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7 August 2025
Burglar Sentenced for Stealing Personal Items from a Woman’s Apartment While She Was SleepingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Robinson, 36, of Washington, D. C., was sentenced in Superior Court today for burglarizing a woman’s apartment in the middle of the night on March 6, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Robinson pleaded guilty on June 4, 2025, to one count of first-degree burglary. Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro sentenced Robinson to 70 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, suspended as to all but three years.
According to court documents, on the night of March 6, 2025, Robinson broke into the victim’s apartment while she was sleeping. The victim slept through the burglary and when she awoke around 9:00 a.m., the next day after she started to get ready for work, she went to look for her bag but could not locate it. When the victim went to retrieve her cell phone, she discovered that it was missing, along with other personal items such as credit cards and a key fob which belongs to a wine cellar inside the building. The victim called the police using her work phone to report the burglary.
Surveillance footage from the apartment building camera showed the defendant attempt to break into the lobby entrance of the apartment building, but he was unsuccessful. The victim’s patio door is adjacent to the lobby entrance, and the defendant later told detectives that he jumped over the victim’s gate and entered through her patio door.. According to the footage, thirteen minutes went by between Robinson trying to break into the lobby entrance from the outside and when Robinson was seen leaving the building through the lobby with a red bag in his possession. That bag was identified as belonging to the victim. Robinson was arrested on March 7, 2025 and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Skopicki, who prosecuted the case.
Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sammy Lynn Key, age 45, of Colbert, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment charged Key with knowingly possessing a .38 Special caliber revolver on September 23, 2022, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Atoka County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Key will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Brothers from Washington sentenced to prison for Virginia, Maryland armed robberiesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three Washington men have been sentenced to prison for a series of armed robberies across Maryland and Virginia.
According to court documents, from September 2023 to February 2024, brothers Andre Joel White Jr., 41; Abdullah Khalil Ismael DeVaugh Michelle, aka Damien Devaughn Moore, 43; and Aaron Isaiah Devaughn Aaron White, 29, robbed a convenience store, four tobacco shops, and a gas station, which they robbed twice, and attempted to rob another gas station. During the robberies, the brothers wore masks and gloves, brandished firearms, assaulted a victim, and stole money and cigarettes.
On Dec. 4, 2023, in Washington, D.C., Michelle noticed a ride-share driver exit his vehicle at a hotel to help a passenger with their luggage. Michelle jumped in the driver’s seat of the car and drove away. The brothers then used the stolen car to commit additional robberies in Virginia. When the car became disabled following a robbery, they abandoned it and continued to rob stores using a van rented by Michelle. The van was eventually reported stolen, and despite using stolen license plates, Michelle was arrested on Feb. 13, 2024, while driving the van.
On Feb. 5, Michelle pled guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On July 2, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
Aaron White pled guilty on Feb. 5 to two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On June 18, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
On Dec. 18, 2024, Andre White pled guilty to three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced today to 10 years and six months in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith J. Edwards and Nicholas A. Durham prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-222-2.
Bronx Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the arrest of CARLOS RIVAS in connection with the unsealing of a Complaint charging RIVAS with possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography that depict pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. RIVAS was arrested yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
“As alleged, Carlos Rivas possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography while working at a Bronx school,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Child pornography has no place anywhere in our society, particularly anywhere connected to a school. Our devoted prosecutors and partners will unrelentingly fight this scourge.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
In the summer of 2024, RIVAS worked at a school in the Bronx, New York (“School-1”).
From at least in or about July 14, 2024, through in or about August 15, 2024, RIVAS possessed hundreds of images and videos constituting child pornography on his account with an electronic service provider’s file storage service. Some of the child pornography was uploaded to RIVAS’s account from an Internet Protocol address associated with School-1.
* * *
RIVAS, 22, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography, including images and videos of prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita Maxwell is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._rivas_complaint_1.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Boston Gang Member Sentenced for Trafficking Firearms; Defrauding Federal Credit Union; Hundred-Thousand-Dollar Check Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mission Hill gang member with multiple prior convictions was sentenced today for a sweeping slate of federal charges – including trafficking firearms, defrauding a credit union of over $130,000 and stealing mail as part of a large-scale “card cracking” scheme that caused up to half a million dollars in losses.
Glenroy Miller, a/k/a “Trinny,” 29, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 71 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Miller pleaded guilty in May 2025 to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun; one count of trafficking in firearms; two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; one count of bank fraud and aiding and abetting; and one count of conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail.In September 2019, Miller was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of possession of a firearm without a permit; carrying a firearm with ammunition; possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number; and resisting arrest. He was subsequently sentenced to three years in prison, followed by two years’ probation. In December 2019, shortly after beginning his state prison sentence, Miller conspired with long-time friend Nadaje Hendrix to defraud a credit union where Hendrix served as a loan officer and assistant branch manager at the time. Specifically, between December 2019 and August 2021, the two defrauded the credit union by obtaining loans in the names of other individuals, including Miller’s fellow inmates, as well as loans under stolen identities. In total, Miller and Hendrix defrauded the credit union of approximately $134,000. The two were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024 in relation to this conduct. In October 2024, Hendrix was sentenced to eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty in July 2024.
In the summer of 2023, upon his release from state prison, and prior to his January 2024 indictment, Miller conspired with other Mission Hill members to engage in a mail theft and “card cracking” scheme while on probation. According to court documents, card cracking involves the theft of checks – usually checks stolen from USPS collection boxes – which are chemically washed to remove the payee information. The checks are then rewritten in the names of others who have typically been recruited into the scheme via social media, deposited into their bank accounts and withdrawn or transferred as soon the funds are made available.
Miller is responsible for $250,000 - $550,000 in losses or attempted losses via checks that were stolen from the mail, washed and/or deposited into recruited accounts between June 2023 and February 2024. In August 2024, Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury along with eight other Mission Hill gang members and associates for their alleged roles in the card cracking scheme.Additionally, during the summer of 2023, while on state probation, Miller sold six firearms to a cooperating witness on four separate occasions on Aug. 7, 2023 and Oct. 24, 2023. One of the sales included a firearm with a high-capacity magazine equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Additionally, Miller was aware that the cooperating witness was a convicted felon who was prohibited from purchasing or possessing the firearms.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Wellesley Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kriss Basil, Lucy Sun and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated under 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.
Bakersfield Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of Explosives and Ammunition and Manufacturing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Matthew Henry Jacober, 43, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of explosives and ammunition and manufacturing methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, Jacober possessed and improperly stored 50 pounds of dynamite and 25 rounds of shotgun shells. He was also in the process of manufacturing crystal methamphetamine at his residence in a remote area of Bakersfield. Jacober had previously been convicted in Kern County Superior Court of making a destructive device without a permit, a felony. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing explosives and ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kern County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, and the Kern County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the drug offense, Jacober faces a mandatory minimum prison term of five years in prison and a maximum term of 40 years, along with a $5 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of explosives, he faces a 10-year prison term and, if convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition, he faces a 15-year prison sentence. Both of these offenses also carry a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
August Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the August Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Elijah Lee Chandler, Jr. Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (superseding). Chandler, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to possess more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. He is additionally charged with possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute. Lastly, Chandler is charged with maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-231
Nicholas Donell Cotton. Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country (Count 1); Theft in Indian Country – Over $1,000 (Counts 2 & 3); Wire Fraud (Counts 4 & 5). Cotton, 37, of Inola and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with breaking into a fenced-in structure with the intent to steal any property and to commit a felony. He is charged with stealing a vehicle, assorted equipment, and tools valued at over $1,000. Cotton is further charged with fraudulently using two stolen credit cards. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-280
Aldo De Leon Mendoza. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Leon Mendoza, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Apr. 2016. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Regan Reininger is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-284
Alexander Douglas Goins. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Goins, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to entice an individual he believed was under 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Scaife is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-274
Chad Allen Haeberle. Threat to Assault, Kidnap, and Murder a Member of Congress; Cyberstalking. Haeberle, 34, of Jay, is charged with threatening to assault, kidnap, and murder a Member of Congress. Further, Haeberle is charged with causing reasonable fear or substantial emotional distress by using an electronic communication service with intent to harass and intimidate a Member of Congress and their spouse. The U.S. Capitol Police, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the Jay Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Tara T. Heign are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-273
Mynor Antonio Hernandez-Aguilar. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Hernandez-Aguilar, 34, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jan. 2020. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-281
Ramsey Nathaniel Hogan. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Hogan, 58, transient, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Probation and Parole Office, and the U.S. Marshal Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Mike Flesher are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-282
Juan Manuel Joaquin-Francisco. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Joaquin-Francisco, 51, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Mar. 2019. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-283Roberto Montel Madden. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Madden, 38, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-275
Simon Martinez-Gonzalez. Kidnapping of a Child (superseding). Martinez-Gonzalez, 44, a Mexican National, is charged with kidnapping a minor child in Dec. 2024. The Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, Webb County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Richard and Stacey Todd are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-029
Jesus Medina Acevedo. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Medina Acevedo, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in July 2017. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-285Anibal Valentin Rivas Gabino. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rivas Gabino, 35, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Mar. 2019. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-286Jose Luis Rodriguez Cornejo. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (superseding). Rodriguez Cornejo, 43, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Additionally, he is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Feb. 2001. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McConney is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-187
Odell Carl Stokes; Arthur Lee Hudgens, Jr.; Roderick Dale Favors; Cornelius James Artis. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 and 3); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 4 and 5) (superseding). Stokes, 49, Hudgens, 46, Favors, 43, and Artis, 44, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Oct. 2024 through May 2025. They are additionally charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-188
Mark Joseph Vossler. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Vossler, 53, transient, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from March through July 2025. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-276
Assault Charges Filed Against Shiprock ManRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges for a violent assault that left two people seriously injured.
According to court documents, on August 5, 2025, Joshua Black, 20, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, became violent during an argument at the home. Black assaulted another man by slamming his head into a fireplace and striking him repeatedly with a shovel and a wooden board. The man sustained life-threatening head injuries and was later airlifted to a local hospital. During the same incident, Black also assaulted a woman, kicking her and taking her mobility aids, and pushed another man to the ground.
During a search of the residence, officers located Black hiding inside a box spring and took him into custody. Investigators recovered bloodied objects at the scene, including a broken shovel, a wooden board, and a crutch.
Black is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in third-party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Black faces up to 10 years in prison per count.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Anderson Man Sentenced for Impersonating Homeland Security Officer and Possessing Incendiary BombsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Joshua W. Stearman, 42, of Anderson, Indiana, has been sentenced to 65 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In April of 2025, a federal jury found Stearman guilty of unlawfully possessing incendiary bomb sand falsely impersonating an officer or employee of the United States.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on December 12, 2023, around 1:47 a.m., Ingalls Police responded to a suspicious person report near a home previously targeted by vandalism and arson. A witness saw Stearman approach the house carrying something before fleeing to a red Toyota RAV4 when security lights activated. Officers quickly located the vehicle and pulled it over. Stearman presented both his driver’s license and a fake government ID, claiming to be a Homeland Security Officer returning from a mission. He was wearing black gloves with duct tape wrapped around his wrists. Officers took him into custody and discovered four bottles filled with gasoline, each containing cloth wicks and wood pieces, along with a lighter in the car.
At trial, experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed the bottles were each incendiary bombs. A forensic chemist testified the liquid inside each bottle was gasoline, and a destructive device examiner explained their intended design was to start and spread fire upon impact. Possessing such devices is a federal crime under laws regulating destructive devices.
“This defendant not only endangered lives by bringing homemade firebombs into a residential neighborhood but also sought to evade detection by impersonating a Homeland Security officer,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Thanks to the swift actions of local law enforcement and the expert analysis of our federal partners, this dangerous individual was stopped before he could carry out a potentially deadly attack.”
The ATF and Ingalls (Indiana) Police Department investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by Lapel (Indiana) Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Walter, who prosecuted this case.
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Alleged Perpetrator of Shooting in Washington, D.C. Charged with Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. returned an indictment yesterday charging Elias Rodriguez with murder of a foreign official, hate crimes, firearms offenses, first-degree murder, and assault with intent to kill, for the shooting of Israeli Embassy staffers leaving a reception hosted at the Capital Jewish Museum (CJM). Rodriguez had previously been charged by complaint with murder of a foreign official, firearm offenses, and first-degree murder on May 22.
According to the indictment, on May 21, Rodriguez purchased a ticket to the American Jewish Committee (AJC)’s Young Diplomats Reception being hosted at CJM. Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim, C.S., and A.T. were employees of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. who attended the reception. After purchasing the ticket, Rodriguez reviewed information about AJC, which indicated AJC’s support for Israel. After Lischinsky, Milgrim, C.S., and A.T. walked out of the reception, Rodriguez approached them and fired approximately 20 shots. Rodriguez shot Lischinsky and Milgrim multiple times, killing them. C.S. and A.T. escaped uninjured. Rodriguez approached a police officer, said “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” and was arrested. Rodriguez’s previously scheduled “explication” was then posted to his X account; in it, Rodriguez advocated for violence against Israelis.
“This Justice Department will not tolerate violence motivated by hatred of faith or national origin, and we will enforce our federal civil rights laws accordingly,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“This office will leave no stone unturned in its effort to bring justice to the innocent victims of Elias Rodriguez,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “The hate charges shed further light on his evil intent in the killing of innocent victims.”
The Metropolitan Police Department and the Washington Field Office of the FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Joint Task Force October 7.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Albanian Woman Indicted for Willfully Refusing to Depart the U.S. after Receiving Final Removal OrderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On August 5, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment against Anxhela Spahi, 43, a citizen of Albania, for willfully refusing to depart the United States within 90 days of when her order of removal became final.
A conviction for willful failure or refusal to depart carries a maximum penalty of a $250,000 fine, up to four years in prison, and up to one year of supervised release.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-01106-KML
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-131_Spahi# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Alameda County Man Charged in Federal Complaint with Stealing Rare and Historical Chinese Manuscripts from University LibraryRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Francisco Bay Area man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with stealing approximately $216,000 worth of rare and historical Chinese manuscripts from a university’s library system, the Justice Department announced today.
Jeffrey Ying, 38, a.k.a. “Jason Wang,” “Alan Fujimori,” and “Austin Chen,” of Fremont, is charged with theft of major artwork, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
Ying, who is in state custody, is expected to make his initial appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles in the coming days.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from December 2024 to July 2025, Ying stole the rare manuscripts from the university’s library. Ying rented the manuscripts, brought them home for days at a time, then returned a dummy manuscript instead of the authentic one. He typically then traveled to and from China within several days of the thefts.
The library noticed that several rare Chinese manuscripts were missing, and an initial investigation revealed the books were last viewed by a visitor who identified himself as “Alan Fujimori.” Due to the rarity and value of the books, they are not in regular circulation in the library and must be reserved and checked out.
Law enforcement searched Ying’s Brentwood hotel room and found blank manuscripts and paperwork in the style and manner of the books that Ying had checked out from the university. Law enforcement also found pre-made labels known as asset tags associated with the same manuscripts that could be used to create “dummy” books to return to the library in place of the original books.
Upon Ying’s arrest on Monday, they found a fraudulent California identification card in the name of “Austin Chen” along with two library cards in the names of “Austin Chen” and “Jason Wang.”
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter with valuable assistance from the UCLA Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Williams of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section is prosecuting this case.
ATF Operation Yields Six Convictions for Narcotics Distribution Offenses in JacksonRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – Six individuals have pleaded guilty to narcotics distribution offenses after an ATF Operation in Jackson, Mississippi in 2024 and 2025.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, the ATF Jackson Field Office began a street-level narcotics operation in Jackson in September 2024 with the goal of identifying and investigating narcotics traffickers in Jackson. Over the course of four months, the ATF made numerous controlled purchases of illegal narcotics and executed search warrants at three separate residences in Jackson. Fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and ecstasy were seized during the operation. Also seized were firearms, ammunition, and two ballistic vests. These narcotics traffickers have pleaded guilty and await sentencing:
- Stevenson Bentley, 46, Jackson, MS: pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on August 7, 2025, and awaits sentencing scheduled for November 5, 2025. Bentley faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
- Michael Murrell, 61, Jackson, MS: pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on May 28, 2025, and awaits sentencing scheduled for August 27, 2025. Murrell faces a mandatory minimum of five years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 40 years imprisonment.
- Lorenzo Loggins, 35, Jackson, MS: pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl on May 13, 2025, and awaits sentencing scheduled for August 11, 2025. Loggins faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment.
- David Ransom, 56, Jackson, MS: pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base on July 11, 2025, and awaits sentencing scheduled for October 17, 2025. Ransom faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment.
- Rodrick Hunter, 48, Jackson, MS: pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 13, 2025, and awaits sentencing scheduled for October 16, 2025. Hunter faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment.
- Brian Hobson, 35, Jackson, MS: pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, and awaits sentencing scheduled for October 16, 2025. Hobson faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson made the announcement.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive is investigating the case with assistance from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Jackson Police Department, and the Capitol Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Goff and Brett Grantham are prosecuting the case.
6 August 2025
Would-be smuggler of three-year-old child sentenced to 36 months in federal prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas - A 25-year-old Laredo woman has been sentenced for conspiracy to transport, attempting to transport and bringing in and attempting to bring a minor alien to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before finding Salma Galilea Veliz guilty April 15 after a two-day trial.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Veliz to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
“We may never know who or what awaited that three-year-old boy had he been successfully smuggled across the border. What is certain, however, is that no child’s safety or well-being has a price tag. The Southern District of Texas will not hesitate to prosecute those who illegally bring children into the United States by falsely claiming family ties,” said Ganjei. “Also, a word of warning - if you put a child, even if it’s your own, into the hands of smugglers, you will be prosecuted. Return home to them; don’t endanger your children by placing their lives in the hands of people you don’t know.”
Law enforcement first encountered Veliz at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo Nov. 14, 2024, with a three-year-old male. She presented a Texas birth certificate and claimed the minor was her son, later admitting he was not and that she had picked him up in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Veliz claimed she did not know the boy’s name or where she was taking him, just that a person known as “Malandro” was bringing him to her. Veliz planned to have the boy assume her biological son’s identity to smuggle him into the United States in exchange for $2,500.
During trial, the jury heard testimony and evidence regarding his true identity, which included the minor child’s original birth certificate indicating Mexico as his place of birth. Testimony also revealed there was no record in existence pertaining to the minor child that would indicate he had ever been authorized to enter the United States.
The defense attempted to convince the jury the boy had claims to citizenship through an unidentified father. However, evidence revealed the minor is a Mexican citizen and had no claim to enter the county. The jury ultimately found Veliz guilty as charged.
She was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of State and Department of Health and Humans Services - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa A. Lopez and Tory Sailer prosecuted the case.
Venezuelan National Sentenced for Resisting Arrest by Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Venezuelan national unlawfully residing in the United States has been sentenced to time served (five months), having pleaded guilty to a charge resisting arrest of a federal officer, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
On February 13, 2025, Edward Antonio Reyes Calderon, 23, struggled with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officers for several minutes while they tried handcuffing him. An officer deployed pepper spray to gain control of him. Two of the officers suffered minor injuries.
Reyes Calderon remains in custody awaiting deportation proceedings.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter I. Roklan and Taylor A. Dean.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Participated in Eastern North Carolina National Night Out EventsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina joined law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities on Tuesday for National Night Out events in cities across the state.
“National Night Out is about more than public safety – it’s about community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “It was a privilege to join our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as we visited neighborhoods across Raleigh, connected with residents, heard their feedback, and strengthened our ties with the community. We were particularly excited to welcome Associate Deputy Attorney General Aakash Singh—an alumni from our office— who joined us at Raleigh-area events and met with many of our law enforcement partners from across Eastern North Carolina.”
“For me, community engagement isn’t just part of the job—it’s a calling. Events like this are about more than showing up; they’re about bridging gaps and building real relationships. That’s why we started Cops on the Block—to be more than uniforms, more than badges. To be neighbors. I always say, National Night Out is our Super Bowl—it’s our moment to connect, to be present, and to celebrate what brings us together,” said Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
U.S. Attorney's Office, ATF, and Chicago Police Department Announce Results of Enforcement InitiativeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – The U.S. Attorney's Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Chicago Police Department today announced results of a two-month enhanced enforcement initiative that targeted offenders believed to have illegally possessed, used, and trafficked firearms and machinegun conversion devices in the Chicagoland area.
The initiative, led by ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), used both federal and state charges, resulting in the arrest of 41 offenders and the recovery of approximately 171 firearms, and 64 machinegun conversion devices. National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) data shows that a significant number of the recovered firearms are connected to violent criminal activity, including homicide and aggravated assault, that took place in the Chicagoland area and throughout the U.S., from 2017 through 2025.
“The illegal possession, use, and trafficking of firearms equipped with conversion devices pose a grave threat to public safety,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will lean into using various federal law enforcement tools and law enforcement partnerships to hold firearm offenders accountable and reduce violent crime in Chicago. We are proud to partner with ATF, CPD, and state prosecutors in this important initiative, and I commend their outstanding work to keep dangerous weapons off the streets and out of the wrong hands.”
“Machinegun conversion devices are increasingly being used by criminals, putting both innocent civilians and law enforcement in danger,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. “This operation aggressively targeted offenders suspected of trafficking illegal machinegun conversion devices into our communities. I want to thank our federal, state, and local partners whose support of the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago was integral to the success of this initiative. This multi-agency effort is a testament to what can be accomplished when we combine our resources and expertise towards a common goal of making our communities safer for all.”
The number of suspected machinegun conversion devices recovered by law enforcement and subsequently traced by ATF increased more than 784% nationwide between 2019 (658) and 2023 (5,816), according to the National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment. In the year 2024 alone, the Chicago Police Department recovered 604 machine gun conversion devices—up from 81 in 2020.
“This operation directly addresses the proliferation of machine gun devices inflicting trauma in our communities,” said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling. “Far too many lives have been lost to the senseless violence that only becomes more dangerous and fatal because of these conversion devices.”
“Combatting gun violence is my office’s highest priority, and there is no doubt the recent proliferation of MCD’s is a threat to our progress,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke. “A firearm equipped with one of these devices and an extended magazine can fire off 30 rounds in less than two seconds, terrorizing our neighborhoods and too often catching innocent bystanders in the crossfire. The CGIC is a national model, and working in a collaborative fashion with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners on this threat is a force multiplier. This initiative is a great start, and shows what’s possible when we work together strategically.”
“State-federal partnerships, such as with the ATF, are essential to my office’s work to prevent illegal firearms from entering communities, hold gun traffickers accountable and address other gun crime cases,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Collaborations and resource sharing between all levels of law enforcement – local, state and federal – are vital in our work to prevent gun violence in Illinois.”
The 18 federal cases are being coordinated by Violent Crime Section Chief Scott Edenfield and Violent Crime Section Deputy Chief Jared Jodrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The 23 state cases are being coordinated by Multi-Jurisdiction Bureau Chief Maureen McCurry of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Assistant Attorney General Greg Gansmann of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
Special Agent in Charge Amon, Superintendent Snelling, U.S. Attorney Boutros, State’s Attorney Burke, and Illinois Attorney General Raoul also acknowledged the valuable investigative assistance provided by our federal, state, and local partners at the Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, and Cook County Sheriff’s Police.
The charges outlined in the indictments and complaints are merely allegations and not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Office to present senior fraud prevention seminar in SpartaRead the Press Release
SPARTA, Ill. – To educate seniors in southern Illinois on the latest scams targeting them online and over the phone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Sparta Senior Center to present a fraud prevention seminar.
“Fraudsters inundate us with calls, texts, and emails making deceitful claims—like posing as federal agents—to manipulate individuals into handing over their money,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Unfortunately, we have prosecuted cases where scammers have defrauded seniors out of most of their life savings. To educate the public on the current fraud schemes and tips to avoid becoming a victim, our office will be in Sparta to give an interactive and informational presentation.”
The presentation highlights information on online scams, fraud schemes targeting seniors and details on federal cases prosecuted in the Southern District of Illinois. The event will start at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at the Sparta Senior Center, located at 500 W. 2nd St. in Sparta.
Attendees will receive tips to help detect scams and advice on how to contact law enforcement if they think they may have been victimized by a scam.
The event is free and open to the public.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro Joined the Community and Law Enforcement Partners for National Night OutRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro joined our law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities for last night’s National Night Out event at Emery Height’s Community Center in the District’s Petworth neighborhood.
“National Night Out is about celebrating successes when community and law enforcement work together,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Tonight, we join together in unity to make this a place where it’s safe to raise our children, to live and to work and that’s what National Night Out is all about.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
Two Springdale Men Sentenced to More Than 36 Years Combined in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – Two Springdale men were sentenced yesterday to more than 36 years combined in federal prison for Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in June 2024, detectives with the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force (4th JDDTF) learned that defendants, Latrell Devontae Richmond, 29, and Lucky Bannavong, 26, were distributing large amounts of methamphetamine and pressed fentanyl pills in the Springdale, Arkansas area and elsewhere. During the subsequent investigation, Detectives encountered Bannavong, who was on parole with the state of Arkansas, and found him in possession of a loaded firearm, methamphetamine, and a large amount of cash. The investigation further revealed that both Richmond and Bannavong were storing methamphetamine and fentanyl at Richmond’s Springdale apartment. Thereafter, Detectives with the 4th JDDTF obtained and executed a search warrant on Richmond’s apartment. Inside the apartment, Detectives found approximately 1,233 grams of methamphetamine; 3,136 fentanyl pills; approximately 165 grams of marijuana; a loaded semi-automatic pistol; and United States currency.
Both defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2025, and both pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in February of this year. Bannavong was sentenced to serve 235 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Richmond was sentenced to 200 months in the Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Robbins prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Two Charged in Investigation into Importation and Distribution of Misbranded DrugsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Two individuals have been charged in U.S. District Court in Providence in an ongoing investigation into the introduction of a misbranded drug imported from India and distributed in Rhode Island and elsewhere in the Northeast without FDA approval, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Court documents reflect that Jitender Behl, 74, of East Greenwich, RI, imported hundreds of thousands of pills from India that contained the pharmaceutical ingredient sildenafil citrate (sildenafil). Sildenafil is an active ingredient in FDA-approved prescription drugs prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Behl allegedly repackaged the pills, marketed them as being an all-natural dietary supplement for erectile dysfunction under the brand names of “JMY” which stands for “Just Me & You,” and distributed them to a wholesale distributor, Noor Inc., in Providence. To date, law enforcement has seized more than 130,000 imported sildenafil pills and tablets, more than 650 grams of imported sildenafil soft gel capsules, and approximately 21,700 empty Mylar bags allegedly used for packaging the illicit product.
Court records detail that JMY’s website indicated that Noor Inc. was the sole U.S. wholesale distributor of “JMY.” Noor sold JMY to retail outlets in the Northeast, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts. FDA undercover agents allegedly purchased packages of “JMY” from retail outlets. JMY’s list of ingredients did not include the active pharmaceutical ingredient sildenafil and instead listed purported ingredients such as “White Willow Bark” and “Korean Ginseng,” among others.
The FDA notes that sildenafil can be particularly harmful to persons taking heart medications containing nitrates because the active ingredients can interact with the nitrates and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
Behl, arrested today on charges of, among others, receipt in interstate commerce of misbranded drugs and introducing misbranded drugs, made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was released on unsecured bond.
Mahr Ahmed, 58, of Attleboro, MA, owner of Noor Inc., has been charged by way of an information filed on July 23, 2025, with introduction of misbranded drugs, to which court documents reflect Ahmed has agreed to plead guilty.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations Rhode Island Task Force, Warwick Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection.
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behl_affidavit.pdf behl_criminal_complaint.pdf mahr_ahmed_information.pdf mahr_ahmed_plea_agreement.pdfThree People Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine, Fentanyl and NitazenesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Three South Florida residents have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl and nitazenes, after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene.
On July 30, Josue David Balaguer, 35, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to 141 months in federal prison. On July 31, Marcos Geovanny Beltre Olivo, 39, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to 141 months in federal prison. And on August 1, 2025, Joel Medina, 36, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison.
Beginning in early 2024, the defendants conspired amongst themselves and with others to distribute pressed pills through the mail for on-line, open web and dark web, drug distributors. The pills were distributed throughout the United States. The pressed pills were marketed as pharmaceuticals, but contained nitazenes, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, among other controlled substances. On September 11, 2024, agents executed a residential search warrant and recovered hundreds of thousands of pressed pills, a pill press, a packaging machine, and numerous mailing supplies.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, Acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG), Acting Special Agent in Charge Maximillian Pagano of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami, DEA Miami, HSI Miami, USPIS Miami, USPS-OIG, FDA-OCI, and PBSO investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk prosecuted the case.
According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment, nitazenes are synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, but some nitazenes can match or surpass the potency of fentanyl. Different nitazenes have been appearing in fentanyl mixtures in the United States since 2019. When combined with fentanyl, the effects of both drugs are heightened, which significantly increases the chance of a fatal drug poisoning.
Synthetic drugs such as fentanyl are poisoning the nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida.
For more information visit: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html#; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80112.
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Tampa Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Daniel Vega Cabrera (42, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit that offense. Vega Cabrera pleaded guilty in March 2025.
According to court documents, in July 2023, an undercover deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office began buying cocaine from Joseph White, a co-defendant of Vega Cabrera’s. Further investigation revealed that Vega Cabrera and Jose Pabon, another co-defendant, were White’s sources of supply. In total, Vega Cabrera provided more than 500 grams of cocaine to White for distribution between July 20, 2023, and May 14, 2024. Vega Cabrera is subject to an enhanced penalty in this case because he has a prior federal drug distribution conviction.
White and Pabon previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case and are currently pending sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
Stockton Man Sentenced to over 12 years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Walter Garcia-Ruiz, 37, of Stockton, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 12 years and seven months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, between May 2019 and December 2020, Garcia-Ruiz joined a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine with Jesus Horacio Ramirez Hernandez, 37; of El Monte, and Stockton residents Fernando Aldama Tinoco, 51; Geovany Espinoza Norzagaray, 36; and Neftali Castillo Montes, 44. During this conspiracy, Montes sold an FBI confidential source more than 14 pounds of methamphetamine. Surveillance, wiretaps, and additional investigation uncovered Garcia-Ruiz, Norzagaray, Tinoco, and Hernandez as higher-level distributors. Garcia-Ruiz personally supplied at least 10.9 pounds of this methamphetamine. A search of a storage unit controlled by Tinoco resulted in the seizure of 33 pounds of methamphetamine, 7 pounds of cocaine, and 2 pounds of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl.
This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Borders Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Montes was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to five years in prison for his role in this conspiracy. Hernandez pleaded guilty for his role on June 24, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mueller on Oct. 21, 2025. Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Charges are pending against co-defendants Tinoco and Espinoza. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants Tinoco and Espinoza also face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Six-Time Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Rico Allen Gandy (47, Orlando) to four years and three months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Gandy to forfeit the firearm and ammunition, which are related to the offense. Gandy pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025.
According to court documents, Gandy was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by the Orlando Police Department’s Tactical Anti-Crime Unit. After initially refusing to stop, the driver pulled over and Gandy attempted to walk away from the scene. Gandy was detained by officers who later recovered a bag that he had left on the floorboard of the vehicle. Inside the bag was his Gandy’s Florida identification card, several baggies of crack cocaine, MDMA, marijuana, and a loaded 9mm Springfield pistol. Gandy is a six-time convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Courtney Richardson-Jones.
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.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in Chelsea, Mass. pleaded guilty today to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Rigoberto Hernandez Mancia, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Oct. 29, 2025. In June 2025, Hernandez Mancia was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Hernandez Mancia was deported from the United States on July 31, 2024. Sometime after his July 2024 removal, Hernandez Mancia illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Postal Employee Admits Role in Mail Theft RingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A U.S. Postal Service employee pleaded guilty today to participating in a mail theft ring at the U.S. Mail Processing and Distribution Center in Providence, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Darren Camacho, 33, of Providence, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to steal mail and theft of U.S. Mail by a postal employee. Camacho is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2025. The sentences imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Camacho admitted that multiple times a week between March 1, 2023, and June 26, 2023, he and his co-conspirators sorted through the mail and pulled out brightly colored envelopes, concealed them in backpacks, and snuck them out of the facility. Meeting at a designated location after work, Camacho and his co-conspirators opened the stolen mail and pulled out cash, gift cards, and checks.
According to information presented to the court, Camacho gave some of the stolen gift cards to another person and he used others to make purchases in retail stores at various locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
On June 28, 2023, law enforcement recovered 55 stolen gift cards from the residence of a relative of Camacho.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the US Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Providence Police Department, and Smithfield Police Department.
The public can report mail theft by contacting the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-888-USPS-OIG (1-888-877-7644; online at www.uspsoig.gov/hotline; via email at [email protected]; or by mail at USPS OIG, Attn: OIG Hotline, 1735 North Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209-2020.
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Port Matilda Man Charged for Threatening Then President-elect Donald J. TrumpRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jacob Buckley, age 22, a resident of Port Matilda, Centre County, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information for threatening Donald J. Trump as the President-elect.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the information alleges Buckley used a TikTok social-media account under the name, “Jacob_buckley.” The Information further alleges that on January 16, 2025, “Jacob_buckley” made the following posts: “I hate MAGA republicans bro on god I’ll kill all of them”; “I’m going to kill Trump”; and, “Bro we going into a literal oligarchy in 4 days and im going to kill Trump.”
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty upon conviction on the Information is 5 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 63 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of federal supervised release, on his convictions of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Marques Coffey, 21, on August 5, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about March 4, 2023, Coffey knowingly possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. He also knowingly possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense, in this instance, a Glock with a switch or automatic conversion kit. Both the fentanyl and the firearm were recovered by law enforcement in a satchel that Coffey was wearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Bellevue Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Coffey.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of a City StoreRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Khyrie Brown, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 36 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and full restitution, for his role in the armed robbery of a North Philadelphia dollar store.
Brown was charged by indictment in July 2024 with robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and pleaded guilty in March of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on November 6, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m., he and three other males entered a dollar store on the 2800 block of Ridge Avenue. One of the males approached the counter and pretended to purchase multiple items.
At that same time, one of the other males pulled out what appeared to be a black handgun, pointed it at the store clerk and told the clerk to open the safe. Two of the robbers jumped the counter, while the other two circled around the counter, where Brown then removed a cash drawer from the safe and carried it out of the store. All four males entered a waiting getaway vehicle and fled the scene with approximately $3,000 in coins and U.S. currency.
Responding Philadelphia police officers tracked the group to the area of 30th and Gordon streets, where a police K9 located Brown hiding in an abandoned property on the 2300 block of North 30th Street.
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 Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Omaha man was sentenced on August 6, 2025, to 72 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Rafael Rashad Adams, 41, in September of 2024, was found by Council Bluffs’ police officers passed out in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with front-end damage near South Expressway and 30th Avenue in Council Bluffs. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 31.5 grams of marijuana, scales, drug packaging material, and a stolen, loaded nine-millimeter pistol and a loaded 15-round magazine. Adams’ criminal history includes convictions for drug possession and distribution, unlawful possession of a firearm, and driving under the influence.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Adams will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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.
Okemah Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Eric Jason Franklin, age 53, of Okemah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office.
On April 17, 2025, Franklin pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 15, 2024, law enforcement discovered Franklin in possession of a pump action shotgun and 15 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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. Franklin 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.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio - An Ohio man has been sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to using a popular social media platform to trade firearms, which he was prohibited to possess, for other items of value.
Dannie Wireman, 44, of Edon, in Williams County, Ohio, was sentenced to 77 months in prison (more than six years) by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after he pleaded guilty in March to being a felon in possession of a firearm and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Knepp imposed the sentence July 30, 2025.
According to court documents, Wireman was previously convicted in Indiana on burglary charges in 2009. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from buying or possessing firearms. During the investigation, agents learned that Wireman was active on the Facebook social media platform and was conducting transactions involving firearms. His activity included communicating with other platform users willing to trade items. In one instance, he asked users in a Facebook group if anyone had a beagle hunting dog they would part with in exchange for a shotgun. In others instances, he bartered for a snowmobile and a racecar. To showcase his extensive inventory and spark interest from others looking to acquire firearms, Wireman would post several photographs of the items lined up across a bed. On March 6, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Wireman’s residence where federal agents seized 22 long guns, including a sawed-off shotgun, and assorted ammunition.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Toledo Field Office, the Williams County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.
Nathan Hunter Whitaker Sentenced to over 24 Years for Fentanyl Distribution Related to an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, TENN. – Today, Nathan Hunter Whitaker, 27, of Bristol, Tennessee, was sentenced to 292 months by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his incarceration, he will be on supervised release for a term of three years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Nathan Hunter Whitaker agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of distributing a quantity of N-phenyl-N-[1-(2- phenylethy1)-4-piperidinyl] propanamide (Fentanyl), which resulted in the death of another person in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).
According to the filed plea agreement, in July of 2020, local, state, and federal law enforcement began an investigation into the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Tennessee. During the investigation, law enforcement learned of an overdose death that occurred in early February of 2023, in Sullivan County, Tennessee, which was attributed to fentanyl toxicity. Days after the victim’s death, Whitaker made several, controlled sales of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills to a confidential informant.
On April 1, 2024, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force (2nd DTF), as well as deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Office located Whitaker, along with others, at a residence in Johnson City, TN. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop to serve an arrest warrant on Whitaker, he fled in a vehicle but eventually returned to the residence. After he returned, law enforcement made entry into the residence, where they located Whitaker in possession of a significant quantity of fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills and $13,754 in cash, as well as more than 130 firearms, some of which were stolen, including two silencers and a short-barreled rifle. One of the stolen firearms was from the Tennessee Valley Authority Police. During an interview, Whitaker admitted that he provided fentanyl-laced, counterfeit Roxicodone 30mg pills to the victim that caused their death.
“Fentanyl-related deaths across the district, state, and our nation are far too common,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III. “The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, will use all available resources to investigate and prosecute those who traffic in fentanyl and bring them to justice.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to bring to justice criminals who willfully distribute dangerous drugs within eastern Tennessee and throughout the country. Today’s sentence highlights the serious risks fentanyl poses to our communities, and we are proud of the results achieved because of this collaboration,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott.
“Arresting and prosecuting criminals like Nathan Whitaker, who prey upon and poison their communities for profit and fund cartels and international criminal organizations, is a top priority for our agency.” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “This sentence sends a clear message that HSI and our law enforcement partners in Tennessee are dedicated to preventing the illicit importation, sale and distribution of fentanyl while bringing those that perpetrate this deadly crime to justice.”
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the DEA, HSI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the 2nd DTF, and Johnson City Police Department (JCPD).
This investigation was led by DEA Special Agent Cullen Conerly, HSI Special Agent John Bulla, and TBI Special Agent Thomas Garrison, who is also an FBI Task Force Officer.
Assistant United States Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Justin Janae Stancle, age 34, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to fifteen years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on February 21, 2025, Stancle knowingly possessed an automatic pistol and fourteen rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Stancle will remain out on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Pernell Riddick, age 36, a resident of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to the Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on or about September 2, 2022, Riddick, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. In furtherance of his drug trafficking endeavor, Riddick possessed a 9-millimeter Smith & Wesson handgun and a 9-millimeter Taurus G2C handgun.
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 investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson.
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Mississippi Man Sentenced for Possession of Firearm as a Previously Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Mound Bayou man was sentenced today to over six years in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to court documents, Dennis Coleman, 44, previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. He was sentenced today by Chief Judge Debra M. Brown of the U.S. District Court to 74 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Coleman was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal upon the conclusion of sentencing.
“Keeping firearms out of criminals’ hands is always going to be a focus of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Thanks to the Cleveland Police Department, the Bolivar County S.O. and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, this community is now safer for citizens and families due to the concerted efforts of our law enforcement partners.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that those who repeatedly break the law and endanger others will be held accountable. Keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons is critical to protecting our communities,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “I commend the collaborative efforts of all agencies involved for their work in bringing this case to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cleveland Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Mims prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Mexican national, illegally living in Pollock, indicted on immigration violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Pollock, has been charged with an immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose de Jesus Pineda-Torres, 43, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on July 11, 2025, Pineda-Torres was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported three times.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Pineda-Torres faces up to 10 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Jackson.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican national, illegally living in Beaumont, indicted on immigration violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Beaumont, has been charged with an immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Enrique Guevara-Camargo, 51, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on July 2, 2025, Guevara-Camargo was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Guevara-Camargo faces up to 2 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration & Customs Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Jackson.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican man pleads guilty to illegal reentryRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A man from Mexico accused of being in the United States illegally admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Eduardo Heriberto Mendoza-Almanza, 40, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. Mendoza-Almanza faces 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto presided. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for December 10, 2025. Mendoza-Almanza was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Mendoza-Almanza was arrested on April 6, 2025, in Belgrade, Montana, after an officer stopped him for driving with no license plate light after dark. He was identified with his Mexico driver’s license. His driving privileges were suspended in Montana and revoked in New Mexico. He also had numerous active warrants. He was arrested for driving without a license.
Mendoza-Almanza has been removed from the U.S. on eight prior occasions:
- March 6, 2006
- February 2, 2007
- February 22, 2007
- February 25, 2007
- May 11, 2007
- January 11, 2008
- June 18, 2011
- September 5, 2023
He was convicted of felony illegal reentry in Montana Federal Court, District of Montana, Missoula Division, on March 15, 2023. He was sentenced to time served and removed. There is no record he applied for or was granted permission by the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to return to the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican National Sentenced to 54 Months for Illegal Reentry After Ten Prior Removals and Three Illegal Reentry Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Navor Salas Cruz, 52, of Mexico, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 54 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering and remaining in the United States. Salas Cruz pled guilty to the charge on April 4, 2025.
According to court documents, Salas Cruz came to the attention of law enforcement after a 2024 Kauai arrest for operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant. Between 1997 and 2020, Salas Cruz was removed from the United States to Mexico ten times. Salas Cruz has three prior driving while under the influence arrests and fourteen contempt of court arrests. In addition to his three prior federal convictions for illegally reentering the United States, Salas Cruz also has convictions for abuse of a household member, assault, violation of a protective order, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
At sentencing, Judge Watson indicated he did not believe Salas Cruz’s claim that he understood the importance of following laws, stating that it was “clear you do not respect our laws” given Salas Cruz’s “extensive criminal history.” Judge Watson noted that Salas Cruz has “learned precious little over the last 25 years” and his prior crimes have put the public at risk.
“This prosecution and lengthy sentence deliver the clear message that when you come to Hawaii as an illegal alien and repeatedly violate our nation’s laws, you will be federally prosecuted and sentenced to a long period of imprisonment,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We will not tolerate those who exploit our borders and endanger our citizens.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Mexican National Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison after Alien Smuggling Leads to DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jorge Adan Fontes-Garcia, 26, an illegal alien from Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on August 5, by United States District Judge James A Teilborg to 130 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. On May 20, Fontes-Garcia pleaded guilty to Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States Unlawfully Resulting in Death. The sentence also addressed Fontes-Garcia’s violation of federal supervision, which the Court imposed after his prior conviction for Reentry of an Illegal Alien.
On August 23, 2023, Fontes-Garcia acted as the foot guide, leading a group of eight aliens across the Mexico-United States border into southern Arizona. United States Border Patrol apprehended all but one of the illegal aliens in the open desert approximately 19 miles south of Tacna, Arizona. The remaining alien was found by Border Patrol agents shortly thereafter, already deceased due to excessive heat exposure.
“This case demonstrates that human smugglers often have little regard for those entrusted to their care,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “My message to those trying to cross the border illegally is that their actions are not just a violation of the law, they can also lead to tragic consequences.”
“Human smuggling results in numerous deaths every year as smugglers are more concerned with profit than the lives of the people they are smuggling,” said Chief Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre, Yuma Sector Border Patrol. “This sentence sends a clear message to anyone considering smuggling foreign nationals into the country – ‘if you do, we will arrest you, and you will be held accountable.’”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT, CR-22-00992-PHX-JAT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-130_Fontes-Garcia# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to federal charges for assaulting a woman and causing severe injuries.
According to court records, on June 27, 2024, Myron Edward Blake, Jr., 40, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe with a cinder block and a 2x6 board, causing substantial bodily injury.
Blake pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. At sentencing, Blake faces up to 5 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Blake will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Merrillville Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Yesterday, Frank Washington III, 37 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Moody after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Washington was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, Washington, who has multiple prior robbery convictions, was arrested in possession of a stolen firearm loaded with ammunition in Gary in February 2025. On multiple occasions in February 2025, Washington drove around with the firearm in a holster on his waist.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Gary Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter.
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.
Lynn Man Arrested for Drug Conspiracy and Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was arrested today in connection with an alleged years-long drug conspiracy and a January 2023 armed robbery of a drug distributor, during which the defendant and another individual allegedly stole approximately $24,000 in drug trafficking proceeds intended for the purchase of a kilogram of cocaine.
Harvey Rodriguez, a/k/a “Big Opp”, 29, of Lynn, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of conspiracy interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery). Rodriguez was arrested this afternoon and was ordered detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.
According to the charging documents, Rodriguez was a participant in a multi-year drug conspiracy taking place in the Lynn area and on the North Shore of Massachusetts. As described in the court papers, Rodriguez is alleged to have conspired with numerous other distributors including those he supplied, and others who have been previously charged with federal drug offenses, including Vincent Caruso, a/k/a “Fatz”, Lawrence Michael Nagle, Jr., and Schuyler Oppenheimer, a/k/a “SK”. This years-long drug conspiracy is alleged to have involved the manufacture of counterfeit prescription pills, and the sale of entire kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl through Lynn and Massachusetts. Over the course of the federal investigation, Rodriguez is alleged to have distributed cocaine and methamphetamine to a cooperating witness and confidential informant on four occasions.
Rodriguez is also charged with participating in an armed robbery of a drug customer. According to the charging documents, on Jan. 30, 2023, a drug transaction was scheduled to take place at an apartment in Woburn, during which an associate of Rodriguez was to deliver a kilogram of cocaine in exchange for approximately $24,000. It is alleged that, during the transaction, Rodriguez and Claudio Melo entered the apartment and pointed semiautomatic pistols at the drug customer before taking the $24,000 in cash. According to the charging documents, the $24,000 cash was proceeds of drug trafficking activities the drug customer was engaged in, which had been paced in an unmarked soft black lunch box on a table. Rodriguez and Melo then allegedly forced the drug customer to open a safe in his bedroom, which was empty. Shortly thereafter, both robbers allegedly departed with the $24,000 cash.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Long-Time Fugitive Admits to Orchestrating Mail Fraud Scheme Defrauding Elderly and Vulnerable Victims of over $10 MillionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A German man admitted today to orchestrating a massive mail fraud scheme targeting elderly and otherwise vulnerable victims with false and fraudulent psychic solicitations, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Georg Ingenbleek, 58, a citizen of Germany, was indicted in 2020 and has been a fugitive. He was apprehended in Bolzano, Italy in 2024 and extradited in May 2025 to face an indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud. Ingenbleek pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to two counts of mail fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek created numerous direct mail solicitations supposedly from world-renowned psychics, falsely and fraudulently claiming to offer recipients individual psychic services and objects that would result in great fortune. Many of the letters falsely promised that the psychic services being offered were free of charge. Ingenbleek directed co-conspirators to send fraudulent billing notices to the same victims that stated that the victims owed money for psychic services, which in many cases had been offered free of charge. The fraudulent billing notices falsely represented that the victims owed fees and threatened to take legal action if the victim did not send a check, usually for $20 to $50. Through his fraudulent psychic mailing campaign, Ingenbleek obtained more than $10 million dollars from victims.
The mail fraud charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2025 at 10:30 A.M.
Acting U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of HSI New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges, and HSI Rome and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for providing significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Italy.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Daniel Rashbaum, Esq., Miami, Florida.
ingenbleek.indictment.pdfLiberian National and Convicted Sex Offender Arrested for Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment in June charging Cyril Domaquik Clemens, 71, a U.S. citizen born in Liberia, with naturalization fraud. The indictment alleges that Clemens lied about his criminal conduct on his application to obtain U.S. citizenship. Clemens had his initial appearance before a federal judge last week.
According to the indictment and previously issued court documents, Clemens is alleged to have knowingly and materially made false statements under penalty of perjury on his naturalization application and during a naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In response to the questions “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following:…[f]orcing or trying to force, someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?” and “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” he answered “No.” Clemens took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on February 19, 2021.
On April 3, 2023, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Durham County, Clemens pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent liberties with a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment between 16 and 29 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. Clemens confessed to having sexually molested the child for more than a decade, from November 1, 2011, through March 7, 2022. The victim was four years old when the abuse began. Clemens was not arrested until after he had naturalized, so immigration officials were unaware of his crimes when they granted him citizenship.
Clemens is charged in a three-count indictment with naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison as well as the automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. ICE ERO officers and HSI agents assigned to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Division is assisting the initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
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. 5:25-CR-151-FL-RN.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Leader of $68M Adult Day Care Fraud Scheme Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A New York woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud Medicaid and pay health care kickbacks at her two Brooklyn social adult day cares.
“The defendant orchestrated a massive scheme to defraud Medicaid, bribing patients to bill a federal health care program for over $68 million,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Americans will not stand for these schemes that target government programs intended to help society’s most vulnerable members and steal from the public fisc. As demonstrated by today’s announcement, we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who take part in these crimes.”
“With today’s guilty plea, Khan stands convicted of acting as the ringleader of a scheme responsible for stealing millions of dollars dedicated to the government’s health care safety net,” stated U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Our office and the Justice Department take seriously our responsibility to protect government funds from the clutches of fraudsters and will vigorously prosecute corrupt health care operators like the defendant.”
“Social adult day care and home health services are intended to support seniors, not serve as vehicles for fraud,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The defendant’s actions are an affront to hardworking taxpayers and undermine the integrity of our nation’s health care system. HHS-OIG will continue to relentlessly pursue anyone who illicitly exploits Medicaid enrollees and the program itself to ensure they are held fully accountable.”
“Zakia Khan has admitted her involvement in a sweeping scheme that defrauded the U.S. government of $68 million in welfare funds meant for one of our country’s most vulnerable populations,” stated Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Today’s guilty plea underscores not only the lengths criminal opportunists often take, but also the state-of-the-art skills and procedures utilized by HSI New York to stop them in their tracks.”
“Zakia Khan stole $68 million from the Medicaid program through bribes and kickbacks—money meant to support the most vulnerable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “This fraudulent cash grab exploited a federal health care system that people depend on, and the NYPD will keep holding accountable anyone who tries to take advantage of it. Today’s guilty plea is another step towards justice, and I am thankful to the NYPD investigators, all our law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors for their meticulous work on this case.”
According to court documents, Zakia Khan, 54, of Brooklyn, owned two social adult day cares: Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc., Responsible Care Staffing Inc., a home health care fiscal intermediary, and Tanwee Services Inc., an entity used to receive and disguise fraud proceeds. Beginning in approximately October 2017 and continuing through approximately July 2024, in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, Khan and marketers whom she employed referred Medicaid recipients to the social adult day cares that she owned, and Khan and the marketers in turn paid kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients for social adult day care services that the day cares billed to Medicaid, but were not provided or that were induced by kickbacks and bribes. Khan and her co-defendants used multiple business entities to launder the fradulent proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes. In connection with her plea, Khan agreed to forfeit $5 million, including two properties, cash, and gold jewelry seized during a search of her home.
Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HHS-OIG, HSI, and the NYPD are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Castiglione for the Eastern District of New York, who assisted with forfeiture matters.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Lancaster County Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Christopher William Stevens, 35, of Lancaster, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations were investigating Stevens and others as part of a drug conspiracy distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in the area. On at least four occasions in 2021 and twice in 2022, law enforcement conducted traffic stops on cars in which Stevens was the driver or the passenger and located various controlled substances, including suboxone, gabapentin, marijuana, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. The police also located digital scales, glass pipes, and firearms during these traffic stops. As part of the investigation, on at least two occasions in 2021, law enforcement made controlled purchases of fentanyl directly from Stevens.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Stevens to 135 months in prison, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Lafayette Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Yesterday, Christopher Burdine-Davies, 24 years old, of Lafayette, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Burdine-Davies was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between September 26, 2022, and October 20, 2022, Defendant, a convicted felon, sold fentanyl on six separate occasions. He also sold three privately made firearms to law enforcement. His criminal history showed previous felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance, criminal recklessness, and intimidation, which were felonies that disqualified him from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
“Illicit fentanyl is a deadly poison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “Christopher Burdine-Davies chose to sell it anyway. Thanks to the efforts of the many partner agencies participating in the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, Mr. Burdine-Davies can no longer ply his trade in this District. I applaud their efforts, and the just outcome to which they led.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Merrillville District Office, Tippecanoe Drug Task Force, and the Lafayette Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Nozick.