Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
8 August 2025
Billings woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamineRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who trafficked methamphetamine in the Billings area was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Julia Renee Arvizo, 47, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that beginning in September 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated several methamphetamine dealers in the Billings area, one of whom was identified as Julia Arvizo.
In September and October of 2023, the DEA used confidential sources to purchase just under a pound and a half of pure methamphetamine from Arvizo. In November 2023, Arvizo told one confidential source it was no problem to provide three pounds of methamphetamine at one time.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned Arvizo traded methamphetamine for firearms, and a co-defendant estimated distributing between a quarter of a pound and a half a pound of methamphetamine for Arvizo every day.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case. The DEA conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
XXX
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Khalil Dunaway, 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division, and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to the guilty plea, in November 2023, BCPD detectives observed Dunaway conducting multiple hand-to-hand drug transactions in Baltimore County, Maryland. Based on surveillance, detectives observed that Dunaway regularly spent daytime hours at a Pikesville, Maryland residence, but then spent nighttime hours at a Middle River, Maryland residence before returning to the Pikesville residence during the day. On December 18, 2023, investigators conducted search warrants at both residences.
During their search of the Pikesville residence, investigators recovered a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol; taurus Ultra-Light .38 caliber pistol; Camouflage AR-15 style ghost gun rifle; Glock switch; and miscellaneous firearm magazines and ammunition. Additionally, law enforcement uncovered approximately 969 grams of fentanyl packaged for distribution; approximately 1273 grams of cocaine, some of it packaged for distribution; sifters, respirators, and goggles used for packaging controlled substances for distribution; digital scales and drug paraphernalia; three backpacks containing kilo presses; and various cutting agents used for packaging controlled substances for distribution.
At the Middle River residence, investigators discovered a Glock 33 .357 caliber pistol; Glock 21 .45 caliber pistol, which was reported stolen from Georgia; Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol; Rossi .22 caliber revolver loaded with seven rounds of ammunition; pistol brace; and miscellaneous firearm magazines and ammunition. Law enforcement also found approximately 63 grams of fentanyl; approximately 145 grams of cocaine; a plate and scale with controlled substance residue, used for packaging controlled substances for distribution; assorted jewelry, including silver ingots and watches with a total fair market value of approximately $63,128; approximately $32,042 in U.S. currency; and multiple phones.
A search of Dunaway’s vehicle parked at the Middle River address yielded approximately 60 suboxone strips, additional phones, and a digital scale.
Investigators also reviewed footage from a security camera that showed the interior of the Pikesville residence between October and December 2023. Via the footage, investigators observed Dunaway regularly mixing, preparing, and packaging narcotics for distribution while wearing a respirator.
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 DEA and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Armed Robber Who Targeted an Elderly Resident on Metro Gets 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Freeman, 20, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court to five years in prison for robbing an elderly man on a Metro train while armed with a knife, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Freeman pleaded guilty on May 5, 2025, to one count of robbery while armed. Today, the Honorable Judge Jennifer Di Toro sentenced Freeman to 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Di Toro also ordered that Freeman’s sentence run consecutively to his probation revocation sentence in a separate criminal case in which Freeman was convicted of robbery on the Metro in June of 2024. As such, Freeman will serve an aggregate sentence of 90 months’ incarceration. Finally, Judge Di Toro declined to sentence Freeman under the Youth Rehabilitation Act given his recent conviction for similar conduct in June of 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 10:56 p.m. on January 16, 2025, Freeman boarded an orange line train wearing a face mask. He sat across the car from the 72-year-old victim, who was on his way home from work. Freeman waited until the other passengers left the train then moved to the seat directly next to the victim. He demanded the victim’s money and grabbed at the victim’s pockets while holding a large knife. The victim fought back against Freeman – a man 50 years his junior – and almost succeeded in stopping the robbery. However, around two minutes into the struggle, Freeman managed to grab the victim’s iPhone 15, valued at $800, and cash from the victim’s pants pockets before fleeing the train.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police Department, particularly Detective Adrian Rodriguez. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Folsom, who prosecuted the case.
Armed Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER PURVIS, 29, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 7, 2022, New Britain Police attempted to stop a car in which Purvis was an occupant. As officers approached the car, Purvis accelerated at a high rate of speed. The car crashed a short time later and Purvis and others ran from the scene. A search of the car revealed quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen. Analysis of the firearm and drug packaging revealed the presence of Purvis’ DNA.
At sentencing, which is scheduled for October 31, Purvis faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Purvis is currently serving a 72-month federal sentence for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine in northern Vermont in 2022.
This case has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the New Britain Police Department. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Christopher Lembo.
Allentown-Area Pharmacy and Its Owner Agree to Pay $825,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act LiabilityRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that West End Services, Inc. will pay $825,000 to resolve liability allegations under the False Claims Act.
West End Services, Inc. (“WES”) and its owner-pharmacist, Christopher Leon, have agreed to pay $825,000 to the federal government, based on their ability to pay, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for prescription medications that were not actually dispensed. During the period of January 1, 2014, to February 24, 2019, WES billed Medicare for prescription drugs that were not actually dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries. These medications included, but were not limited to, Latuda, Humira, Abilify, Invega Sustenna, Seroquel, Acyclovir, Flovent, and Truvada.
“Pharmacy fraud remains a priority for our office and taxpayer dollars should be spent on needed medications, not wasted on fraud and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Pharmacies and pharmacists have a responsibility to serve as gatekeepers of a closed system of prescription drug distribution. That responsibility was allegedly used for profit here. This investigation and resolution illustrate this District’s continued emphasis on combatting healthcare fraud, including pharmacy fraud. One of the most powerful tools to combat this type of waste, fraud, and abuse is the False Claims Act, and this District maintains one of the most active affirmative civil dockets in the country.”
Other similar pharmacy fraud settlements include:
- Pennmark Pharmacy (2024)
- Future Pharmacy Inc. and JJ Pharmacy (2023)
- Fountain Hill Pharmacy (2023)
- Northeast Discount Pharmacy (2022)
- Murray-Overhill Pharmacy, Inc. (2022)
- LAN Apothecary, Inc. (2021)
- G&A Somerton Pharmacy LLC (2019)
“As U.S. Attorney Metcalf said, this investigation further solidifies this District’s focus on holding pharmacies and healthcare providers accountable for their handling of controlled substances, and the importance of maintaining on honest inventory balance, instead of putting profits at the forefront,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Pharmacies are integral partners in patient care, and they are expected to act with integrity. We take allegations of pharmacy fraud seriously, and today’s settlement reflects our commitment to working with our partners to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in an appropriate manner — on needed services, not wasted on fraud and abuse.”
This investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Service Office of Inspector General. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorney Alfred J. Vogt and former Assistant United States Attorney Deborah W. Frey handled the investigation, with contributions from auditor George Niedzwicki.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Albany Woman Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute a Synthetic Cannabinoid and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Maya McIntosh, age 33, of Albany, was sentenced on July 31, 2025, for conspiracies to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and controlled substance analogue, distribution and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and controlled substance analogue, and unlawful possession and use of a means of identification.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction, made the announcement.
McIntosh admitted in her prior guilty plea that beginning no later than January 2023 through July 2024, the defendant manufactured, distributed, and possessed with intent to distribute the substance MDMB-4en-PINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid, and conspired to do so with others. More specifically, McIntosh ordered constituent chemicals, which were shipped to the residences of McIntosh and a coconspirator. McIntosh combined those chemicals in her residence to create MDMB-4en-PINACA in liquid form. McIntosh then sprayed and soaked the liquid onto copy paper and business envelopes. McIntosh placed those documents into U.S. Priority Mail Express envelopes addressed to inmates at various correctional facilities in New York State. McIntosh disguised the envelopes as legal mail by stamping the names of actual attorneys in the return address portion of the envelopes, without their knowledge or permission, to make it appear is if the parcels were sent by attorneys and contained legitimate legal paperwork instead of a controlled substance. McIntosh used social media to sell the sheets and envelopes soaked in MDMB-4en-PINACA to others. McIntosh’s customers paid her to mail the MDMB-4en-PINACA-soaked papers to inmates at the facilities.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Maya McIntosh endangered the health and safety of hardworking corrections officers and prison staff when she manufactured a synthetic drug and smuggled it into correctional facilities through the U.S. Mail. Now she will spend 8 years behind bars herself. I’m grateful for the collaboration between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, New York City Department of Correction Special Investigation Unit, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York that achieved this result.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to combat drug trafficking. McIntosh’s sentencing is a result of a coordinated effort to keep contraband out of the U.S. Mail and in this case, out of correctional facilities,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “When the U.S. Mail is used to transport illegal drugs, it is taken very seriously. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service works diligently to preserve the integrity of the mail by investigating and bringing to justice, those who use it illegally.”
“Maya McIntosh utilized brazen and deceptive methods to ship and smuggle synthetic narcotics into New York State correctional facilities, endangering correctional employees and others exposed to these harmful substances. This sentence reflects the seriousness of her crimes,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Buffalo. “I commend HSI Albany personnel and our partners with the USPIS, the New York City Department of Correction, and the Northern District of New York, for ensuring that Ms. McIntosh faces the consequences of her actions.”
"Maya McIntosh's sentencing should stand as a warning to anyone seeking to introduce contraband into prisons and jails: we will find you and you will be punished," said NYC Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. "The violence and loss of life prevented by the vigilance of the dedicated DOC staff who identify and investigate the presence of illegal substances in our jails cannot be understated. I commend these staff, and partners at DOCCS, USDOJ, and the U.S. Postal Service, for this coordinated effort to successfully stem the tide of dangerous substances entering our jails."
Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to follow McIntosh’s term of imprisonment and ordered her to forfeit more than $42,000 of proceeds of the offense.
This case was investigated by USPIS, HSI Buffalo Field Office, and the New York City Department of Correction Special Investigation Unit, with assistance from HSI New York Field Office, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Seth Dewayne Talbot, 45, of Laurel Hill, Florida was sentenced by District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II to 180 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I commend our state and federal law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in investigating and arresting this armed drug trafficker. Methamphetamine is a deadly drug that is plaguing our communities, and my office will continue to support the excellent work of our law enforcement partners by aggressively prosecuting the criminals who flood our streets with these dangerous drugs.”
According to court records, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Talbot after receiving information in October of 2024 that he was selling illegal narcotics. In November of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Talbot’s residence, and investigators located over 180 grams of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, a box of ammunition, and United States currency in Talbot’s bedroom. Talbot has multiple prior felony convictions.
“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive and insidious poison that destroys communities. Mr. Talbot’s drug trafficking activities demonstrated a clear disregard for our north Florida communities by putting countless lives in danger while possessing firearms that he was clearly prohibited from possessing,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The men and women of the DEA will continue to work tirelessly with our local and state law enforcement partners to ensure those, like Mr. Talbot, who put the safety of our communities at risk are held accountable for their actions.”
“We are proud of our ongoing successful partnerships to target drug traffickers and remove them from our county. Whether they’re operating in populated areas or rural communities, our combined efforts and persistence continue to pay off,” said Sheriff Eric Aden, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
7 August 2025
Zuni Woman Indicted for Child Abuse Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman has been indicted on federal charges for her alleged role in the death of a minor child.
According to court documents, on January 26, 2025, Miranda Cachini, 26, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, allowed a minor child to be placed in a dangerous situation which resulted in the child’s death.
Cachini is charged with abuse of a child resulting in death and will remain in third-party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Cachini faces up to 18 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Cachini).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wayne county man pleads guilty to child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joseph Hudson, III, 26, of Williamson, N Y, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography following a previous conviction for the sexual abuse of a minor before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that on March 14, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information from Microsoft that an individual had uploaded nine files of suspected child pornography to a Microsoft platform. The tip was shared with the New York State Police, who traced the uploads to Hudson, a registered sex offender. Hudson was previously convicted of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree for engaging in sexual contact with a child less than 11 years old.
A search warrant was executed at Hudson’s residence, during which investigators seized Hudson’s computer. A forensic examination recovered approximately 111 images and 112 videos of child pornography depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent minors, to include minors being subjected to violence.
The plea is the result of of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
# # # #
Waterbury Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MALIK WRIGHT, 22, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July and August 2024, Waterbury Police made a controlled purchase of narcotics from Wright and observed him conducting additional hand-to-hand drug sales. On August 29, 2024, investigators saw Wright stash a satchel in the tire area of an abandoned car in a vacant lot near Coe Street and High Street, and then conduct another apparent drug sale. Officers took Wright into custody and located the satchel, which contained fentanyl and cocaine, a scale, and a loaded .40 caliber handgun with a 23-round magazine.
At sentencing, which is scheduled for November 19, Wright faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Wright has been detained since his arrest.
This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth through Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Washington man sentenced to 20 years for cyberstalking, child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A Washington man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison, and, upon release, will serve the rest of his life on supervised release for child pornography and cyberstalking crimes that directly impacted least 61 minor victims.
According to court documents, in January 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered that someone was uploading pornographic photos of teenage minors to the internet. HSI agents identified Kaden Ollila, 21, of Tacoma, Washington, as the individual who used different usernames and profiles to upload and distribute these images on pornographic websites.
An investigation revealed that on multiple occasions between January and February 2024, Ollila messaged two separate adult victims through online platforms or text messages. The messages included videos or photos depicting the adult victims individually engaged in sexual acts that occurred when those victims were around 14 years old. On one occasion, Ollila also sent a victim sexually explicit images of at least two other minor females.
Ollila also messaged victims on platforms like TikTok and Instagram detailing sexual acts that he and other men engaged in while looking at photos of the victims. He also harassed victims by detailing violent sexual fantasies he wished to perform on them.
Court documents explain that Ollila maintained a large collection of child sexual abuse materials, including “morphed” nude images he created with the head and faces of adults and minors.
Ollila directly victimized at least 61 minors from southeast Alaska, mainly Juneau, and northern California, mainly Redding, through his conduct. Court documents explain that Ollila used similar conduct to affect at least 95 additional individuals, including adults and minors.
Ollila was indicted on March 20, 2024, and pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography and two counts of cyberstalking on Nov. 7, 2024. In handing down the sentence, the Court recognized the 16 victims who bravely came forward during the hearing to share their stories and the weight they held in deciding an appropriate sentence.
“Kaden Ollila used technology to harass, stalk and terrorize victims across Alaska, California and elsewhere and reveled in the torture he caused. Now, he will spend 20 years behind bars—the statutory maximum penalty for the crimes he committed,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “I want to thank the HSI investigators and our prosecutors for diligently seeking justice for the victims in this case by holding Mr. Ollila accountable for his disturbing conduct.”
HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting children from predators who exploit technology to harm them," said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. "Ollila targeted dozens of victims across multiple states, and thanks to the diligent efforts of our agents, he is now being held accountable for his actions."
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Reed prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
###
Vermont Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that on August 4, 2025, Travis Collins, age 43, of St. Albans City, Vermont, was sentenced by Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of imprisonment of 12 months and one day, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Sessions ordered that Collins’ sentence was to begin on the date the sentence was imposed, and would not count the time Collins spent in pretrial custody.
According to court records, on January 9, 2024, Collins was arrested in downtown Burlington, Vermont on outstanding State of Vermont warrants. At the time he was arrested, Collins was wearing a backpack that contained a loaded pistol. The pistol, which had an obliterated serial number, was later determined to have been stolen.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Collins was represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Valparaiso Man Ordered to Pay $123,523 in Restitution as part of Conviction for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Yesterday, Alan Jones, 55, years old, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to a federal felony for mail fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Jones was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay $123,523 in restitution to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
According to documents in the case, Jones was employed by an environmental consulting company located in Chesterton, Indiana. Jones and the company were hired by gas station owners to manage and perform remediation work related to underground storage tank leaks. The State of Indiana created a state trust fund, administered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, to help reimburse those remediation costs. Jones submitted false and fraudulent applications for reimbursement of costs that were not actually incurred and caused state funds to be paid to the consulting company for which it, and Jones, were not entitled.“Alan Jones participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain public money from the State of Indiana,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “This district is committed to prosecuting those who defraud government programs. I want to thank the combined team of state and federal law enforcement professionals for the thorough investigation which supported this prosecution.”
“The defendant’s fraudulent billing scheme undermined the financial integrity of Indiana’s trust fund for the cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks,” stated Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman. “Protecting our air, land, and water and addressing the damage from these leaks is crucial. The EPA remains steadfast in collaborating with state partners to prosecute those who commit fraud and jeopardize essential environmental initiatives.”
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.
Two More FCI Dublin Correctional Officers Plead Guilty to Sexually Abusing Female InmatesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Former Bureau of Prisons correctional officers Jeffrey Wilson and Lawrence Gacad pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing female inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., which operated as a low-security federal prison for females. Wilson also admitted to making false statements to federal investigators.
Wilson and Gacad were charged by information on June 25, 2025. They are the eighth and ninth correctional officers to have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial as part of an ongoing federal investigation into sexual abuse of inmates at FCI Dublin.
“There is zero tolerance for federal correctional officers who violate their positions of trust and authority. And that is especially true where they use those positions to sexually abuse individuals in their custody,” said United States Attorney Craig Missakian. “Our investigations remain ongoing, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who engages in these despicable acts.”
“The pattern of abuse of inmates at FCI Dublin is inexcusable. Gacad and Wilson’s guilty pleas are the eighth and ninth convictions of Federal Bureau of Prisons employees for sexually abusing inmates at that institution. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate these heinous crimes, and with our partners, vigorously pursue justice for the victims of sexual abuse,” said Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Hunt.
“These guilty pleas mark yet another step toward accountability for a culture of predation that thrived for far too long behind the walls of FCI Dublin. Female inmates were exploited by those with power and access when they were most vulnerable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “The FBI and our partners remain resolute in our work to expose every individual who used their position to harm, and to help restore the dignity stolen from the women who survived abuse.”
According to his plea agreement, Wilson was employed from July 2021 to September 2022 as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin, where he served as a health technician/paramedic. In that role, he was responsible for providing emergency assessment and medical care to the female inmates. Around August 2021, Wilson began interacting with a victim inmate after she started taking medication prescribed to her for seizures. He encouraged the victim to transfer from the prison to the FCI Dublin Camp where there were fewer medical staff who would see their interactions.
Wilson admitted to engaging in sexual acts on multiple occasions with the victim. He also provided the victim with a $60 pre-paid credit card and a cellphone while she was at the FCI Dublin Camp. The victim used that cellphone to take naked pictures of herself and send them to Wilson.
When he was interviewed by special agents from the DOJ OIG, Wilson falsely stated that he never had sexual contact with the victim inmate and that he had never given her contraband.
According to his plea agreement, Gacad was employed from July 2021 to June 2022 as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin. Between March and June 2022, Gacad kissed and groped a victim inmate. The victim lived in one of the housing units where Gacad was sometimes assigned as the guard on duty. Gacad also admitted that he exchanged handwritten notes and emails with the victim, some of which were sexually explicit. To disguise his identity, Gacad used email accounts that he set up using fake names.
Gacad resigned from the BOP after the abuse was discovered, but continued to exchange emails with the victim and speak with the victim on video chats that she had with her parents.
Both Wilson and Gacad were released on bond. Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 6, 2025, and Gacad is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of sexual abuse of a ward in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b) and eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of false statements to a government agency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). Gacad faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of abusive sexual contact in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4). Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
* * *
As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, 10 FCI Dublin correctional officers have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility. The status of these cases is below:
DefendantCase NumberStatusWarden Ray J. Garcia4:21-cr-00429-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Dec. 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prisonCO John Bellhouse4:22-cr-00066-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Jun. 5, 2023; sentenced to 63 months in prisonCO Darrell Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”)4:23-cr-00110-YGRIndicted on Apr. 13, 2023; trial scheduled for Sept. 2, 2025Chaplain James Highhouse4:22-cr-00016-HSGPleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prisonCO Ross Klinger4:22-cr-00031-YGRPleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2022; sentenced to one year of home confinementCO Enrique Chavez4:22-cr-00104-YGRPleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prisonCO Andrew Jones4:23-cr-00212-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug.17, 2023; sentenced to 96 months in prisonCO Nakie Nunley4:23-cr-00213-YGRPleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2023; sentenced to 72 months in prisonCO Jeffrey Wilson4:25-cr-00180-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentencing scheduled for Nov. 6, 2025CO Lawrence Gacad4:25-cr-00181-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentencing scheduled for Nov. 19, 2025Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson, Alethea Sargent, Sailaja Paidipaty, and Molly Priedeman are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Soana Katoa, and Amala James. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the DOJ OIG and the FBI.
Two Drug Trafficking Co-Conspirators Sentenced to 15-Year Prison TermsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Charles Cunningham, 59, and Tyrone Ragland, 57, both of the District of Columbia, were each sentenced today to 15 years in prison for their roles in a drug conspiracy that trafficked large quantities of PCP, fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base (crack) in the metropolitan area and for possessing illegal firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Cunningham pleaded guilty on May 7, after a jury was selected but before the trial began, before U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon with a sentencing enhancement under the Armed Career Criminal Act. In addition to the 180-month prison term, Judge Cobb ordered three years of supervised release.
Ragland, aka “Tech,” pleaded guilty on May 7, after a jury was selected but before the trial began, before Judge Cobb to a charge of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram of PCP. In addition to the 180- month prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Ragland to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, through controlled purchases and wiretaps, evidence showed that a co-defendant Melvin Grayson distributed PCP, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Ragland, Cunningham, and others conspired with Grayson to distribute the narcotics. In search warrants conducted at various residences, agents recovered six firearms, more than 2.5 kilos of PCP, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, and approximately $50,000 in cash.
On Jan. 11, 2023, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Cunningham’s residence on 13th Street, NE, and recovered large quantities of narcotics: over 1,500 grams of PCP, over 50 grams of cocaine, over 50 grams of cocaine base, and over 270 grams of fentanyl. In the oven, next to a pouch of various drugs packaged for distribution, Cunningham kept a loaded Glock 31 handgun. During the conspiracy, Cunningham stashed bulk quantities of PCP and fentanyl at his residence to provide to his coconspirators for redistribution.
Items recovered from Cunningham’s residence.
Also on Jan. 11, 2023, FBI agents executed search warrants at two residences associated with Ragland. In his Eastern Ave SW apartment (where he primarily resided), agent recovered dozens of glass vials used for PCP distribution, multiple cell phones, and a digital scale. In a 6th Street SW, residence where Ragland had unfettered access, agents found a firearm stashed between the mattress and the bed’s headboard, about 626 grams of PCP, 41 grams of cocaine, and $16,230 in cash.
Items recovered from Ragland’s residences.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Cross Border Task Force and the DEA Washington Division, with assistance from MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division and the Prince George’s County Police Department. The Cross Border Task Force is a part of the FBI’S Safe Streets Initiative and targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Iris Y. McCranie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
23cr007
Two Defendants Plead Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving Data Stolen from Hospital PatientsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), Jonathan Mellone, announced today that WILKINS ESTRELLA and CHARLENE MARTE pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with using social security numbers and other personally identifiable information belonging to hundreds of victims to open debit cards and attempt to fraudulently obtain $1.6 million in pandemic relief funds from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and the New York State Department of Labor. The scheme resulted in almost $1 million in actual losses. ESTRELLA, a former clerk at a Bronx hospital, is also charged with the wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information for accessing and stealing the data of at least 4,005 hospital patients for use in the fraud scheme. ESTRELLA pled guilty yesterday and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025. MARTE pled guilty on July 28, 2025, and will be sentenced on November 5, 2025.
“Wilkins Estrella stole the personal data of thousands of people, including hospital patients, and used this data along with his partner Charlene Marte to claim money that was intended to assist struggling Americans during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Defrauding federal programs harms all New Yorkers and our Office is committed to stopping it.”
“Wilkins Estrella and Charlene Marte exploited thousands of patient records to steal almost one million dollars from various government programs,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “These defendants misused sensitive identifying information to perpetuate this illicit scheme and reap unlawful proceeds. The FBI remains committed to pursuing any individual who targets confidential medical information for personal enrichment.”
“Wilkins Estrella and Charlene Marte committed numerous frauds against multiple government agencies, including a scheme to defraud the New York State Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance program by misusing the stolen identities of individuals to falsely obtain benefits,” said DOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone. “We will continue to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of U.S. Department of Labor programs.”
As alleged in public court filings, statements at public court proceedings, and the charging documents in the case:
From at least 2020 to 2022, ESTRELLA and his romantic partner, MARTE, misused the names, social security numbers, and other personally identifiable information belonging to hundreds of individuals to fraudulently obtain almost $1 million in COVID-19 stimulus checks and tax refunds from the IRS and unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor. ESTRELLA and MARTE also arranged for these and other funds to be loaded onto hundreds of debit cards that they opened in other people’s names using stolen data, and had the cards mailed to their homes and to the homes of their family members.
ESTRELLA and MARTE obtained this data from multiple sources, including a hospital in the Bronx where ESTRELLA worked as a business clerk for almost a decade. In 2020, ESTRELLA was terminated from that role after an internal systems audit revealed that he had improperly accessed the protected health information of at least 4,005 hospital patients.
* * *
ESTRELLA, 40, of Hackensack, New Jersey, and MARTE, 31, of the Bronx, New York, each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. ESTRELLA also pled guilty to wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. In addition, ESTRELLA and MARTE each agreed that they are jointly and severally liable for $951,618.20 in forfeiture and the same amount in restitution.
The statutory maximum penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencings of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and DOL-OIG and thanked the New York State Department of Labor for its assistance in the investigation of the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong is in charge of the prosecution.
Truck Driver Sentenced for Transporting a Minor Across the SoutheastRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN, MS – A South Carolina man was sentenced today to over 17 years in prison for transporting a minor from North Carolina to Louisiana and through Mississippi with the intent for the minor to engage in sexual conduct.
According to court documents, Randy Taylor, 35 years old, of Columbia, South Carolina, solicited a minor online to engage in sexual activity with him. Taylor picked up the 12-year-old outside her home in his 18-wheeler and took the child to Louisiana where he recorded a sexual interaction between the two. Once alerted to the missing child, FBI Agents began tracking the minor and were able to rescue the child at a Vaiden, Mississippi truck stop. The minor was returned home safely to her family.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Taylor today to 210 months followed by 10 years of supervised release.
“This defendant earned every year of this sentence when he transported a 12-year-old child across state lines and sexually assaulted her,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Parker King and our partners at the FBI and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office have demonstrated that there will be zero tolerance for those who would take advantage of innocent victims.”
“Thank God this child’s life was saved and her victimization ended. We certainly appreciate the cooperation and teamwork from the FBI and everyone involved. We do not tolerate child sex predators operating in Carroll County. We remain committed to protecting children from predators. Parents should be more vigilant than ever concerning their children’s online activities. Unfortunately, these types of cases don’t always end this well,” said Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker.
“Randy Taylor’s predatory action of soliciting a minor to indulge in his sexual fantasies was appalling,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our partners to stopping crimes against children. Our children are our most vulnerable citizens. Through impactful programs such as Project Safe Childhood, those who seek to harm them will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice. The Jackson and Charlotte FBI Field Offices; MS Department of Public Safety; Carrol County Sheriff’s Office; and the Cherokee Indian Police Department in North Carolina, will never fail to protect the innocence of minors from predators like Mr. Taylor."
The FBI and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Trial Victory Secured in Largest Single Fentanyl Pill Bust in DEA HistoryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury convicted an Albuquerque man for his role in a multi-state fentanyl trafficking organization, following an operation that resulted in the largest single fentanyl pill seizure in DEA history. The verdict came after a six-day trial and approximately eight hours of deliberation.
The conviction of Alex Anthony Martinez, 38, represents the first trial victory in the ongoing federal case against the multi-state fentanyl trafficking network led by Heriberto Salazar Amaya.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Martinez served as a “regional manager” within a multi-state drug trafficking organization led by Salazar Amaya, directing and supplying local distributors in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Hobbs between July 2024 and April 2025.
The investigation into Martinez and Bruce Sedillo, another regional manager for Salazar Amaya, included coordinated enforcement actions between the DEA and the Lea County Drug Task Force. Those efforts also took down a high-volume fentanyl dealer operating in Hobbs and southern New Mexico, Jose Marquez.
In November 2024, agents executed a search warrant at a stash house in northeast Albuquerque connected to both Sedillo and Martinez. During the search, approximately 150,000 fentanyl pills, $72,000 in U.S. currency, and multiple firearms were seized.
Guns and drugs seized in November 2024Sedillo was subsequently arrested and charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
Following Sedillo’s arrest, Martinez took over operations and attempted to expand them to introduce narcotics into the Cibola County Correctional Center.
On July 16, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Martinez and 15 co-defendants with drug trafficking and firearms offenses, charges that violated the terms of his pretrial release from a separate case in which he was charged as a felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 2, 2025, federal agents arrested Martinez at his residence in northwest Albuquerque during a coordinated, multi-state operation that resulted in the largest single seizure of fentanyl pills in DEA’s history.
“This conviction marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to dismantle the criminal organizations responsible for poisoning our communities with fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Thanks to outstanding collaboration among federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, we are taking apart the network that brought addiction and violence to New Mexico and neighboring states. We will not stop until every member is held fully accountable.”
“Drug trafficking networks are going to find the long arm of the DEA wherever they attempt to venture,” said Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division. “This successful outcome is one of many more to come in this historic, record, multi-state operation. Stay tuned for more.”
Martinez was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Martinez remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Martinez faces up to life in prison.
On July 1, 2025, Jose Marquez pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit a Drug Trafficking Offense and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. At sentencing, Marquez faces not less than 10 years and up to life in prison.
On July 2, 2025, Bruce Sedillo pled guilty to Conspiracy, Distribution of Fentanyl, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and Possession a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug trafficking Crime. At sentencing, Sedillo also faces not less than 15 years and up to life in prison.
To date, five other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to federal charges. They are David Anesi, Cesar Acuna Moreno, Francisco Garcia, Phillip Lovato, and Brian Sanchez. The remaining defendants, including Heriberto Salazar Amaya, are scheduled for trial on October 21, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The DEA’s El Paso Division investigated this case with assistance from the IRS Criminal Investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Ramirez and Matthew McGinley, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Blake Nichols and Raquel Ruiz-Velez are prosecuting the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Tonia Haddix Sentenced for Lying Repeatedly to Court About Death of Tonka the ChimpanzeeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a woman to forty-six (46) months in prison for repeatedly lying in U.S. District Court and in court filings about the death of “Tonka,” a chimpanzee that once starred in Hollywood movies such as Buddy and George of the Jungle, and was the subject of a long running federal civil suit.
Tonia Haddix, 55, pleaded guilty on March 31 to three felony charges: two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. She admitted making repeated false statements that influenced and obstructed the administration of justice in a pending civil suit. Haddix repeatedly falsely claimed that Tonka died to avoid complying with a number of court Orders in the underlying suit, originally filed in 2016 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) over the care of Tonka and other chimpanzees at a facility operated by Haddix near Festus, Missouri.
Over a period of years, the District Court issued a number of Orders in that civil suit requiring Haddix to take steps to improve the facilities where the chimpanzees were housed, and to improve the chimpanzees’ care and feeding. When Haddix repeatedly failed to comply with those Orders, On July 14, 2021 the District Court found Haddix in violation and entered an additional Order requiring that Tonka and six other chimpanzees be transferred from Haddix’s possession to the Center for Great Apes. On July 28, 2021, six chimpanzees were removed by Court Order from the facility with the aid of Deputy U.S. Marshals and taken to the Center for Great Apes, but Haddix had secretly removed Tonka from the facility and transferred him to a facility in Ohio.
Over the next many months, Haddix continued to make false representations that Tonka had died. For example, on August 16, 2021, Haddix filed a declaration with the Court, under penalty of perjury, in which she falsely stated that Tonka died on May 30, 2021 and was cremated. Haddix claimed to have possession of Tonka’s remains. On December 27, 2021, Haddix filed a pro se motion to dismiss with prejudice PETA’s fourth motion seeking civil contempt. In that motion, Haddix again made numerous materially false representations that Tonka was dead. Her materially false statements influenced, obstructed and impeded the due administration of justice in that pending civil case.
On January 5, 2022, the District Court convened a hearing during which Haddix gave sworn testimony and again made materially false statements, again claiming that Tonka had died and was cremated. “…I wanted to keep trying to save Tonka if I could,” she wrote. “But then he just died on his own, so there was no saving him.” Based upon her false testimony, the District Court denied PETA’s motion for civil contempt.
On June 2, 2022, based upon newly discovered evidence presented to the District Court that Tonka was alive, the District Court entered its Order requiring Haddix to cooperate in the transfer of Tonka from her possession to a primate sanctuary. On June 8, 2022, again with the assistance of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Tonka was rescued from where he was being held in a cage in Haddix’s basement and transferred to a Save the Chimps sanctuary, where Tonka continues to live to this date.
Haddix subsequently appeared in the documentary “Chimp Crazy,” in which she was shown hiding Tonka while falsely claiming that he was dead.
Just two weeks after her guilty plea this year, Haddix concealed a new chimp from United States Pretrial Services officers who were conducting an inspection. That chimp was located in a cage in the basement of her home in Camden County, Missouri and rescued during a July 9 court-ordered search of her home. She was jailed for violating the conditions of her pretrial release and appearance bond, and will remain in jail until she is transferred to federal prison, Judge Clark said Thursday.
In the documentary and in media interviews while the civil case was pending, Haddix “repeatedly and publicly disclosed her animosity towards the Court and opposing party PETA, as well as her intent to violate the Court’s Orders requiring the surrender of the chimpanzees,” a sentencing memorandum filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith says. Haddix “challenged the Court’s authority to order her to surrender Tonka and the other chimpanzees, expressly stating her intent not to comply with the Court’s orders, and voicing various implied threats aimed at any law enforcement officers who might approach her business in an effort to execute the Court’s orders,” the memo says. Haddix also claimed she tried to run over PETA’s lawyer.
Haddix “reveled in her ability to obstruct justice and delay the civil proceedings, seeking credit and adulation from future viewers for conduct which was portrayed then as akin to a type of David and Goliath situation, with Defendant playing the role of David to the Court’s Goliath,” a separate government memo says. “But the Biblical David never harmed anyone but Goliath, nor sought fame for his acts nor, to put it in context here, ever kept live chimpanzees caged in a basement.”
Haddix profited from both her inclusion in the documentary and her “perjurious statements and false representations that allowed her to delay the inevitable and maintain possession of Tonka,” the memo says, through podcasts, media interviews, the operation of her “safari,” the sale of merchandise and drawings and the sale of personal appearances via an online site.
“Tonia Haddix’s lies about the death of Tonka were only part of a series of falsehoods that she told the District Court about her plans to properly care for the chimps in her custody,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “She continued to lie, even as she pleaded guilty in March, as she was secretly keeping a new chimp in a cage in the basement of her home where she once confined Tonka. Justice is impossible if participants in the judicial system lie. This case should send a message that those lies will not be tolerated, nor will violations of plea agreements and pretrial release conditions.”
“This case is not about Tonia Haddix’s exotic animal business,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Her sentence today reflects her blatant disregard of our judicial process by telling wild lies under oath in front of a federal judge.”
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.
Tigard Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a ChildRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Tigard, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for traveling from Oregon to Washington in hopes of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a nine-year-old child.
Andrew Sterling Hilliker, 47, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 28, 2024, Hilliker used Kik Messenger, an online messaging application, to contact an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the parent of a nine-year-old child as part of a broader investigation into online child exploitation. Hilliker engaged in sexually explicit communications with the undercover officer and expressed his interest in sexually abusing the child. Soon after, Hilliker planned to meet the undercover officer and purported child at a hotel in Vancouver, Washington.
On January 31, 2024, Hilliker traveled from Oregon to Washington to meet the purported parent and engage in illicit sexual conduct with the child. Hilliker was arrested when he arrived at the hotel and had condoms in his pocket. When questioned by investigators, Hilliker admitted that he believed he was communicating with the parent of a nine-year-old child and engaged in sexually explicit communications about the child.
On February 22, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Hilliker with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
On January 14, 2025, Hilliker pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Eliza Carmen Rodriguez, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Three Time Convicted Sex Offender in Utah Sentenced to over 19 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Daniel David Egli, 51, of South Jordan, Utah, was sentenced today to 210 months’ imprisonment after he was convicted in October 2024 by a federal jury for possession of child pornography. Egli will also serve a consecutive two-year term of imprisonment after he violated his terms of supervised release in a separate child exploitation case, therefore totaling over 19 years’ imprisonment.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell, sentenced Egli to lifetime term of supervised release.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, in the spring of 2021, while Egli was serving a term of federal supervision, he violated his conditions of release. During a routine check by his probation officer, law enforcement found Egli possessed an unauthorized laptop and smart phone. These unauthorized devices were seized, along with other unauthorized electronic devices. Electronic evidence further demonstrated that Egli had accessed, viewed, and possessed nearly 500 images of child sexual abuse material – which led to the 2022 charge. See prior press release: Repeat Sex Offender Found Guilty of Possession of Child Pornography by a Federal Jury.
Prior to his most recent conviction, Egli has a history of child exploitation crimes for the past 20 years and has been in and out of incarceration after repeatedly violating his terms of supervised release.
“Egli is a repeat offender of child exploitation, and he has shown a complete lack of remorse and rehabilitation in his continued behavior,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Community safety is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners. Our community and the children in it are safer with Egli behind bars.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Three Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that three co-conspirators entered guilty pleas in federal court to felony charges.
John Lamar Clayton, age 46, of Fort Coffee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy on July 16, 2025.
Brian Lee Steele, age 45, of Fort Coffee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of one count of Drug Conspiracy on July 24, 2025.
Brandon Leal Castro, age 34, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy on July 24, 2025.
Conspiracy to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine is punishable by ten years to life in prison and a $50,000,000 fine.
The Indictment against the co-conspirators alleged that between October 2024, and November 14, 2024, Clayton, Steele, Castro, and others knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the pleas on each defendant and ordered the completion of presentence investigation reports. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The defendants will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Three Charged with $2 Million Pandemic Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Salimot Akande, Garey Henderson, and Jacqueline Rollizo were arraigned today on federal fraud and money laundering charges after they allegedly defrauded COVID-19 pandemic relief programs on multiple occasions and then laundered nearly $2 million in proceeds.
“The federal government created programs to provide critical relief to small businesses and support our economy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Unfortunately, unscrupulous fraudsters exploited these programs for personal gain, stealing from taxpayers and legitimate business owners who desperately needed help. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who broke the law to enrich themselves.”
“Stealing from pandemic relief programs is a betrayal of the public trust and a direct attack on the businesses that truly needed help during a time of crisis,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit these programs for personal gain.”
“These defendants are accused of stealing from programs meant to keep small businesses afloat during a national emergency,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Their alleged fraud not only siphoned off vital resources from those in real need but also undermined public trust. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure that those who exploit national crises for personal profit are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Salimot Akande, 41, of Atlanta, Ga., Garey Henderson, 45, of Marietta, Ga., and Jacqueline Rollizo, 52, of Woodstock, Ga., allegedly obtained approximately $1.6 million of fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans for seven businesses associated with Akande, Henderson, and others. To obtain the loans, the defendants submitted fabricated tax filings and loan applications containing false information.
Akande and Henderson also allegedly obtained fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) for their businesses. Akande’s business received a $48,900 EIDL loan, and Henderson’s two businesses received $299,800.
The indictment alleges that, after receiving the loan proceeds, Akande, Henderson, and Rollizo moved the funds through multiple bank accounts to conceal the true source and control of the money.
The 38-count indictment charges the defendants with bank fraud, wire fraud, bank and wire fraud conspiracy, concealment and transactional money laundering, and money laundering conspiracy.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove each defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Klapman is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Oklahoma Law Providing In-State Tuition for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
The United States is challenging an Oklahoma law providing in-state tuition for illegal aliens. This law unconstitutionally discriminates against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privileges, in direct conflict with federal law. On Tuesday, Aug. 5, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Oklahoma against the State of Oklahoma seeking to enjoin the State from enforcing the Oklahoma law and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of an Oklahoma law that requires colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain Oklahoma residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. The Oklahoma law blatantly conflicts with federal law and is thus in conflict with the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
This lawsuit follows two executive orders signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. The first, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” orders all agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The second, “Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens,” directs relevant officials to “take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens.”
Texas Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Threat OffenseRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A San Antonio, Texas man was sentenced August 7, 2025, to 24 months in federal prison for interstate transmission of threats.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Stephen Brody Crain, 30, sent threats by various means for approximately eight months to two Iowa victims and their family members. One victim sent more than $4000 to Crain. Crain also made false abuse reports to the Iowa Department of Human Services and sent pizza to the victim’s residences. Even after Crain was arrested, he sent letters to one of the victims and the victim’s family members.
Crain was previously convicted of stalking in Texas District Court for Smith County. As part of that offense, Crain similarly sent threatening messages, sent pizza, and called child services to falsely report abuse. Crain was paroled in November 2023, just two months before the threats to the Iowa victims began.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Crain will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Crain was also ordered to pay $4,117 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Tacoma Woman Faces Federal Charge for Failing to Obey a Lawful OrderRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Ciara D. Mercado, 32, of Tacoma, Washington, has been charged by information with failing to obey a lawful order.
According to court documents and information shared in court, on August 4, 2025, Mercado entered the grounds of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland. Mercado failed to comply with the lawful direction of federal officers and was arrested.
Mercado made her first appearance in federal court Tuesday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was ordered released pending further court proceedings.
Failure to obey a lawful order is a Class C misdemeanor and is punishable by up to 30 days in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Protective Service and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Pensacola Men Charged with Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Calvin D. Thomas, Jr., 30, and Satori Ashanti Keys, 45, both of Pensacola, were indicted by a federal grand jury this week. Each man was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of cocaine, and marijuana; one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, more than 500 grams of cocaine, and marijuana; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Thomas is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Hope Thai Cannon on August 12, 2025, at 11:00am in Pensacola, Florida.
Keys is scheduled for his initial appearance and arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on August 12, 2025, at 11:00am in Pensacola, Florida.
If convicted, as charged, they face up to life imprisonment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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 available 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.
St. Cloud Woman Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing, Receiving, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Jessica Corin Mangano (35, St. Cloud) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for distribution, receipt, and possession of child sex abuse material. Mangano pleaded guilty on February 27, 2025.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Mangano distributed and received videos depicting the violent sexual abuse of infants, toddlers, and other young children. She also distributed images of two children to men that she knew and described her desire to rape these children or watch the men rape these children. A search of Mangano’s cellphone revealed that she had 81 images and 295 videos of child sexual abuse material saved to this device.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaley Austin-Aronson and Chauncey A. Bratt.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Bend Woman Convicted by Jury of FraudRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Tonya R. Winston, 59 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty after a three-day jury trial presided over United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty against Winston on all five counts of the Superseding Indictment charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of theft of government money.According to documents in the case, Winston devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, which was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program intended to provide loans to small businesses. Winston obtained multiple loans for herself by submitting false loan applications, and she helped others to do the same.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2025. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
“The federal government introduced the Paycheck Protection Program to assist small business during an extreme and unexpected crisis,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “Tonya Winston defrauded that program, and the American taxpayers who funded it. Today, a jury of her peers found her guilty of committing those crimes. This would not have been possible without the exceptional work of our federal agents, prosecutors, victim-witness coordinators, and other support staff. They have my thanks.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander and Joel Gabrielse.
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms 228-Month Sentence for Felon Convicted of Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the 228-month federal prison sentence handed down to Jason Autry, 50, following his conviction on firearm offenses in the Western District of Tennessee. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
Autry, a 16-time convicted felon, was released on September 16, 2020, after serving time for being a felon in possession of a gun and after serving an eight-year state prison sentence for Solicitation of First-Degree Murder and Facilitation of Especially Aggravated Kidnapping that resulted from his role in the kidnapping and murder of Holly Bobo, a Decatur County nursing student, on April 13, 2011. Bobo’s body was found over three years later.
Approximately 25 days after his September 2020 release, Autry was found in possession of a gun, which he had stolen. And within 78 days of his release, he possessed other guns and ammunition. In November 2022, he pleaded guilty to three counts of being a felon in possession of guns and ammunition.
At the sentencing hearing in 2024, the United States asked U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson to apply an upward departure from Autry’s guidelines range, arguing that Autry had an egregious criminal history that was not sufficiently reflected in that range. Judge Anderson agreed and sentenced Autry to 228 months in federal prison for the gun offenses.
The Sixth Circuit upheld the 228-month sentence. It emphasized that Autry had a serious criminal past that included aggravated assault, drug trafficking, burglary, active membership in the violent Aryan Nation gang, and admitted participation in Bobo’s abduction and murder. Furthermore, Autry had a reputation for violence in his community, was violent towards his romantic partners and family members, committed a racially-motivated assault, and was involved in violent altercations and drug trafficking while serving prison sentences and during pre-trial detention.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Benton County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Beth Boswell and Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. AUSA Naya Bedini assisted at sentencing and handled the appeal.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Six Former Cult Members Sentenced for Years-Long Forced Labor Conspiracy to Compel the Labor of Multiple Minor VictimsRead the Press Release
A federal judge in the District of Kansas sentenced defendant Kaaba Majeed, 51, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for forced labor and forced labor conspiracy. The court sentenced co-defendants Yunus Rassoul, 39, to five years of probation; James Staton, 63, to five years in prison and one year of supervised release; Randolph Rodney Hadley, 50, to five years in prison and one year of supervised release; Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, 44, to four years in prison and one year of supervised release; and Dana Peach, 60, to four years in prison and one year of supervised release for forced labor conspiracy.
In September 2024, after a 26-day trial, a jury convicted all six defendants of forced labor conspiracy and convicted Majeed of five additional counts of forced labor. Two other co-defendants, Etenia Kinard, 49, and Jacelyn Greenwell, 46 who previously pleaded guilty to the forced labor conspiracy, are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22.
“Labor trafficking of children is an egregious crime,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These sentences reflect our relentless pursuit of perpetrators and our determination to seek justice for survivors of human trafficking.”
“The defendants were entrusted to care for and nurture vulnerable children but instead chose to exploit and abuse them,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas. “Although these crimes were committed many years ago and the children are now adults, the sentences handed down today reflect how the passage of time did not diminish the Department of Justice’s resolve to hold these human traffickers accountable and seek justice for their victims.”
“The FBI works closely with numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, as well as non-governmental agencies and other nonprofits on the front lines to combat human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “This case highlights the value of those partnerships. The Kansas City FBI will continue to prioritize the safety of our community and thanks the Department of Labor and the New York State Department of Labor for their invaluable assistance.”
As established at trial, all six defendants were former high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI) who assisted UNOI’s late founder Royall Jenkins in managing UNOI operations. Defendant Peach was also one of Jenkins’s wives. Jenkins represented himself as Allah, contrary to principles of the Islamic faith, and demanded compliance with strict UNOI rules. UNOI operated multiple businesses including restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, a laboratory, and a clothing factory.
For over 12 years from October 2000 through November 2012, the defendants conspired to enforce rules that required UNOI members to perform unpaid labor, using beatings, threats, punishments, isolation, and coercion to compel the unpaid labor of over a dozen victims, including multiple minors, some as young as eight years old. The defendants required the victims to work up to 16 hours a day performing unpaid labor in UNOI-owned and operated businesses in Kansas City, Kansas; New York, New York; Newark, New Jersey; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia, and elsewhere. The defendants also required the victims to perform unpaid childcare and domestic service in the defendants’ homes. The evidence showed that the defendants lived comfortably while housing the victims in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions along with restricting their food and water.
As proven at trial, the defendants used false promises of education, life skills training, and job training to induce parents to send their children to Kansas. After isolating the victims from their families and making them wholly dependent on UNOI, the defendants required the victims to attend UNOI’s unlicensed, unaccredited school and used strict rules, isolation, punishments, humiliation, threats, and coercion to compel the victims’ unpaid labor. This included restricting and monitoring the victims’ communications with others along with their whereabouts.
The FBI Kansas City Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of the Department of Labor and the New York State Department of Labor.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas and Trial Attorneys Kate Alexander, Maryam Zhuravitsky, and Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll free at 1-888-373-7888, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Further information is available at www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Schuylkill County Native Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Craig Kimmel, age 54, of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for child exploitation offenses on August 6, 2025.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Kimmel attempted to produce a visual depiction containing the sexual exploitation of a child. The indictment states that Kimmel was previously convicted in Schuylkill County of indecent assault and attempted statutory rape, which increases the mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment on this count to 25 years. The indictment further charges Kimmel with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution and any sexual activity for which he could be charged with a crime.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is a lifetime term of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Sacramento Woman Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Benefit Fraud Scheme During PandemicRead the Press Release
Tabitha Leigh Markle, 53, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to four years and two months in prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme to defraud the unemployment insurance benefit program during the COVID-19 pandemic, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
“Today’s sentencing highlights the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s continuing efforts to actively prosecute fraud against the unemployment insurance program that served as a lifeline for millions during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sanchez. “We are committed to ensuring unemployment benefits go to the unemployed who need the assistance, not to thieves who believe they are above the law.”
“Tabitha Markle unlawfully obtained over $2.5 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits by using the personal identifying information of other people, including several inmates in California state prisons, to file fraudulent claims. She falsified employment records to make it appear that the claimants were eligible for benefits when, in fact, they were not. Many of these individuals were unwitting participants in her scheme. The illegally obtained unemployment insurance funds, which Markle used for personal gain, were intended to support American workers facing economic hardship during an unprecedented public health crisis,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and January 2021, Markle defrauded the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and the United States out of unemployment insurance benefits. Markle collected personally identifiable information (PII) including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other information, and submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to EDD. Markle and her associates caused the UI debit cards to be mailed to addresses she listed in the fraudulent applications. They used the cards that were issued in the names of the supposed beneficiaries to withdraw cash from ATMs throughout California. Markle and her associates often appeared in ATM surveillance photos taking out large amounts of cash from the cards. Markle and her criminal associates obtained approximately $2,599,038 from the fraud.
Markle also used the means of identification of various victims, including one victim, who was a resident of Oakland. Without the victim’s knowledge or permission, Markle filed a false unemployment insurance application with California EDD using the victim’s true name and other identifying information, but using a false email address, phone number and mailing address. Markle’s associates withdrew thousands of dollars of unemployment insurance benefits from the card issued to the victim.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, California EDD – Investigation Division, and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv Sharma prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Salvadoran Man Charged with Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Luis Miguel Hernandez-Flores, 37, of the country of El Salvador, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Hernandez-Flores appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida for his arraignment.
If convicted, Hernandez-Flores faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment and deportation proceedings following a term of incarceration.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Gadsen County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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.
Russian National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Submit over 100 Fraudulent Voter Registrations in Furtherance of Synthetic Identity Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Dmitry Shushlebin (45, Russia) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit fraudulent voter registrations, wire fraud, false statements, and aggravated identity theft. Shushlebin faces a maximum penalty of 32 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court filings, Shushlebin, a citizen of Russia living in Miami Beach, hired Sanjar Jamilov (32, Uzbekistan) and others to submit more than 100 fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections in February and March 2023. These applications were submitted in the names of fake people, in envelopes with return and address labels that were identically formatted, including containing the same typographical error, and bore various indicia of fraud including, repeating dates of birth and addresses and nearly sequential Social Security numbers. The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections was able to detect the fraud and rejected the fraudulent applications.
One purpose of registering these fake voters was to create synthetic, or fake, identities that Shushlebin could use to commit financial fraud. Shushlebin used the fake identities to obtain fraudulent credit cards and loans, among other financial frauds. For example, on January 6, 2023, Shuhslebin used the identity of fictitious voter “Ariel Elston” to apply for a loan with a victim bank. In order to make Elston appear like a real client for a dental loan, Shushlebin hired a Russian actress to hold a photograph of a fake driver’s license in the name of Ariel Elston. The bank approved the loan application and issued a loan in the amount of $3,099 to a bank account controlled by Shushlebin. Shushlebin perpetrated this scheme against the victim bank hundreds of times using hundreds of different synthetic identities.
Jamilov previously pled guilty on July 25, 2025, and is pending deportation.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey N. Schmidt and Trial Attorney Leo Wise from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section.
Rossiter Man Convicted at Trial of Unlawful Possession of Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After deliberating for one and a half days, a federal jury in Pittsburgh found Roam L. Beer guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Beer, 51, of Rossiter, Pennsylvania, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
The evidence presented during the day and a half trial established that, on January 5, 2024, Beer threw an ignited homemade explosive device, which had been weaponized with steel shot, at the side of the residence of his estranged wife, who was in the room immediately inside the wall of the house where Beer threw the device, but was uninjured in the incident.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Beer remain in custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Kensington Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Beer.
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.
Repeat offender pleads guilty to new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brandon G. Uber, 24, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that on August 22, 2024, a federal search warrant was executed at Uber’s residence because of child pornography files he uploaded to a KIK application server. During the search, various electronic devices were seized, including three tablets and a laptop. At the time, Uber was a member of a KIK chat forum used to trade child pornography with other users. Uber used the forum to distribute child pornography to other users and was a moderator of the forum at one point. Subsequent examination of the seized devices recovered approximately 33 images and five videos of child pornography, some of which depicted the sexual exploitation of an infant or toddler and violence against children.
At the time, Uber was awaiting sentencing on a distribution of child pornography charge. He was subsequently sentenced to serve 210 months on that charge.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.
# # # #
Raleigh Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Christopher Pacas-Aragon of Raleigh was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On February 11, 2025, Pacas-Aragon pleaded guilty to the charge.
“There is no place in our community for those who distribute child sexual abuse material, which only perpetuates the unspeakable crimes these victims have endured,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this horrific crime and our continued commitment to pursuing those who exploit children online.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message: those who exploit or harm children will be identified, investigated, and held fully accountable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant who also oversees North and South Carolina. “HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities and working with our law enforcement partners to ensure predators face justice.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Pacas-Aragon, 27, a registered sex offender, uploaded Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) using the KIK messenger application. Investigators with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), received a lead from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Data System advising that a KIK user (later identified as Pacas-Aragon) uploaded three videos depicting CSAM to the messenger application. Pacas-Aragon was detained on November 1, 2022, after law enforcement executed a warrant at his residence, uncovering over 20,000 instances of CSAM.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. RPD, HSI, and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00258.
Previously Deported Alien Pleaded Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Salomon Jaime Salgado, 61, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft and illegal reentry, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, Salgado is a citizen of Mexico who was deported from the United States in 1999. After unlawfully reentering the county, Salgado obtained a birth certificate of a deceased U.S. citizen. Salgado used that birth certificate, along with the deceased’s citizen’s Social Security Number and a California driver’s license, to apply for a U.S. passport under the deceased’s name.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Diplomatic Security Service’s Las Vegas and San Francisco Field Offices, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.
Salgado is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 30, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Salgado faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 12 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Philadelphia Men Convicted at Trial in Connection with Two Armed KidnappingsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Christopher Burton, 45, and Khalil Jackson-Fletcher, 33, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were convicted today at trial of charges arising from the kidnapping of one individual in December 2021, the kidnappings of five individuals, including an infant, in February 2022, and related crimes.
The defendants were charged by indictment in August of 2023 with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. A federal jury convicted both defendants of all counts.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, Burton orchestrated both kidnappings to steal large sums of money from the intended victims, who were known to him, and enlisted Jackson-Fletcher and other co-conspirators to participate.
In December 2021, Burton placed ads offering vending machines for sale on the online marketplace OfferUp, as a ruse to attract his intended victim, who contacted him and agreed to buy the machines. The two arranged to meet in Northeast Philadelphia on December 18, 2021, to complete the deal. On that date, however, the purchaser’s then-business partner (Victim 1), went to the meetup in the purchaser’s place.
When Victim 1 arrived, Jackson-Fletcher and a co-conspirator forced Victim 1 into his own transit van at gunpoint, maintaining constant communication with Burton, who was watching nearby. The men zip-tied Victim 1’s wrists together and took his wallet and cell phone, using the phone to transfer approximately $6,000 from the victim’s Cash App account into an account they controlled. The men then transferred the Victim 1 into their vehicle and drove him to several ATMs, forcing him to withdraw more than $9,000 from his bank account. The abductors eventually released Victim 1.
In January 2022, Burton came up with a plan to kidnap and steal money from Victim 2, who owned a business that purchased, sold, and shipped goods throughout Pennsylvania, other states, and other countries.
On February 4, 2022, at around 10 a.m., Victim 2 left his Northeast Philadelphia home to go to work. As he was walking to his car, Burton, Jackson-Fletcher, and a co-conspirator pulled up in a car, forced Victim 2 into their vehicle at gunpoint, then handcuffed him, and took his cell phone, cash, and bank cards. They proceeded to pistol whip Victim 2, demanding more money.
The abductors were eventually able to wire $25,000 from the victim’s bank account to an account that they controlled, but continued to demand even more money, brutally assaulting Victim 2. That night, the men brought Victim 2 back to his residence. Burton and Jackson-Fletcher then forced Victim 2 and Victim 2’s wife into the basement and ransacked the space, looking for more money.
For more than two days, the abductors held the family captive in their home, beating, burning, and torturing Victim 2 and choking him and his wife, with Jackson-Fletcher even choking the baby. At times, the men forced Victim 2 to leave with them, driving him around to multiple banks so that he could withdraw cash, to stores to buy merchandise with his bank card, and to a local casino, where they made Victim 2 take out a $25,000 cash advance.
On the evening of February 6, 2022, Burton left Victim 2’s home after an argument with a co-conspirator and fled the Philadelphia area. The same night, Jackson-Fletcher and the other co-conspirators took Victim 2 from the home to a local casino, where they released him.
Burton and Jackson-Fletcher are scheduled to be sentenced on November 18. They face maximum possible sentences of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 34 years.
“Burton and Jackson-Fletcher thoroughly terrorized their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “The lengths the defendants went to — to steal other people’s hard-earned money — are chilling. While today’s verdict can’t reverse the physical and emotional harm done, it ensures that these violent offenders don’t walk free to hurt anyone else.”
“Burton and Jackson-Fletcher are convicted of a vicious nightmarish crime spree,” said Shannon Hamm, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “They stalked their victims, kidnapping them at gunpoint. Holding a family and baby hostage, they tortured their victims for three days while repeatedly robbing them. These criminals’ efforts to disguise themselves was no match to the meticulous work of the ATF Special Agents, Philadelphia Police Detectives and federal prosecutors who brought these brutal criminals to justice.”
“This case represents some of the most disturbing and violent criminal behavior our city has seen,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The cruelty these victims endured is unimaginable. I commend the tireless work of our detectives, our federal partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in securing these convictions. Today’s verdict is a powerful message - that those who commit such heinous acts in our communities will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Jeanette Kang and Anthony Carissimi and Special Assistant United States Attorney Izabella Babchinetskaya.
Philadelphia County Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, man was arrested today for various child exploitation offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Bobbyjean Orak, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged in a five-count Indictment with (i) transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count One); (ii) interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b) (Count Two); (iii) enticement of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b) (Count Three); (iv) production of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) (Count Four); and (v) possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) & (b)(2) (Count Five). Orak was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning at least in or around October 2022, Orak, who was then 27 years old, used a facility and means of interstate commerce to entice a minor (“Victim-1”) to engage in sexual activity, including the production of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”). On or about July 13, 2024, Orak transported Victim-1 from Pennsylvania to New Jersey with the intent to engage in sexual activity with Victim-1. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement recovered the minor in Atlantic County in August 2024. Following Victim-1’s recovery, law enforcement’s investigation of Orak’s cellphone and various of his online accounts revealed that he possessed substantial quantities of CSAM, including CSAM of Victim-1 and others.
If convicted, Orak faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on Counts One and Three of the Indictment, a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on Count Two of the Indictment, a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on Count Four of the Indictment, and a maximum prison sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on Count Five of the Indictment. Each of the offenses carry a maximum fine of $250,000, in addition to restitution and other assessments.
“There is no higher responsibility than safeguarding the welfare of our children. According to the allegations in the Indictment, the defendant methodically groomed his victim for years, then transported the minor across state lines to sexually exploit the minor. We will continue to prioritize these cases, pursue aggressive prosecutions, and hold predators to account. I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners for their tireless work on this investigation.”
- Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
Acting U.S. Attorney Habba credited law enforcement members with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Philadelphia, Galloway Township, Evesham, Delran, Waterford Township, and Winslow Township Police Departments for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Assistant Federal Public Defender
orak.indictment.pdfPennsylvania Man Charged with Unlawfully Possessing and Transporting an Explosive Device with Intent to Intimidate and Damage Vehicle and Other PropertyRead the Press Release
Camden, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man was charged with unlawfully possessing and transporting an explosive device with intent to intimidate with a detonation that resulted in significant damage to a vehicle, personal property, and adjacent residential homes in Burlington County, New Jersey, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Michael Patrick Takacs, Jr., 43, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, is charged by complaint with one count of transporting in interstate commerce an explosive with knowledge and intent that it would intimidate an individual and damage and destroy a building, vehicle, and real personal property; one count of unlawfully transporting explosive materials; and two counts of unlawful possession of an explosive device. Takacs had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Skahill in Camden federal court on August 7, 2025, and was ordered detained.
“Disgruntled individuals who seek retaliation in such dangerous ways – ways that could have seriously injured not only the victim, but others in the community, cannot be tolerated. We will continue to support and collaborate with our law enforcement partners, who acted swiftly, yet methodically, in this matter. Violent actors will be brought to justice.”
- Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
"We learned a bomb was placed under a person’s vehicle and it exploded before dawn on a Saturday in Delran, NJ. Our agents, intelligence analysts, bomb technicians, evidence response team, and task force officers with state and local police agencies rushed to the scene and immediately began searching for a suspect. We worked around the clock and developed evidence in just days to allege Takacs built the bomb and took very specific steps to avoid detection. Our most important mission in these types of investigations is to protect the public from injury or death by preventing additional attacks. The people of New Jersey do not always get to see the swift and incredible work done by the FBI and our law enforcement partners, but this case illustrates what we do and the way we do it is vital to the communities we serve," Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy said.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On or about July 26, 2025, at approximately 2:42 a.m., an explosive device detonated in the vicinity of a silver Ford Explorer owned by Victim-1 and parked in Victim-1’s driveway located in Delran, New Jersey. The explosion caused a debris field extending out approximately 100 feet in diameter, with various nails and bolts lodged in both the body of the Ford Explorer and in adjacent residential homes.
Approximately two minutes prior to the explosion, surveillance video reviewed by law enforcement showed a dark-colored SUV, later identified as a Jeep Renegade, park directly across the street from Victim-1’s residence and an individual exit the front driver’s side door of the SUV carrying a black object. The individual approached the vicinity of the driver’s side door of Victim-1’s Ford Explorer and then quickly left the vicinity of the Ford Explorer empty handed, returning to the SUV and departing the area.
Shortly thereafter, surveillance video footage showed what appeared to be the same dark-colored Jeep Renegade pass Victim-1’s residence at a high rate of speed, followed immediately by a large explosion that engulfed the vicinity of the Ford Explorer in or near Victim-1’s driveway. Law enforcement believes that the individual driving the Jeep Renegade remotely detonated an explosive device that he had placed near the Ford Explorer while passing Victim-1’s residence.
Victim-1 previously worked with Takacs and was one of his supervisors. In or around May 2025, Takacs was terminated from his position at his place of employment.
Law enforcement later observed a dark-colored Jeep Renegade – the same make and model of the SUV seen on surveillance footage outside of Victim-1’s residence – parked in the vicinity of Takac’s residential driveway in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Additionally, law enforcement learned that Takacs had purchased detonators consistent with the detonator found on the scene of the explosion from an online website just weeks before the event.
Takacs had taken a screenshot, on or about June 4, 2025, of an online map depicting Victim-1’s residence and had conversations with another individual about purchasing a license plate flipper (a device that assists drivers in obscuring or concealing license plates at the press of a button). Takacs did not hold the necessary permits, licenses, or registrations to make or transport explosives.
Counts 1 and 2 of the Complaint each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Counts 3 and 4 of the complaint each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum fine of $10,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the direction of David Metcalf, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, under the direction of Director Laurie R. Doran, New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of LaChia L. Bradshaw, the Delran (NJ) Township Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Matthew J. Gasper, the Warminster (PA) Township Police Department under the direction of Chief James Donnelly III, the Bucks County (PA) Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Fred Haran, and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Jennifer M. Schorn.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincent D. Romano and Casey S. Smith of the Office’s National Security Unit in Newark, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Assistant Federal Public Defender
takacs.complaint.pdfParamount Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Throwing Chunks of Cinderblock at and Injuring Border Patrol OfficerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has indicted a Paramount man on a federal charge that he threw pieces of cinderblock and injured a Border Patrol officer last June when a protest against immigration enforcement turned into a riot, the Justice Department announced today.
Jacob Daniel Terrazas, 30, of Paramount, is charged with one count of assault on a federal employee by using a deadly and dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury.
Terrazas is scheduled to go to trial on September 23.
“We will not stand by while our brave federal agents and officers get hurt,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “If you injure an official enforcing immigration law, you may serve 20 years in a federal prison cell. It’s just not worth it.”
According to the indictment returned Tuesday and in other court documents previously filed in this case, a protest occurred on June 7 near a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) facility in Paramount and turned violent. Terrazas was one of several individuals who threw hard objects – including cinderblocks and rocks – at federal agents. Terrazas used both a makeshift shield and nearby trees for cover and repeatedly rushed toward the agents to throw remnants of cinderblock at them.
One of the pieces of cinderblock Terrazas threw hit a Border Patrol agent in his left shin, injuring the agent and causing him to bleed. The injured agent removed himself from the front lines to mend his injury but – after realizing he could still walk and stand – returned to the front lines. Another Border Patrol agent was struck by rocks but was uninjured.
Terrazas – who wore a dark beanie and black mask covering the lower half of his face – and other individuals threw rocks at Border Patrol agents for approximately three hours. Law enforcement used less-lethal force pepper bells against Terrazas and other rock throwers. Eventually, law enforcement detained, identified, and arrested Terrazas.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Terrazas would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
HSI is investigating Terrazas.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Mackie and Brenda Galván of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Dog Fighting and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to federal dog fighting and drug crimes.
Joel Brown, 38, admitted to possessing and training dogs for fighting purposes and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, Brown kept 11 pit bull-type dogs for fighting purposes at his residence in Franklin County. The dogs on his property were chained with heavy tow chains attached to tire axels buried in the ground. The dogs were within eyesight of each other but housed just out of reach — a housing style typical with organized dogfighting.
On one of Brown’s Facebook accounts, he posted a video of a black pit bull with visible scarring running on a slatmill. After responding to complaints about dogs being left outside at the property and obtaining search warrants, Columbus Humane rescued the dogs, working with the Columbus Division of Police. Authorities also recovered tools and supplies commonly used in the training and keeping of dogs for fighting. Under federal law, it is illegal to possess, train, transport, deliver, receive, buy, or sell animals intended for use in an animal fighting venture.
While conducting search warrants, law enforcement officers also discovered approximately 52 grams of methamphetamine in Brown’s home.
Brown will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison for the drug charge, as well as a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the animal fighting charge.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement.
Columbus Humane, the Columbus Division of Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Kevin W. Kelley for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Oceanside Man Charged with Investment Fraud Scheme that Funded Gambling Habit and Luxury CarsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Sang Phuoc Do Le of Oceanside was charged in federal court today with defrauding investors who unwittingly funded the defendant’s gambling habit and luxury car purchases rather than supposedly-profitable Apple reseller businesses.
According to a complaint, Le told investors he owned two businesses, MobileSky and MobileSky2 (collectively, the “MobileSky Companies”), that purchased bulk supplies of Apple iPhones and sold them overseas for profit. However, the MobileSky Companies conducted no such business. Rather, Le used the “MobileSky” business name, which belonged to a person he knew in Northern California, to further his investment scheme.
Le, also known as “Andy Le,” was arrested July 23, 2025, after the FBI learned Le had returned to Oceanside from a recent casino stay in Arizona. He was charged via complaint and then indictment by a federal grand jury. He was arraigned today on five counts of wire and mail fraud. According to charging documents, it was a Ponzi-like scheme in which some investors were paid small returns from the investments of others; but many never received any of their promised profit or their original investment back.
The indictment alleges that Le convinced his victims to invest by making false representations, including that the MobileSky Companies operated an overseas iPhone business in foreign countries such as China; that he held a legitimate Apple Reseller Agreement to purchase and sell iPhones overseas; that investor money would be used to fund wholesale purchase orders of Apple products, including iPhones; and that the MobileSky Companies had substantial purchase orders for large quantities of cell phones.
The indictment further alleges that Le provided investors with falsified receipts—purportedly from Apple for iPhone purchases—to create the appearance of legitimate business activity by the MobileSky Companies. For example, he allegedly assured investors of the MobileSky Companies’ ongoing viability by falsely claiming there was an outstanding purchase order from Apple for iPhones worth more than $1 million.
Instead of using investor funds for the MobileSky Companies, the indictment contends that Le diverted the money for his own personal use, spending it on gambling, luxury cars, and luxury items. He also used the money to make Ponzi-like payments to other investors. As a result of his investment fraud, Le induced investors to part with more than $2 million by wiring and mailing him the funds.
The complaint said FBI agents obtained numerous records from casinos in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida, showing that Le deposited large sums of cash and, in some cases, had investors wire funds directly to such casinos, and then Le used these funds to gamble—not to purchase bulk supplies of iPhones.
Le received various wire transfers from investors throughout the scheme, including one for $792,500. Le made a series of money transfers, but he did not use these funds to purchase iPhones as he told his investors he would. Rather, he withdrew $300,000 in cash and transferred approximately $398,000 to several car companies – West Coast Exotic Cars and Fusion Luxury Motors. Based upon witness statements and business records, Le purchased luxury vehicles, including a green Lamborghini, as shown below.
Le repeatedly made excuses to investors on why he could not pay them the interest promised. At the same time, Le was pitching his “MobileSky” investment program to other potential investors. Le told them they could invest in MobileSky and receive a fixed-rate monthly return, such as 17 percent, on their principal. Le continued to pursue investors, taking some out for lavish dinners and at least one complimentary trip to Las Vegas. After witnessing Le spend lavishly and gamble extravagantly in the casinos in Las Vegas, some potential investors felt confident to invest in MobileSky.
According to witness statements, Le claimed he used casinos like banks to explain to investors why he asked them, at times, to wire money to him at the casinos, which some investors did. However, casino records show significant gambling losses by Le at various casinos in California, Arizona, and Nevada. At the arraignment today, Le entered a plea of not guilty to all the charges in the indictment.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill Burkhardt scheduled a motion hearing/trial setting for September 19, 2025, at 11 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw. Le has been ordered detained without bail at this time.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Orabona and Ashley Goff.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 25CR3037-DMS
Sang Phuoc Do Le, aka “Andy Le” Age: 39 Oceanside, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution to victims.
Mail Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1341
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution to victims.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about allegations of investment fraud committed by Sang Phuoc Do Le, aka “Andy Le”, or others, can report it by calling the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Diego Field Office at (858) 320-1800; calling the FBI’s National Complaint Hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324); or submitting a tip about a federal crime, including fraud, at tips.fbi.gov.
Northfield Man Charged with Possession and Sale of Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on July 10, 2025 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Peter Baez, 41, of Northfield, Vermont with possession and sale of stolen firearms.
Baez entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on August 7, 2025 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Baez be released on conditions pending trial.
According to court records and statements at the arraignment, the allegations in the grand jury’s indictment relate to Peter Baez’ unlawful possession and sale of firearms which had belonged to his father, Pedro Baez. Pedro Baez died suddenly in the fall of 2024, and his will left his home and all property to his daughter. Despite having notice of the terms of his father’s estate, Peter Baez retained possession of Pedro Baez’ firearms, and sold some of them to area gun stores, keeping the proceeds.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Baez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Baez faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and thanked the Berlin and Montpelier Police Departments for their assistance.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Peter Baez is represented by William Vasiliou, II, Esq.
New Orleans Woman Guilty of Theft of Mail by Postal EmployeeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on August 5, 2025, KANESHA FLORENCE (“FLORENCE”), age 28, pled guilty to theft of mail by a postal employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709.
According to court records, on February 6, 2023, FLORENCE allegedly unlawfully stole and removed a greeting card containing an Amazon Gift Card came into her possession and was intended to be conveyed by mail.
FLORENCE faces up to 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is set for November 4, 2025, before Chief United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service - Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
New Jersey Man Charged with Maliciously Damaging a Building by Fire or Explosive Material and Use of Explosive Material in the Commission of a FelonyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tyrie Rashad Dunn, a.k.a. “Chaos,” age 37, of Lodi, New Jersey, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for maliciously damaging a building by fire or explosive material and use of explosive material in the commission of a felony.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on January 17, 2025, Dunn carried and used two Molotov cocktails to set fire to a rental property in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Dunn set fire and heavily damaged the property during the early morning hours, while the five building tenants were asleep. Several of the victim tenants had to jump from a second story window to escape, resulting in bodily injuries. Dunn fled from the scene of the fire to New Jersey, where he was subsequently apprehended ten days later after a car chase and the assault of law enforcement officers. Separate criminal charges for that incident are currently pending in the District of New Jersey.
The case was investigated by the Pottsville Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 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 these offenses is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dewayne Tyree Miller, a/k/a Dejuan Tyree Miller, age 28, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On March 3, 2025, Miller pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 17, 2024, Miller admitted to possessing methamphetamine after officers conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Miller in possession of two baggies containing approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine and $950.00 in cash.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Miller will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Parker and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Moore Woman to Serve More Than Nine Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Leading to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Defendant Ordered to Pay More Than $18,000 in Restitution for Funeral Expenses
OKLAHOMA CITY – BETH NICHOLE CHRISTIANNA MORRIS, 34, of Moore, has been sentenced to serve 110 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl leading to an overdose death, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 28, 2019, Norman Police Department responded to a fatal fentanyl overdose at an apartment complex in Norman. A subsequent investigation identified Morris as having sold three counterfeit “M-30” pills to the victim the day prior. The counterfeit “M-30” pills were laced with fentanyl and resulted in the victim’s fatal overdose.
On March 18, 2024, Morris was charged by Superseding Information with distribution of fentanyl. Morris pled guilty on March 27, 2024. As part of her guilty plea, Morris admitted that the fentanyl she distributed resulted in the death of the victim.
At the sentencing hearing on July 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Morris to serve 110 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. Morris was also ordered to pay $18,690.51 in restitution to the victim’s family for funeral expenses. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton noted the seriousness of the offense and the need to afford adequate deterrence.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and demonstrates the importance of the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign. More information about “One Pill Can Kill” can be found at https://www.dea.gov/onepill. Further information about the danger associated with fentanyl distribution and use can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16O7TkhFH9k.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and David McCrary prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.