatening to drown the victim if she didn’t give him money. Eventually, the victim relented and gave the defendant the pin to the EBT card she had in her possession. Hobdy, following James’ instructions, then took the victim’s EBT card to a local corner store and made multiple purchases without the victim’s consent. During the assault, the victim was able to send a text message to her mother for police assistance. When police arrived on scene, they found the severely beaten victim in a closet, hidden under a pile of clothes.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
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 work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Miller, Katerina Qesari and Mark Levy who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Ransomville man going to prison on child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John Stuart, 37, of Ransomville, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison and 25 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Stuart must also register as a sex offender.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who handled the case, stated that in August 2019, the FBI received a lead indicating that in May 2019, an online user accessed child sexual abuse and exploitation material via a website on the Tor network. Subsequent investigation traced the IP address to Stuart. In October 2020, a search warrant was executed at Stuart’s residence, during which law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices, including two laptop computers, a cell phone, a hard drive, and a desktop computer tower. A forensic review recovered approximately 8,000 videos and approximately 2,000 images of child pornography on one of the laptops, and approximately 150 images and one video of child pornography on the second laptop. Approximately 90 images and 150 videos of child pornography were recovered from the cell phone and approximately 90 images and two videos on the hard drive. Some of the images included depictions of violence against children.
Stuart also admitted that during the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered live marijuana plants, more than a pound of dried marijuana ready for consumption, and that he was a chronic user of marijuana. Stuart was also found to be in possession of three firearms. Because he was a user of controlled substances, Stuart was legally prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons.
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Puerto Rico Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Natalie De Jesus Garcia (30, Puerto Rico) has pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over eight kilograms of cocaine. De Jesus Garcia faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2025.
According to court documents, on January 24, 2025, De Jesus Garcia checked a bag onto a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Orlando. The bag contained over eight kilograms of cocaine.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to 137 Months in Prison for Cocaine SmugglingRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – Acting U.S. Attorney Adan F. Sleeper announced today that Brian Santiago
Gonzalez, 25, of Puerto Rico, was sentenced on July 1, 2025, by Chief District Judge Robert A.
Molloy to 137 months’ imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to
one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine on December 9, 2024.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2022, Brian Santiago Gonzalez and co-defendant
Wesly Albert Amaro were stopped in the waters near Savanah Island, just west of St. Thomas,
USVI. At approximately 4:00 a.m., the United States Coast Guard (USCG) detected a vessel
operating without navigation lights traveling at a high rate of speed from Culebra, PR towards
Hendrick Bay, St. Thomas. Customs and Boarder Protection Air and Marine (AMO) vessels
responded as the USCG provided updates on the vessel’s location. AMO agents located the lightsout
vessel using radar and attempted a stop. The vessel fled while the two men onboard jettisoned
bags overboard. The vessel would not heave to, so AMO agents disabled the vessel’s engine.
During the chase, AMO agents marked the locations where duffle bags were discarded from the
vessel. Upon returning to the marked areas, AMO agents recovered three duffel bags containing
79 kilograms of cocaine.
Wesly Albert Amaro was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised
release on August 18, 202, following his guilty plea.
CBP-AMO, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations
investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten
the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional
information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.Panama City Men Plead Guilty to Possessing Fighting Dogs and Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Fredricus White, 38, and Cornelious Johnson, 41, of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty to charges of possessing fighting dogs, while White also pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing firearms and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. The convictions were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, White and Johnson entered into a conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act from 2018 through February 2024, by participating in organized dog fighting, to include breeding fighting dogs, participating in gambling involving illegal dog fights, and training dogs to participate in dog fights. White and Johnson were previously arrested in Georgia on state charges of participating in a dog fight in 2022. Federal arrest warrants in February 2024 for the Georgia dog fight led to the discovery of two rural Panama City area properties where White and Johnson had continued to keep, breed, and train fighting dogs. White’s residence was also searched, and three firearms were found. White was prohibited from possessing firearms due to felony convictions in 2009 and 2012.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These defendants engaged in cruel and continued mistreatment of animals, but now they will find themselves locked in a cell for their crimes. I deeply appreciate the dedicated work of our state and federal law enforcement partners to dismantle this heinous enterprise of animal cruelty, which unsurprisingly often increases violence in the community. My office is firmly committed to ensuring the safety of all individuals and ending the cruel infliction of pain on animals purely for sport and financial gain in the Northern District of Florida.”
The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General and assisted by the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by attorneys from the Criminal Division of the Tallahassee office with assistance from the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Jon Scot Taylor, 69, of Portland, Oregon, has been sentenced for distribution of child pornography. Taylor was sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 180 months (15 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
In August of 2023, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) began communicating in an undercover capacity in an online chat forum with a user who was later determined to be Taylor. The agent was posing as a 13-year-old girl. Their conversations moved from the chat forum to text messaging. Throughout their conversations which continued through February 2024, Taylor asked the individual, who he believed was a 13-year-old girl, to send him sexually explicit images of herself. In the course of their communication, Taylor also sent the person he believed was a 13-year-old girl some child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that depicted other 12 or 13-year-old children.
At the guilty plea hearing, Taylor admitted to knowingly distributing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and that these visual depictions were sent from him in the State of Oregon to the Western District of Louisiana using interstate or foreign commerce by means of the computer. Taylor pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
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Orange County man indicted on federal carjacking, firearms violationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange County, Texas man has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Owen Lee Giles, 36, was named in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The indictment alleges that on June 20, 2025, Giles, a convicted felon, took another person’s vehicle while threatening serious bodily harm with a firearm.
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).
If convicted, Giles faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to Half a Century in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Christopher M. Callaway, 41, of West Farmington, Ohio, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan, after he pleaded guilty in March to six counts of sexually exploiting children, receipt and distribution of minors engaged in sexually explicit content, and possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was also ordered pay $40,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Judge Gaughan imposed the sentence July 1.
According to court documents, Callaway groomed victims from 2015 to 2022 and targeted vulnerable girls who ranged in age from 10 to 17 years old. He targeted his victims on social media and initiated contact with them through messaging apps such as KIK, Snapchat, or Facebook. Specifically, he sought out so called “daddy-daughter” online groups where older men communicated with underage girls.
Callaway groomed his victims by telling them that he loved them and by sending them food, clothing, money, and gift cards. Once victims trusted him, he manipulated them into sending nude images or videos of themselves performing sexual acts. Callaway also sent victims sex toys, lingerie, and other items which he directed them to use so he could produce pornography to distribute online. Additionally, the defendant sent his victims sexually explicit photos and videos of himself.
In total, federal investigators found that Callaway produced CSAM of more than 40 minors with 21 identified in the case. Most of the victims were from outside the state of Ohio and one from New Zealand. Callaway traveled to Virginia and Florida to rape victims and record the crimes as he committed them. He also traveled to the minors and brought a few to live with him in Ohio.
During a search warrant execution of Callaway’s residence, federal agents seized electronic devices containing more than 20,000 images and videos of CSAM.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to International Fraud Scheme that Defrauded Elderly U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Nigerian national pleaded guilty recently to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States.
According to court documents, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Akhimie admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank the members of the Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom for their outstanding contributions to this case.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “We have long partnered with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch to deliver justice and we will continue to do so.”
“Transnational fraud schemes thrive in the shadows, turning illicit gains into a facade of legitimacy, especially those involving seniors or other vulnerable people,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede for HSI Arizona. “HSI and our law enforcement partners commitment to investigate criminals who steal money sends a clear message: justice will prevail, and those who exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable. We thank all our partners who assisted in this investigation.”
On June 17, Akhimie pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Akhimie faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
This is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme. Seven other co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Nigeria have previously been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme. On Nov. 1, 2023, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Ezennia Peter Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, to 128 months of imprisonment. On Oct. 20, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced another defendant who was also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, to 97 months of imprisonment. Three other defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. Judge Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to prison sentences of 82 months, 87 months, and 90 months, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. Amos Prince Okey Ezemma was paroled into the United States from Nigeria and was sentenced in July 2024 to 90 months imprisonment for his role in the scheme. Lastly, on April 25, the Honorable Roy K. Altman sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, to 97 months of incarceration for his role in the scheme.
USPIS, HSI, and the Consumer Protection Branch are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
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-20140.
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Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to International Fraud Scheme that Defrauded Elderly U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
A Nigerian national pleaded guilty recently to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States.
According to court documents, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Akhimie admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank the members of the Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom for their outstanding contributions to this case.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “We have long partnered with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch to deliver justice and we will continue to do so.”
“Transnational fraud schemes thrive in the shadows, turning illicit gains into a facade of legitimacy, especially those involving seniors or other vulnerable people,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede for HSI Arizona. “HSI and our law enforcement partners commitment to investigate criminals who steal money sends a clear message: justice will prevail, and those who exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable. We thank all our partners who assisted in this investigation.”
On June 17, Akhimie pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Akhimie faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
This is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme. Seven other co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Nigeria have previously been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme. On Nov. 1, 2023, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Ezennia Peter Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, to 128 months of imprisonment. On Oct. 20, 2023, Judge Williams sentenced another defendant who was also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, to 97 months of imprisonment. Three other defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. Judge Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor, and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to prison sentences of 82 months, 87 months, and 90 months, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. Amos Prince Okey Ezemma was paroled into the United States from Nigeria and was sentenced in July 2024 to 90 months imprisonment for his role in the scheme. Lastly, on April 25, the Honorable Roy K. Altman sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, to 97 months of incarceration for his role in the scheme.
USPIS, HSI, and the Consumer Protection Branch are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Newington Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Trafficking Narcotic Pills, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KYLE PETERSEN, 39, of Newington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 138 months of imprisonment for trafficking narcotic pills and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad began investigating suspicious packages that were being delivered to Petersen’s Newington residence. At the time, Petersen was on federal supervised release following a federal conviction in 2017 involving the trafficking of fentanyl and prescription pills. During the investigation, a court-authorized search of a package mailed to Petersen contained more than 400 grams of pills containing Protonitazene, a synthetic opioid typically more potent than fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Petersen had received approximately 34 similar packages mailed from the same source in Michigan, and also received approximately 46 packages from California and Oregon suspected to contain multiple pounds of marijuana. Investigators also made controlled purchases of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl from Petersen’s brother, Erik Peterson.
Kyle and Erik Petersen were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2024. On that date, a search of Kyle Petersen’s residence revealed more than a kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Xanax pills, a large quantity of Protonitazene, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, and $76,650 in cash.
Kyle Petersen has been detained since his arrest. On April 2, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and Protonitazine. He also agreed to the forfeiture of the cash seized from his residence, an additional $57,530 in cash seized from a bank account, and a 2014 Porsche Cayenne.
Judge Dooley sentenced Kyle Petersen to 120 months of imprisonment for this offense and a consecutive 18 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Erik Petersen, of New Britain, pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on April 29, 2025, was sentenced to 43 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New Britain and Newington Police Departments. The Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hamden, West Haven, Fairfield, Seymour, and Glastonbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Multiple Federal Illegal Drug and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RASHAD MONTAGUE (“MONTAGUE”), age 33, of New Orleans, pled guilty on June 30, 2025 to an eleven (11) count superseding bill of information before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier. The superseding bill of information charged:
- Count 1 - Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of Fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846;
- Count 2 – Distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C);
- Counts 3-8 - Distribution of a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C);
- Count 9 – Possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C);
- Count 10 – Conspiracy to Possess Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A); and
- Count 11 - Maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 856 and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.
Judge Barbier scheduled sentencing for September 25, 2025. At sentencing, MONTAGUE faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment with a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three (3) years of supervised release for Counts 1 through 9; up to twenty (20) years imprisonment with a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release for Count 10; and up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, with a fine of up to $500,000, and up to four (4) years of supervised release for Count 11. All eleven counts also carry a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, MONTAGUE conspired with others to maintain multiple residences on Harmony Street as drug-involved stash houses where fentanyl and heroin were trafficked. MONTAGUE distributed fentanyl and heroin from these residences for a period of at least four months and was arrested by law enforcement as he attempted to flee one of these residences during the execution of a federal search warrant. Firearms and fentanyl were later located in the residence MONTAGUE fled.
This case was part of Operation Big Easy. Operation Big Easy was a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) enforcement initiative of collected firearm casings for the time period of August 1, 2023 to January 31, 2023 that produced data points of high-density shootings and homicides in seven areas of New Orleans related to individuals engaged in criminal activity.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballisticinformation-network-nibin.
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.
Nespelem Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Assaulting His Intimate Partner with a Firearm and Attempted Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Jered Shay Picard, age 35, of Nespelem, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country and Attempted Witness Tampering. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Picard to 48 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on December 13, 2024, Picard got into a fight with the victim, his intimate partner. The victim locked herself inside a pickup truck to get away from Picard. Picard then pointed a rifle at the victim’s face before firing a shot into the sky. When the victim tried to start the truck and escape, Picard shot out the front driver side tire so she could not leave. The victim recorded the incident on video.
The next morning, the Colville Tribal Police Department located and arrested Picard and booked him into jail.
During several jail telephone calls with the victim, Picard told her to tell investigators she did not want to press charges, avoid meeting with the FBI, delete the video of the incident, and tell investigators she and Picard were drunk at the time of the incident. Picard also implied the victim should not show up to court if the case was federally prosecuted.
“Mr. Picard’s actions were both life-threatening and deeply disturbing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. “He used a firearm to terrorize his intimate partner and then attempted to manipulate her into obstructing justice. This sentence reflects the grave danger posed by armed domestic abusers—not only to their current victims, but to future partners and to the integrity of the justice system itself.”
“Mr. Picard's violent and intimidating actions were inexcusable, continuing in an aggressive and dangerous pursuit even when his victim tried to flee in a vehicle. He then compounded his crimes by continuing to intimidate the victim in a brazen attempt to avoid accountability for his actions,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “I hope this sentence provides the first steps to closure and reinforces our commitment to combatting violent crime in all its forms. Along with our partners, the FBI is dedicated to making our state's tribal lands a safer place.”
Data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners, and in addition to their lethality, firearms are used by abusers to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control. Additionally, when a violent intimate partner has access to a firearm, nonfatal abuse may increase in severity, even when firearms are not directly used in a violent incident.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Colville Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen.
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Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rickey Everett Ballard, age 29, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On December 17, 2024, Ballard pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, between May 1, 2024, and May 29, 2024, Ballard knowingly possessed a semiautomatic .300 Blackout caliber pistol and twenty-nine rounds of ammunition after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Ballard will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jordan Bradley Brown, age 37, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and mandated Sex Offender Registration for one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service and the United States Probation Office.
On February 5, 2025, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Brown was convicted by the State of Oklahoma of Rape—2nd Degree on February 15, 2008, and Sexual Battery on June 27, 2008, each a felony conviction requiring the defendant to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006. According to investigators, on June 28, 2024, Brown failed to register an accurate address with law enforcement as required under SORNA.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Brown will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempted Arson in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Johnny Lee Vann, age 48, entered a guilty plea to one count of Attempted Arson in Indian Country, punishable by up to life in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment charged Vann with maliciously attempting to set fire to a dwelling and place the life of any person in jeopardy on January 4, 2025. The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Vann will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Mexican National Charged After Killing of Attempted Carjacking Victim in Tucson, ArizonaRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Julio Cesar Aguirre, 42, of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint on July 2, for Attempted Carjacking, Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. Aguirre had his initial appearance in federal court in Tucson today.
According to the complaint, Aguirre shot and killed a male driver with a 9mm caliber handgun, while attempting to carjack the victim’s Toyota Tundra on the morning of June 30, in Tucson, Arizona.
Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers who were called to the scene spoke with witnesses before being directed to a nearby residence for a potential burglary. When they arrived at the home, the residents explained that a Hispanic male with a bleeding arm, matching Aguirre’s description, had entered their backyard and threatened them with a gun, demanding they turn over their vehicle to him. The individual later fled.
Shortly thereafter, TPD officers located Aguirre, who was hiding in a nearby storage shed. Officers also found a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol within Aguirre’s reach. Aguirre was taken into custody without further incident.
A search of Aguirre’s record revealed that he is a Mexican citizen, illegally present in the United States. Aguirre was arrested over 10 times from 2007 to 2013 for immigration-related crimes and was last removed from the country in 2013 pursuant to a court order.
The federal prosecution of 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
TPD and the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution on the federal charges. TPD and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will have an ongoing and parallel investigation into additional felony state charges, including homicide.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-06320-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-110_Aguirre# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mason County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Maysville, Ky., man, David M. Elliot, 35, was sentenced on Thursday to 262 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, on September 1, 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle driven by Courtney Beckett, Elliot’s co-defendant, for several traffic violations. Officers found a methamphetamine pipe in her pocket and removed the passenger, Elliot, from the vehicle. Officers found two bags of methamphetamine in Beckett’s purse and 165.5 grams of methamphetamine in Elliot’s waistband.
Elliot admitted that all the methamphetamine was his, that he and Beckett drove to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region to purchase methamphetamine and were on their way back to Maysville, Ky., and he had instructed Beckett to hold the methamphetamine for him. In March 2022, Elliot was convicted of trafficking controlled substances in Mason Circuit Court and was on parole at the time of this offense.
Beckett was previously sentenced to 66 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Under federal law, Elliot must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Casey Kilgore, Ft. Thomas Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Ft. Thomas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Maryland Man Indicted on Robbery and Murder Charges for April 2024 Slaying Inside Victim’s ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Tommy Whack, 35, of Maryland, was indicted last week on robbery and murder charges stemming from the April 1, 2024 slaying of 53-year-old Fasil Teklemariam.
Whack was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of robbery and first-degree murder while armed – felony murder. Whack was arraigned on June 27, 2025 before the Honorable Neal Kravitz.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of April 1, 2024, Fasil Teklemariam was home in his apartment located at 1360 Peabody Street NW. After Whack gained entry into the building and Mr. Teklemariam’s apartment unit, Whack and the co-conspirator bludgeoned the victim to death, smashing glass bottles on his head and stabbing him in multiple places on his body with a knife. Whack and his co-conspirators robbed Mr. Teklemariam of his phone, personal papers, and other belongings inside the apartment. The victim’s body was found four days later by the apartment management staff.
Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Maryland Man Arrested After Border Agents Uncover 13 Migrants Concealed in Flatbed Near DemingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Maryland man is facing federal charges after Border Patrol agents discovered 13 undocumented individuals concealed in a tractor-trailer during a late-night stop near Deming.
According to court documents, on June 25, 2025, Border Patrol Agents conducting surveillance on Interstate 10 near Deming, New Mexico, observed a suspicious tractor trailer hauling an empty flatbed—a known tactic used by Transnational Criminal Organizations to smuggle contraband and illegal aliens into the United States. The agents followed the vehicle as it took an irregular route commonly used to bypass a Border Patrol checkpoint.
Trailer and empty flatbedUpon stopping the vehicle on New Mexico State Road 26, agents discovered 13 individuals hidden in compartments of the trailer and cab, all lacking legal immigration documents and admitting to illegal entry into the U.S.
Illegal aliens hiding underneath the flatbedThe driver, Jarol Wilberto Arroyo-Cerin, 40, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and admitted to repeatedly transporting illegal aliens for financial compensation, instructing them to hide under the flatbed. The smuggled individuals included nationals from Guatemala, Ecuador, and Mexico, including an unaccompanied juvenile.
Arroyo-Cerin is charged with conspiracy to illegally bring, transport, hide, or encourage unauthorized immigrants to enter or stay in the United States. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Arroyo-Cerin faces 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Tonkin is prosecuting the case as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
View the Criminal Complaint (Arroyo-Cerin).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Two Fatal OverdosesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Jonathan Tyler Gauthier, a prolific fentanyl dealer who kept selling the deadly drug despite the fatal overdoses of two customers within a four-month span, was sentenced in federal court today to 30 years in prison.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Gauthier sold the fentanyl that killed 24-year-old Sam Guest in September 2022 and 27-year-old Jesse White in December 2022. Gauthier continued selling fentanyl even after those deaths. As part of his February 2025 plea agreement, Gauthier admitted that the fentanyl he distributed caused their deaths.
Just before handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino told the defendant: “This is one of the most tragic cases I’ve had in my courtroom in a long time.”
“Even after two people lost their lives, the defendant kept pushing poison for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This 30-year sentence sends a stark message: If you deal fentanyl and show no regard for the deadly consequences, you will be held fully accountable. No excuses. No second chances.”
“This sentencing reflects the serious consequences awaiting those who choose to flood our communities with deadly fentanyl,” said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego. “HSI remains fully committed to holding these individuals accountable and continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners within the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) to remove this deadly threat from our neighborhoods.”
“This sentence is a resounding reminder that dealing deadly and dangerous drugs like fentanyl is not a victimless crime – two lives were lost, and countless others forever changed by one man’s choice to exploit the vulnerabilities of others,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Jacob Galvan. “We thank our partners for their assistance in bringing Gauthier to justice and prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law. The DEA will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who choose to profit by peddling deadly drugs.”
Sam’s mother described him as kind-hearted and full of joy. “To know Sam was to love Sam,” she said. In the wake of her loss, she holds onto memories of his infectious smile, his laughter, and the warmth he brought to others. Sam is deeply missed by his family, friends, and coworkers, all of whom continue to mourn his loss.
Jesse’s family remembered him as someone with a heart of gold. He had a passion for college football, a love of history, and a deep devotion to his family. He brought light into the lives of those around him—his parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends. He was especially close to his young niece, with whom he had been planning a special trip to the zoo. Jesse died in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. He had taken the week off from work to spend the holiday season with his loved ones.
In its sentencing memo, the government listed several reasons the defendant’s actions warranted the requested sentence:
·Gauthier knew the fentanyl he was selling was deadly. He had a long history of dealing the drug and was well aware of its dangers. He even acknowledged the potency of a specific batch he sold to Sam, texting him afterward, “Ur being careful.” Despite this awareness, he sold it anyway—with tragic and foreseeable results.
·Even after Sam’s fatal overdose, Gauthier kept dealing. He knew Sam had died from fentanyl he provided—referring to him as “my buddy” in texts—but continued selling the drug. Just three months later, he sold 10 fentanyl pills to Jesse, who died the next morning. This shows a chilling disregard for human life.
·Gauthier’s criminal record underscores his persistent drug activity. Despite prior convictions for robbery and narcotics offenses, including one just weeks after Sam’s death, he kept selling. Even after Jesse’s fatal overdose, he was caught in Las Vegas selling methamphetamine and offering other drugs to an undercover officer.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett.
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team and the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) jointly led this investigation.
The Overdose Response Team is an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
HSI San Diego FAST is a multiagency task force comprising state, local, and federal partners and was first established in August 2022 focusing on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl within San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl.
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24-CR-1383-JLS
Jonathan Tyler Gauthier Age: 26 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison (per count)
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Police Department
California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force
California Department of Health Care Services
La Mesa Police Department
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program
Labor Day Weekend Triple Murder in 2021 Yields Guilty Verdict for Six PeopleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, Damonta Thompson, William Johnson Lee, and Mussay Rezene, all of Washington, D.C., and Toyia Johnson, of Rockville, MD, were found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on all charges for the September 4, 2021 Labor Day weekend murders of 31-year-old Donetta Dyson, 24 year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner in front of 633 Longfellow Street, NW.
On July 3, 2025, a jury found Dubose, Queen, Johnson Lee and Thompson guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, three counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. The jury found defendant Johnson guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill while armed. The jury found defendant Rezene guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to first degree murder while armed.
“This senseless violence will not be tolerated in this city,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These thugs put innocent bystanders in harm’s way, proving their total inhumanity. Today’s verdict upholds the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to stop these horrific crimes and we look forward to taking these criminals out of society for a significant amount of time.”
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:33 p.m., on September 4, 2021, Thompson drove Dubose, Queen and Johnson Lee, to the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW. Those three men got out of the vehicle, crept to the corner of Longfellow and 7th Streets, NW, and began indiscriminately shooting into a neighborhood gathering. The three shooters ran back to the waiting vehicle Thompson was driving and fled the scene. The three victims, Ms. Dyson, Mr. Braxton and Mr. Joyner, were killed and another three victims sustained non-lethal gunshot wounds from the shooting.
Shortly after the homicide, an associate of Dubose, Toyia Johnson, who rented the vehicle Thompson was driving at the time of the incident, began placing multiple 911 calls in which she falsely reported the suspect vehicle stolen. Shortly after midnight on September 6, 2021, Dubose and Rezene drove to the 4500 block of Eads Street, NE and set fire to the vehicle. The evidence established that triple homicide was in retaliation for a shooting that occurred an hour prior in the 800 block of Oglethorpe Street, NE.
Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Secures Agreement Reforming Michigan School District’s Seclusion and Restraint PracticesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced that it reached an agreement with a Michigan school district to address the discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint against students with disabilities, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the settlement agreement, the Montcalm Area Intermediate School District will end the use of seclusion, reform its restraint practices, and improve special education services for students with disabilities.
During the period covered by the investigation, with which the school district fully cooperated, students with disabilities were secluded and/or restrained on more than 2,400 occasions. The Department’s investigation also revealed that the district used seclusion and restraint improperly, including using emergency crisis responses as punishment for normal classroom discipline issues.
“Students with disabilities should never be discriminated against by experiencing the trauma of seclusion or improper restraint,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Parents have the right to expect that the school systems they entrust with educating their children do not instead punish their children for having a disability.”
“This school district serves the most vulnerable Michigan students, young children with disabilities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexis M. Sanford for the Western District of Michigan. “I commend them for entering into this settlement agreement to provide their students with the care and services they need to get the education they deserve.”
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat disability discrimination including by improper seclusion and restraint is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
Justice Department Files Motion to Prevent Construction Delays for “Alligator Alcatraz” Immigration Detention Center in FloridaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) today filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to prevent unnecessary construction delays for Florida’s temporary immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades.
“The Department of Justice has defended President Trump’s immigration agenda in court since day one and we are proud to protect ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ from baseless, politically motivated legal schemes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“Delaying the construction of Florida’s temporary detention center, as plaintiffs request, would imperil critical immigration enforcement efforts and endanger detainees in overcrowded detention facilities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “We are proud to defend against these unfounded claims and to help the administration fulfill its fundamental obligation to prioritize the safety and security of Americans.”
On June 27, two political advocacy organizations — Friends of the Everglades Inc. and Center for Biological Diversity — filed a lawsuit to halt the construction and operation of the detention center, alleging failure to analyze the environmental effects of the project as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The plaintiffs asked for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
In today’s filing, the Justice Department vigorously opposed the request for emergency and injunctive relief. Among other things, the filing highlights that there is no federal final agency action, that the Administrative Procedure Act does not apply to state agency decisions, that any claims related to potential federal funding are unripe, and that the plaintiffs failed to show irreparable harm.
Attorneys in ENRD’s Natural Resources Section are handling the case.
Inglewood Woman Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain $1.3 Million in COVID-19 Jobless BenefitsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Inglewood woman has been arrested on a 14-count federal grand jury indictment alleging she fraudulently obtained more than $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds by submitting more than 100 fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits using stolen identities, including those of California state prisoners, the Justice Department announced today.
Selena Stewart, 45, was arrested and arraigned on Wednesday.
At her arraignment, she pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of mail fraud, one count of use of unauthorized access devices, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count possession of at least 15 unauthorized access devices. An August 26 trial date is scheduled for this case.
A federal magistrate judge ordered Stewart released on $10,000 bond.
According to the indictment, from March 2020 to December 2020, Stewart and co-defendants Toby Brazier, 48, of the Westlake area of Los Angeles, and Tony Queen, 67, of Culver City, filed with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) fraudulent applications for UI benefits in the names of other people. EDD administers California’s unemployment benefits program. The applications were filed using the personal identifying information (PII) obtained from individuals whose information was used without their permission, as well as individuals who did not qualify for UI benefits because they were in the custody of California state prisons.
The fraudulent applications falsely stated that the purported applicants had been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered eligibility for UI benefits under federal law. The applications also falsely stated that the named claimants resided and had worked in California. In fact, most identity theft victims in this scheme did not live in California. The applications also provided false mailing addresses, false annual income information, and representations that the named claimants were self-employed individuals who were adversely impacted by COVID-19.
As a result of the bogus UI applications that Stewart, Queen, and Brazier filed, EDD authorized Bank of America to issue debit cards in the names of dozens of victims and straw claimants. Once in possession of the debit cards, the defendants withdrew the UI benefits loaded onto the debit cards by making cash withdrawals at ATMs and bank branches and by using the debit cards to buy items sold at businesses.
In total, Stewart, Brazier and Queen, caused at least 101 fraudulent applications for UI benefits to be filed, causing losses to EDD and the United States Treasury exceeding $1.3 million.
Brazier and Queen are charged with 10 counts of mail fraud. Queen is expected to appear next week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for his arraignment and initial appearance. Brazier is considered a fugitive.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Stewart would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the unauthorized access device count, a mandatory two-year consecutive prison sentence for each aggravated identity theft count and 10 years in federal prison for the possession of least 15 unauthorized access device count.
The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford Mpare of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and Christina Lopez of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
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.
Inchelium Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Beating and Strangling His Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Rodney Alan Signor, 49, of Inchelium, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner in Indian Country. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 57 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on June 9, 2022, Signor assaulted his intimate partner by striking her and causing her to suffer bruising. In addition to beating his victim, Signor also strangled her, which caused her to lose consciousness. Signor also gagged his victim, wielded a knife toward her, and threatened to kill her.
“This case raised serious concerns for the victim’s safety, and I’m incredibly proud of the FBI’s swift and decisive response once the crime came to light,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “Our office remains firmly committed to protecting victims and holding domestic abusers accountable through aggressive prosecution.”
“Mr. Signor treated his former partner reprehensibly, endangering her safety in multiple violent attacks. We hope this sentence sends a clear message to Mr. Signor and others like him that violent crime will not be tolerated. The FBI is committed to continuing our work to reduce violent crime in tribal communities alongside our tribal partners,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office.
Compared to all other groups in the United States, Native American women experience some of the highest rates of domestic violence. Particularly pervasive among violent crime is nonfatal strangulation by intimate partners. Nearly half of domestic violence victims report being choked. Although nonfatal strangulation often leaves few visible signs of injury, it can cause severe physical, neurological, and psychological complications and too often forebodes future domestic homicide. A woman who has been nonfatally strangled is over seven times more likely to be killed by the same intimate partner. The recent increased focus on the dangers of nonfatal strangulation confirms what survivors of it have known for years—that many domestic violence perpetrators do not strangle their intimate partners to kill them; they strangle them to let them know they can kill them any time they wish.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Colville Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen and Assistant United States Attorney Nowles H. Heinrich.
2:23-cr-00145-TOR
In just four days, the Southern District of Texas charges nearly 100 individuals in border security and transnational gang-related mattersRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 95 cases have been filed from June 27-July 2 on immigration matters and related efforts to secure the southern border in support of Operation Take Back America, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A total of 62 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 26 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to human smuggling and other immigration crimes, drug trafficking and firearms.
Among the notable cases are charges against 16 foreign nationals illegally residing in Houston for drug trafficking and weapons allegations following an operation targeting Venezuelan nationals linked to the Anti-Tren criminal organization. Similar to the criminal activities members of Tren de Aragua have committed, Anti-Tren affiliates allegedly engaged in attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. Some members have been charged with conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and various weapons crimes, with one allegedly being an alien in possession of ammunition.
“The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.”
New criminal complaints filed this week include the illegal reentry of several Mexican nationals after recent removals, including Cesar Alejandro Tovar-Guillen, a convicted felon for cocaine distribution. He had just been removed in March, but authorities discovered him unlawfully in the United States near Alton, according to the allegations. Charges allege Osvaldo Aguilar-Aguilar and Jose Alejandro Dominguez-Guzman had last been removed in October and November 2024, respectively. They both have previous convictions of illegal reentry and had served time in federal prison, according to their criminal complaints. While Juan Esquivel-Garcia allegedly has a previous conviction for trafficking methamphetamine and was previously sentenced to 75 months before his removal. They all face up to 20 years in federal prison, upon conviction.
In McAllen, Margarito Llanes was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for alien smuggling. He led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit ending when Llanes crashed into a tree seriously injuring all eight passengers. The pursuit lasted 1.5 miles with speeds reaching up to 70 mph. At the hearing, the court heard about his violent criminal conduct, which includes indecency with a child, robbery and alien smuggling.
Two Mexican nationals received multi-year sentences for illegally reentering the United States. Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria was ordered to serve 51 months, while Jose Angel Lopez-Herrera received a 46-month-term of imprisonment. At the Lopez-Herrera hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding his criminal history, which included not only having reentered the country in 2022 but a human smuggling case in which one had drowned. In handing down Hernandez-Doria’s sentence, the court noted he needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again. He had three prior felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as a felony conviction for taking a weapon from an officer. His most recent removal was in July 2024.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Hugo Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Maxie Darryl Caston, age 58, of Hugo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by a three year term of supervised release, for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On March 14, 2025, Caston pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 6, 2024, law enforcement executing a search warrant for Caston’s Hugo residence seized a revolver, a shotgun, four rifles, and multiple rounds of ammunition. At the time of the search, Caston had sustained at least one prior felony conviction and was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm or ammunition.
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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Caston will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Hugo Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that James Eric Diggs, age 47, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment charged Diggs with knowingly possessing a semi-automatic pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition on February 5, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Hugo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Diggs was permitted to remain free on bond with conditions pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Honduran Guilty of Illegal Re-Entry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DERY JONCARLOS ZELAYA-ZELAYA a/k/a “DERY ZELAYA,” (“ZELAYA-ZELAYA”), age 28, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty on July 1, 2025 to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, ZELAYA-ZELAYA was previously removed from the United States on May 13, 2022, and December 4, 2019, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to re-enter. United States District Judge Susie Morgan set sentencing for August 26, 2025 at 2 p.m.
ZELAYA-ZELAYA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Gallup Man Charged with Voluntary Manslaughter for Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man is facing federal charges following a fatal shooting during an altercation.
According to court documents, on May 26, 2025, Herman Smith, 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, shot and killed John Doe during an altercation.
Smith is charged with voluntary manslaughter and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Smith faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Miroslav Cuckovic, 32 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled Substance, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Cuckovic was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, on two occasions in 2023, Cuckovic distributed fentanyl. On October 11, 2023, Cuckovic was arrested by police after throwing 400 grams of fentanyl from a car window. Cuckovic’s criminal history revealed he had prior convictions for robbery and felony battery, and as such, he was determined to be a career offender.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Allen County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Michael Turner, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa was sentenced July 1, 2025, to 87 months’ imprisonment, in federal court in Sioux City, for possession of firearm by a prohibited person.
At the plea hearing on February 5, 2025, Turner admitted that between March 1, 2024 and March 29, 2024, he possessed a Glock .45 caliber pistol knowing that he was then previously convicted of a crime(s) punishable of a term of imprisonment for more than one year and was an unlawful user of controlled substance(s). On March 29, 2024, Turner was stopped and found in possession of a .45 caliber Glock pistol. It was later determined by ballistic comparison evidence the firearm had been used in a March 8, 2024, shooting in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Other evidence, including surveillance video, indicated Turner was present during the shooting.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Turner was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment and must serve a two-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Turner remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3023.
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Former bank president and contractor plead guilty to federal charge in loan fraud schemeRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A former bank president and contractor appeared in federal court and admitted to committing bank fraud by conspiring together to falsify loan applications and obtain funds.
Francis Eversman, 74, of Collinsville, and Gregg Crawford, 65, of Columbia, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for their roles in a scheme that extended from 2011 to 2020.
“The integrity of our banking system relies on the integrity of loan officers and applicants,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate their fiduciary duties and those who obtain loans through fraud are brought to justice.”
According to court documents, Eversman was a senior loan officer at former Tempo Bank in Trenton. Crawford was the owner of construction companies in southern Illinois. Eversman and Crawford admitted in district court that Crawford recruited straw purchasers to act as nominal loan applicants on what were often highly overvalued properties.
“Every American citizen deserves to walk into their bank and trust the people behind the counter. In southern Illinois, these people are usually our neighbors and friends, people that we trust with our money and wellbeing. The defendants in this case violated that trust through schemes aimed to self-serve and increase wealth,” said FBI Springfield Assistant Special Agent in Charge Karen Marinos. “FBI Springfield and our partners with the Office of Inspector General - Treasury and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will always look out for the wellbeing of the citizens of Illinois and ensure their money is being put in the hands of people they can truly trust.”
His brother-in-law, Eversman, steered these loans through the approval process. Crawford then used the loan proceeds for other purposes. In some cases, Crawford provided fake lease agreements to purport to show rental income from subject properties. When at audit by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency discovered the suspect loans, Crawford instructed a straw purchaser to provide investigators with false information.
Both Crawford and Eversman waived their right to be indicted by a grand jury and pled guilty to an Information.
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and fines up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Springfield Field Office, the Office of Inspector General – Treasury Department, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke is prosecuting the case.
Former South Texan admits to drug deal involving $2 million in cocaineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 25-year-old former resident of Donna has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Carlos Chacon admitted he provided narcotics to Mexican citizen Sergio Ivan Beas Rivera in May 2024.
Authorities had witnessed the transaction and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Rivera was driving. They discovered 31 cellphone wrapped bundles which weighed approximately 34 kilograms and tested positive for cocaine.
The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $2 million.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane will impose sentencing Sept. 16. At that time, Chacon faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Beas Rivera, 42, previously pleaded guilty for his role, admitting he knew he was in possession of the narcotics and intended to distribute them. He is set for sentencing Aug. 13 before U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton. He remains in custody.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Constables Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.
Former Prison Guard Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing InmatesRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Mikael Salvador Rivera, 48, of Kapolei, Hawaii, was sentenced today in federal court by Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright to 96 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for sexual abuse of wards.
Rivera was a correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu from approximately 2014 to 2018. As part of his prior guilty plea in March 2025, Rivera admitted that while on duty as a correctional officer, he ordered an inmate to participate in multiple sexual acts to which she did not consent and engaged in sexually abusive conduct with two additional inmates under his supervision. According to information provided to the Court, Rivera would leave cell doors unlocked so that he could enter or escort his victims out undetected. Rivera’s guilty plea came after he initially fled on the eve of trial, leading law enforcement on a days-long manhunt across Oahu.
At sentencing, Judge Seabright imposed an upward variance from the advisory Sentencing Guidelines range, stating that with respect to the offense conduct, “there is nothing in mitigation, nothing I see but a gross abuse of Mr. Rivera’s position of authority within FDC, and a gross abuse of that power in sexually abusing these three inmates over one calendar year.” Judge Seabright went on to state, “His conduct was the exact opposite of what was intended. You were supposed to help, to rehabilitate those in your care. Instead, you preyed on them. You became a predator to them.”
“Correctional officers serve an invaluable role in our justice system, working in dangerous environments where they are entrusted to ensure order in our detention facilities and the safety of our inmates. While nearly all federal correctional officers are hardworking, ethical, and honest, there are those very few who abuse their power over inmates. Their conduct erodes public faith in our institutions and justice system, and we must accordingly seek to investigate, prosecute, and punish those who abuse vulnerable inmates in federal custody. Those who violate the public trust will experience the full force of law and justice in the District of Hawaii,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Today’s lengthy sentence serves as a warning that sexual misconduct by federal correctional officers will be investigated, prosecuted, and severely punished.”
“Sexual abuse of individuals in custody by federal correctional officers is a profound breach of public trust. The Office of the Inspector General is committed to ensuring that those who violate that trust are held accountable for abusing their authority,” said Anne Walsh, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Western Region.
“Not only did Mikael Rivera abuse the power of his position to commit horrific acts of sexual violence and silence his victims, but his actions undermined the efforts of all correctional officers,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Today’s sentence sends the clear message that the FBI will investigate and hold accountable anyone who violates federal law, regardless of their position.”
The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Ayabe for the District of Hawaii and Trial Attorney Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from former PIN Deputy Chiefs Jennifer Clarke and Marco Palmieri.
Former Air Force Member Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sexual Assault at Air Base in EnglandRead the Press Release
MIAMI – James Loubeau, a former U.S. Air Force member, was sentenced today to five years in prison to be followed by 20 months of supervised release for sexually assaulting another service member at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, in May 2019. In April 2025, Loubeau, 37, of Miami, pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact.
As part of his guilty plea, Loubeau admitted that, on May 4, 2019, he sexually assaulted the victim on base at Royal Air Force Mildenhall. Loubeau was later discharged from the Air Force in March 2020. The charges were brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes U.S. jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, persons who served with the armed forces but who are no longer subject to military prosecution.
In May 2019, Loubeau and the victim met at a bar on the Air Force base where the victim consumed several alcoholic beverages. Later, a friend of the victim accompanied the victim back to her on-base housing and helped her get ready for bed. The friend then left and the victim fell asleep alone. Around 2:30 a.m., the victim awoke to find Loubeau on top of her in her bed. The victim almost immediately called two friends to say she had been raped. Surveillance video captured Loubeau after he left the victim’s room to return to his dorm room. A medical examination revealed that the victim had injuries consistent with sexual contact, and DNA testing later linked Loubeau to the sexual assault.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael Koellner of Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 512; and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20454.
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Former Air Force Member Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sexual Assault at Air Base in EnglandRead the Press Release
James Loubeau, a former U.S. Air Force member, was sentenced today to five years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for sexually assaulting another service member at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, in May 2019. In April 2025, Loubeau, 37, of Miami, pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact.
As part of his guilty plea, Loubeau admitted that, on May 4, 2019, he sexually assaulted the victim on base at Royal Air Force Mildenhall. Loubeau was later discharged from the Air Force in March 2020. The charges were brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes U.S. jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, persons who served with the armed forces but who are no longer subject to military prosecution.
In May 2019, Loubeau and the victim met at a bar on the Air Force base where the victim consumed several alcoholic beverages. Later, a friend of the victim accompanied the victim back to her on-base housing and helped her get ready for bed. The friend then left and the victim fell asleep alone. Around 2:30 a.m., the victim awoke to find Loubeau on top of her in her bed. The victim almost immediately called two friends to say she had been raped. Surveillance video captured Loubeau after he left the victim’s room to return to his dorm room. A medical examination revealed that the victim had injuries consistent with sexual contact, and DNA testing later linked Loubeau to the sexual assault.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Michael Koellner of Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 512; and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.