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14 August 2025
Guatemalan national, illegally living in Collin County, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Guatemalan national, illegally living in Collin County, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Anibal Gonzalez-Corado, 54, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on February 1, 2025, Gonzalez-Corado was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Gonzalez-Corado faces up to 2 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana Oliver.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nelson Moran, age 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Moran admitted that on July 31, 2024, his co-conspirator asked him to deliver a package to another individual in Saratoga Springs, New York. Moran agreed and delivered the package—which, as he knew, contained over 200 grams of methamphetamine—before he was arrested. The delivery took place near the Saratoga Race Course, where Moran worked.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 1-year term of supervised release to begin after Moran is released from prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “Nelson Moran was permitted to enter this country so that he could work an honest job, and he abused that opportunity by conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. He will now be going to federal prison, and will then be deported and forever barred from lawfully re-entering the United States. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to identify, arrest and prosecute these dangerous and despicable drug peddlers.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated, “This case underscores the DEA’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking operations that threaten the safety of our communities. By intercepting this shipment of methamphetamine, we have removed a significant quantity of a dangerous drug from our streets and sent a clear message: those who seek to profit from poisoning our neighborhoods will be met with decisive action.”
The DEA and Saratoga Springs Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa prosecuted the case.
Grayson County felon indicted for possessing machine gunRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Grayson County convicted felon has been charged with unlawfully possessing a machine gun in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Xavier Donnell Porter, 32, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition and possession of a machine gun.
The indictment alleges that on December 5, 2024, Porter was found in possession of a machine gun. Further investigation revealed he is a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Porter faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana Oliver.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Gang Member Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Tobias Leary, 44, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Leary to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to court records, Leary, a known gang member, was distributing methamphetamine out of his property. In July of 2024, the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force (METRO) executed a search warrant at Leary’s property and located methamphetamine, fentanyl, and several firearms. At sentencing Judge Brailsford noted the dangerous combination of guns, drugs, and gangs. Leary has an extensive criminal history to include a prior federal felony for unlawful possession of a firearm.
“For twenty years, the Metro Task Force has successfully dismantled gangs, removing dangerous criminals, along with their drugs and firearms, from our streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott. “This is yet another example of their outstanding work to protect the Treasure Valley from the violence, drug trafficking, and lawlessness committed by gang members.”
“When drugs, gangs, and illegal firearms intersect, the results can be destructive and deadly,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Mr. Leary's sentence is indicative of the success achieved when law enforcement pools expertise and resources. For 20 years, the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force has been relentlessly pursing those who threaten our community’s safety.”
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey A. Manweiler prosecuted the case.
The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Postal Inspector Services; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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Four Men – Including Two Doctors – Charged in a $7 Million Illegal Opioid Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DETROIT - An indictment was unsealed today charging two doctors, the owner and operator of a medical clinic, and a patient recruiter with conspiring to illegally distribute prescription drugs, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
Charged in the indictment are:
Dr. Shakeeb Chinoy, 55, of Bloomfield Hills;
Dr. Sunil Manjila-Varghese, 53, of Ann Arbor;
Rommel Harvey, 43, of Detroit; and
Gregory Sparks, 42, of Detroit.
The indictment alleges that from November 2023 through June 2025, Dr. Chinoy conspired with Dr. Manjila, Harvey, Sparks, and others to issue thousands of opioid prescriptions for supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. The defendants’ conspiracy resulted in the illegal distribution of Oxycodone, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen (Percocet), Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen (Norco), Oxymorphone, and Promethazine with Codeine, which are among the most addictive and abused opioids that also have a high street value. The indictment further alleges that, Dr. Chinoy and Dr. Manjila issued prescriptions for more than 400,000 dosage units of Schedule II opioids with a conservative street value of more than $7 million. Medicare and Medicaid programs were also fraudulently billed for over $1 million in medically unnecessary prescription drug medications and maintenance medications during this conspiracy.
“Doctors take an oath to do no harm and to care for others. These doctors and professionals broke that oath to fill their pockets and used their respected positions of trust to push addictive opiods. They are drug dealers in white coats,” Gorgon said.
"Today's indictment of four individuals for their alleged roles in conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs reflects the FBI's unyielding efforts to investigate and disrupt those who violate federal law," said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Exploiting the well-being of our community and the healthcare system for personal gain will not be tolerated. The alleged actions betray public trust and divert critical resources. I also want to thank the members from our FBI Detroit Field Office and federal partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General for their continued work to uncover and dismantle these illegal schemes."
“Physicians who exploit their position of trust by overprescribing dangerous opioids for profit place lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working together with our law enforcement partners, our agency will not hesitate to investigate and bring to justice those who choose greed over legitimate patient care.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Darrin Crawford. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.
The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Brian Britt, 30 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 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Britt was sentenced to a total of 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, law enforcement conducted three controlled buys of fentanyl pills from Britt in December of 2022 and January of 2023. During these drug deals, Britt sold a total of about 6,500 fentanyl pills in the parking lot of a downtown Fort Wayne apartment building. In March of 2023, Britt possessed over 400 grams of additional fentanyl for sale in his apartment, and he had a .223 caliber rifle and a .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine to protect and further his drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which has as members the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Phoenix, Arizona, Police Department also assisted in this investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Police Officer Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Gun Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Michael Adrian Nieto (31, St. Cloud) to three years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license. Nieto pleaded guilty on February 13, 2025.
According to court documents, Nieto, a sworn law enforcement officer, repeatedly purchased and resold firearms. Among others, Nieto supplied firearms to Ernesto Vazquez, a key member of a criminal conspiracy that smuggled hundreds of firearms to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. In addition, to benefit the conspiracy, Nieto used police databases to provide sensitive and confidential information to Vazquez.
Between June 6, 2022, and September 4, 2024, Nieto purchased at least 58 firearms. Many of the firearms were identical and were purchased together or close in time to one another. On October 17, 2024, FBI and ATF agents executed a search warrant at Nieto’s residence, during which 12 firearms were still in Nieto’s possession.
On October 17, 2024, Nieto was interviewed by FBI and ATF agents. He admitted to repeatedly buying and reselling guns to individuals, including Vazquez, despite knowing that Vazquez was transferring these guns to third parties, in violation of federal law. Nieto also admitted that Vazquez had provided him with illegal items, including a machinegun conversion device.
Vazquez previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
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 Nashville Auto Dealer Convicted on Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –A federal jury convicted Mark Janbakhsh, 49, of Brentwood, Tennessee, of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Bank Fraud, Making False Statements to a Bank, Bankruptcy Fraud, and Making a False Statement Under Oath announced Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire.
“Our office will vigorously pursue dedicated fraudsters like the defendant who lie and cheat for their own gain, and we’re not afraid to make our case to a jury to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I commend the prosecutors and the federal agents who spent years uncovering this scheme, bringing it to light, and achieving a just result for our community.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Janbakhsh was the chief executive officer and majority owner of a car dealership company named Auto Masters. Between approximately 2013 and 2017, Auto Masters had a line of credit with Capital One and First Tennessee Bank (now First Horizon Bank). According to the evidence, Janbakhsh conspired with his brother, Ron Janbakhsh, and others in the company to submit false documentation to Capital One to artificially inflate the value of the company’s collateral which would allow Janbakhsh to draw on lines of credit he was otherwise not entitled to take. During the course of the scheme, Auto Masters fraudulently obtained approximately $26.4 million that it was not entitled to receive.
Once bank auditors began to investigate financial discrepancies in Auto Masters’ submissions, the evidence showed that Janbakhsh directed company employees to delete data, emails, and other company information that would have shown his fraudulent dealings. Auto Masters declared bankruptcy in 2017 and, according to the evidence at trial, Janbakhsh lied about the fraud while under oath during the bankruptcy proceedings.
Jurors heard evidence that, once Janbakhsh learned that federal agents who were investigating the fraud were attempting to speak with co-conspirators, he offered one co-conspirator over $300,000 if the person would leave the jurisdiction in order to thwart the investigation.
Janbakhsh will be sentenced later this year. At sentencing, Janbakhsh faces a maximum term of incarceration of 30 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. At sentencing, Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. will also consider ordering forfeiture of Janbakhsh’s property.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn R. Booth and J. Christopher Suedekum prosecuted the case.
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Former High School Coach Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, a former high school teacher and coach in Sabinal, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, on Oct. 11, 2024, Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, 43, used the social media application Snapchat to ask another user for their age, sex and location. After the user identified themselves as a 14-year-old boy living in Orlando, Florida, Mulkey stated that he was a 40-year-old football and track coach. Mulkey then requested a sexually explicit photo of the minor. According to the geolocation information contained within Mulkey’s cell phone, Mulkey was within 40 meters of Sabinal High School at the time he sent these initial messages. The following day, Mulkey sent a sexually graphic photo of himself to the user. Mulkey asked questions and volunteered information to the minor that was sexually explicit in nature. He was arrested Jan. 31.
Mulkey faces 10 years to life in 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.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando and the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nallely Duarte and Ekua Assabill are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Gustavus Adolphus College Professor Who Embezzled $670,000 Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – James Anthony Kroger, 46, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank to one count of wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“This defendant was a professor and an attorney—someone entrusted to teach and uphold the law. Instead, Kroger betrayed that trust, embezzled more than $670,000, and blew it on a lifestyle of self-indulgence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “In Minnesota, titles and credentials won’t shield you from federal prosecution. If you choose greed over integrity, you will face justice.”
Between 2019 and 2021, James Kroger, an attorney and, at the time of his indictment, a tax and accounting professor at Gustavus Adolphus College, embezzled over $670,000 from Lone Star Municipal Finance Company, LLC, a real estate joint venture in which he was a partner. To carry out the scheme, Kroger convinced his partner to invest approximately $840,000 into Lone Star to purchase distressed properties in Texas. Kroger managed the day-to-day operations of Lone Star. Kroeger used his position of trust to embezzle most of the invested funds, through transfers into his own personal bank account under the guise of “loans” from the company.
Kroger spent the money he embezzled on extravagant personal purchases. These purchases included large cash withdrawals, purchases of gold and silver bullion, checks to family members, paying off loans against insurance policies, and retail and travel purchases from Amazon, eBay, Apple, Delta, and other vendors.
Sentencing is set for December 1, 2025, before Judge Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the Department of Justice’s United States Trustee Program (USTP) for their important assistance and partnership in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Rebecca E. Kline are prosecuting the case.
Former DOJ Employee Who Hurled a Hoagie at a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Officer Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sean Charles Dunn, 37, was charged in a criminal complaint yesterday in U.S. District Court in connection with an alleged assault on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer that included shouted verbal insults and a thrown wrapped sandwich, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Dunn, who had worked at the Department of Justice, was fired today by Attorney General Pam Bondi. He is charged with one felony count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and employees of the United States. Dunn had his first appearance today before federal Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey and was released on his own recognizance.
“If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you,” said Attorney General Bondi in a post on the social media platform X. “I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice — NO LONGER. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony. This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ. You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement.”
“Let me be clear, if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, be certain we will come after you with the full weight of the law. Our officers have a job to do, and they should not be abused in the process,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This alleged assault is no joke – it’s a serious crime, and those who think otherwise will learn just how gravely mistaken they are.”
According to the charging documents, on Sunday, Aug. 10, at about 11 p.m., Metro Transit Police and members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, were patrolling on the 2000 block of 14th Street NW.
Dunn allegedly approached one of the CPB officers, pointed his finger in the officer’s face, and shouted “F--- you! You f---ing fascists! Why are you here? I don’t want you in my city!”
About 11:06 p.m., Dunn forcefully threw a sub-style sandwich at the CPB officer, striking him in the chest. An Instagram video recorded by an observer captured the incident.
Dunn attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended. While being processed at Metropolitan Police Department’s Third District, Dunn told an officer, “I did it. I threw a sandwich.”
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Five Illegal Aliens with Criminal Histories Indicted for Unlawfully Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced that five illegal aliens have been charged with Illegally Re-Entering the United States After Deportation, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Illegal Re-Entry is a criminal offense and separate from civil immigration enforcement. All of the individuals charged have criminal records and each had previously been removed from the United States.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other Federal law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting the lives of American citizens. As such, these Federal agencies are continually looking for illegally present foreign nationals who have a history of violating state, local, and Federal law. A Federal Grand Jury returned indictments as to the individuals listed below.
Pablo Carmona-Carmona, age 47, a Mexican national, was previously convicted of DUI in California. Carmona-Carmona has been removed to Mexico on two prior occasions. On October 31, 2024, Carmona-Carmona was arrested by the Yakima Police Department on charges of Child Molestation in the 1st Degree and Child Molestation in the 2nd Degree. That case remains pending.
Rodolfo Cortes-Sorroza, age 38, a Mexican national, was previously convicted of Illegally Re-Entering the United States after Deportation. Cortez-Sorroza also has been convicted of Assault and Burglary in State Court. Cortez-Sorroza has been removed to Mexico on two prior occasions. On July 26, 2025, Cortez Sorroza was arrested in Klickitat County on warrants for Residential Burglary and Failure to Appear.
Alfredo Ventura-Gutierrez (a/k/a “Jose Ventura Dias”), age 48, a Mexican national, was previously convicted in California on felony domestic violence charges, violating a restraining order, and DUI, as well as Illegally Entering the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325. Ventura-Gutierrez has been removed to Mexico on two prior occasions. On August 3, 2024, Ventura-Gutierrez was arrested by the Wapato Police Department on Rape in the 2nd Degree, Rape in the 3rd Degree and two counts of violation of an order of protection. That case remains pending.
Carlos Antonio Moran-Arce, age 52, a Mexican national, was previously convicted of Illegally Re-Entering the United States after Deportation. Moran-Arce also has state convictions for theft and battery. He has been removed to Mexico on two prior occasions. On April 24, 2025, Moran-Arce was arrested by the Yakima Police Department on state charges of Hit and Run and Harassment Threaten to Kill. That case remains pending.
Raul Partida-Farias, age 50, a Mexican national, was previously convicted in Yakima County Superior Court of Alien in Possession of a Firearm and in Benton County Superior Court of assault. He has been removed to Mexico on one prior occasion. Partida-Farias is facing charges in Benton County for DUI and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. These charges remain pending.
These indictments reflect the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and our law enforcement partners to protecting the public from individuals who take advantage of their illegal status within the United States to commit criminal offenses against others. Prosecuting individuals for Illegally Re-Entering the United States After Deportation in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1326, both serves national security and increases trust. These, and similar prosecutions, are a deterrent to criminal future conduct and disincentivize illegal entry (and re-entry) into the United States.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was involved in these investigations. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Letitia A. Sikes.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fentanyl Smuggler and Dealer Sentenced to over Three Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who smuggled fentanyl into the United States and distributed it in the Waterloo area was sentenced today to 37 years in federal prison.
Javoni Marcelius Butler, also known as “G Man,” age 44, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 20, 2024 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of international money laundering, and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Evidence at trial and sentencing showed that, beginning in at least January 2022, and continuing until December 20, 2023, Butler traveled to Mexico on several occasions to acquire fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder. In total, Butler obtained over 10,000 fentanyl pills and a significant quantity of fentanyl powder from his source of supply in Mexico, which Butler smuggled into the United States and brought to the Waterloo area. During that time, Butler possessed firearms, and he made credible threats of violence towards others, including threatening to kill his son over a drug‑related dispute. Butler also directed the drug‑related activities of multiple individuals, including his girlfriend.
On March 14, 2023, Butler’s friend asked Butler for additional fentanyl pills, and Butler directed the friend to Butler’s residence to obtain the pills as Butler was out of town. Butler’s friend told Butler that he just kept “popping” the fentanyl pills, and Butler warned the friend that the pills were dangerous. The next day, Butler’s friend was found dead from a fentanyl‑related overdose, which was caused by the fentanyl pills that Butler’s friend acquired from Butler.
On May 9, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Butler as Butler had an active warrant for his arrest. During the traffic stop, officers searched Butler’s vehicle and seized a backpack that contained almost $60,000.
On December 20, 2023, law enforcement officers searched Butler’s residence and another residence that Butler utilized as a “stash” house. Officer seized over 40 grams of fentanyl powder, a fentanyl pill, and a firearm. Around the time of the searches, officers intercepted phone calls made by Butler to others, including his girlfriend and his sister. During those calls, Butler stated that he was “going to jail,” expressed regret that he didn’t stop selling fentanyl earlier, and discussed fleeing to either Mexico or Belize to avoid prosecution. Butler was arrested by law enforcement in the Southern District of Texas on December 21, 2023.
Butler was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Butler was sentenced to 444 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a five‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Butler 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 Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson, and it was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑02078‑CJW.
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Former Inkster Mayor Sentenced to 2 Years Imprisonment for Demanding $100,000 in BribesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The former mayor of the City of Inkster was sentenced to 24 months in prison by United States District Judge Linda V. Parker, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced today. Patrick Wimberly, 51, of Inkster, pleaded guilty last September to demanding $100,000 in bribe payments.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Wimberly served as the mayor of the City of Inkster, Michigan, from 2019 through 2023. In the spring of 2022, Wimberly demanded $100,000 in cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the City (referred to as “Parcel 1”) to an outside party (referred to as “Person A”). Over several months, Person A provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of this property. The monthly payments started at $5,000 but the parties agreed to eventually increase that amount. Person A did not move to increase the bribe payments immediately, leading Wimberly to complain that he was due “10 a month.” As requested, Person A then increased the monthly payments to $10,000. In total, Person A provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly for the purpose of winning the bid for Parcel 1. The Federal Bureau of Investigation intervened before the property could be transferred to Person A.
“We know that an honest leader gives stability to his city and one who is greedy for bribes tears it down. Mr. Wimberly dishonored his office so that he could line his pockets. And we will not let crooked politicians undermine our local government,” said US Attorney Gorgon.
"The sentencing of Patrick Wimberly, the former Mayor of the City of Inkster, sends a clear and powerful message that no one is above the law,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "Public Corruption erodes the very foundation of our democracy, and the FBI in Michigan remains steadfast in protecting our community from those who abuse positions of trust. I would like to thank the dedicated members from our FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force for their thorough investigative work, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their successful prosecution of this case. The FBI will continue to investigate any allegations of criminal misconduct to ensure that justice is served, and the public’s trust is preserved.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown
Evergreen Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – An Evergreen man was sentenced to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Cornelius Antoine Dean, 34, was arrested by Alabama State Troopers during a traffic stop in Evergreen on July 11, 2023. Troopers smelled marijuana emanating from a vehicle in which Dean was a passenger. During a pat-down search of Dean, Troopers located and seized a .45 caliber pistol in his waistband. In the backseat of the vehicle, within reaching distance of Dean, agents found a bag containing multiple individually packaged baggies of marijuana and a digital scale near Dean’s Alabama identification card.
In an interview following his arrest, Dean admitted that he possessed the .45 caliber pistol and had previously been convicted of a felony drug-distribution crime. Dean’s prior felony conviction made his possession of the pistol illegal under federal law. Dean admitted that he knew he was not supposed to possess a firearm.
In addition to the 46-month prison sentence, United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Dean to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Dean to pay $100 in special assessments and forfeited Dean’s pistol to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of 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).
El Dorado man sentenced for child pornography distributionRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 126 months in prison for distributing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).
According to court documents, David M. Follett, 38, of El Dorado pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
On multiple occasions Follett used his computer to share child pornography with other users on a peer-to-peer filesharing network. Among the recipients was an agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). While executing a search warrant at Follett’s home, agents found evidence of child pornography activities on Follett’s laptop.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.###
Dominican National Indicted for Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Worcester has been indicted by a federal grand jury for trafficking firearms in the Worcester area.
Ranfli Felix Garcia Brito, 36, was indicted on one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Garcia Brito was previously charged by criminal complaint on July 17, 2025. He is currently in the custody.
According to the charging documents, in April 2025, Garcia Brito was identified as a firearms trafficker selling firearms and ammunition in Worcester. Subsequently, on April 11, 2025, Garcia Brito allegedly sold an AR-15 style rifle and extra high-capacity magazines to an individual cooperating with law enforcement in the parking lot of a Walmart Supercenter in Worcester. During the meeting, Garcia Brito allegedly provided the individual with his phone number in order to arrange future transactions. Five days later, on April 16, 2025, Garcia Brito allegedly met the individual again at the same location and sold another AR-15 style rifle along with another magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.
Garcia Brito is alleged to have met with the same individual in the parking lot on five additional occasions in the following months, during which he sold more than a dozen firearms, multiple large-capacity magazines, ammunition, a silencer and a laser attachment. In total, Garcia Brito allegedly sold over 20 firearms over the course of seven different occasions between April 11, 2025 and July 10, 2025.
The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; and Paul Saucier, Police Chief of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Franklin, Mansfield and Auburn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault for Spitting on Former Interim U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Two Deputy United States MarshalsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Emily Gabriella Sommer, 32, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to three counts of assaulting a government official, in connection with a May 8 incident during which she spit on former U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and with her May 22 arrest during which she spit and kicked one Deputy United States Marshal and kicked another, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for Oct. 10, 2025.
"I want to congratulate U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, and her trial prosecutors Josh Gold and Jake Green, for the professional and respectful manner they handled this case and bringing it to a successful conclusion," said U.S. Pardon Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. who also serves as Director of the Weaponization Working Group for the Department of Justice.
According to court documents, on May 8, 2025, at about 3:30 p.m., then-Interim U.S. Attorney Martin was conducting an on-camera interview in front of the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the 600 block of D Street NW.
During the interview, Sommer approached Martin and stated words to the effect of, “Who in the f-- are you?” Martin turned to face Sommer. Sommer then said, “Are you Ed Martin? You are. Ed Martin.” Sommer lunged at Martin and spit on his shoulder. Sommer then walked eastbound on D Street Northwest and yelled, “You are a disgusting man. F--- you, Ed Martin. My name is Emily Gabriella Sommer, and you are served.”
Law enforcement identified an X account with username @EmilyGabriellaS and display name “Lefttits” as likely belonging to Sommer. On the evening of May 8, 2025, that account made several posts related to the incident.
On May 22, 2025, as Deputy U.S. Marshals placed Sommer under arrest she spit on one Deputy U.S. Marshal and kicked him a short time later. She also kicked a separate Deputy U.S. Marshal.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Joshua Gold.
25cr0164
Defendants Charged in over $200 Million Water Vending Machine Ponzi Scheme and Related Investment FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Teal Luthy Miller; Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Daniel Brubaker; and Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), W. Mike Herrington, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment and Superseding Indictment. The first Indictment charges RYAN WEAR, the former owner and operator of Water Station Management LLC (“Water Station”), with securities and wire fraud in connection with WEAR raising more than $200 million from investors by selling them water vending machines that, in many cases, did not exist, and paying promised returns through new investor money. The second, Superseding Indictment charges JORDAN CHIRICO, a former fund portfolio manager and investment adviser, with investment adviser fraud in connection with purchasing more than $100 million of Water Station bonds while concealing his personal financial stake in the company and, eventually, his knowledge of the fraud that had been perpetrated by WEAR. Together, the defendants’ conduct caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to Water Station investors and bondholders. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon.
“Ryan Wear raised hundreds of millions of dollars through false promises of a water vending machine business that became nothing more than a scam that victimized retail investors, including military veterans,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said. “Jordan Chirico made matters worse by putting his own financial interests before his professional duties, investing clients’ money in Water Station—helping himself and hurting his investors—even after he knew it was a scam. One fraud does not excuse another. With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners and our colleagues throughout the Department of Justice, this Office will continue to aggressively pursue financial frauds on Wall Street and Main Street.”
“From the relatively small city of Everett, Washington, to the major financial markets in New York, this fraud scheme had a broad reach,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “We appreciate our partnership with the Southern District of New York on this investigation.”
“The greed and deception of this Ponzi scheme has resulted in the same way they have throughout history, with unwitting investors seeing their hard-earned money grossly misused, and the scammers arrested and held accountable for their crimes,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel Brubaker. “Postal Inspectors, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and disrupt criminals from defrauding the American public.”
“The scale of this fraud, which resulted in at least $200 million in losses, is simply staggering,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington. “And the deception and obfuscation these two men allegedly engaged in to siphon funds from retail investors, even U.S. military veterans, is absolutely unconscionable. FBI Seattle is committed to working with our law enforcement partners throughout Washington state and the nation to hold accountable those who abuse investors’ trust and defraud them of their hard-earned savings.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment unsealed today:[1]
WEAR operated Water Station as a fraudulent investment scheme, deceiving investors about the nature and profitability of the purported business. He raised over $200 million from retail investors and military veterans through multiple fraudulent solicitations, initially claiming that each investment of $8,500 would fund individual water machines generating passive income. He later raised capital through bonds falsely claimed to be collateralized by numerous water vending machines.
WEAR perpetuated the fraud by manufacturing far fewer water machines than represented, selling the same machines to multiple investors, and claiming machines existed when they did not. The deployed machines failed to generate the revenue promised by WEAR. To satisfy questioning investors, WEAR operated a Ponzi-like scheme, using new investor funds to pay earlier investors while siphoning off millions to expand his traditional vending machine business and cover personal expenses. When he could no longer raise sufficient funds, Water Station was forced into bankruptcy in August 2024, causing at least $200 million in investor losses.
CHIRICO engaged in a scheme to defraud 3|5|2 Capital ABS Master Fund LP (the “352 Fund”), an investment fund that was part of Jefferies Financial Group’s Leucadia Asset Management. As a portfolio manager entrusted with hundreds of millions in investors’ funds, CHIRICO breached his fiduciary duties by causing the 352 Fund to invest almost $100 million in what he came to learn was a Ponzi scheme while concealing his personal financial stake in Water Station.
CHIRICO had a significant personal investment in Water Station, holding a joint venture partnership worth over $7 million. When Water Station needed a capital infusion, the company launched a $70 million bond issuance in April 2022. CHIRICO invested millions of the 352 Fund’s assets without fully disclosing his personal stake in Water Station, his monthly payments exceeding $90,000 from Water Station, or the $1.6 million he had received from referring friends and family members to invest in the company. After investing the 352 Fund’s money, CHIRICO sold his interests back to Water Station without disclosing that he was being paid with bond proceeds originating from, among others, the 352 Fund and its investors. CHIRICO also deliberately omitted other conflicts that jeopardized the fund’s investment, including millions of dollars that WEAR and Water Station owed CHIRICO in loan and note repayments.
By summer of 2023, CHIRICO learned of serious issues at Water Station, including the inability to locate thousands of water machines supposedly collateralizing the bonds. Rather than alert investors, CHIRICO—who was personally owed more than $1 million by WEAR—prioritized his own repayment. In January 2024, WEAR admitted to CHIRICO that thousands of machines collateralizing the bonds did not exist, and that WEAR had misappropriated tens of millions of dollars in bond proceeds. Despite learning of this fraud—which another Water Station investor described to WEAR and CHIRICO as “the largest franchise fraud case in the history of the United States”—CHIRICO did not disclose Water Station’s problems to the 352 Fund or its investors. Instead, CHIRICO directed the 352 Fund to buy another $19 million of additional Water Station-issued bonds, some of the proceeds of which WEAR used to repay CHIRICO. From April 2022 to February 2024, CHIRICO received from WEAR and Water Station more than $11 million in joint venture earnings, buyouts, and loan and note repayments. The 352 Fund has not received any principal payments on $106.925 million of Water Station bonds, for which CHIRICO caused the fund and its affiliates to pay almost $100 million.
* * *
WEAR, 49, of Everett, Washington, is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. CHIRICO, 41, of Carmel, Indiana, is charged with one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the USPIS, FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam S. Hobson and Justin V. Rodriguez, along with Dane Westermeyer of the Western District of Washington, are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._wear_indictment_-_copy.pdf u.s._v._chirico_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and Superseding Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment and Superseding Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Defendant in Anchorage drug trafficking conspiracy pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man pleaded guilty last week to conspiring with others to traffic fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin in Alaska on behalf of a drug trafficking organization allegedly run by a California inmate.
According to court documents, on March 23, 2023, Richard Frye, 36, and co-conspirator Tiffani Couch, 31, drove their other co-conspirator Anna Petla, 25, to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and dropped her off for departure. Petla entered the airport and attempted to board a flight to Sand Point. Law enforcement officials contacted her inside the airport, searched the backpack she was carrying and discovered nearly 3,000 blue fentanyl pills. Petla also possessed over 80 grams of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement officials subsequently contacted Frye and Couch as they waited in their vehicle outside the departure area and detained both. Officers searched the vehicle and found over 500 blue fentanyl pills and over 40 grams of other controlled substances.
On June 9, 2023, law enforcement officials contacted Frye and Couch during a traffic stop in Anchorage. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered roughly 1,400 blue fentanyl pills, over 12 grams of other controlled substances and two loaded ammunition magazines. Frye possessed the controlled substances that police seized in March and June 2023 with the intent to distribute them to people in Alaska on behalf of the drug trafficking organization.
Law enforcement officials arrested Frye and Couch following the traffic stop on June 9. When Frye was booked into custody at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, staff found a suspicious mass in Frye’s stomach during a body scan. It was later determined that before his arrest, Frye ingested fentanyl and suboxone wrapped in cellophane and condoms with the intent to distribute these substances inside the correctional facility.
Frye posted bail and was released but was ordered detained again following a bail hearing in state court on June 23, 2023. On June 25, 2023, correctional officers discovered Frye attempted to body carry roughly 70 suboxone strips into the detention facility with the intent to distribute them inside the facility.
Court documents also explain that between December 2022 and March 2023, Frye used a digital money transferring service to send 34 transfers totaling over $8,800 to a co-conspirator’s account. During the same time frame, Frye received nine transfers totaling over $1,000 from the same co-conspirator. Frye is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendants in this case are as follows:
- Couch, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on May 9, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Couch is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2026.
- Petla, of Dillingham, pleaded guilty on June 4, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Petla is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford of the District of Oregon made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Division Office and Anchorage District Office, FBI Anchorage Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division and Anchorage Domicile, Homeland Security Investigations Anchorage, Alaska Office, Alaska State Troopers and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins, Chris Schroeder and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.
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Davis Picnic Day Shooter Indicted for Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Joseph Allen Davis, 19, of Sacramento, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, police officers began investigating Joseph Allen Davis after determining that he was a shooter at the April 12, 2025, shooting at Rainbow City Park in Davis, where three people were injured by gunfire. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Joseph Allen Davis’s apartment and seized a short-barrel AR-15-style pistol. Davis is prohibited from possessing any firearms and ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felony gun possession offense.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Davis Police Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Davis faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case 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.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Chinese National Sentenced to More than Two Years in Federal Prison for Laundering Approximately $3.5 Million Stolen from Fraud VictimsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Chinese national was sentenced today to 28 months in federal prison for laundering approximately $3.5 million in money stolen from victims of investment scams as part of so-called “pig butchering” schemes, including opening bank accounts used to launder the money and picking up packages of bulk cash sent by fraud victims.
Li Liu, 27, a.k.a. “Qiunan Li” and “Xiaoying Zhao,” of the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin.
She pleaded guilty on June 4 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“Pig butchering” fraud schemes (a term derived from a foreign-language phrase used to describe these crimes) consist of scammers encountering victims on dating services or social media, or via unsolicited messages or calls, often masquerading as a wrong number. Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment.
Victims are then directed to other members of the scheme operating fraudulent investment platforms and applications, where victims are persuaded to transfer money for the purpose of financial investments. Once funds are sent to scammer-controlled accounts, the purported investment platform often falsely shows significant gains on the purported investment, and the victims are thus induced to send more money for additional investments.
Ultimately, the victims are unable recover their money, often resulting in significant losses for the victims.
In September 2024, Liu – using a fake passport under the alias “Xia Ran” and other documents – opened a bank account for a sham company named Ocean X Trading Ltd Inc. and had access to the account until April 2025. Multiple investment scam victims wired their money to this account. During October 2024 alone, Liu transferred $83,461 out of this bank account to a Hong Kong-based company called Alamo Tech Ltd.
As part of the conspiracy, Liu and her co-conspirators also used fake IDs – including passports and California driver’s licenses – to open accounts at mail receiving facilities and pick up package of bulk currency sent by wire fraud victims.
For example, in March 2025, Liu – using a fake passport with the name “Qiunan Li” along with other documents for a business called Sunny South Trading Inc. – opened an account at a shipping company located in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. During two days in April 2025, six packages containing bulk cash – were received at this location. Liu picked up, opened, and photographed the packages’ content then consolidated the money and sent it to co-defendant Shaui Lyu, 28, of Koreatown, and other co-conspirators.
Lyu possessed on his cellphone approximately 46 images of bulk currency, many of which Liu sent to him. Law enforcement estimated that the bulk currency in the images totaled approximately $3.5 million of laundered money.
Finally, the conspiracy used couriers to deliver bulk cash from fraud victims. In March 2025, Liu was involved with someone transporting from Dallas to Los Angeles more than $200,000 in bulk currency of wire fraud victims. The co-conspirators also used an image of a serialized U.S. dollar bill for each courier pick up of currency, with the courier and the victim each showing the same serialized dollar bill to confirm the courier’s identity at pick up. In April 2025, Lyu on his cellphone, possessed more than 100 images of serialized dollar bills, each representing a different pick up of bulk cash.
Liu admitted in her plea agreement that she received payment for laundering the fraudulently obtained money. Law enforcement searching Liu’s residence found $104,000 in cash from fraud victims that had not yet been sent to other co-conspirators. Law enforcement also recovered 27 packages that Liu and Lyu had not picked up from mail receiving facilities, which were found to contain about $285,000 in cash and $87,000 in gold bars.
Lyu – who is an illegal alien from China – also pleaded guilty on June 4 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and will face up to 20 years in federal prison at his September 4 sentencing hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik M. Silber of the Post-Conviction and Special Litigation Section prosecuted this case.
Career criminal sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A career criminal, with at least 10 felony convictions in Jefferson County, has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Kendrick Malbrough, 29, of Humble, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on August 14, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on October 30, 2024, law enforcement officers observed a vehicle commit traffic violations and attempted to initiate a traffic stop at the intersection of Concord and Steelton in Beaumont. The driver, Malbrough, eventually exited the vehicle while it was still rolling and attempted to flee on foot, discarding a pistol in the process. During his arrest, Malbrough was found in possession of $1,990 cash and he had attempted to hide almost 5 grams of crack cocaine in a baggie in his mouth. Further investigation revealed Malbrough had at least 10 felony convictions in Jefferson County beginning in 2014. As a convicted felon, Malbrough is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Canadian resident arrested at border with 109 kilograms of cocaineRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Vishavpal Singh, 31, a citizen of India residing in Canada, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
“This seizure represents one of the largest ever at international border crossings in the Western District of New York,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “The investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners is a very important step in preventing this vast amount of illegal narcotics from ending up on the streets of our community, and those attempting to smuggle this cocaine into our neighborhoods will be held accountable.”
HSI Buffalo Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan stated, “As alleged, Vishavpal Singh brazenly transported hundreds of pounds of cocaine through multiple states and into New York, where his cross-country trip was abruptly halted. with the assistance of eagle-eyed federal agents and officers, an investigation into Singh’s tractor trailer uncovered 108 kilos of cocaine inside boxes comingled within a large shipment of fabric softener. this arrest underscores the indispensable value of law enforcement collaboration, and i commend both CBP buffalo and HSI buffalo along with our partners across the country for their quick thinking and coordinated efforts.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Singh was associated with a previous seizure of approximately 228 kilograms of cocaine in July 2025, at the Detroit Ambassador Bridge Port of Entry. An individual, identified as Pawanjit Gill, was arrested after bulk quantities of cocaine were found during an inspection of his outbound traveling commercial vehicle. Subsequent investigation determined that earlier that day, Gill met with Singh at a nearby travel center. HSI Port Huron alerted HSI Buffalo Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) that Singh was traveling within the United States. On the afternoon of August 13, 2025, Customs and Border Protection and HSI Buffalo BEST conducted an outbound inspection on Singh, who was operating a commercial tractor, at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. During the inspection, CBP officers discovered boxes containing approximately 109 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Singh was taken into custody.
Singh made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held pending a detention hearing on August 19, 2025.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy. Additional assistance was provided by HSI Port Huron.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Baltimore Recidivist Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Ethan King, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, on February 7, 2024, law enforcement observed surveillance video of King, a previously convicted felon, entering a Baltimore convenience store. While inside the store, King purchased a Glock 19 handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device from another individual.
Then on March 15, law enforcement recovered the Glock 19 handgun during a search of King’s residence. When law enforcement recovered the firearm, it was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a machinegun conversion device. Machinegun conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” are designed to convert a semi-automatic Glock-style pistol into a fully automatic firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, ATF, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tsuei who prosecuted this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Ethan King, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, on February 7, 2024, law enforcement observed surveillance video of King, a previously convicted felon, entering a Baltimore convenience store. While inside the store, King purchased a Glock 19 handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device from another individual.
Then on March 15, law enforcement recovered the Glock 19 handgun during a search of King’s residence. When law enforcement recovered the firearm, it was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a machinegun conversion device. Machinegun conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” are designed to convert a semi-automatic Glock-style pistol into a fully automatic firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, ATF, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tsuei who prosecuted this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Felon Convicted by Jury of Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal jury found Donte Williams, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the verdict with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
During the three-day trial, the United States presented evidence that, on September 28, 2022, Williams was sitting in the 500 block of Cumberland Street in Baltimore, Maryland. BPD officers approached Williams and spoke with him. As Williams walked away, officers observed a large quantity of suspected narcotics in his pocket. Law enforcement then arrested Williams, recovering approximately 72 gel caps containing fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl from his pocket, and an Arcus Model 98DA 9mm pistol, loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition from his waist band. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to numerous prior convictions,
Williams also possessed approximately $820 in drug trafficking proceeds on him. After a subsequent search of his vehicle, law enforcement uncovered his identification and an additional 97 blue-and-white gel caps that matched the ones in his pocket which also contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl.
Separately, the jury found Williams not guilty on two counts of alleged firearms possession in relation to a car stop on September 4, 2022.
Williams is facing up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum term of five years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. The drug trafficking count is punishable by up to 20 years and the unlawful firearm and ammunition count is punishable up to 15 years. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, November 21, at 10 a.m.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stanton Lawyer and Patricia McLane, who are prosecuting the federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Alisha Swiger for her assistance and legal support.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore County Woman Admits to Impersonating Nurses, Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland –Thomasina E. Amponsah, 50, of Baltimore County, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to false statements in connection to health care matters and aggravated identity theft. Amponsah used stolen nursing licenses to obtain employment as a registered nurse (RN) and licensed practical nurse (LPN) but never held a nursing license or credential of her own.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
According to the plea agreement, beginning in or about September 2019, and continuing until in or about August 2023, Amponsah used stolen nursing credentials and false educational and professional histories. This helped her to obtain health care work as a purported licensed nurse at no less than 40 facilities in Maryland. Most of the facilities served as skilled nursing facilities that provided in-patient rehabilitation and medical treatment centers and were staffed with trained medical professionals.
These facilities billed for services that Amponsah provided to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Other facilities included a Baltimore City public school and multiple nursing homes. Amponsah earned at least $100,000 in wages from working at these facilities with her false credentials.
On or about August 21, 2019, Amponsah submitted a job application to Nursing Facility 1. In her application, Amponsah fraudulently used a Maryland nursing license number issued to Identity Victim T.R.S. She also provided a duplicated picture of Identity Victim T.R.S.’s nursing license to Nursing Facility 1.
Additionally, on her application, Amponsah modified her name to falsely include Identity Victim T.R.S.’s last name as part of her purported name. In her purported professional and educational history, Amponsah also claimed that she previously served as an LPN supervisor, and that she held a nursing degree from Florida State University, although neither claim was true.
As a result of this fraudulent application, Nursing Facility 1 hired Amponsah as an LPN. Nursing Facility 1 terminated Amponsah after she admitted forging a physician’s signature for Tramadol — an opioid painkiller — on a controlled medication prescription form and then faxing the form to a pharmacy.
Amponsah also admitted she used a second stolen identity to obtain nursing positions. On or about July 18, 2021, Amponsah submitted an online job application to Staffing Agency 1. Nurses who work for Staffing Agency 1 can sign up for nursing shifts at partner facilities. On her Staffing Agency 1 application, Amponsah used a Florida nursing license number that belonged to Identity Victim E.A. She also provided a duplicated picture of Identity Victim E.A.’s nursing license to Staffing Agency 1 and submitted a fictitious resume.
Additionally, Amponsah used her fabricated application to obtain employment in numerous other skilled nursing facilities. In total, between July 18, 2021, and October 9, 2022, Amponsah worked for at least 21 different skilled nursing facilities in connection with her fictitious Staffing Agency 1 application.
Through Staffing Agency 1, Amponsah also obtained several shifts at Nursing Facility 2 in October 2022. During these shifts, Amponsah failed to administer prescribed medication to multiple patients and falsified the corresponding medical records. Although Nursing Facility 2 and Staffing Agency 1 confronted and eventually terminated Amponsah for working as an unlicensed nurse, she continued applying for and accepting employment as a licensed nurse using Identity Victim T.R.S.’s and Identity Victim E.A.’s credentials.
Amponsah faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for false statements related to health care matters, and a mandatory two-year sentence, consecutive to any other imposed sentence, for aggravated identity theft.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Amponsah’s sentencing is currently set for Wednesday, November 12, at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph L. Wenner and Sean Delaney, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Bronson Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kashone Demetrious Bing, 20, of Bronson, Florida, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “I deeply appreciate the great work of our state and federal law enforcement partners in this case, and my office remains committed to prosecuting violent felons like this defendant to keep our communities safe.”
Court documents reflect that Bing had a loaded firearm in his lap when law enforcement went to execute an arrest warrant at his residence. Bing is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of two felonies, including aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement.
Bing faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
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.
Armed Drug Distributor Is Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Antoine Depray Jackson, 54, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today on drug and gun charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to court records, law enforcement began an investigation into Jackson after he was identified as a drug distributor in the Mecklenburg, Lincoln, and Catawba County areas. On October 4, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at Jackson’s residence. Law enforcement seized quantities of cocaine base and a loaded KAHR Arms model CT-45, 45 caliber pistol. Jackson has prior criminal convictions, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
On February 7, 2025, Jackson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF, the DEA, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Albuquerque Couple Indicted for Conspiring to Harbor Illegal Aliens and Laundering Human Smuggling Proceeds Through Real EstateRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque couple is accused of conspiring with human smugglers, turning their rental properties into stash houses for human smuggling operations, and laundering what they believed to be human smuggling profits through a real estate deal structured to avoid detection.
According to court records, between March 2023 and July 2025, Nan Zhang, 44, and her husband Sanjay Khurana, 62, both naturalized U.S. citizens, conspired with human smugglers to rent properties in Albuquerque to be used as stash houses for individuals who had been unlawfully brought into the United States. The properties included four locations in Albuquerque:
- An eight-unit apartment complex at 919–923 Alvarado Dr. SE
- A six-unit apartment complex at 529–535 Utah St. NE
- A three-story townhouse at 4505 Villa Loma Ln. NE
- A six-unit apartment complex at 1033–1037 Alvarado Dr. SE
The indictment further alleges that Zhang and Khurana charged inflated rents for units used to harbor illegal aliens, warned co-conspirators of law enforcement activity, and continued leasing apartments to human smugglers even after law enforcement discovered undocumented individuals at the properties. In one instance, officers responded to a shooting and found 12 undocumented individuals hidden inside a stash house.
Beginning in late 2024, Zhang and Khurana also allegedly conspired to launder money they believed to be proceeds of human smuggling. According to court documents, they offered to sell real estate for large cash payments while structuring the deals to avoid financial reporting requirements, including offering to use a third-party name and falsify sale records.
“This case exposes the dangerous lengths to which some will go to profit from human suffering,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Turning homes into hideouts for smuggling operations and disguising illicit profits through real estate transactions not only fuels crime but endangers our communities. By targeting criminal enterprises that exploit our city’s neighborhoods and real estate market, we are cutting off the infrastructure these smugglers rely on to operate.”
“Human smugglers prey on the vulnerable and exploit them for profit, showing complete disregard for human life,” said Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso. “This case demonstrates our unwavering commitment to dismantle these dangerous networks, protect our communities from harm, and ensure that those who enable or profit from these crimes are brought to justice.”
“The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to defend our homeland. By leveraging our Safe Street and Transnational Organized Crime Task Forces, we were able to combat the influence and reach of these organized crime groups," said Philip Russell Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albuquerque Field Office. "We are grateful for our partnerships with HSI, IRS, and APD as we fight to eliminate the transnational organized crime groups that threaten the national and economic security of the United States.”
Zhang and Khurana are charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conducting unlawful financial transactions. If convicted, they face forfeiture of the properties and up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation jointly investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Patrick E. Cordova are prosecuting the case as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 405 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
View the Indictment (Zhang and Khurana).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
13 August 2025
Wewoka Resident Pleads Guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Erin Nicole Hodge, age 30, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on February 10, 2024, Hodge assaulted a victim, resulting in serious bodily injury.
The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Hodge was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
West Columbia Man Sentenced to More than 8 Years in Federal Prison for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kendolius Cortez Jones, 32, of West Columbia, was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented to the court showed that from April through June 2023, Jones sold 13 firearms to undercover agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The firearms sold consisted of stolen firearms and firearms capable of accepting large capacity magazines.
Jones was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions for criminal conspiracy, assault and battery, failure to stop for blue light, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, forgery, driving under suspension, and multiple drug related offenses, including distribution of crack cocaine.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Jones to 107 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, West Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.
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Venezuelan National Indicted for Child Exploitation and Obscenity OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that a federal grand jury recently returned a two-count indictment charging Kleider Enrique Garcia Ochoa, age 30, a Venezuelan national who is present in the United States without authorization, with attempted enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Ochoa appeared for his arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges.
According to the indictment, on or about March 31, 2025, Ochoa used social media applications and the name “Conociendo” to attempt to convince someone he believed was a 15-year-old male in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to engage in an illegal sexual relationship. Ochoa is also alleged to have transferred obscene material to the supposed 15-year-old male.
If convicted, Ochoa faces a minimum of ten years and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and sex offender registration requirements. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing his sentence.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross.
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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney announces immigration case updates for the Eastern District of VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today case updates on seven immigration cases in the district.
On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States.
Between Sept. 1, 2004, and April 29, 2015, Salvadoran national Wilber Alexander Andrade-Castellon, 45, was removed from the United States on three occasions, each time pursuant to a final order of removal. Following his third removal in 2015, Andrade-Castellon again illegally re-entered the country. On Aug. 9, 2024, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned Andrade-Castellon was unlawfully present in the United States when he was arrested and detained at the Fairfax County Detention Center. On May 14, Andrade-Castellon pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-101
In 2018, Honduran national Daniel Alberto Urbina Romero, 28, was convicted in Virginia of abduction with intent to defile and aggravated sexual battery. Pursuant to a final order of removal, Urbina Romero was removed from the United States on Jan. 27, 2023. On March 19, ICE agents learned that Urbina Romero was illegally present in the United States following a traffic violation in Loudoun County. On July 31, Urbina Romero pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States after removal for an aggravated felony conviction. He remains subject to the previous order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-161
Salvadoran national Carlos Antonio Flores Monroy, 52, illegally entered the United States in 2001. On July 6, 2007, an Immigration Judge ordered Flores Monroy to be removed. On Feb. 14, 2024, Flores Monroy was arrested in Richmond for carrying a concealed weapon, for which he was convicted on July 19, 2024. He was removed on Oct. 3, 2024. On May 1, immigration officials encountered Flores Monroy in Richmond. On Aug. 5, Flores Monroy pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a prior removal. He remains subject to the previous order of removal. Case No. 3:25-cr-83
After illegally entering the United States, Honduran national Maynor Dionicio Hernandez-Reyes was deported on Aug. 20, 2021, pursuant to a final order of removal. On April 10, ICE agents learned that Hernandez-Reyes had unlawfully reentered the United States when he was detained at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail in James City County. On Aug. 7, Hernandez-Reyes pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the previous order of removal. Case No. 4:25-cr-45
Pursuant to a final order of removal, Honduran national Jose Adoney Monge-Santos, 33, was removed from the United States in 2013, 2015, and 2016. He was first removed after he was arrested twice in 2013 for being drunk in public. On April 10, 2023, having illegally re-entered the United States following his third removal, he was arrested for public intoxication, assault and battery, and property damage after he grabbed a chair from behind a bar and struck a security guard on the head. On Nov. 11, 2024, Monge-Santos was arrested for felony malicious wounding by mob when he and others allegedly attacked a victim and forcibly tried to recruit him to their gang. On Nov. 15, 2024, ICE agents learned that Mr. Monge-Santos was back in the United States and had been detained at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. On June 9, Monge-Santos was arrested for public intoxication and trespass. On June 10, ICE officers arrested Monge-Santos and on Aug. 11 he pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a prior removal. He remains subject to the previous order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-194
Salvadoran national Miguel Angel Alvarado Cordero, 23, was first removed from the United States on Feb. 11, 2022. On Feb. 19, ICE officers learned that Alvarado Cordero had unlawfully reentered the country following his detention in Fairfax County for two felony counts of possession of controlled substances, failure to appear on a felony offense, obstructing justice, disorderly conduct, property damage, and public intoxication. On May 9, Alvarado Cordero was arrested on a federal warrant and on Aug. 6 he pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the previous order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-159
On June 5, 2005, Honduran national Wilmer Roberto Lopez-Mejia, 46, illegally entered the United States. According to police reports, on July 11, 2008, Lopez-Mejia raped and repeatedly stabbed the mother of his two children, then left her to die. On March 26, 2009, following an extensive manhunt, Lopez-Mejia was apprehended and charged in Fairfax County with rape by force, threat, or intimidation; malicious wounding; and abduction with the intent to defile. On Sept. 28, 2009, Lopez-Mejia pled guilty to one count of unlawful wounding. Following his incarceration, Lopez-Mejia was removed from the United States, but Lopez-Mejia subsequently re-entered the United States illegally. On Feb. 26, Lopez-Mejia was arrested for the illegal re-entry. He pled guilty on April 24 and is awaiting sentencing. Lopez-Mejia remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-78
Operation Take Back America is 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.
U.S. Attorney Announces Settlement with Members-Only Social Club for Covid Relief FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Regional Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (“SBA-OIG”), Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, announced today that the United States has settled a civil fraud lawsuit against TCC INTERNATIONAL LLC, CORE GRAVITY LLC, and CORE CLUB MEMBERS CORP. (collectively, the “Defendants”), for falsely certifying to the SBA that they were eligible to receive two Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans and have those loans forgiven, as well as a Restaurant Revitalization Fund (“RRF”) grant in violation of the False Claims Act.
Under SBA rules and regulations, private clubs were ineligible for PPP loans and restaurants that were either not-for-profits or did not primarily serve the public (such as restaurants operating within private clubs) were ineligible for RRF grants. The settlement resolves claims that TCC International LLC and Core Gravity LLC falsely certified that they were eligible to receive and have forgiven two PPP loans despite being ineligible because TCC International LLC and Core Gravity LLC intended to, and did, use the PPP funds to operate a private club; and Core Club Members Corp. falsely certified that it was eligible to receive a RRF grant despite being ineligible because it was a not-for-profit organization with no food or beverage sales to the public.
Under the settlement approved today by U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, the Defendants will pay the United States a total sum of $360,000. The settlement amount is based on the Office’s assessment of the Defendants’ ability to pay, as reflected in financial information they provided. The Defendants have also executed a Consent Judgment in the amount of $8,189,172.10, which may be enforced if they do not make the payments required under the settlement agreement. Additionally, the Defendants have admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged in the Government’s Complaint.
“The Paycheck Protection Program and Restaurant Revitalization Fund were intended to assist small businesses suffering the financial impacts of a pandemic-related lockdown,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers supported these programs to protect their neighbors and their community. New Yorkers also want those who abused the programs held accountable. Our Office and the SBA are committed to doing so.”
“Falsely certifying eligibility for Paycheck Protection Program loans and Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants undermines critical relief programs designed to support small businesses and public-facing restaurants,” said SBA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG remains dedicated to protecting the integrity of SBA’s programs and holding accountable those who exploit them for personal gain.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
Under the PPP, eligible businesses could obtain SBA-guaranteed loans; however, before receiving a PPP loan, businesses were required to certify that they were, in fact, eligible for the loan. By regulation, certain businesses, such as private clubs, were ineligible for PPP loans. The SBA also allowed for forgiveness of PPP loans. To receive forgiveness, businesses were required to submit signed loan forgiveness applications in which they certified that the PPP funds were used for eligible expenses.
Under the RRF, qualifying bars and restaurants could apply for grants to offset pandemic-related revenue losses. Per the RRF rules, certain businesses were ineligible for funding, including not-for-profit entities and restaurants and bars where on-site sales to the public comprised less than 33% of gross receipts in 2019.
TCC International LLC and Core Gravity LLC applied for and received two PPP loans totaling approximately $2.3 million and the SBA ultimately forgave all but $514,176.45 of those funds. Core Club Members Corp. received an RRF grant of more than $2.3 million and did not repay any of that amount. However, TCC International LLC and Core Gravity LLC were ineligible to receive their PPP loans or have them forgiven because they intended to, and did, use the funds for the benefit of a private club. Additionally, Core Club Members Corp. was ineligible to receive its RRF grant because none of its gross receipts in 2019 were derived from on-site sales to the public and it was not-for-profit.
As part of the settlement, the Defendants admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following conduct:
- TCC International LLC d/b/a Core Gravity, through its authorized representative, certified in a first-draw PPP loan application seeking $960,400 that it was eligible for funding and that the funds would be used in accordance with PPP rules. However, TCC International LLC d/b/a Core Gravity was not eligible for a PPP loan, as it intended to, and did, use the funds to fund payment of employees of a members-only club.
- Core Gravity LLC sought and obtained partial forgiveness for the first-draw PPP loan in the amount of $446,223.55, after its authorized representative falsely certified in a loan forgiveness application that the funds as to which forgiveness was sought were used to pay business costs that were eligible for forgiveness.
- TCC International LLC d/b/a The Core Club, through its authorized representative, certified in a second-draw PPP loan application seeking $1,344,675.50 that it was eligible for funding and that the funds would be used in accordance with PPP rules. However, TCC International LLC d/b/a The Core Club was not eligible for a PPP loan, as it intended to, and did, use the funds to fund payment of employees of a members-only club.
- TCC International LLC sought and obtained full forgiveness for the second-draw PPP loan, after its authorized representative falsely certified in the forgiveness application that the funds as to which forgiveness was requested were used to pay business costs that were eligible for forgiveness.
- Core Club Members Corp. submitted an application to SBA to obtain a grant of $2,303,687.00 through the RRF, in which its authorized representative certified the applicant’s eligibility for funding and that the funds would be used in accordance with RRF rules. However, Core Club Members Corp., a not-for-profit company that did not serve food or drink to the public, was not eligible for an RRF grant.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
* * *
Mr. Clayton thanked the SBA-OIG for its assistance with this case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica F. Rosenbaum is in charge of the case.
u.s._v_tcc_international_llc_et_al_complaint_in_intervention.pdf u.s._v_tcc_international_llc_et_al_settlement_agreement.pdfTwo Men Arrested in Connection with Seizure of Approximately 73 Kilograms of Cocaine with an Estimated Value of over $1 MillionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Massachusetts men have been arrested and charged in connection with the seizure of approximately 73 kilos of cocaine in Revere, Mass.
Noel Betances, 42, of Chelsea and Reylin Segura, 31, of Boston, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The defendants made their initial appearances in federal court in Boston earlier today.
According to court documents, in 2023 law enforcement began an investigation of packages sent from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts that were suspected to contain narcotics. Betances was identified as the individual allegedly picking up the packages and transporting them to locations around Chelsea, Revere and Boston, including 16 Rand Street, Revere. On Aug. 12, 2025, Betances was seen exiting 16 Rand Street with a box, which he allegedly transferred to Segura in exchange for a plastic bag. It is alleged that the box was later found to contain four kilograms of cocaine along with a bag containing bundled cash. According to court records, a subsequent search of 16 Rand Street resulted in the seizure of an additional 69 kilograms of cocaine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. The value of the cocaine seized is estimated at over $1 million.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and up to life and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere Police Department, Boston Police Department and the Worcester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Toppenish Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting at Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington –United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced Leland James Vijarro, age 26, was sentenced after pleading guilty to assaulting federal officers and firearm charges. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 198 months to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on February 8, 2024, Vijarro broke into his brother’s home in Toppenish, Washington, and stole thirteen firearms and a suppresser. Then, on February 10, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a report of gun fire coming from the Vijarro’s vehicle in Toppenish. During the stop of the vehicle, the Vijarro fled the scene and barricaded himself inside a nearby home. After law enforcement officers set up a permitter around the vicinity of the home, Vijarro went into the backyard of the home and fired six shots from a handgun that had been stolen from his brother. The majority of the shots fired by Vijarro were aimed at law enforcement officers, who had set up a permitter across the street from the defendant’s location. Two Yakima County Sheriff’s Office marked police vehicles in the permitter, which law enforcement officers were shielding themselves behind, sustained damages from the shots. The Vijarro ultimately retreated to another residence and surrendered a few hours later.
At sentencing, Assistant United States Attorney Bree Black Horse noted that the defendant “possessed over a decade of criminal convictions and arrests characterized by assaults, arson, firearm offenses, thefts, and domestic violence crimes.” In asking for the 198-month sentence, AUSA Black Horse argued “the defendant’s criminal history, gang affiliation, and the circumstances surrounding the offense demonstrate that the defendant is a clear threat to public safety on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation.” AUSA Black Horse observed that it was “fortunate in this case that no law enforcement officers were injured or killed as a result of the defendant’s conduct” and that a significant custodial sentence “will ensure the public is protected as long as possible from further violent crimes perpetrated by the defendant.”
In imposing the 198-month sentence, the Court highlighted the history of escalating violent behavior perpetrated by the defendant and explained the significant custodial sentence was necessary to protect the community from the defendant. The Court also thanked the YCSO officers who were present at sentencing for their service and continued efforts to keep the community safe despite incidents like the one perpetrated by the defendant.
“Mr. Vijarro’s actions were violent and reckless. I am grateful for the brave men and women in law enforcement who put their own lives at risk to arrest him,” said U.S. Attorney Serrano. “I’m grateful to AUSA Black Horse’s great work on this case; this is another example of the men and women of our office holding violent offenders accountable who are a danger to our community.”
“During two days of volatile and dangerous activities, Mr. Vijarro entered several houses that did not belong to him, including his own brother’s, to steal firearms and evade capture by law enforcement,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle. “Even worse, he used one of the stolen guns to shoot at law enforcement officers attempting to contain the situation. This case is an example of the FBI’s commitment to combatting violent criminals and gangs, as emphasized in Operation Summer Heat, a nationwide initiative targeting violent criminals and restoring safety in our communities.”
“On Feb 10, 2024, law enforcement officers and deputies were lucky to escape injury when they encountered Mr. Vijarro. A violent offender whose actions were without regard to anyone’s safety, we are grateful for the successful prosecution by AUSA Black Horse and her team,” said Sheriff Robert Udell. “Our partnership with federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Washington, continues to be a significant boon to Yakima County public safety.”
This case was investigated by the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bree R. Black Horse.
1:24-cr-2055-MKD
Three Philadelphia Men Arrested in Connection with June Armored Car RobberyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Daishaun “Daisha” Hughes-Murchison, 30, Brian Wallace, 31, and Trayvine Jackson, 31, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and use of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, in connection with the June 21, 2025, armed robbery of a Brink’s armored car, in which they stole more than 2 million dollars.
The defendants had their initial appearances in court last week. Jackson has been ordered detained, Wallace and Hughes-Murchison will have detention hearings later this week.
As presented in the criminal complaints and other filings, on June 21, 2025, at approximately 8 a.m., a Brink’s armored car driver was nearing a Home Depot on the 2500 block of Castor Avenue in Philadelphia, as part of his scheduled route.
The driver was walking down the rear alley of Home Depot, when two men armed with AR-style rifles approached him from behind. The men forced the driver to the ground, disarmed him of his company-issued firearm, and took his keys. One of the robbers stayed with the driver, while the other entered the armored vehicle and stole a significant amount of cash belonging to Brink’s Inc.
The two men then fled in a black Hyundai Sonata bearing a Virginia temporary tag, with a third man following in silver Ford Fusion with a Pennsylvania tag.
As alleged, investigators determined that the Ford Fusion belonged to Hughes-Murchison, and the Hyundai Sonata had been rented by Wallace, who returned the car a few hours after the robbery. Video surveillance footage obtained by law enforcement showed that, after returning the Sonata, Wallace walked to Hughes-Murchison’s Fusion, got into the passenger side, and the vehicle left. Cell records place the phones of defendants Wallace and Jackson in the area of the car rental site at that time, the complaints allege, and place Wallace’s and Hughes-Murchison’s phones in the area of the Home Depot at the time of the robbery.
As detailed in court filings, Brink’s advised investigators that Jackson had been a Brink’s employee, until he was suspended and then terminated after an internal investigation.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Three Fugitives Transferred to the United States from Mexico Arraigned in San DiegoRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Three fugitives transferred from Mexico facing a range of federal charges made their initial appearances today in federal court in the Southern District of California. Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as “Flaquito,” Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum also known as “El Chavo Félix,” and Abdul Karim Conteh, were transferred on August 12th from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law. They were among more than two dozen wanted fugitives facing a wide array of federal and state charges arraigned today all around the country.
At today’s hearing, Huerta Nuno, Felix Gastelum, and Conteh were arraigned and entered not guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres. Huerta Nuno’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro. Felix Gastelum’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 12th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant. Conteh’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Chief Judge Janis L. Sammartino.
Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as “Flaquito,” is alleged to be a violent Tijuana Plaza boss who has operated with impunity during the last 15 years. Huerta-Nuno is alleged to have supplied thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to distributors and cells located throughout San Diego and Los Angeles. In return, millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds were delivered to him and his organization via shipments of bulk cash from San Diego into Tijuana.
Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum also known as “El Chavo Félix,” is alleged to be a major Sinaloa Cartel cell leader and son-in-law to former Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. He is additionally alleged to be a principal operator of the Sinaloa Cartel’s clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories located in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Sinaloa and Durango, Mexico involved in the manufacturing and distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States.
Abdul Karim Conteh allegedly led a human smuggling organization that smuggled thousands of migrants to the United States through Mexico. These smuggled migrants originated from countries around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Egypt, and others. The migrants paid smuggling fees, often tens of thousands of dollars. Conteh allegedly oversaw the migrants’ unlawful entry into the United States by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels.
“Those who export dangerous drugs and smuggle aliens to the United States while seeking to evade capture will find no place to hide,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today is a win, but justice is not satisfied. The work of the Homeland Security Task Forces ensures that the indictment of high-level targets will remain a top priority nationally, but especially, in the Southern District of California.”
“The capture of Pablo Edwin Huerta-Nuno, one of the Cartel Arellano Felix’s (CAF) most violent leaders, is a testament to the FBI’s commitment of getting violent criminals off our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “Huerta-Nuno wreaked havoc for years while trafficking drugs, laundering money and engaging in unspeakable violent acts across our border. The FBI will continue to put all our resources into our mission of keeping our citizens safe.”
“Drug traffickers prey on our communities spreading violence and fear,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jake Galvan. “Justice is not optional, and justice has a long reach. We will continue to pursue, arrest, and bring to justice those who profit from drug trafficking. These arrests are a step toward a safer future.”
“Cartel-driven drug trafficking poses a threat to the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Field Office. “The capture of Pablo Edwin Huerta-Nuno is one step forward in our united effort to dismantle these criminal networks and bring those responsible to justice.”
“Mr. Huerta Nuño is accused of being a member of and a money launderer for a narcotics trafficking organization, who is hellbent on pushing deadly drugs into American households,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS-CI stands steadfast with our law enforcement partners to combat violent narcotics traffickers, and we will leverage our unique skillset to follow the money to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations who bring death into American communities on a daily basis.”
“The capture of Abdul Karim Conteh is a clear example of how strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies can make our communities safer,” said Acting Chief Jeffrey Stalnaker of the U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector. “We will continue working together to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable”.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sutton, Joshua Mellor, Robert J. Miller, and Francisco Nagel and the Conteh case is also being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Sausedo contributed significantly to the cases.
DEFENDANTS
Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno Age: 33 Mexico 25cr1761-RBM
Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum Age: 42 Mexico 22cr2262-TWR
Abdul Karim Conteh Age: 41 Sierra Leone 24cr1059-JLS
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno
International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 1956(h). Term of custody up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved.
Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum
International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
Abdul Karim Conteh
Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens at a Place Other Than Designated Port of Entry - Title 8, U.S.C., Secs. 1324(a)(1)(A)(i) and (v)(I) - Term of custody including a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gains - Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). Term of custody includes a mandatory minimum of 3 years in prison and a maximum of 15 years in prison.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
FBI
DEA
HSI
IRS-CI
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Marshals Service
Office of Enforcement Operations of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division
Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs
INTERPOL
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The Conteh case is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 405 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling, more than 355 U.S. convictions, and more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Third Defendant Sentenced in Federal Court for Installing Skimmers throughout the Southern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – Bogdan Gabriel Radu, 23, of Romania, was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in federal prison for possession of device-making equipment, also known as skimmers. His co-defendants, Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, were sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 15 months in federal prison for the same crime. All three defendants are Romanian nationals who entered the United States illegally.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning on June 21, 2024, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division began receiving reports from various agencies regarding the discovery of skimmer devices being located at various stores in central Mississippi. The Cyber Fraud Task Force began investigating leads that would determine the location of installed skimmers throughout the Southern District of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
Gheorghe, Neacsu, and Radu could be seen on surveillance video at various stores throughout the Southern District of Mississippi placing skimming devices on point-of-sale machines in June and July 2024. The skimmers were adhered using double-sided tape and were equipped with electronics that captured or recorded bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers, stored the skimmed card data, were Bluetooth capable for remote connectivity, and were powered by lithium batteries. Gheorghe and Neacsu would install the skimmers while making a small purchase using a gift card. Radu was primarily responsible for retrieving the stolen data from the skimmers.
Included in the information skimmed or stolen by these defendants were SNAP benefits totaling over $85,000, for which the defendants will be required to pay restitution. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. These stolen SNAP benefits were used in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and can be traced back to the skimming devices in Mississippi.
A criminal complaint was filed against Gheorghe and Neacsu on August 2, 2024. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against them on August 13, 2024. Thereafter, a superseding indictment was filed on November 6, 2024, adding Radu as a codefendant. As the defendants entered the United States illegally, they may be subject to deportation upon their release from prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.
Tech Company CEO Charged with Securities and Wire Fraud After Gambling Away Seed Round FundingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of an Indictment yesterday charging RICHARD KIM, the former Chief Executive Officer of Zero Edge Corporation (“Zero Edge”), with engaging in a scheme to defraud investors and prospective investors of Zero Edge by making false and misleading statements regarding the use of investor funds and subsequently misappropriating those funds. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
“As alleged, Richard Kim misled investors by promising that he would build a blockchain-based casino gaming app, but ironically Kim turned around and gambled away the very funds he said he would use to build a better casino,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Founders who abuse the trust of their investors threaten the integrity of our important and uniquely American venture capital market.”
“Richard Kim allegedly misappropriated millions of investors’ dollars intended to develop his online casino company by redirecting these funds for personal gambling and trading ventures,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Kim allegedly hedged his bets that false assurances would induce more investments and conceal the true nature of his spending. The FBI remains committed to apprehending any individual who leverages executive positions to defraud others for selfish purposes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]
KIM founded Zero Edge in March 2024, purporting to build an app-based casino using blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies. KIM represented to prospective investors that Zero Edge would develop on-chain games beginning with craps, and later offering roulette, baccarat, and blackjack. KIM also represented to investors that their funds would be used to build the business and its technology. Instead, KIM misappropriated the proceeds of the company’s seed round to make speculative cryptocurrency trades and gamble at an online casino.
Shortly after closing on the approximately $4.3 million seed financing round, KIM diverted approximately $3.8 million of investors’ funds first into a personal cryptocurrency account held at Coinbase and then sent approximately $1 million on to a variety of other crypto exchanges, including Binance, Kraken, and Backpack. Between in or about June 21, 2024, and June 27, 2024, KIM made transfers of approximately $7 million, and net transfers of approximately $1 million, from Coinbase and Kraken to a personal account held at Shuffle.com, which advertises itself as a “VIP Crypto Casino and Sportsbook.” KIM also directed a net sum of approximately $450,000 to other cryptocurrency wallets with unknown owners and transferred approximately $145,000 more from Kraken to a personal checking account.
In e-mails KIM later sent to investors, KIM admitted to misappropriating the investors’ funds, writing that he was “solely responsible for the loss of $3.67m of the Company’s balance sheet” following “leveraged trading losses from seed round financing proceeds” and that the company had lost nearly all its money. But even as KIM admitted to some investors that he had misappropriated funds, he continued to conceal the true nature of his conduct, telling investors that he had lost the money as a result of a “treasury management strategy” rather than personal gambling.
At the time of his arrest, KIM admitted to the FBI that he knew what he did “was clearly wrong from the beginning” and “completely unjustifiable.”
* * *
KIM, 39, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents from the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan T. Nees is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._kim_indictment.pdf[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Tallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to International Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Austin Keith Hibbert, 25, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempting to travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, and transferring obscene material to a person less than 16 years of age. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly grateful for the tireless efforts of our international and domestic law enforcement partners to investigate and intervene in cases like this, particularly because predators like this defendant are relentless in committing these disgusting crimes. This case represented one of parents’ worst nightmares – the targeting, grooming, and attempted exploitation of their child – but thankfully that nightmare did not become a reality for this family. My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting offenders like this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reflect that between May 2023, and August 2024, Hibbert communicated almost daily through multiple social media platforms with a 13-year-old child from Estonia, a country in Northern Europe. Hibbert met the child through a popular Internet game. The communications between Hibbert and the child quickly became sexual in nature. Hibbert told the child that he intended to travel to Estonia to meet and to engage in sexual activity. Additionally, Hibbert sent the child more than twelve explicit videos. In August 2024, law enforcement officials learned that Hibbert had applied for a U.S. passport and had booked an international flight from Tallahassee to Estonia. On August 12, 2024, law enforcement officials intercepted Hibbert as he attempted to board his flight at the Tallahassee International Airport. A search of Hibbert’s person and carry-on bags revealed items indicative of his intent to travel to meet with the child, including his U.S. passport, a bracelet, and a box of condoms. A later search of Hibbert’s electronic devices confirmed Hibbert’s communications with the child, his travel plans, and showed that he reserved lodging near where the child lived.
Hibbert faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervision upon release.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department, with assistance from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
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.
Statement on Revocation of Biden-Harris Executive Order on CompetitionRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division salutes the President’s decision to revoke Executive Order 14036. The Division will use this opportunity to continue its work to recalibrate and modernize the Federal approach to competition policy to suit the needs of our dynamic and innovative economy.
“America First Antitrust focuses on empowering the American people in the free markets, not enabling regulators and bureaucrats to prescribe outcomes,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are unleashing the new American Golden Age through antitrust enforcement that removes barriers to innovation and opportunity and limits regulatory burdens on free competition.”
Instead of an overly prescriptive and burdensome approach, the Division commends the Administration for promoting competition via tailored executive orders that call for lowering drug prices and opening regulatory barriers to competition. Beyond implementing these Executive Orders, the Antitrust Division has made steady progress in freeing up deal flow by appropriately streamlining the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR) review process. In particular, the Division has reinstated the practice of granting early termination in uncontroversial HSR reviews as well as reinstating a willingness to settle merger reviews with targeted and well-crafted consent decrees. Both practices were eschewed during the Biden administration. Moving forward, the Division will continue adapting towards focused law enforcement that matches the complexity and pace of the modern economy.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Sharing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Monday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who shared child sexual abuse material with an undercover police officer to eight years in prison.
Judge Clark also ordered James C. Astorian to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victims that have been identified in the images that he collected.
Astorian was caught with 6,110 images and 728 videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after an investigation that began after Astorian shared multiple images and videos containing CSAM with a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer via a peer-to-peer network.
Astorian told investigators that he had been trafficking in CSAM for about two years, according to a government sentencing memorandum, which also says some of the images were “notably violent.”
Astorian, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March to one count of possession of child pornography.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Southwest Georgia Man Found Guilty at Trial of Pandemic Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia resident was found guilty at trial this week of wire fraud resulting from a larger pandemic fraud scheme involving family members.
Tyreek Brown, 28, of Pelham, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of wire fraud on Aug. 12 following a two-day trial that began on Aug. 11. Brown is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the Court.
Brown’s two codefendants previously entered guilty pleas in this case, and will be sentenced on Nov. 12:
Sherronica Jackson, 38, of Pelham, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on July 29, and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine; and
Alan Brown, 52, of Pelham, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on July 16, and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office will pursue justice for these types of criminal schemes that deliberately defraud taxpayers,” stated U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I thank our law enforcement and prosecutorial team for holding those responsible accountable.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in Court, Sheronica Jackson applied for and obtained a United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in March 2021, a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll during the historic COVID-19 outbreak as part of the federal CARES Act, which was signed into law to address the pandemic. Jackson claimed a gross income for 2019 of $97,000, which she did not earn. She also did not identify a business by name or category on the application. She received a $20,207 loan on March 31, 2021.
Jackson then assisted her stepfather, Alan Brown, and her stepbrother, Tyreek Brown, in obtaining fraudulent PPP loans. Alan Brown falsely claimed loans for a non-existent contracting business, claiming a gross income in 2019 of $101,005, which he did not earn, nor did he have any professional licenses, business affiliations or employment information. Both loans were approved and awarded on April 19, 2021, and May 16, 2021, totaling $20,833. Tyreek Brown applied for two different loans as a sole proprietor with Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC, using the same Pelham, Georgia, address his father and sister used on their applications as the place of business. No such business existed, and Brown did not earn the gross income in 2019 of $103,400 that he claimed on the application. Tyreek Brown received the fraudulently obtained loans on April 15, 2021, and May 12, 2021, totaling $20,833. After the loan was approved, Tyreek Brown sent Jackson money from a joint account he shared with Alan Brown via Cash App and Zelle, amounting to $3,000.
The case was investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), as part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Taskforce.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis is prosecuting this case for the Government.
Shiprock Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Shooting into VehicleRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 102 months in prison for a drive-by shooting that left a victim seriously injured.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on January 9, 2025, Larence Cambridge, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was a passenger in his own car when he fired multiple shots at another vehicle carrying two victims along U.S. Highway 64 near Shiprock, New Mexico. Cambridge struck the vehicle several times, seriously injuring one occupant, then fled the scene.
Upon his release from prison, Cambridge will be subject to five years of supervised release and over $13,000 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco prosecuted the case.
Senior Member of the Sinaloa Cartel Transferred from Mexico to Face Cocaine Trafficking Charge in Federal Court in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Jesus Guzman-Castro, also known as “Chuy,” “El Narizon” and “Pinocho” was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with participating in a large-scale cocaine distribution conspiracy. The defendant, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in Mexico on a provisional arrest request issued from the Eastern District of New York and subsequently transferred from Mexico to the United States on August 12, 2025 pursuant to Mexico’s National Security Law. Guzman-Castro was ordered detained pending trial.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA New York), made the announcement.
“As alleged, Guzman-Castro was a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a prolific and violent drug trafficking organization that has flooded American streets with deadly narcotics for decades,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Guzman-Castro will now face justice in a courtroom in the United States for all the harm his actions have wrought. The total elimination of drug cartels is a national priority, and the Department of Justice and our Office are fully committed to carrying out that objective.”
Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division, DEA’s office in Mexico City, the United States Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Government of Mexico.
“The arrest and transfer of Jesus Guzman-Castro is the result of the relentless efforts of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “For decades, Guzman-Castro helped flood American streets with deadly narcotics, and the DEA remains committed to pursuing those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”
As set forth in the indictment and court filings, Guzman-Castro was a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a violent Mexican drug trafficking organization that was previously led by Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as “El Mayo,” and Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo.” As a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman-Castro oversaw numerous underlings, including armed gunmen, transporters of narcotics, and money launderers. For years, the defendant directed the trafficking of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and the laundering of millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Guzman-Castro is charged with participating in an international cocaine distribution conspiracy from December 2015 through March 2021. Guzman-Castro sourced thousands of kilograms of cocaine from drug trafficking organizations in Guatemala and then arranged for the transportation of the cocaine through Mexico and into the United States.
The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to life in prison.
The prosecution of Guzman-Castro is the result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the DEA. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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 government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Wang is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JESUS GUZMAN-CASTRO (also known as “Chuy,” “El Narizon” and “Pinocho”)
Age: 56
MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-278 (FB)
Scranton Man Charged with Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lee Wood, age 48, of Scranton, Pennsylvania was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from May 28, 2024 through August 17, 2024, Wood conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. The indictment further alleges that on August 8, 2024, Wood distributed, and possessed with intent to distribute, cocaine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Lackawanna County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd 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 this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keith Edmonds, age 30, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty yesterday to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
Edmonds admitted that on April 24, 2025, he possessed 425 pills containing methamphetamine that he intended to sell. Edmonds also admitted that between October 2024 and March 2025, he sold more than 1,300 pills containing either methamphetamine or benzodiazepine to buyers in the Capital Region.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Edmonds brazenly sold poisonous pills in this District and faces a serious term of imprisonment as a result. This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to disrupt, arrest and prosecute drug dealers in the Northern District of New York.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “Keith Edmonds’ guilty plea is the result from the unity the DEA and our law enforcement partners show when successfully targeting those individuals who are causing the most harm to our families, friends, and neighbors. Illicit drugs have no place in our communities and the DEA is committed to apprehending those who distribute counterfeit pills and inflame the ongoing opioid crisis.”
Sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2025. Edmonds faces a prison term of at least 5 years and up to 40 years, as well as a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is prosecuting the case.