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Wednesday 2 July 2025
Nashville Felon on Bond for Drug and Firearms Offenses Federally Charged with Firearm and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Darryl Deshaun Humphrey, 49, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our Bond Watch program prioritizes keeping felons who are on bond for serious offenses but get caught with guns and deadly drugs like fentanyl off the streets of our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Those on bond awaiting trial need to know that if they continue to violate the law we will hold them accountable for their crimes and keep our citizens safe from their dangerous and illegal activity.”
According to court documents, on June 19, 2025, Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers conducted a traffic stop, which resulted in Humphrey’s arrest. Uniformed patrol officers were conducting routine patrol and enforcement operations in the area of Whites Creek Pike and W. Trinity Lane in Nashville. The officers saw Humphrey standing outside the driver side door of a Cadillac Escalade in a gas station parking lot, ran the Escalade’s license plate tag through law enforcement databases and learned that Humphrey, the registered owner, had a suspended driver’s license. The officers saw Humphrey drive the Escalade out of the parking lot traveling north on Whites Creek Pike and initiated a traffic stop on the Escalade based on the driver’s license violation. The Escalade came to a stop, and officers saw Humphrey move from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat. Humphrey got out of the Escalade on the passenger side, walked around the Escalade, and told the officers that he was not driving. Officers advised Humphrey of the violation and why they stopped him and told him to stop walking. Humphrey ignored the officers’ commands and took a fighting stance at which time an officer utilized his department-issued taser to subdue and arrest Humphrey.
From outside of the Escalade, officers observed on the driver seat floorboard a large plastic bag that contained a white rocky substance that the officer immediately recognized to be consistent with controlled substances. Additionally, there was a firearm on the driver’s seat. A query of law enforcement databases showed Humphrey was a previously convicted felon. Officers conducted a search of the Escalade and located two large plastic bags containing a controlled substance that field tested positive for fentanyl: the first bag contained approximately 257 grams and the second contained approximately 378.9 grams. Officers recovered another second plastic bag with approximately 1.27 pounds of suspected cocaine which field tested positive, a box of empty plastic baggies, five digital scales, and approximately $18,600 in U.S. Currency. Additionally, multiple tablets and/or pills were located which were identified as various controlled substances. Officers also seized a Ruger, Caliber: 9x19mm pistol and a Caspian, Caliber: .45 ACP pistol.
Humphrey has multiple prior felony convictions in state and federal courts. His felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court include Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, for which he received a two-year sentence, and two convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substance – Cocaine .5grams or more, for which he received an eight-year sentence and a six-year sentence. Humphrey also was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, for which he received a 10-year sentence. At the time of his arrest, Humphrey was on bond for Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 26 grams of cocaine, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Evading Arrest, and Resisting Arrest, from a June 2023 arrest in Davidson County.
If convicted, Humphrey faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Montgomery Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that 33-year-old Taboris Ladale Mock, of Montgomery, Alabama, has been sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by a federal judge on July 1, 2025, following Mock’s guilty plea to two counts of unlawful firearm possession. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, at approximately 3:25 a.m. on September 28, 2024, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire in the parking lot of an establishment on Wetumpka Highway. Witnesses stated that they observed up to six individuals exchanging gunfire following an altercation.
Surveillance video recovered from the business showed Mock discharging a handgun toward a vehicle in the parking lot before fleeing the scene. Investigators later recovered 24 spent shell casings from the area.
Deputies also learned that a person inside the vehicle Mock fired upon had been transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound. The victim later succumbed to their injuries.
Later, on October 23, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Mock’s residence in Montgomery and recovered a 9mm handgun. Due to previous felony convictions, Mock is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. Mock pleaded guilty to both firearm possession charges on April 1, 2025.
This case was brought as a 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.
Montgomery Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A Montgomery County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a Glock switch, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Middle District of Alabama U.S. District Court Judge Myron H. Thompson sentenced Da’Quarious Lamarion Dudley, 21, of Montgomery, Alabama, to 20 months in prison. In March, Dudley pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, on February 9, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department were alerted to a sighting of a stolen Mercedes Benz. Officers responded to the area and caught up with Dudley, the driver of the stolen vehicle. Dudley attempted to make a U-turn. Another officer blocked Dudley, preventing him from driving further. Dudley got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. During the chase, he grabbed a firearm in his waistband and threw it. Officers recovered a Glock 17 9mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” A search warrant of Dudley’s Facebook page revealed that he was regularly in possession of “switches” and even agreed to procure switches for other individuals in the Montgomery area.
ATF Nashville Division investigated the case along with the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr. prosecuted the case.
Mifflin County Man Sentenced for Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vincent Minervini, age 50, of Reedsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to a term of probation for five years with a period of 540 days of home detention with electronic monitoring by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for filing a false tax return.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Minervini pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024, to filing a false tax return in 2018. From 2014 through 2018, Minervini, operated various companies that he either owned on his own or controlled through a partnership. These businesses included VM Holdings, LLC; Supreme Star Property Management, LLC; Boomer Builders LLC; Debt Free Partnerships, LP; Boomer Ranches DS, LLC; and VMJH Holdings, LLC.
Minervini filed personal and business tax returns in each of these years. Minervini made it appear that his businesses were incurring expenses, which were deducted from his businesses’ taxable income, by moving money from one of his companies to another and labeling such payments “Management Services,” “Management Fees,” “Operating Expenses,” “Operating Budget,” and “Transfers.” For example, in 2016, VMJH Holdings and Boomer Ranches made $134,500 worth of transfers to Boomer Builders that were labeled “Operating Budget” and “Operating Expenses,” but Boomer Builders did not declare any of these transfers as gross receipts on its own tax return. Minervini’s actions therefore reduced the amount of income that was subject to taxation by the IRS.
Minervini made payments from his companies to himself without reporting such transfers as income in his personal tax returns. For instance, in 2017, VM Holdings transferred approximately $809,648.22 to Minervini’s personal bank account, and Minervini deducted this amount as an expense on VM Holdings’ tax return, but he did not declare it as income on any other return, personal or business.
As a result of these actions, Minervini underreported approximately $2,102,512 in income.
Minervini submitted his tax returns to the IRS under penalty of perjury. Minervini admitted that the tax returns for 2014 to 2018 contained knowingly false information. Minervini accepted responsibility for $266,618 in unpaid taxes, which was the full amount of unpaid taxes for 2014 to 2018. He also paid restitution to the IRS in that amount prior to the date of sentencing. The IRS will also assess penalties and interest on Minervini’s back taxes.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
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Mexican national receives 8 years for possession of nearly 1,500 images of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Apolonio Sanchez-Martinez pleaded guilty Sept. 18, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera considered information from victim impact statements and ordered Sanchez-Martinez to serve a 97-month-term of imprisonment. He was further ordered to pay $160,000 in restitution to known victims and will serve 15 years on supervised release to be served following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
On Aug. 12, 2023, Sanchez-Martinez attempted to enter the United States through the Brownsville Gateway Port of Entry. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they located a cell phone. Forensic analysis of the device resulted in the discovery of 1,405 videos and 152 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“There is zero tolerance for child sex abuse material in the United States, and those that attempt to bring CSAM into our country are going to face long prison stays,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will do everything we can to not only apprehend and punish producers of such images and videos, but also the consumers of such material—like the defendant here—who provide a market for the creation of CSAM.”
Sanchez-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Willful Failure to Register Charge in WacoRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco to one count of willful failure to register.
According to court documents, Diego Zaragoza-Rios was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety for a traffic violation near Itasca on Sept. 20, 2024. Assisted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a check of immigration databases yielded negative results for any lawful admission into the U.S., and Zaragoza-Rios admitted during a telephonic interview with an ICE deportation officer that he had entered the U.S. unlawfully sometime in 2023.
Zaragoza-Rios pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland, who sentenced the defendant to time served.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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).
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Returning to United States After Removal and a Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Permanent Resident CardRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously removed.
Andres G. Angel-Martinez, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of unlawfully returning to the United States after removal.
On April 15, 2025, he was taken into custody for an immigration law violation at the Cass County, Missouri Jail.
Martinez-Jimenez faces up to two years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays will impose sentencing on a date to be determined.
He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
In a second, unrelated case, a Guatemalan national has pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a fraudulent Permanent Resident card.
According to court documents, Victor Hugo Vasquez-Perez was found in Independence, Missouri on March 15, 2025, after an encounter at his residence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement law enforcement officers arrested Vasquez-Perez for possession of a United States of America Permanent Resident card and a Social Security card both featuring Vasquez-Perez’s photograph but bearing a false name.
Vasquez-Perez faces up to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays will impose sentencing on a date to be determined.
He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. They were both was investigated by Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
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 Neighborhood (PSN).
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to 2 Immigration Violations in WacoRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco on Tuesday to one count of failure to update change of address and one count of false documents.
According to court documents, Juana Maria Garcia-Rosales, was found in Temple on May 15, after Temple Police executed a search warrant at her residence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Officers subsequently arrested Garcia-Rosales for being in possession of a Permanent Resident Card with an Alien Number that had not been issued. A criminal complaint alleges that Garcia-Rosales admitted to purchasing the card from someone in Florida via social media. Further investigation revealed that Garcia-Rosales was previously admitted into the U.S. with a Border Crosser Card in July 2012 and the Form I-94 documenting her arrival listed her address as a location in Bryan—not Temple.
A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Garcia-Rosales faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Frazier is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Carjacking a U.S. Postal Service TruckRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Wilber Castellanos Hernandez, 33, an undocumented Mexican citizen, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to carjacking a U.S. Postal Service Truck and threatening the U.S. Postal Service employee.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow sentenced Hernandez to 36 months’ supervised release and ordered him to pay $2,828.89 in restitution for damage to the postal vehicle and missing postal equipment.
According to court documents and statements made at Hernandez’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on February 5, 2024, Hernandez stole a U.S. Postal Service vehicle in Salt Lake City. He admitted to checking the door handle of the postal truck and entering the vehicle. When he was told to get out of the vehicle by the postal employee, he pointed a knife at him and fled from the area. Hernandez was tracked using GPS technology and stopped by law enforcement before he was subsequently taken into custody. See prior release here: Salt Lake City Man Accused of Carjacking a U.S. Postal Service Truck and Causing Multiple Car Accidents is Arrested and Charged.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department investigated the case.Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Member of Violent Crew that Robbed South Asian Jewelers at Gunpoint Sentenced to 9 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced today that Robert Sheffield, 34, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy that staged a multi-state string of violent gun-point robberies of South Asian jewelry stores. The robberies netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for a 15-member crew, allegedly led by Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy.”
Sheffield, aka “Da Real Lifaa,” pleaded guilty Feb. 20, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery), and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In addition to the nine-year prison term, Judge Cooper ordered Sheffield to serve five years of supervised release.
Before they were apprehended, the co-conspirators robbed at least 11 jewelry stores, terrorized multiple victims and left behind a wake of destruction and financial loss.
In his plea agreement, Sheffield admitted to his involvement in the Nov. 10, 2023 armed robbery of $1 million in cash and gold from the Baral Jewelers in Harrisburg, Pa., and his role as the gunman during the April 28, 2023 armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Va., during which the store owner fired gunshots at the intruders, who returned gunfire.
In addition to the 108-month prison term, Judge Cooper ordered Sheffield to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, over the course of 18 months, Sheffield and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023 after several of the co-conspirators had been charged and arrested.
On Nov. 10, 2022, at around 6:30 p.m., Sheffield and several co-conspirators traveled from the District to Baral Jewelers in Harrisburg in two vehicles. After arriving, at least two co-conspirators remained in the vehicles to act as “getaway” drivers, while several others, including Sheffield, rushed into the store. Two armed co-conspirators remained in the front of Baral, a grocery area, subduing the employees and customers there as four others, including the Sheffield, ran to the rear where the gold jewelry was housed.
As employees and customers in the front of the store cowered in terror, covering their faces or ears, a gunman held the store owner at gunpoint and took about $600 from the cash register. Meanwhile, one of the four suspects in the rear of the store used a gun to coerce an employee to the ground as Sheffield and others smashed the glass display cases and shoveled gold jewelry into large bags.
A week later, a co-defendant posted an image on social media of Sheffield fanning a stack of cash. On Nov. 30, 2022, the same co-defendant posted an Instagram story of Sheffield purchasing a Rolex watch with cash at a jewelry store in Prince George’s Mall. In the Instagram video, Sheffield counts out multiple $100 bills before the camera pans over to the Rolex he is purchasing and shows a certificate showing an appraisal value for the watch of $11,500.
On April 28, 2023, Sheffield and at least five co-conspirators drove from the District to Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Virginia, which had been a prior target of this conspiracy in January 2022, resulting in the theft of $300,000 to $400,000 in gold jewelry. At 8 p.m., a co-defendant smashed Yasini’s storefront window with a sledgehammer. Immediately, five masked suspects ran into the store through the broken window. Among them was Sheffield, who was armed with a loaded Glock 23, 40 caliber pistol.
The Yasini store owner retrieved his own firearm and fired once. The co-conspirators fled the store before taking any jewelry. Sheffield fired two shots at the owner before running back to the getaway vehicle.
On August 30, 2023, law enforcement arrested Sheffield and other codefendants and searched their residences. During a search, law enforcement recovered the firearm Sheffield had discharged in Yasini and further recovered 21 live rounds of 9mm ammunition from Sheffield’s home.
Sheffield previously served five years in prison for an armed robbery involving use of a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI Newark and Washington Field Offices, and U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall.
DEFENDANT
AKA
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CHARGES/SENTENCETrevor Wright, 33Taliban GlizzyWashington DCInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; money laundering; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.William Hunter, 28Ill WillWashington DCSentenced to 228 months on Dec. 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery, aka Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Avery Fuller, 29
Deavry Cordell Fuller, Fully AceWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Franklin Hunter, 30GinoWashington DCPleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2024, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Davon Johnson, 31
YBWashington DCSentenced to 111 months on November 20, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Decarlos Hill, 30LosMarylandSentenced to 57 months on November 6, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.Lamont Marable, 28 Washington DCSentenced to 93 months on November 11, 2024, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Keith McDuffie, 27 CaliforniaInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Jameise Christian, 33
Safety, Safe, Safe PlayWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Andrew Smith, 30
Drewso, DrewMarylandSentenced to 138 months in prison on Oct.17, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Robert Sheffield, 33
Da Real LifaaWashington DCSentenced to 108 months on July 2, 2025, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Jaylaun Brown, 22Lil LaunyWashington DCPleaded guilty Feb. 7, 2025, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.Timothy Conrad, 33
TwinWashington DCSentenced to 168 months on October 1, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Antonio Tate, 21 Washington DCSentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Delonte Martin, 35 Washington DCSentenced to 108 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.23cr137
Member of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials in Connection with Hit ListRead the Press Release
Noah Lamb, 24, was charged with an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination.
“The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”
“Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.”
“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.”
“The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.”
According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.
The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth, Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Samuel A. Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy, a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of solicitation of murder of a federal official, a maximum of five years in prison for each count of doxing a federal official and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conviction. 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.
Member of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials in Connection with Hit ListRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Noah Lamb, 24, was charged in the Eastern District of California in an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and other offenses in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination.
“Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.”
“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.”
“The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”
“The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.”
According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.
The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The indictment charges Lamb with a total of eight federal crimes, including one count of conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications. If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of 85 years in prison.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office in investigating the case.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California are 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.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced to Just Under 2 Years in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on June 30, 2025.
Patrick Red Legs, age 31, was sentenced to one year and 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Legs was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025.
Red Legs is required to register as a sex offender under federal law for sexually abusing a 13-year-old-girl. This is his third conviction for failure to register as a sex offender. Following his last release from prison on June 10, 2024, Red Legs registered a McLaughlin, South Dakota, address with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. On or about July 1, 2024, Red Legs moved to his girlfriend’s home in Little Eagle without updating his registration. Because her children also lived there, Red Legs was prohibited from visiting his girlfriend’s house, much less living there. Red Legs only updated his address following his arrest for violating his supervised release on August 12, 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Red Legs was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking South Carolina Federal Agent and FamilyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Scott Robert Tardy, 31, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice in a scheme that targeted a South Carolina federal law enforcement agent and his family.
According to evidence presented in court, in February, Tardy operated an account with the username “connecticut12345” on the Kik social media platform in which he joined an anti-law enforcement chatgroup. In that group, Tardy posted numerous messages discussing and soliciting violence against a specific agent and the agent’s spouse.
In those messages, Tardy repeatedly identified the victims’ employment affiliation as a reason to target them. He also shared photographs of the agent’s spouse and the city and state in which they live. Tardy discussed violence against the agent and the agent’s family, including throwing a Molotov cocktail in their bedroom while they were sleeping. He asked for the conversation to be moved to the Telegram platform, where he operated the username “slimybanana,” because he believed it was more secure.
On the second platform, Tardy discussed what a cartel would do to the victims, he discussed having one of the victims “ruined,” “destroyed,” and “tortured for days.” He said burning the house was “good enough” if the victim was inside. Tardy then shared the location of the victims’ home by sharing a map with a pin drop on the victims’ street, and asked another user how long it would take them to get there.
When the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Tardy’s apartment on Feb. 16, he falsely denied ever using Kik or Telegram and he denied responsibility for the solicitations and messages. He gave further false statements in an interview with investigators, and he caused the phone he used to be reset, clearing its content, and exchanged with Apple for a new phone.
Despite that, investigators recovered the map of the victims’ home with the pin drop on it from an account associated with Tardy. Data related to the Kik and Telegram accounts showed that Tardy controlled the accounts. During the scheme, Tardy worked as a corrections officer at a detention facility in Connecticut.
Tardy faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and five years of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office to follow a term of imprisonment.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted Tardy’s guilty plea and will sentence the defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office with critical assistance from FBI Boston field office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.
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MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to 68 Years in Prison for Eight Murders, Multiple Attempted Murders, Arson, Narcotics Trafficking, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Alexi Saenz, also known as “Blasty” and “Plaky,” the leader of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 68 years’ imprisonment. On July 10, 2024, Saenz pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with his participation in eight murders, namely, the January 28, 2016 murder of Michael Johnson; the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta; the September 5, 2016 murder of Marcus Bohannon; the September 13, 2016 murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens; the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo; the October 13, 2016 murder of Dewann Stacks; and the January 30, 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla, in addition to his participation in three attempted murders, and arson, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses.
Joseph Nocella, Jr, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI New York); and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Alexi Saenz led an unspeakable reign of terror, killing, and crime that damaged his community and cost several people their lives,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to hold the MS-13 and its members accountable for their horrific acts, including the pain they’ve caused victims and their loved ones. This sentencing is one of many in our relentless pursuit to dismantle the MS-13 and other violent criminal organizations.”
“For years, Alexi Saenz wielded his role as a local MS-13 leader to facilitate and participate in eight brutal murders of perceived rivals. Saenz terrorized Long Island as he indiscriminately targeted and hunted a wide range of victims, with careless regard to innocent bystanders harmed by his actions. May today’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s relentless determination to crush all gang violence plaguing our communities,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
“Alexi Saenz is a violent career criminal whose path of destruction ripped apart families and terrorized Suffolk County with his MS-13 cohorts,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “I commend the efforts of the SCPD officers and our law enforcement partners who are dedicated to bringing violent gang criminals to justice and offering closure to the victims’ families.”
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum, prior court filings, and statements during the sentencing, Alexi Saenz was the local leader of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 – one of the more powerful, violent, and well-established cliques on the East Coast of the United States. He committed the following crimes in order to maintain and increase his membership and status within the gang and to further the mission of the MS-13:
January 28, 2016 Murder of Michael Johnson
On January 28, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other MS-13 members and associates were at the Jocorena Deli in Brentwood, where they saw 29-year-old Michael Johnson, and claimed to recognize him as a member of the rival Bloods street gang. At that point, Johnson was marked as their “food” – a reference to their intention to kill him.
After receiving the requisite approval from the New York leader of the Sailors clique to commit this murder, Alexi Saenz contacted several other MS-13 members, informed them of the plan to kill Johnson, and instructed them to bring weapons, including a machete and a baseball bat, to a wooded area in Brentwood. Alexi Saenz then lured Johnson to that secluded meeting location under the guise of smoking marijuana. The MS-13 members and associates ambushed Johnson from behind – striking Johnson with the baseball bat, stabbing him with a knife, and taking turns hacking him with the machete. They fled after hearing police sirens in the area.
Johnson was reported missing by family members. Less than one week after his murder, on February 2, 2016, members of the SCPD responded to a 911 call about a body found in the woods by a passerby, and recovered Johnson’s body. An autopsy determined Johnson’s cause of death to be sharp and blunt force injuries.
April 29, 2016 Murder of Oscar Acosta
In early 2016, Alexi Saenz and his fellow Sailors clique members decided to “green light,” or approve, the murder of 19-year-old Oscar Acosta because they suspected that he was associating with the rival 18th Street gang after previously aligning himself with the MS-13. The New York Sailors clique leader assigned roles as to which members would take the lead in planning and carrying out the murder.
On April 29, 2016, MS-13 members met Acosta in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where he had been lured under the guise of smoking marijuana. They brutally beat Acosta with tree limbs, knocking him unconscious. They bound Acosta’s hands and feet, wrapped an article of clothing around his mouth to prevent him from making noise, and summoned other MS-13 members, including Alexi Saenz. The MS-13 members loaded Acosta into the trunk of Alexi Saenz’s car, and drove to a more secluded area in Brentwood near the abandoned Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital. At the direction of Alexi Saenz, the MS-13 members removed Acosta, who was still alive, from the trunk and carried him deeper into the woods where they took turns hacking him to death with a machete. The murder was supervised by Alexi Saenz, as his role as the local clique leader. The MS-13 members then buried Acosta’s body in a shallow grave.
Acosta’s body was discovered by law enforcement nearly five months later, on September 16, 2016, during a search for another MS-13 victim. His cause of death was homicidal violence, including sharp and blunt force injuries to his head and torso.
July 18, 2016 Attempted Murders of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2
On July 18, 2016, during a Sailors clique meeting at Alexi Saenz’s house in Central Islip, the defendant instructed the group to hunt for rival gang members who had been disrespectful to the MS-13, in order to attack and kill them.
Later that evening, other members of the MS-13, who were driving around Brentwood armed with firearms and a machete, spotted a group of men on Apple Street. Believing these men to be members of a rival gang, three MS-13 members got out of the car and attacked the group, firing rounds from two different guns, and then using a machete to hack at one of the men who had fallen to the ground. After the attack, the group drove back to Alexi Saenz’s house, where they hid the weapons.
Two individuals were injured as a result of this attack. John Doe #1 was struck with a bullet, but survived. John Doe #2 was attacked with a machete, and was permanently disfigured.
August 10, 2016 Attempted Murders of Suspected Rival Gang Members
In 2016, members of the MS-13 were engaged in a series of disputes with members of the Goon Squad, a rival gang in Brentwood.
On August 10, 2016, Alexi Saenz and another MS-13 member drove through the neighborhood around Lukens Avenue in Brentwood, and spotted several men who they believed were members of the Goon Squad. They then rallied other members of the Sailors clique to come kill the rivals.
The MS-13 members divided into two vehicles, and drove towards the house where the suspected Goon Squad members had been spotted. Alexi Saenz’s car kept watch for the police, while two other MS-13 members, each bearing a gun, approached the group of suspected rivals and fired numerous shots in their direction. No one was hit, although a stray bullet entered a neighbor’s house and struck the headboard of a bed in which the neighbor was sleeping.
September 5, 2016 Murder of Marcus Bohannon
On September 4, 2016, during a Sailors clique meeting at Alexi Saenz’s house in Central Islip, the defendant and other MS-13 members went out hunting for rival gang members to kill.
The MS-13 members separated into several cars and drove around Central Islip and Brentwood, until Alexi Saenz’s group spotted 27-year old Marcus Bohannon walking along Lowell Avenue in Central Islip in the early morning hours of September 5. Suspecting that Bohannon was a member of the rival Bloods gang, two MS-13 members, carrying firearms, got out of the vehicle, approached him, and started shooting. Alexi Saenz then drove them away. Bohannon was struck nine times, including in his head, neck, and chest, and died from his wounds.
September 12, 2016 Arson
During the summer of 2016, Sailors clique members of the MS-13 engaged in regular altercations with local gang members based in a neighborhood on Freeman Avenue in Brentwood.
On September 12, 2016, MS-13 members retaliated by setting fire to a car parked in the driveway of one of the houses in that rival gang neighborhood. Alexi Saenz directed other gang members to purchase gasoline and carry out the arson, while he drove around watching for police presence. The other MS-13 gang members drove to that house, where they poured gasoline on a car parked in the driveway, and set it on fire. The car exploded, and set another parked car on fire.
September 13, 2016 Murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens
On September 13, 2016, Sailors clique members brutally murdered 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas, both students at Brentwood High School.
In the months leading up to the murders, Cuevas was involved in a series of disputes with members and associates of the MS-13. Approximately one week before the murders, these disputes escalated when Cuevas and several friends were involved in an altercation with MS-13 members at Brentwood High School. After that incident, the MS-13 members vowed to seek revenge against Cuevas.
On the evening of September 13, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 were driving in separate cars around Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill. One group of MS-13 members spotted Cuevas and Mickens walking down residential Stahley Street. Recognizing Cuevas, they called Alexi Saenz and were granted permission to kill the girls. Several MS-13 members then chased down and attacked both Cuevas and Mickens, wielding baseball bats and a machete, striking each of the girls numerous times in their heads and bodies, while Alexi Saenz’s car drove around watching for police. After the murders, the group retreated to Alexi Saenz’s home in Central Islip, where they changed clothes and hid the weapons.
Mickens, whose body was discovered later that evening on Stahley Street, not far from Cuevas’s home, sustained significant sharp force trauma to her face and blunt force trauma to her head. Cuevas, whose body was discovered the following day behind a house adjacent to where Mickens’s body was found, sustained significant blunt force trauma to her head and body and multiple lacerations.
October 10, 2016 Murder of Javier Castillo
In October 2016, the MS-13 targeted 15-year-old Javier Castillo because he was believed to be a member of the 18th Street gang, one of MS-13’s principal rivals.
On October 10, 2016, several members of the Sailors clique convinced Castillo, who lived in Central Islip, to drive with them to Freeport – approximately 30 miles away – to smoke marijuana. Once there, they met Alexi Saenz and other Sailors clique members. The group then lured Castillo to an isolated marsh area in Cow Meadow Park, where they attacked him, taking turns hacking him to death with a machete.
Afterwards, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried Castillo’s body, which was not recovered until one year later, in late October 2017. Castillo was determined to have suffered multiple sharp force injuries to his head, neck, torso, and extremities.
October 13, 2016 Murder of Dewann Stacks
On the evening of October 13, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 were driving around Central Islip and Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill.
That night, they spotted 34-year-old Dewann Stacks and, believing him to be a rival gang member, Alexi Saenz authorized his murder. While Alexi Saenz drove around watching for police presence, another group of MS-13 members, armed with two machetes and a baseball bat, drove over to attack Stacks. Three armed MS-13 members got out of the car, and beat and hacked Stacks to death on American Boulevard, a residential street in Brentwood. Stacks sustained severe sharp and blunt force trauma to his face and head, leaving his body nearly unrecognizable.
January 30, 2017 Murder of Esteban Alvarado-BonillaOn the morning of January 30, 2017, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 spotted 29-year-old Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla inside El Campesino Deli in Central Islip. Since Alvarado-Bonilla was wearing a football jersey bearing the number “18,” the MS-13 concluded that he was a member of a rival gang and plotted to kill him.
Several other MS-13 members obtained a mask and another vehicle that would be used to commit the murder. Alexi Saenz provided the clique’s 9-millimeter handgun for use in the murder.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., a masked MS-13 member entered the deli, approached Alvarado-Bonilla from behind, and shot him multiple times, killing him. One of the bullets pierced through Alvarado-Bonilla’s head and struck the chest of a female employee of the deli, who was standing directly in front of him. The deli employee survived the gunshot wound.
Narcotics Trafficking Conspiracy
For a year and a half, from approximately April 2016 through March 2017, in order to finance the illegal operations of the Sailors clique, Alexi Saenz obtained wholesale quantities of cocaine and marijuana, which he distributed to other Sailors clique members and associates for street-level sales in Brentwood and its surrounding areas. After the sales, the profits were turned over to Alexi Saenz, for use in, among other things, purchasing firearms for use by clique members, wiring money to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, and buying additional narcotics for further distribution.
* * * *
Today’s sentencing is the latest achievement in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 75 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at eradicating transnational criminal organizations, combating violent crime, and restoring the rule of law.
This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerryanne Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
The Defendant:
ALEXI SAENZ (also known as “Blasty” and “Plaky”)
Age: 30
El Divisadero, Morazán, El Salvador; and Central Islip, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-8) (GRB)
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Stealing Identity of U.s. CitizenRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Alfredo Mendoza Montero, 44, of Mexico, pled guilty in federal court to charges of passport fraud, false impersonation of a citizen, and aggravated identity theft. The guilty plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is fully committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by robustly enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and aggressively prosecuting those who victimize our citizens and communities. I deeply appreciate the hard work of our federal law enforcement partners to bring this offender to justice.”
Court documents reflect that Montero illegally entered the United States in 2019 and purchased identification documents belonging to a real American citizen. He knowingly used those documents to fraudulently apply for a United States passport in 2022 and obtain a Florida driver’s license in 2023. Montero lived under that assumed citizen’s identity while residing in the Pensacola area until he was arrested by federal authorities on April 1, 2025.
Sentencing is currently set for September 23, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Montero faces up to 13 years’ imprisonment followed by a mandatory consecutive prison term of two years and deportation from the United States.
The plea was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
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.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Assault on Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025.
Thaddeus James Grant, 32, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Grant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025.
On September 20, 2024, when two law enforcement officers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) attempted to arrest Grant pursuant to a federal warrant in the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation, he actively resisted arrest, pulling his hands away from the officers and taking one of the officers with him to the ground. Grant continued to resist until the officers were able to gain compliance through the use of pressure points.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Grant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Federal Prison for Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 30, 2025.
Eddie Bromwich, age 45, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bromwich was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He was found guilty following a three-day jury trial in April 2025.
On February 6, 2024, Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Bromwich for speeding in the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. Bromwich argued with and resisted commands from the officers before ultimately engaging in a physical struggle with the officers. One of the officers suffered a broken finger as a result of the incident.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Zachrison and Troy Morley prosecuted the case.
Bromwich was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lehigh Valley Hospital Network Agrees to Pay $2.75 Million to Resolve Allegations of Drug Theft, Diversion, and Other Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today that Lehigh Valley Hospital Network, Inc. (LVHN) has agreed to pay $2,750,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that are designed to prevent the diversion of controlled substances for illegal uses.
In particular, the settlement resolves LVHN’s disclosure to the United States that on approximately 40 occasions, a pharmacy technician at LVHN’s Cedar Crest pharmacy used another employee’s password to access, remove, and divert controlled substances, and created fictitious reports to hide the discrepancies of controlled substances. The settlement also resolves allegations that, at certain facilities, the controls and procedures that LVHN had in place failed to effectively guard against theft and diversion of controlled substances from its inpatient pharmacies to outpatient pharmacies and hospice facilities, resulting in the transfer of controlled substances between locations without proper documentation. LVHN also allegedly failed to maintain complete and accurate records of its stock of controlled substances.
Since the discovery of the Cedar Crest thefts, LVHN has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to identify potential CSA violations and develop better practices to prevent further diversions, improper transfers, and recordkeeping deficiencies. To that end, LVHN has expended considerable resources on physical security enhancements, training, diversion-detection software, and the hiring of employees and consultants knowledgeable in CSA compliance.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively combatting the opioid crisis on all fronts, including by holding hospitals and pharmacies responsible when they fail to take adequate steps to prevent controlled substances from being diverted for unlawful purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “In fashioning appropriate resolutions, we also give credit to DEA registrants like LVHN who act in good faith to report potential CSA violations, prevent further deficiencies, and improve compliance efforts. While the penalties here are substantial, they may have been far greater but for LVHN’s disclosures and cooperation.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration ensures that medical providers and facilities follow established laws and procedures while dispensing controlled substances,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Philadelphia Field Division. “DEA holds medical professionals to a high standard to protect public safety and ensure accountability, and this settlement demonstrates DEA’s resolve to maintain these standards.”
The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Charlene Keller Fullmer, and former auditor Dawn Wiggins.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Leader of insurance fraud and arson scheme sentenced to 15 yearsRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced Evette “Betty” Osuegbu, 62, of Granite City, to 15 years in federal prison for her role in a string of arsons and insurance fraud stretching from 2014 to 2023.
Following a five-day trial in December, a jury seated in East St. Louis found Osuegbu guilty of all 15 counts of an indictment charging conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit arson, and use of fire to commit a federal felony.
“Arson is an inherently dangerous crime,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Firefighters often don’t know if people are inside the buildings and potentially place their lives at risk on every call. Additionally, arsons cause unnecessary blight, raise insurance rates, lower property values and can harm neighbors. We will continue to seek heavy penalties for these destructive and dangerous crimes.”
Osuegbu’s co-defendant, Rufis Jefferson, 48, of Venice, previously pleaded guilty to all counts of an indictment that included conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Testimony at trial included Osuegbu’s role in a romance scam against an intellectually disabled person and exploiting his illiteracy to obtain property and insurance in his name. After Osuegbu directed Jefferson to burn the East St. Louis home, she sued the insurance company for a larger payout, using the name of her intellectually disabled victim as a plaintiff, unbeknownst to him. The insurance company settled and Osuegbu retained her victim’s share of the payout.
“Arson and insurance fraud are not victimless crimes, and the sentence imposed reflects the seriousness of the offenses committed. This was a dangerous, deliberate, and brazen scheme orchestrated by Ms. Osuegbu, putting the public at risk for personal gain. I want to thank our law enforcement partners, including the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, for their collaborative work in this case. Justice has been served, and our community is safer as a result,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.
The jury also heard testimony from a father with a young child who lived next to Osuegbu in an apartment complex in St. Louis. On New Years Eve, 2022, this witness called in a fire in Osuegbu’s unit. Firefighting efforts stopped the spread of the fire but left the witness to live in a smokey and moldy apartment for months. The jury further heard that Osuegbu had directed Jefferson to burn the apartment while she established an alibi at a local casino. Osuegbu received insurance payouts for alleged losses in the fire and was put up in a local hotel.
The occupant of a Florissant, Missouri, home testified to a scam against her to convince her to raise her renter’s insurance and to be away from the home when Jefferson set it on fire. This witness testified that Osuegbu threatened to “gut” her if she did not get her cut, prompting this witness to pay off Osuegbu in installments over the course of many months.
Jurors also heard recordings of Osuegbu planning arsons at properties in Granite City and Venice. Osuegbu was heard to direct others how to avoid cameras and cell phone tracking and how to best set a fire that is difficult for experts to investigate. The ATF intervened before these properties were burned.
ATF Chicago led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Burke and Peter Reed prosecuted the case.
Lame Deer woman pleads guilty to sex trafficking a minorRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Lame Deer woman accused of sex trafficking a minor admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Veronica Clarice Baker, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Baker faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Baker was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that sometime prior to April 9, 2023, Baker met Dr. Usman Khan on a social media website for people interested in a commercial sex relationship. Then, on or about April 9, 2023, Baker and Khan communicated for the purpose of arranging a commercial sex date between Khan and Jane Doe 1. Baker had known Jane Doe 1 for some time and Doe had, on occasion, watched Baker’s children. Baker knew Jane Doe 1, who was under the age of 18 at the time, was a minor.
On April 9, 2023, while Baker and Khan were texting about Baker providing Jane Doe 1 for the purpose of a commercial sex date, Baker and Doe were in a hotel room in Billings. Baker sent Khan pictures of her and of Jane Doe 1 and she and Khan discussed rates. Ultimately, Baker agreed to transport Jane Doe 1 to Khan’s residence for the purpose of a commercial sex date. Baker left Jane Doe 1 at Khan’s residence and Jane Doe 1 and Khan engaged in sexual activity. Khan paid Jane Doe 1 for the encounter, and Doe provided some of the money to Baker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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La Pryor Man Sentenced to 120 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A La Pryor man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 120 years in prison for one count of conspiracy to kidnap and two counts related to harboring illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing the life of a person in jeopardy. He was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years on each of the harboring counts and was sentenced to 80 years on the kidnapping count, with the sentences to run consecutively.
According to court documents, in March 2022, Joshua Lee Balderas, 33, and other conspirators transported and harbored a group of seven aliens, including one woman, who had recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. When the group was picked up by the smugglers, the woman in the group was suffering from significant injuries to her feet and was severely dehydrated. Balderas transported the group from La Pryor to San Antonio, where the aliens were held captive in hotel rooms and ransomed to their families for thousands of dollars. One family member was forced to pay $7,000 for an alien’s release. Balderas and one of his co-conspirators, Kaylen Alexander Brondo, 26, of San Antonio, frequently brandished firearms in the hotel rooms to ensure compliance from the migrants and at trial, a victim testified that Balderas pointed a firearm directly at her to ensure her obedience during a ransom call. While the aliens were being held for ransom, Balderas sexually assaulted one of the migrants while threatening her with a firearm.
Balderas was arrested Oct. 28, 2022, and found guilty on all counts by a federal jury on Oct. 11, 2024. Brondo was arrested Oct. 24, 2022, and pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to kidnap. Brondo is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 26. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery is presiding over the cases for both defendants.
“This sentence, undoubtedly keeping Balderas confined for the remainder of his life, reflects the egregious nature of these human smuggling crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “It should send a clear message throughout the nation and across our borders that we take these prosecutions very seriously and will aggressively seek to deliver justice.”
“The sentencing of this defendant to 120 years in prison marks a significant victory in our ongoing fight against human smuggling,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “This severe penalty reflects the gravity of the crimes committed and serves as a stern warning to those who exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. I commend the agents and our San Antonio Police Department partners for their hard work during this successful investigation.”
HSI and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Brown and Adrian Rosales prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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).
###KC Man Sentenced to 210 months for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for engaging in illicit sex to produce child pornography with a 13-year-old minor victim.
Talib Bwana Muhammad, 27, was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge D. Gregory Kays for one count of producing child pornography.
Muhammad previously pled guilty to the count of producing child pornography on Jan. 3, 2025. According to the written plea agreement, Muhammad produced child pornography with the minor victim in June 2023, after meeting the child victim on a social media application. Muhammad communicated online with the minor victim and purchased an airline ticket for the child to fly from Texas to Kansas City, Missouri to meet and engage in sexual activity. However, when the minor victim was unable to leave home, Muhammad drove to Texas from Missouri to pick them up.
Law enforcement officials were notified when the child victim was missing, and an Amber Alert was issued. Investigators traced her to Muhammad’s residence in the Western District of Missouri.
Muhammad engaged in sexual contact with the minor victim, and video recorded and photographed the sexual activity with a cell phone.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Hitchcock, Texas, Police Department, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.
Muhammad will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
Project Safe Childhood
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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Sexually Abusing His Former Girlfriend’s ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Benjamin Hernandez Torres was convicted yesterday of five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse, each with aggravating circumstances, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict, which took place on July 1, 2025, was returned by the jury after a multi-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for September 26, 2025.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between 2010 and 2014, the defendant, who was the victim’s mother’s then boyfriend, raped the victim multiple times when she was between 5 and 8 years old. She disclosed around 10 years later when she saw a photo of the defendant back at her house years later.
Torres faces a maximum statutory sentence of life without the possibility of release on the first-degree child sexual abuse counts and fifteen years on each of the second-degree child sexual abuse counts. If he were to be released, Torres would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raha Mokhtari and Sarah Roessler.
Jamestown man pleads guilty to enticing travel to engage in sexual activityRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Anthony Burris, 34, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to two counts of enticing travel to engage in sexual activity, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who is handling the case, stated that between January and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced Victim 1, a woman suffering from drug addiction, to perform commercial sex acts. He did so by threatening the use of physical violence, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Burris, who knew Victim 1 was physically addicted to controlled substances, also provided transportation, housing, a cellular phone, and food to Victim 1, who was homeless during this time. In exchange, Victim 1 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to Burris, who posted online advertisements on Skipthegames.com, which contained sexually suggestive photographs of Victim 1. Burris then transported Victim 1 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including to Pennsylvania, to engage in these commercial sex acts.
Between June 2020, and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced a second victim (Victim 2) to perform commercial sex acts, once again threatening physical violence, and providing money for the purchase of controlled substances, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Like Victim 1, Burris knew Victim 2 was physically addicted to controlled substances and homeless. Victim 2 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to the defendant. Burris also posted ads for Victim 2 on Skipthegames.com and transported Victim 2 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including Pennsylvania, to perform commercial sex acts.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James B. Quattrone, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin, and the Millcreek, PA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Carter Mook.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2025, before Judge Skretny.
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International Money Launderer Sentenced to Eight Years for A Conspiracy to Conceal Millions in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Miguel Alexander Perez Perez (33, Dominican Republic) to eight years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was also ordered to forfeit $1,600,110. Perez Perez pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025.
According to court documents, Perez Perez was a broker of money laundering “contracts.” He participated in the collection of drug proceeds in the United States for introduction into the U.S. banking system. He concealed the source of those proceeds through trade-based money laundering schemes that included the purchase of devices such as cellphones in the United States. The devices were then sold abroad. From June to August 2020, federal law enforcement completed four such money laundering contracts with Perez Perez in an undercover capacity. During a separate contract that Perez Perez brokered in July 2020, the Florida Highway Patrol stopped a money courier and seized more than $1 million in drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Individual Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 26, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro, age 27, of Jayuya, PR, with coercion and enticement of minors, sexual exploitation of children, and interstate threat communications. Today, FBI special agents arrested Negrón-Navarro.
According to court documents, from in or about April 2023 to in or about May 2023, Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor between 15 and 16 years old (Minor 1) to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct. Negrón-Navarro threatened Minor 1 by threatening to post the sexually explicit images on the Internet and to damage her reputation if she did not comply with sending sexually explicit images to him.
Additionally, from in or about September 2024 to in or about November 2024, Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce another female minor while she was 17 years of age (Minor 2), to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. At the same time, the defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct.
Moreover, on or about August 3, 2024, Negrón-Navarro, through the Internet, threatened to kill an adult female if she did not send him sexually explicit images.
The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum term or imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years for the charge of sexual exploitation of children; a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life for the charge of coercion and enticement of a minor; and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for the charge of interstate communications. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
“Child exploitation, in all its forms, are the most heinous crimes a person can commit, and the emotional pain inflicted on the victims is overwhelming,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are fully committed to identify, locate, arrest, and prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law. Nonetheless, the community, including teachers and parents, must be vigilant and proactive with our children and educate them on how to protect themselves from these offenders.”
“There is no place in Puerto Rico—or anywhere in America—for child predators,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “If you exploit children, the heroic men and women of the FBI and our law enforcement partners are coming for you—no matter how long it takes or how much you try to hide. That is a promise we intend to keep, every single time.”
The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal Alien Felon and Georgia Man Arrested for Trafficking over 700 Pounds of Methamphetamine Hidden Within a Load of CucumbersRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Andres Jasso, Jr. and Rufino Pineda-Perez, an illegal alien, appeared in federal court yesterday on charges related to the seizure of over 700 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a tractor-trailer load of cucumbers outside of a Gainesville warehouse.
“Thanks to the diligent work of our federal and state law enforcement partners, a tremendous amount of meticulously concealed methamphetamine was located, was seized, and will never hit the street,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will aggressively prosecute criminals who attempt to use North Georgia as a distribution hub for their deadly poisons.”
“This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 30, 2025, DEA Atlanta agents learned that a tractor-trailer parked at a warehouse in Gainesville, Georgia potentially contained a large amount of drugs. At the warehouse, agents observed a sedan next to the tractor trailer. Jasso, Jr. was in the driver’s seat of the sedan, and Pineda-Perez was in the front passenger seat. During a search of the tractor-trailer, agents located 20 pallets of boxes containing cucumbers. Inside the boxes, agents uncovered thousands of individually wrapped packages containing methamphetamine. Jasso, Jr. and Pineda-Perez were allegedly tasked with offloading the shipment from the tractor-trailer and separating the drugs from the cucumbers. After DEA agents arrested Jasso, Jr. and Pineda-Perez, the agents learned that the total quantity of methamphetamine seized exceeded 700 pounds.
Pineda-Perez is allegedly a citizen and national of Mexico with no legal status in the United States. In 2001, Pineda-Perez was deported and removed from the United States following a felony conviction in Arizona for transporting marijuana. He illegally re-entered the United States thereafter and was encountered by federal agents in March 2014, while transporting nearly one kilogram of cocaine in the Atlanta area. In August 2015, a federal judge sentenced him to six and a half years of imprisonment. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Pineda-Perez was deported for a second time.
Andres Jasso, Jr., 37, of Brookhaven, Ga., and Rufino Pineda-Perez, 59, of Mexico, were charged in a criminal complaint on July 1, 2025, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pineda-Perez was also charged in a separate criminal complaint with illegal reentry by a removed alien.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Honduras Native Charged with Illegal Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nelson Geovany Pineda-Chacon, age 30, of Honduras, residing in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about May 7, 2024, in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, Pineda-Chacon, an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, did knowingly possess a 9mm Beretta handgun and 9mm Luger ammunition as a prohibited person.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiate that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is fifteen years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Honduran National Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Faces Federal Charges for Role in Portland Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Hugo Gomez-Soto, 50, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Portland, made his first appearance in federal court today after being charged for distributing fentanyl that was linked to the fatal overdose of a Portland man.
According to court documents, in January 2024, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Narcotics and Organized Crime (NOC) Unit began investigating a suspected fentanyl overdose of an adult male victim in Southwest Portland. Investigators identified Gomez-Soto as the individual who allegedly sold fentanyl to the victim and, on January 25, 2024, he was arrested on state charges. At the time of his arrest, Gomez-Soto was in possession of both fentanyl powder and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
On June 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Gomez-Soto with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Gomez-Soto made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a four-day jury trial scheduled to begin on September 9, 2025.
If convicted, Gomez-Soto faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and PPB’s NOC Unit. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
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.
Honduran National Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national unlawfully residing in Brockton has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Oscar Lopez, 41, a/k/a “Luis Maldonado,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to time served (approximately 2.5 months) to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Lopez pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry.
Lopez is a citizen of Honduras who entered the United States illegally in 2003. Lopez did not appear for an immigration court date in 2003 and was ordered removed. Lopez defaulted on that removal and was unable to be found for nearly a decade. He was eventually located by immigration authorities in the fall of 2012 and subsequently removed from the United States in January 2013.
Just a few months later, Lopez illegally reentered the United States without permission and was removed for the second time in May 2013. At some point after his 2013 removal, Lopez illegally reentered the United States. Immigration officials became aware of Lopez’s unlawful presence in the United States after he was arrested by state authorities in March and April 2024 for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and furnishing false identification to law enforcement. He was arrested by immigration officials in April 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.Guatemalan National Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Faces Federal Charges for Traveling to Washington to Sexually Abuse a MinorRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A suspected child abuser is facing federal charges today for enticing and sexually abusing a minor in Oregon and Washington.
Leonias Juber Ramos-Garcia, 25, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Culver, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, in 2024, Ramos-Garcia met the minor at a business in Jefferson County, Oregon. In February 2025, undeterred by the minor’s age, Ramos-Garcia gave the minor a note which contained cash and professed his affection for the minor.
In March 2025, Ramos-Garcia is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit communication with the minor and, despite the victim’s reluctance, Ramos-Garcia persuaded the minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct at a hotel in Central Oregon. In April 2025, Ramos-Garcia traveled from Oregon to Washington and took the victim to a second hotel where he again sexually abused the minor.
Ramos-Garcia was arrested Tuesday in Culver, Oregon, and made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Madras Police Department. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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.
Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Former Evangeline Parish Law Enforcement Officer with Production and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a former Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy has been indicted on child pornography charges. A grand jury in the Western District of Louisiana has returned an indictment charging Joshua Uhlman, 36, of Pine Prairie, Louisiana, with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that between on or about September 2024 and February 2, 2025, Uhlman did attempt to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and attempted to do so for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of said conduct, knowing that the visual depiction would be transmitted using interstate commerce.
It is further alleged in the indictment that between on or about September 2024 and February 2, 2025, Uhlman did knowingly receive child pornography, using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce and in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, including by computer.
If convicted, Uhlman faces a sentence of at least 15 years and no more than 30 years on each production of child pornography count; a minimum of 5 years and no more than 20 years on the receipt of child pornography count; 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon, II.
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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Georgia Man Sentenced for Exploiting North Mississippi BoyRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Georgia man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for attempting to coerce a Mississippi minor to send sexually explicit images through an online platform.
According to court documents, Davin Buckner, 24 years old, of Resaca, Georgia, engaged in an online conversation over a gaming platform with a ten-year old child in Lafayette County. Buckner invited and allowed the minor to access and use credits on Buckner’s account to play games. Once the minor used some credits, Buckner advised the minor that he would have to repay the money by sending explicit images of himself. Buckner thought the child was 9 years old. Using emojis, Buckner requested the minor send pictures of his penis “stimulated.” The minor complied and took a picture using his cell phone which he then sent to Buckner.
The minor’s parents discovered the messages and turned the cell phone over to the FBI. Buckner committed this online crime while out on bond awaiting trial for hands on sexual exploitation offenses out of Georgia that occurred in 2020.
District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Buckner to serve 240 months in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release for the online offense.
“I can think of no more egregious crime than an adult who sexually exploits a child, and this office will continue to exercise zero tolerance for sexual predators, period,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Parker King and our invaluable partners at the FBI have yet again run an extremely dangerous individual to ground and provided protection and justice to the most vulnerable among us.”
"Protecting children from exploitation is one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Mr. Buckner, who was awaiting trial for sexual exploitation of another child, continued to violate the innocence of a minor. Buckner is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our most vulnerable victims, our children. The FBI maintains a steadfast commitment to protect minors and their innocence by aggressively investigating and holding accountable predators, like Buckner."
This case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Childhood nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 200 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lajuane Broadus, 48 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 methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Broadus was sentenced to 200 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, Broadus distributed controlled substances in June and September 2024. A search warrant executed at his residence resulted in the recovery of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, three firearms, ammunition, body armor, and a large amount of U.S. currency. As a convicted felon, Broadus was prohibited from possessing the firearms, and he illegally possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.
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.
Former Federal Employee Charged with Wire Fraud, Theft, and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced the arrest of Evester Edd, 64, of Silver Spring, Maryland. Edd, a former senior human resources employee for the Peace Corps, is charged with wire fraud, theft of government funds, and making false statements to federal agents.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the criminal complaint with Inspector General Joaquin E. Ferrao, Peace Corps Office of Inspector General (Peace Corps OIG), and Acting Inspector General Joe Allen, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General (FHFA-OIG).
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Edd allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. government by simultaneously working as a federal employee and federal contractor. Edd is accused of falsifying his timecards submitted to multiple federal agencies and misrepresenting the amount of work he performed for the government. This scheme involved the use of wire communications to submit false time and attendance reports resulting in double billing for tens of thousands of dollars.
Additionally, Edd is accused of making false statements. When completing documentation for a security clearance, Edd allegedly misrepresented the nature of his ties to individuals overseas. Also, during an interview with federal agents investigating the case, Edd was allegedly dishonest about electronic accounts he created, actions he took, and money he sent to foreign nationals in exchange for explicit content. According to the affidavit, Edd also allegedly abused his government access to computers and systems on more than 1,000 occasions to access, save, and transmit Privacy Act information and agency sensitive information. He sent protected government information via commercial email accounts to commercial email servers and his mobile devices.
This arrest is the result of a yearlong investigation led by the Peace Corps OIG in partnership with FHFA-OIG and other law enforcement partners. In November 2024, federal agents executed a search warrant for Edd’s home to recover his electronic devices. Then in December 2024, Edd retired from federal service during the pending criminal investigation.
“Public service is a public trust, and that trust is broken when government employees falsify records or otherwise engagement in fraudulent behavior,” Hayes said. “These charges reflect the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment — along with our law enforcement partners — to holding individuals accountable when they undermine the integrity of federal agencies and violate the law. We will continue to pursue justice wherever misconduct threatens the fairness and security of our institutions.”
“The investigation and today’s arrest underscore our commitment to pursue allegations against those who would defraud U.S. taxpayers and undermine the public trust in the integrity of the federal workforce,” Ferrao said.
“Identifying, investigating, and preventing schemes that defraud American taxpayers is a core mission of the Federal Housing Finance Agency OIG. As today’s arrest reflects, FHFA OIG works closely with our partner OIGs and the Department of Justice to ensure that allegations of fraud involving those in a position of public trust are thoroughly investigated and appropriate charges are filed,” Allen said.
Edd is facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, 10 years for theft of government property, five years for false statements to federal agents, and significant fines and restitution.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the Peace Corps OIG and FHFA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin who is prosecuting this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Former FBI Procurement Official Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bid-Rigging Scheme to Obtain Electronics ContractsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former electronics technician at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and his sister were charged today with conspiring to defraud the United States to obtain at least $350,000 in low-bid electronics equipment contracts from the FBI.
Jeffrey Spencer, 51, of Canyon Country, and Christy Evereklian, 43, of Temecula, were charged via a single-count information filed today with conspiracy to defraud the United States. In plea agreements also filed today, Spencer and Evereklian both agreed to plead guilty to the felony offense, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Spencer and Evereklian are expected to enter their guilty pleas in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to their plea agreements, from August 2015 through August 2020, Spencer and Evereklian conspired to defraud the United States by impeding the solicitation of competitive bids for electronic equipment by deceitful and dishonest means. Spencer, who was an FBI procurement official and solicited bids for electronic equipment, conspired with Evereklian to submit purportedly independent and competitive bids from Evereklian’s several companies for FBI contracts.
In fact, Spencer and Evereklian already had decided which company would submit the lowest – and presumably winning – bid for a contract. Evereklian submitted bids from her own companies to the FBI using the names of her relatives to conceal her control over bidding companies, and she used a random number generator to create the fraudulent bids.
Evereklian further admitted in her plea agreement that during the conspiracy, her companies won at least $350,000 in contracts from the FBI.
The United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in this matter as part of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF).
Assistant United States Attorney Jason Pang of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Final Defendant in Large-Scale Firearms Trafficking Ring in Brooklyn Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Calvin Tabron was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 63 months in prison for conspiring to traffic firearms. Tabron acted as a straw purchaser for a gun trafficking ring that operated around the Breukelen Houses, a New York City Housing Authority development in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Tabron pleaded guilty to the charge in March 2024.
Judge Kuntz previously sentenced Tabron’s three co-defendants who pleaded guilty to gun and narcotics trafficking charges: David Mccann was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms and fentanyl; Tajhai Jones was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms; and Raymond Minaya was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms and cocaine base. The defendants were charged in January 2023 in the first case in New York to publicly charge the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentences.
“The defendants’ convictions and sentences demonstrate our resolve to hold accountable those who flood the streets of Brooklyn with deadly weapons and drugs, feeding the cycles of gun violence and substance abuse,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office will continue to vigorously enforce our laws by using the tools provided by Congress, such as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to prosecute gun traffickers.”
“Today’s sentencing of Calvin Tabron is a direct result of the collaboration we have with our law enforcement partners in targeting those individuals who compromise the safety and security of our communities,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Mr. Tabron not only pushed fentanyl onto our streets, but chose to push and sell weapons as well, both which could have resulted in senseless and deadly consequences. Removing these individuals from our streets, saves lives.”
“Today’s sentencing is the culmination of government at every level—local, state, and federal—working together to hold dangerous criminals accountable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Calvin Tabron pumped illegal weapons, including untraceable ghost guns, and drugs into a Brooklyn community, putting countless lives at risk. I thank all the NYPD investigators, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts in this historic case.”
According to court filings, the defendants’ gun-trafficking operation involved the sale of at least 50 illegal firearms over multiple transactions in Brooklyn between January 2022 and August 2022. The defendants conducted these firearms sales in broad daylight in a public park, in shopping center parking lots, in vehicles in and around the Breukelen Houses, across from a church, and blocks away from a preschool and grade school. Tabron and Jones obtained firearms in Virginia and then transported them to New York to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn. Some of the firearms sold by the defendants had defaced serial numbers or were made from ghost gun kits, making them harder for law enforcement to trace. Mccann and Minaya also engaged in significant narcotics trafficking conspiracies, including a fentanyl distribution conspiracy that introduced thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into the community.
Firearms sold in the conspiracy have also been linked to shootings in Brooklyn. For example, on June 22, 2022, Minaya sold an undercover officer a Glock 30, .45 caliber handgun. The investigation revealed that this gun was used in an August 21, 2021 shooting in Bedford-Stuyvesant during which armed perpetrators shot into a large crowd gathered for a family day celebration. In total, eight individuals were struck by gunfire. Another gun trafficked by Minaya—a Glock 43, 9-millimeter caliber handgun—is linked to a December 18, 2021 shooting of an individual in Canarsie, in the blocks surrounding the Breukelen Houses complex. That individual sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Division and supervised by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen, and James R. Simmons are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant Sentenced Today:
CALVIN TABRON
Age: 27
Virginia Beach, VirginiaDefendants Previously Sentenced:
DAVID MCCANN
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkTAJHAI JONES
Age: 31
Portsmouth, VirginiaRAYMOND MINAYA
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-8 (WFK)
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold fentanyl in Dubuque was sentenced on July 1, 2025, to 60 months in federal prison. Shon Dwayne Perkins, age 37, received the prison sentence after a December 19, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.
Evidence at the hearing established that in addition to selling a fentanyl-xylazine mixture near a protected location, Perkins on multiple occasions sold fentanyl that contained xylazine. Due to his distribution of the fentanyl xylazine mixture, a drug user buying and using the controlled substances distributed by Perkins developed necrosis of the arms that resulted in permanent scarring.
Perkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Perkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-01034.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Jury Finds Sioux Falls Man Guilty of Two Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Boru Guye Wako, Jr., age 39, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls. The verdict was returned on July 1, 2025.
The Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wako was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.
The charges stemmed from an incident on March 8, 2023, when Sioux Falls Police Department detectives attempted to stop a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Rather than comply, the driver of the stolen vehicle eluded law enforcement. Soon thereafter, detectives re-located the vehicle, just as the driver fled the scene on foot. Detectives pursued the fleeing driver, but the individual managed to get away by stealing a second vehicle. Based on prior encounters, detectives were able to identify the fleeing driver as Boru Guye Wako, Jr., and he was later apprehended. Upon searching the first stolen vehicle from which Wako had fled, detectives discovered a Ruger LCP .380 handgun in the driver-side door, which had been reported stolen just days earlier. Forensic analysis later revealed the presence of Wako’s DNA on the barrel of the firearm, thereby establishing Wako had possessed the firearm. As a prior convicted felon, Wako is prohibited from possessing firearms. At the time Wako possessed the firearm, he was also under indictment for two other separate felonies, further prohibiting his possession of firearms.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen and U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for September 22, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Federal Charges Filed for Destruction of Government Property, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Vehicle), and Reckless Driving on the National MallRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Curtis Lear, 30, of the District of Columbia, appeared at a hearing today in U.S. District Court after being federally charged last week with allegedly driving an SUV recklessly at a high speed on the National Mall as hundreds of visitors were present. The joy ride caused over $9,000 in damage to the lawn, as hundreds of visitors were present.
Lear was charged by complaint on June 25, 2025, with Destruction Of Government Property, Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Vehicle), and Reckless Driving.
Chief Jessica Taylor of the U.S. Park Police joined in the announcement.
According to the charging documents, on June 21 at 8:45 p.m., a black Jeep Patriot with D.C. license plates drove onto the National Mall near 7th Street, SW, between Jefferson and Madison Drives. The Jeep raced at high speeds on the National Mall, making sharp turns on the grass and accelerating uncontrollably, according to witnesses. At the time, hundreds of pedestrians occupied the National Mall and surrounding areas.
During the incident, a U.S. Capitol Police officer approached the vehicle on foot. The driver rolled down a window and stated, “It's just a joke.” Officers attempted a traffic stop but the suspect vehicle fled. Investigators ran the Jeep’s license plate number through a law enforcement database and learned the SUV was registered to Lear.
At approximately 3 a.m. the following morning, officers located the Jeep and conducted a traffic stop. Lear was behind the wheel.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Park Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Michael Lee.
Former Contractors for the Florida Prepaid College Program Plead Guilty to Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, FLORIDA – Julie Michelle Shuler, 32, and Taylor Skiey Bradham, 26, both of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Shuler also pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud. The pleas were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These defendants sought to exploit Florida parents’ investments in their children’s futures for their own personal gain, but thanks to the diligent collaboration between my office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, their profiteering scheme has been dismantled and a prison cell awaits them.”
Court documents reflect that Shuler and Bradham worked for the company contracted to provide customer service and records administration service for the Florida Prepaid College Program. According to court records, Shuler and Bradham used their positions to fraudulently access and view the personal identifying information (PII) of Florida Prepaid College Program account owners and beneficiaries. Records show that the women used and conspired to use such PII to fraudulently change ownership of existing Florida Prepaid College Program contracts and plans without the authorization or knowledge of the account owners or beneficiaries. Shuler and Bradham then fraudulently took over control, and conspired to take over control, of such accounts to request termination of those contracts. By canceling the contracts, Shuler and Bradham caused refund checks to be mailed by the Florida Prepaid College Program to addresses that they designated. Once the checks were delivered, Shuler and Bradham, and others working at their direction, cashed or deposited the checks into bank accounts. In doing so, Shuler and Bradham stole or attempted to steal approximately $86,000 in Florida Prepaid College Program funds.
Shuler and Bradham face up to twenty years’ imprisonment, and three years of supervision upon release, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Shuler faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment, and three years of supervision upon release, for each of the mail fraud counts. And both defendants face a mandatory term of two years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence of incarceration, and up to one year of supervised release upon release, for aggravated identity theft.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Shuler’s sentencing is scheduled for August 6, 2025, at 10:00 am, and Bradham’s sentencing is scheduled for September 15, 2025, at 9:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
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.
Ecuadorian man charged with illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today Segundo Juan Maynato-Guaman, a/k/a Segundo Juan Mainato-Guaman, 46, a citizen of Ecuador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 25, 2025, Rochester Border Patrol Agents conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle that Maynato-Guaman was driving at the intersection of Brockport-Spencerport Road and Washington Street. When asked for citizenship, he responded, “Ecuador.” Maynato-Guaman voluntarily presented the agent with a New York State identification card which displayed the name Segundo Mainato-Guaman. When asked if he was present in the United States illegally, Maynato-Guaman replied, “yes, I do not have any documents.” A subsequent records check determined that in December 2009, Maynato-Guaman was physically removed from the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Maynato-Guaman made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Juan Ramirez, Jr.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working GroupRead the Press Release
Healthcare fraud and abuse depletes taxpayer funds, corrodes public health and safety, and undermines the integrity of the federal healthcare system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have a long history of partnering to use one of the government’s most effective and successful tools — the False Claims Act (FCA) — to combat healthcare fraud. This Administration is fully committed to supporting such work. HHS and DOJ’s Civil Division are strengthening their ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas through the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group.
Membership in the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group will include leadership from the HHS Office of General Counsel, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Program Integrity, the Office of Counsel to the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and DOJ’s Civil Division, with designees representing U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The group will be jointly led by the HHS General Counsel, Chief Counsel to HHS-OIG, and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Commercial Litigation Branch.
As part of the Working Group’s coordination work:
- HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division,[1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas:
- Medicare Advantage
- Drug, device or biologics pricing, including arrangements for discounts, rebates, service fees, and formulary placement and price reporting
- Barriers to patient access to care, including violations of network adequacy requirements
- Kickbacks related to drugs, medical devices, durable medical equipment, and other products paid for by federal healthcare programs
- Materially defective medical devices that impact patient safety
- Manipulation of Electronic Health Records systems to drive inappropriate utilization of Medicare covered products and services
- The Working Group shall maximize cross-agency collaboration to expedite ongoing investigations in these priority areas and identify new leads, including by leveraging HHS resources through enhanced data mining and assessment of HHS and HHS-OIG report findings.
- The Working Group shall discuss considerations bearing on whether HHS should implement a payment suspension pursuant to 42 C.F.R. § 405.370 et seq. or whether DOJ shall move to dismiss a qui tam complaint under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A), consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.111.
The DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group encourages whistleblowers to identify and report violations of the federal False Claims Act involving priority enforcement areas. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Similarly, the Working Group encourages healthcare companies to identify and report such violations consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.112.
Note: Read a PDF version of the release here
[1] Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division Enforcement Priorities (June 11, 2025), available at www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl?inline.
- HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division,[1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas:
Convicted felon sentenced to 51 months for illegal reentry to the United StatesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 54-year-old man from Matamoros, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria pleaded guilty April 9.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve 51 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard about Hernandez-Doria’s lengthy criminal record, including four prior felony and six misdemeanor convictions. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Doria needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.
Hernandez-Doria had three previous felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as for taking a weapon from an officer.
He was first removed in November 2016 and illegally returned three times. Authorities discovered him again Oct. 12, 2024, in Brownsville.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Salazar prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
Convicted Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announces that James E. Coleman, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for trafficking a 14-year-old victim from Virginia in 2020 for commercial sex with strangers, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Coleman pleaded guilty on May 17, 2022, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child, to production of child pornography, and to first-degree child sexual abuse. In addition to the 360-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Coleman to serve 15 years of supervised release, to register as a sex offender and to pay $25,000 in restitution to the victim.
According to court documents, Coleman worked with a co-conspirator with the goal of trafficking the victim for commercial sex and knew that the victim was a minor. Beginning on June 30, 2020, Coleman took sexually explicit photographs and videos of the victim to market her on websites advertising commercial sex services.
Coleman gave the victim directions regarding how much to charge for sexual services, with specific monetary amounts for increments of time she spent with the commercial sex customers. Coleman then pocketed the payments for sexual services the victim provided. He told the victim to tell commercial sex clients she was 21 years old, if she was asked.
Coleman also used his cell phone to record a video of himself engaging in sex acts with the victim.
In July of 2020 Coleman ordered the victim to give him money. When she refused, he beat her with a broomstick, assaulted her with a knife, cut off her clothing, and left her nude in the hallway of his building.
Coleman was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Oct. 22, 2020, and has been held without bond since.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Angela Buckner.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
21cr210
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine and Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Yaphet Martin (38, New Port Richey) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Martin pleaded guilty in August 2024.
According to court documents, on July 7, 2023, officers with the Clearwater Police Department pulled over a vehicle being driven by Martin. When the officers approached the vehicle, they smelled marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and located a small green camouflage bag behind the center console containing what laboratory testing would later confirm to be 3 grams of fentanyl, 7.66 grams of MDMA, and 3.48 grams of cocaine. The bag also contained a digital scale, glass pipe, and $3,182 in cash. Officers also recovered a firearm loaded with four rounds of ammunition from the vehicle.
At the time, Martin had four prior felony convictions including forgery, robbery in the first degree, delivering an imitation controlled substance, and felonious possession of a firearm. He is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. In addition, his prior drug and crime of violence convictions subjected him to an enhanced penalty.
This case was investigated by the Clearwater Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Citizen of Mexico Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edelicio Castillo-Ramos, age 33, a citizen of Mexico, residing in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for illegal reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Castillo-Ramos was previously removed from the United States on July 12, 2012, through Calexico, California, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. The indictment also alleges that on June 20, 2025, Castillo-Ramos was encountered in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is 2 years, a fine, and supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Checotah Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Douglas Ray Lollis, Jr., age 33, of Checotah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On March 4, 2025, Lollis was found guilty by a federal jury at trial for one count of illegally possessing a firearm.
According to investigators, on December 22, 2022, Lollis pawned a 9x19mm pistol which he possessed illegally. At the time of that transaction, Lollis was prohibited from owning firearms after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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. Lollis will self-report on August 4, 2025, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly, Patrick M. Flanigan, and Edith Singer represented the United States.
Cape Girardeau Man Admits Stealing from Gun StoreRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Cape Girardeau man on Tuesday admitted helping to steal a pistol from a Cape Girardeau County gun store.
Danaje Raymond Webster, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer. His co-defendant, Dayvion Jyraud Parker, 21, pleaded guilty in October of 2024 to five felonies: stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a machine gun.
Both admitted that on June 17, 2024, they stole a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from a federally licensed firearm dealer in Cape Girardeau County. Webster removed the pistol from a display and handed it to Parker, who initially hid the pistol under his jacket. Parker later handed the pistol to Webster, who hid it between Parker’s back and the back of Parker’s wheelchair. Parker then bought a different pistol and ammunition and both men left the store. After store employees noticed the missing pistol, they reviewed surveillance video that showed the theft. On June 25, law enforcement officers performing a court-approved search of a home in Cape Girardeau found Parker, who is a felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms, lying on a bed with two pistols between the bed frame and the wall. Both pistols were equipped with auto sears, or “switches,” that rendered them fully automatic.
Webster is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30. The theft charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years in prison. Parker was sentenced in March to 70 months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting 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.