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30 July 2025
Federal grand jury indicts former Rochester couple for defrauding VA out of hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Michael Joyce, 53, and Sarah Joyce, aka Sarah Shultis, 33, both formerly of Rochester, NY, now living in New Jersey, with theft of government funds, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, in April 2016, Michael Joyce submitted claims for disability compensation to the Department of Veterans Affairs for several purported disabilities, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and a back issue. Following multiple consultations and examinations for these various issues, Michael Joyce was awarded a 100% disability rating for reported PTSD, 30% for his reported symptoms of TBI, and 40% for his back. In February 2018, he applied for a status of permanent and total disability (PTD), which removes an individual’s obligation to continue getting re-evaluated for various disabilities and makes them eligible for other veteran benefits. In his Statement in Support of Claim, Michael Joyce asserted, “Every disability that I have either is the same but will not get better or has gotten worse.” He stated that his PTSD has not improved, that he is more housebound, and feels that he will die if he goes outside. Michael Joyce was subsequently granted a PTD status in April 2018.
In November 2017, the couple applied for Sarah Joyce, as Michael Joyce’s proposed caregiver, to receive payments through the VA Caregiver Support Program (CSP), claiming that Michael Joyce is wholly reliant on Sarah Joyce for multiple life tasks, including feeding, bathing, and dressing. Sarah Joyce was approved and received a retroactive payment of $8,345.82 and began to receive $2,890.14 per month for the care of Joyce. As of March 2024, Sarah Joyce has received over $250,000.
A review of Michael Joyce’s Army personnel file and during interviews with former members of his unit, investigators found multiple inconsistencies in his claims. Unit members described Michael Joyce as having never been deployed to a combat zone. Subsequent investigation and surveillance documented, on multiple occasions, Michael Joyce walking with no apparent difficulty or assistance, driving a motor vehicle, and performing household maintenance tasks, including climbing a ladder and snow shoveling.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Amy Connelly, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher F. Algieri, Northeast Field Office.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Jury Convicts Texas Man of Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Jorge Luis Guerrero, of Socorro, Texas, was found guilty by a federal jury in Pittsburgh of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The jury returned its verdict on July 29, 2025, after deliberating for five-and-a-half hours following a six-day trial.
Guerrero, 39, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
The evidence presented at trial established that Guerrero transported five kilograms of cocaine to the Western District of Pennsylvania hidden in a secret compartment in the bumper of a vehicle registered to his wife. Accessing the cocaine required removing the bumper cover and bumper of the vehicle and then additional metal plates that concealed the compartment housing the cocaine.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for December 10, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Robert C. Schupansky and V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Agents and task force officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as personnel from the Socorro Police Department, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted in the trial.
Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Accepting Bribes and Introducing Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Samuel Brandon Smith (38, Ocala) to three years and one month in federal prison receipt of a bribe by a public official and providing contraband to a federal prisoner. The court also ordered Smith to forfeit $43,901, which represents the proceeds of these offenses. Smith pleaded guilty in February 2025.
According to court records, Smith was a correctional officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and worked at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County. As an employee of a government agency, Smith was a “public official” under federal law. Between December 18, 2023, and September 4, 2024, Smith received $43,901 in bribes to smuggle contraband into FCC Coleman for inmates. On September 4, 2024, when Smith reported to work at FCC Coleman, staff members searched him and found 668 grams of marijuana and other controlled substances hidden within his duty vest. Smith was smuggling this contraband into the facility with the intent to distribute it to federal prisoners in exchange for monetary payments.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice - Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Ecuadorian National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ecuadorian national was sentenced today for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Luis Ernesto Caguana-Caguana, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to time served (approximately 37 days in prison). Caguana-Caguana is now subject to deportation proceedings. Earlier in the hearing, Caguana-Caguana pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Caguana-Caguana was most recently deported from the United States on March 6, 2014. Sometime after his March 2014 removal, Caguana-Caguana illegally reentered the United States without permission.
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 Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Kevin Ray Marcano (37, Cambridge, MA) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Marcano pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025.
According to court documents, in March 2022, Marcano began supplying methamphetamine across the country by shipping multi-pound packages to known customers, including an individual in Jacksonville. From March 2022 to July 2023, Marcano sent approximately 5 packages each containing about 10 pounds of methamphetamine to the Jacksonville customer. In September 2023, the same individual called Marcano and ordered another shipment of four pounds of methamphetamine in exchange for $4,900. Within five days of placing the order from Marcano, the four-pound shipment of methamphetamine arrived.
“This criminal was responsible to shipping large quantities of methamphetamine across the country, fueling addiction and poisoning communities far beyond his own,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of HSI and FBI special agents, this individual’s nationwide narcotics distribution network has been dismantled.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national deported in 2021 after being convicted in federal court on a heroin trafficking charge and serving a 60-month prison sentence has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island on a charge of illegal reentry, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Wandy Alcibiades Diaz-Diaz, 45, most recently came to the attention of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through an automated biometric fingerprint match of fingerprints entered into the National Crime Enforcement Center in January 2025, following his arrest on multiple state drug charges. Subsequently, Diaz-Diaz was convicted in Rhode Island Superior Court on multiple drug charges and is currently at the ACI serving a term of 66 months of incarceration.
The current case in federal court is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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).
Dermatology Providers Agree to Pay Nearly $850,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Wound Repair ClaimsRead the Press Release
Forefront Dermatology S.C. and Henghold Surgery Center LLC, have agreed to pay $847,394 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of falsely coded claims to Medicare for wound repair procedures.
Forefront owns and operates a dermatology practice in Florida doing business as Henghold Dermatology. Henghold Surgery Center is an ambulatory surgery center that closed in 2023, and is wholly owned by William B. Henghold, M.D. Both the practice and surgery center performed wound repair procedures following Mohs micrographic surgery, a method of skin cancer removal.
The United States alleged that Henghold Dermatology and Henghold Surgery Center caused the submission of false claims to Medicare by using inaccurate wound repair billing codes for which Medicare paid more money than it would have paid for the wound repairs that were actually performed — a practice known as “upcoding.” Specifically, Henghold Dermatology and Henghold Surgery Center falsely coded linear repairs as if they were flap repairs and falsely coded smaller flap repairs as if they were larger flap repairs.
“Improperly billing Medicare depletes valuable government resources that provide necessary medical care to millions of Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable health care providers who enrich themselves by defrauding federal health care programs.”
“This office will continue to aggressively root out fraud, waste, and abuse in our healthcare system by pursuing providers who submit false claims to Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida. “We will hold those who attempt to defraud the federal government accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Schemes that cause Medicare to pay for costlier services than were actually performed waste taxpayer funding, threatening the integrity of this federal health care program,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate allegations of improper billing schemes to protect taxpayer-funded health care programs and the people served by them.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Christopher Wolfe, M.D., a former Forefront employee. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Wolfe v. Henghold et al., No. 3:23-cv-21624 (N.D. Fla.). Dr. Wolfe will receive $152,531 in connection with the settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was investigated by Trial Attorney Colin Shannon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Spaccarotella, Mary Ann Couch, and Marie Moyle for the Northern District of Florida.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Department of Energy Employee Indicted for Attempted Bribery of a Public OfficialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Security Specialist with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly trying to bribe another DOE employee in order to secure government contracts for a private company.
Edward Doherty, 34, of Washington, D.C. and Weymouth, Mass., was charged with honest services fraud, payment of illegal gratuities and bribery of a public official. Doherty had previously been charged by criminal complaint and was arrested on July 1, 2025. He will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Doherty worked for the DOE as Security Specialist until he agreed to participate in the deferred resignation program in February 2025. Just before he started working with the DOE, in November 2024, Doherty allegedly started a company in Massachusetts called MAE Systems, LLC (MAE). It is alleged that, in February 2025, Doherty offered a DOE employee money in exchange for the DOE employee ensuring that MAE received DOE contracts. The DOE employee reported the incident to law enforcement. Between February and June 2025, it is alleged that Doherty was recorded agreeing to pay the DOE employee at least $10,000 in exchange for the DOE employee awarding a DOE contract to MAE. In June 2025, Doherty allegedly made two downpayments on the bribe, totaling $2,500, to the DOE employee.
“Federal contracts are not for sale. Attempting to buy influence in our government is a serious crime, and we will treat it as such,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Bribery corrodes trust in our public institutions and we will not tolerate efforts to manipulate government contracts for personal enrichment.”
“Here’s another public servant, accused of fully embracing the practice of pay to play in an attempt to benefit from an illicit quid pro quo,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Edward Doherty was indicted today for trying to generate business for his firm – not by working harder or smarter, but allegedly through what we believe to be blatant bribery. Now, he’s facing justice and will answer for his alleged actions.”
“The Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General will continue to ensure that there is no place in federal service for bribery and corrupt schemes,” said Department of Energy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Lewe Sessions. “Anyone who suspects such conduct is encouraged to report it immediately. We appreciate the diligent work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners on this joint investigation.”
The charge of honest services wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of payment of illegal gratuities provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of bribery of a public official provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $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.
U.S. Attorney Foley, FBI SAC Docks and DOE Assistant IG Sessions made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Deming Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A police officer from Deming has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court records, between March and November 2024, Jesus Lopez, Jr., 35, a Deming Police Department officer, engaged in illegal sexual conduct with a minor, Jane Doe. Despite knowing Jane Doe was under the age of 18, Lopez participated in and recorded sexually explicit acts with her on multiple occasions. The investigation revealed that Lopez received more than ten images and videos of child pornography from Jane Doe.
Lopez pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. At sentencing, Lopez faces between five and 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Lopez will be subject to not less than five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Defendant who trafficked drugs while absconding from federal drug trafficking sentence, gets additional five years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –A citizen of Mexico who resided in Renton, Washington before being sent to the Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc, California for drug trafficking, was sentenced today to an additional five years in prison for a second drug trafficking conviction, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Humberto Lopez Rodriguez, 31, was previously sentenced to five years in prison. He failed to report to federal prison and was arrested in December 2023 with 13 kilos of cocaine and a loaded gun in a vehicle driving to Washington from California. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said the sentence should run consecutively. “You committed this crime after you failed to surrender to corrections…. You’ll be deported after serving your sentence and the American Dream is dead for you.”
“This defendant continued to deal drugs while on pretrial release and later was arrested in a car with a drug load when he should have been serving his federal sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Such conduct – ignoring our laws and criminal justice system – appropriately results in additional prison time.”
Lopez Rodriguez was charged in connection with a lengthy investigation of drug traffickers with ties to Mexico and Colombia. In June 2024 law enforcement teams from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Police Department and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) executed 24 search or arrest warrants. At that time Lopez Rodriguez was already in prison having been arrested on a drug run six months earlier.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized 84,000 fentanyl pills, more than a kilogram of fentanyl powder, 32 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of methamphetamine nearly three kilograms of heroin, 18 firearms and $71,000 in drug proceeds.
Five of the 16 defendants charged in this drug trafficking investigation have now pleaded guilty: Ramon Duarte Garcia, 38, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kent, Washington was sentenced in May 2025 to ten years in prison; Curtis McDaniel, 56, a U.S. citizen residing in Tukwila, Washington was sentenced to five years in prison. Jose Luis Villafañe Osorio, 36, a citizen of Colombia, residing in Plainfield, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on August 13, 2025; and Manuel Garcia Hernandez, 39, a citizen of Mexico, residing in Renton, Washington has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on September 9, 2025.
In asking for a six-year prison sentence for Lopez Rodriguez, prosecutors wrote to the court with the latest figures on fatal overdoses in our area. “Indeed, drug overdoses resulted in 1,044 deaths in King County in 2024. Through not quite seven months of 2025, there have been 541 confirmed overdose deaths, with another 47 suspected overdose deaths. Though fentanyl gets the lion’s share of attention with respect to overdose deaths—and rightly so―cocaine was the third most common drug involved in overdose deaths in King County in 2024. Specifically, cocaine was involved in 26% of overdose deaths―often in combination with fentanyl.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The investigation is being led by the DEA and Seattle Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by Renton Police Department, Centralia Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), Washington State Patrol, Pierce County and Valley SWAT teams.
The Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia General) partnered with U.S. law enforcement on this investigation. The Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided critical assistance.
The cases from this investigation are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo in the Western District of Washington.
Dayton man arrested for threatening to kill CongressmanRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Federal agents arrested a Dayton man on charges related to threatening to kill a United States Congressman.
Jeffrey Dorsey, 60, formerly of Columbus, was arrested yesterday evening and his case was unsealed this morning. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Dayton today at 1:30pm.
According to charging documents, Dorsey left a voicemail on the Congressman’s main office line threatening to kill the representative if he voted to make cuts to Medicaid.
He stated, in part, “If you vote to take my f***ing Medicaid away, I’m gonna cut your f***ing head off…But I tell you this, clearly to your brain, if you f*** with my Medicaid, you’re a dead f***.”
Making interstate communications with a threat to injure is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
"The FBI takes all threats seriously," stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. "Threats to harm others, including public officials, will never be tolerated.”Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Dauphin County Man Sentenced to 115 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Philip Shearer, age 49, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 14, 2025, to 115 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, Shearer previously pled guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm—specifically, a privately-manufactured short-barrel rifle. Shearer further admitted to possessing over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, several high-capacity magazines, and other tactical gear including night vision goggles and a ghillie suit, all of which were found in Shearer’s Harrisburg home. Shearer had 14 prior criminal convictions, including five driving under the influence convictions, an indecent assault conviction, and a domestic violence conviction. Shearer also attempted to purchase a firearm twice but was denied based on his background check. He then turned to making the firearms himself.
"The sentencing of Philip Shearer emphasizes the serious dangers posed by felons who unlawfully possess and manufacture firearms,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to collaborating with our law enforcement partners, like ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, to ensure that dangerous criminals with a history of violence are not allowed to possess firearms."
“Protecting our communities from dangerous criminals like Philip Shearer is a top ATF priority,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “With 14 criminal convictions, including multiple driving under the influence, indecent assault, and a domestic violence conviction, the law duly prohibits him from owning the unregistered short-barrel rifle he manufactured for himself after he was prevented from buying a firearm. Working with Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are making our communities safer one case at a time.”
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Dallas County man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for money laundering and ordered to pay over $14 million in restitutionRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Dallas man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding numerous individuals out of more than $14 million in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Rahool Amin Makani, 32, pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant on July 30, 2025. Judge Mazzant also ordered Makani to pay restitution in the amount of $14,732,023.31.
According to information presented in court, Makani was identified as a multi-million-dollar money launderer who conned victims into investing large amounts of cash into fictitious businesses. Further investigation revealed that Makani used a variety of schemes to defraud numerous investors. Makani used the money he fraudulently obtained to maintain a lavish lifestyle, including leasing private jets, purchasing numerous Rolex watches, purchasing luxury cars including an Aston Martin, a Lamborghini, a Maserati, a Rolls Royce, a McLaren, and a Ferrari. Makani also frequently traveled to Las Vegas to gamble thousands of dollars of the investors’ money.
As part of his plea agreement, Makani admitted he defrauded multiple individuals by his schemes and further admitted that the amount of restitution owed was over $14 million dollars.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Batson.
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Court Sentences Mobile County Man to 110 months Imprisonment for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – On July 25, 2025, United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Brandon Demetrius Pettaway to 110 months imprisonment for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon. Documents filed with the Court established that on November 22, 2023, the Mobile Police Department (MPD) Homicide Unit, sent out an all-police lookout for Pettaway, who was wanted for questioning in reference to a recent homicide. Pettaway also had three active arrest warrants for his arrest. On the same day an officer with the U.S. Marshalls Fugitive Task Force advised that he had visual confirmation that Pettaway was inside a Hardee's restaurant located on Highway 90 in Theodore.
MPD units responded to the area to apprehend Pettaway on the active warrants. Pettaway exited the restaurant and entered a vehicle. At this time, members of the MPD entered the parking lot in marked police vehicles surrounding Pettaway’s vehicle. Instead of stopping, Pettaway put his vehicle in drive and rammed one of the police vehicle’s head-on with significant force. Unable to force his way out by going forward, Pettaway placed his vehicle in reverse as another officer came forward to close the gap and the vehicles collided. Pettaway, at this point, was successfully boxed-in and was unable to get past the police patrol vehicles. However, Pettaway then fled from his vehicle on foot.
One of the officers gave chase on foot behind Pettaway and gave him numerous verbal commands to stop running and get on the ground. Pettaway refused to obey commands, and the officer drew his Taser and fired it twice at Pettaway. One of the probes made contact but to no avail as Pettaway continued fleeing on foot through the parking lot of a pawn shop. Pettaway attempted to jump over a wooden fence topped with barbed wire. At this point the officer caught up with the defendant and grabbed hold of both of his legs in an attempt to remove him from the fence to take him into custody. Pettaway resisted arrest and continued to keep his grip on the barbed wire until another officer arrived to assist. The officers had to use physical force to remove Pettaway from the fence and break his grip on the barbed wire and he was subsequently detained.
A later search of Pettaway’s vehicle revealed a Glock, Model 20, 10mm handgun in the vehicle along with a magazine extender and a magazine designed to insert into the extender. Officers also found three small baggies of marijuana, a small baggie of crack cocaine, a small baggie of crystal methamphetamine and two digital scales in the vehicle.
Pettaway had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses, prior to possessing the firearm: Felon in Possession of a Firearm, on January 18, 2018 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama; Burglary Third Degree, on November 10, 2011, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama, and Robbery First Degree on September 12, 2011, in the Circuit Court of Mobile, County, Alabama.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Mobile Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
Convicted felon pleads guilty to gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeremy Hodge, 39, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that on April 4, 2025, the FBI executed a search warrant at Hodge’s Ernst Avenue residence, on his vehicle, and person. Law enforcement seized a semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. Hodge was arrested at the scene. He was previously convicted of felony charges in April 2008 and March 2009, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.
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Columbia Falls man sentenced to prison for pointing a laser at a helicopterRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Columbia Falls man who pointed a laser-mounted firearm at a helicopter was sentenced today to eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a $15,000 fine, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Travis Kurt Myers, 57, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Flathead County Sheriff’s deputies received a report from a delivery driver that had a green laser pointed at his vehicle and then heard a gunshot in Columbia Falls, Montana. Another witness also reported Myers had pointed a gun at her and discharged it at the ground. As deputies were interviewing the witness, they continued to hear gunshots coming from the area. Aerial surveillance was requested.
A helicopter equipped with thermal-capable cameras was able to locate Myers outside his residence with a firearm. Myers repeatedly pointed the firearm with a laser mounted on it at the helicopter. The pilots were able to see the laser and able to capture it on their cameras. The pilots observed the gun being fired but were unsure if he had it pointed in their direction. Law enforcement officers on the ground near Myers’ residence could hear the helicopter in flight, supporting Myers had knowledge he was aiming the laser at the helicopter.
Law enforcement took Myers into custody without incident. They obtained a search warrant for the property and located numerous firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammo. They located an unregistered silencer and a rifle with a green laser attached.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.
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Collin County felon sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Princeton man has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Larry Wayne Culverhouse, 39, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, on July 30, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on August 30, 2023, Culverhouse was found in possession of 504.3 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm. Further investigation revealed Culver was a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
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Chippewa Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason Barnard, 39, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 10 years in prison for possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. Barnard pleaded guilty to this charge on May 9, 2025.
Barnard sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant two times in October 2024. While traveling back from his source of supply in Minnesota, law enforcement stopped and arrested Barnard. They searched his car and found more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, 85 grams of fentanyl, and $3,696 cash.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson described Barnard’s trafficking of “vast” quantities of drugs as a “very serious crime” that results in devastating consequences for the community.
The charge against Barnard was the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Enforcement Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington prosecuted this case.
Chinese Nationals Charged with Illegally Possessing Counterfeit and Unauthorized Gift CardsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Birmingham has returned an indictment charging two Chinese nationals with possessing counterfeit devices, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Jiadong Cao, 36, and Xuejun Zheng, 48, with possession of counterfeit and unauthorized access devices.
According to court documents, the defendants engaged in a retail scheme to steal funds from gift cards purchased by consumers at various retail stores. Perpetrators stole un-activated gift cards from stores, carefully opened the gift card packages to conceal damage to the packaging, and altered the cards so the perpetrators could access funds that were later loaded onto the gift cards by consumers at checkout. The perpetrators then put altered gift cards back into the original packaging, returned to the store, and placed the altered gift cards on the shelf for sale to the public. Once the gift cards were purchased and consumers loaded funds, the perpetrators electronically drained the funds from those gift cards for their own use.
On June 20, 2025, the Hoover Police Department issued a BOLO regarding two Asian males driving a Lexus SUV who were believed to be involved in switching gift cards at local CVS stores. The next day, the Pelham Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the Lexus SUV and received consent to search the vehicle. During the search, officers found multiple boxes containing more than 5,000 gift cards. Additional investigation revealed that parts of the gift card numbers and/or PIN number on most of these gift cards had been obliterated or altered.
The maximum penalty for this offense is 10 years.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case along with the Hoover Police Department and Pelham Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan S. Rummage is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Chesapeake fentanyl dealer sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling counterfeit pills that caused high school student’s deathRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
According to court documents, Izayah Dural, 23, was a regular supplier of fentanyl pills to an individual identified as C.W. and several of C.W.' s high school friends and classmates. On June 2, 2024, Dural sold two counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to C.W., who used a portion of one of the pills, overdosed, and died of acute fentanyl toxicity.
“As a fentanyl trafficker, Izayah Dural displayed a callous disregard for the lives of others,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Even worse, he chose to target minors to sell one of the most dangerous drugs plaguing our society. His reckless pursuit of money to fuel his own consumption cut short the life of a young person who, unlike Mr. Dural, will never have the opportunity to make his own decisions as an adult. So, for drug traffickers in the Eastern District of Virginia, let this case make one thing clear--you are on notice. My office, along with our federal, state, and local partners, will not stop until we find you and hold you responsible to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Drug traffickers like Dural prioritize profit over the lives and families they destroy,” said Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division. “They exploit the trust of vulnerable citizens by distributing fake pills that mimic legitimate medication but are, in fact, toxic substances, many of which contain fentanyl. The quantity of pills seized from this individual could have potentially resulted in the deaths of 40 people. Such actions are unacceptable, and we are committed to investigating to hold accountable those involved in the illegal production and distribution of drugs, thereby safeguarding American lives. One Pill Can Kill, and conversations save lives.”
On June 11, 2024, investigators observed Dural engaging in what appeared to be a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction in a convenience store parking lot in Norfolk. Dural was in possession of 80 counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. During a search of Dural's residence, investigators recovered additional fentanyl pills, a handgun with an extended magazine, and $7,870 in cash.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Virginia Beach Police Department, and Norfolk Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case. Dural was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia L. Norman and Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case.
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. 3:24-cr-156.
Canadian cybercriminal sentenced to a year in prison for NFT theft schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Canadian was sentenced yesterday to a year in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, in May 2022, Cameron Albert Redman, 22, of Mississauga, Ontario, formed a scheme to steal non-fungible tokens (NFTs) by gaining unauthorized access to the X accounts of various digital artists. The conspirators used the artists’ online identities to direct the artists’ followers to fraudulent websites. There, victims would seek to claim new NFTs from the digital artists. Though victims thought they were authorizing a transaction to receive NFTs into their digital wallets, they unknowingly enabled the conspirators to remove cryptocurrency and NFTs from their wallets.
Within a few days, Redman and his co-conspirators defrauded over 200 victims and profited over $794,000.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and March 2025 extradition from Portugal of Redman. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cybercrime Investigation Team, Central Region, provided valuable assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell prosecuted the case.
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. 1:25-cr-129.
Bulgarian arms trafficker and three others indicted for conspiring to supply military-grade weaponry to Mexican drug cartelsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – In an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, the United States charged a Bulgarian arms trafficker and three other foreign nationals with conspiracy to distribute cocaine; conspiracy to possess firearms, including machineguns and destructive devices, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.
As alleged in the indictment, since at least September 2022, Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, along with Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, Ugandan national Michael Katungi Mpeirwe, and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga conspired to illegally supply military-grade weaponry to Mexican drug cartels, and in particular, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most violent and prolific transnational criminal organizations. The weaponry included machineguns, rocket launchers, grenades, night vision equipment, sniper rifles, anti-personnel mines, and anti-aircraft weapons.
The defendants allegedly believed that the CJNG intended to use these weapons in furtherance of the illegal trafficking of large shipments of cocaine into the United States. On Feb. 20, 2025, the CJNG was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. Arms sales to transnational criminal organizations like the CJNG are prohibited by virtually every country.
In a series of meetings with individuals claiming to represent the CJNG, Mirchev allegedly agreed to arrange, coordinate, and participate in illegal arms transactions while avoiding detection by international and U.S. law enforcement. Mirchev allegedly recruited Asumo to corruptly obtain an End-User Certificate (EUC) from a nation that would falsely claim a different end-user for the weapons. Asumo recruited Mpeirwe, who recruited Mwapinga. Together, they allegedly obtained an EUC from the United Republic of Tanzania authorizing the importation of AK-47s. As a test shipment, Mirchev and others then exported 50 AK-47 automatic assault rifles and accompanying magazines and ammunition from Bulgaria, using the EUC provided by Asumo, Mpeirwe, and Mwapinga, and intending that the weapons were actually received by the CJNG.
The defendants allegedly continued to conspire to supply drug cartels with even more weaponry, potentially including surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon system. Mirchev allegedly created a list of weaponry for the CJNG totaling approximately 53.7 million Euros (approximately $58 million U.S.). Asumo, Mpeirwe, and Mwapinga allegedly agreed to again provide arms control documents designed to obscure that these weapons were intended for the CJNG.
According to court records, Mirchev was previously implicated in supplying arms to Viktor Bout, who was convicted at trial of conspiring to kill U.S. nationals, conspiring to kill U.S. officers and employees, conspiring to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles; and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization in case 1:08-cr-365 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Mirchev was arrested by Spanish authorities in Madrid on April 8 and is currently pending extradition to the United States. Asumo was arrested by Moroccan authorities in Casablanca on April 8 and is currently in extradition proceedings. Mwapinga was arrested by Ghanaian authorities in Accra on April 8 and was extradited to the United States on July 25. Mpeirwe remains at large. If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Louis A. D’Ambrosio, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division, made the announcement.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided invaluable assistance in securing Mwapinga’s extradition, working in cooperation with the DEA Attaché to U.S. Embassy Accra and key Ghanaian partners, including the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, and Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Special Operations Division – Bilateral Investigations Unit. The Hellenic National Police (HNP) in Greece provided substantial assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Edgardo J. Rodriguez are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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. 1:25-CR-102.
An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Attachments:
mirchev_unsealed_indictment.pdfArizona Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man pleaded guilty to federal charges for engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old child.
According to court records, in February 2019, Daniel Washburn, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual act with a 14-year-old minor when he was 24 years old.
Washburn pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor. At sentencing, Washburn faces up to 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Washburn will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
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 Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Jesse Pecoraro and Mia Ulibarri-Rubin are prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Man Charged in Series of Armed Bank Robberies Across Albuquerque and Rio RanchoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been charged with carrying out five armed bank robberies across Albuquerque and Rio Rancho between January 2024 and July 2025.
According to court documents, between January 2024 and July 2025, federal investigators linked Daniel Ray Guliford, 39, to a series of five armed bank robberies in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, New Mexico. In each robbery, Guliford allegedly entered a bank wearing dark clothing and a mask, brandished a handgun, and stole large sums of cash, totaling more than $140,000.
- January 4, 2024 – U.S. Bank (Albuquerque): Approximately $9,250 stolen. Guliford’s fingerprints were later found on a note left at the bank.
- March 21, 2024 – U.S. Bank (Albuquerque): Approximately $26,650 stolen. A witness saw the suspect flee in a black BMW tied to Guliford.
- July 3, 2024 – Bank of Albuquerque (Albuquerque): Approximately $1,500 stolen.
- July 5, 2024 – New Mexico Bank & Trust (Rio Rancho): Approximately $72,043 stolen. The suspect fled in a black BMW matching Guliford’s vehicle.
- July 24, 2025 – First Financial Credit Union (Albuquerque): Approximately $31,261 stolen. Surveillance footage showed a dark blue BMW matching Guliford’s car near the scene.
Guliford is charged with bank robbery. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing which is scheduled for August 1, 2025. If convicted of the current charges, Guliford faces up to 25 years in prison for each charge.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department, Rio Rancho Police Department, Sandia Pueblo Police Department and Pueblo of Isleta Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Albuquerque Felon Gets 51-Month Prison Term for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison after he illegally possessed a firearm during a 2020 vehicle breaking and entering in Santa Fe.
According to court records, on June 29, 2020, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a reported vehicle breaking and entering at a residence in Santa Fe and found Michael Matthew Martinez, 31, asleep in the backseat of the car. When deputies instructed Martinez to exit the vehicle, he reached toward his jacket pocket, where deputies observed what appeared to be a firearm. Martinez was immediately removed from the vehicle, restrained, and searched, and deputies recovered the firearm from his pocket.
Image from bodyworn video of Martinez's arrestThe vehicle owner told deputies he had interacted with Martinez earlier in the afternoon and later noticed his car keys were missing and became suspicious. After spotting Martinez inside the vehicle later that night, the owner contacted law enforcement.
Martinez pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to his plea agreement, Martinez admitted that he had previously been convicted of residential burglary, and he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Upon his release, Martinez will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
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 Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.
29 July 2025
Wisconsin Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Violating Export Control Reform ActRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Andrew Pogosyan, 68, of Madison, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Madison to a four-count criminal information charging conspiracy to defraud the United States and smuggling goods from the United States. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley accepted the guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2025. Pogosyan is U.S. Citizen born in Russia.
“Today’s plea is the culmination of the outstanding work by our law enforcement partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Elgersma. “As part of our on-going commitment to protecting national security, this office will hold accountable those who violate export control laws.”
“Mr. Pogosyan threatened the national security of the United States by violating sanctions and illegally exporting scientific laboratory equipment to companies in Russia,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The FBI continues to tirelessly work with our law enforcement partners to investigate anyone who helps foreign adversaries evade sanctions. Pogosyan’s actions undermined the protections put in place to ensure U.S. national security.”
The U.S. government regulates the export of goods, technology, and software from the United States. On February 24, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security implemented specific export control regulations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These regulations prohibit the export of certain items from the United States to Russia without a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security. The regulations were expanded on September 16, 2022, to include a licensing requirement for items potentially useful to Russia’s chemical and biological weapons production capabilities. Under the Export Control Reform Act, it is a federal crime to willfully violate any export control regulation.
According to court filings and statements made during the plea hearing, beginning around September 2022 and continuing until October 2023, Pogosyan through his company, Omega Diagnostics, LLC, willfully violated and evaded the export restrictions imposed on Russia by exporting scientific and diagnostic research equipment components to Russia without the required licenses, using transshipment points in third-party countries to conceal the ultimate destination. Specifically, Pogosyan conspired with Russian-based companies and individuals to export controlled items from the United States to Russia through third-party countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Latvia, and Lithuania. Pogosyan exported the controlled items without obtaining a license, despite knowing about the license requirement.
When sentenced, Pogosyan faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each of the smuggling violations.
The charges against Pogosyan were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security, Office of Export Enforcement; and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. Acting U.S. Attorney Elgersma and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted this case.
Wisconsin Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Violating Export Control Reform ActRead the Press Release
Andrew Pogosyan, 68, a U.S. citizen born in Russia and residing in Madison, pleaded guilty today in federal court to a four-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States and smuggling goods from the United States.
The U.S. government regulates the export of goods, technology, and software from the United States. On Feb. 24, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) implemented specific export control regulations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These regulations prohibit the export of certain items from the United States to Russia without a license from the BIS. The regulations were expanded on Sept. 16, 2022, to include a licensing requirement for items potentially useful to Russia’s chemical and biological weapons production capabilities. Under the Export Control Reform Act, it is a federal crime to willfully violate any export control regulation.
According to court filings and statements made during the plea hearing, beginning around September 2022 and continuing until October 2023, Pogosyan through his company, Omega Diagnostics LLC, willfully violated and evaded the export restrictions imposed on Russia by exporting scientific and diagnostic research equipment components to Russia without the required licenses, using transshipment points in third-party countries to conceal the ultimate destination. Specifically, Pogosyan conspired with Russian-based companies and individuals to export controlled items from the United States to Russia through third-party countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Latvia, and Lithuania. Pogosyan exported the controlled items without obtaining a license, despite knowing about the license requirement.
Pogosyan faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each of the smuggling violations. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 7. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, Acting U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma for the Western District of Wisconsin, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
The FBI, BIS Office of Export Enforcement, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Elgersma for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
West Wareham Man Sentenced for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A West Wareham man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Joshua Roe, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Roe pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant has remained in federal custody since his arrest in September 2024.
On Sept. 6, 2024, during a search of Roe’s home, approximately 11 electronic devices belonging to Roe were recovered. While on site, a forensic examination was conducted on at least one device, which revealed images and videos depicting CSAM. At a later date, further forensic examinations of the seized devices were conducted and CSAM was found on seven of those devices, including deleted CSAM files.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations; and Chief Walter Correia of the Wareham Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Waterloo Woman Who Straw Purchased Firearms Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who bought at least nine firearms for a felon was sentenced on July 28, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison.
LaDonna Henderson, age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 10, 2025 guilty plea to eight counts of false statement during purchase of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Information from sentencing showed that Henderson purchased nine firearms and attempted to buy a tenth firearm in a six-week period in 2023. Henderson made false statements about her drug use and the real purchaser of the firearms in connection with these purchases. She gave these firearms to her boyfriend at the time, Christopher Hoover, who was a felon and a cocaine and marijuana user. Hoover trafficked some of the firearms. Four of the firearms Henderson bought were recovered by law enforcement from felons or drug users. Hoover was prosecuted for his possession of firearms bought by Henderson and sentenced to 93 months’ imprisonment on September 17, 2024. Four other individuals were sentenced for their possession of firearms bought by Henderson and related conduct. Jayquine Steele, a drug user, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment on June 27, 2024. Jeremy Phillips, a felon, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment on July 22, 2024. Patrelle Green-Bowman, a felon, was sentenced to 105 months’ imprisonment on September 9, 2024. Walter Smith, a felon, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment on January 8, 2025.
Henderson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Henderson was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Henderson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-2067.
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Violent Career Criminal Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Setting Fire to IndyGo Bus and Bus StationRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Demarcus McCloud, 46, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of malicious damage to property receiving federal funds and one count of malicious damage to federal property. McCloud has also been ordered to pay $1,790,685.23 in restitution.
According to court documents, on April 24, 2024, around 7 am, Indianapolis Fire Department and IMPD officers responded to a report of a fire at the IndyGo bus stop at 38th and North Meridian Streets. When first responders arrived, the inside of the bus and front half of the exterior were completely engulfed in flames.
Bus cameras captured McCloud boarding Bus #1993 at the Julia Carson Transit Center with a jug of liquid and two butane lighters. The bus was actively operating and transporting passengers along the Red Line at the time. After boarding, he sat in the back, lit a cigarette while hiding under a blanket, discarded it on the floor, then lit and extinguished a piece of paper before relocating to another seat. As the bus neared Meridian and 38th Streets, he poured liquid down the center aisle, left the jug on its side, and began to exit the bus as the liquid continued to flow out. As he approached the bus door, he lit another piece of paper and threw it on the floor. The puddle ignited immediately, and McCloud ran from the bus.
IMPD officers located McCloud in a nearby McDonald’s parking lot holding two butane lighters in his hand.
During this incident, a passenger who had been on the bus exited to help direct traffic. While assisting, the wind direction suddenly changed, causing a large plume of smoke to envelope the victim. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
During the investigation, officers learned that four days earlier, on April 20, 2024, McCloud walked onto the IndyGo Red Line Virginia Avenue and New Jersey Street bus depot and set a fire inside the trash can. He watched it burn for nearly a minute before walking away. The fire grew inside of the trash can until IFD arrived.
IndyGo operates their public transportation buses under the Federal Transit Administration. The bus depot and trash can were funded in part by federal financial assistance, specifically federal grant monies. The bus was destroyed by the fire and the depot was damaged, causing approximately $1,790,685 in damages.
McCloud has a 25-year history of violent crime, including multiple felony convictions for crimes including battery causing serious injury, firearm possession by a violent felon, burglary, attempted auto theft, drug offenses, trespassing offenses, and intimidation. He has threatened to kill police and their families, assaulted officers, attacked a woman with a broken pavement piece after she refused him money at a stop light, threatened to rob, rape, and murder another woman, and even violently assaulted his own mother.
“This defendant’s reckless actions endangered innocent lives, destroyed public property, and wasted nearly $2 million in taxpayer-funded resources,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Federal dollars are invested in our communities to serve and protect the public, not to be torched by a violent repeat offender with no regard for human life. Thanks to the swift response of first responders and the dedication of our federal and local law enforcement partners, he has been held accountable for his dangerous and destructive conduct.”“As the lead investigative agency in this tragic arson incident, the ATF was proud to work alongside our state and local partners to bring justice to the victims and the community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John Smerglia. “This successful collaboration ensured that McCloud was held accountable and received the sentence his actions warranted.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash, who prosecuted this case.
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Vallejo Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Darren Mitchell, 35, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 15 years in prison for possessing methamphetamine and firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to evidence presented at a five-day jury trial, Mitchell negotiated a transaction for 1,000 methamphetamine pills with a buyer who testified at trial. Federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Mitchell’s Vallejo residence a few days later. At the residence, agents encountered two infants who lived there and recovered methamphetamine-laced pills and an industrial pill pressing machine. Hidden inside the residence’s dishwasher, agents recovered a loaded AR-15 assault-style rifle and a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol with an obliterated serial number:
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron Desmond and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.
United States Attorney's Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events in multiple cities and towns across Rhode Island on National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
“Each August this Office proudly joins in support of National Night Out, a great opportunity to for law enforcement and the community to gather together and to continue to foster good relationships,” said Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. “We urge all Rhode Islanders to take the opportunity to share a few minutes with your local law enforcement agency at this year’s events.”
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/
Tiffin Man Sentenced to 37 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Sexually Exploit a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who recorded his paramour sexually abusing her toddler child was sentenced today to 37 years in federal prison.
Benjamin Paul Egli, age 30, from Tiffin, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 17, 2024 guilty plea to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and possession of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that on multiple occasions in 2023, Egli participated in Snapchat and video calls with his paramour, who lived in another state. Egli was in North Liberty, Iowa, during some of the calls. During the calls, which Egli recorded, Egli directed his paramour to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her toddler child. His paramour also sent him photographs and videos of herself and her toddler engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, Egli possessed hundreds of images of child pornography, including images of children performing sexual acts on animals and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Egli was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Egli was sentenced to 444 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Egli is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Tipton Police Department, and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-53.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Three Forks man sentenced to 5 years in prison on drug charges in Gallatin CountyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Three Forks man who distributed methamphetamine in Gallatin County was sentenced today to 63 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Anthony Robert Catalusci, 65, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that the Missouri River Drug Task Force identified Anthony Catalusci as a suspect in an ongoing drug distribution investigation in Gallatin County, Montana that began as early as 2021. On April 6, 2021, a confidential informant bought 11 grams of methamphetamine for $500 from Catalusci. Three years later, in April 2024, an informant bought meth from a co-conspirator on three separate occasions and law enforcement later learned the drugs were supplied by “Tony.”
The task force investigators interviewed a source of information who said an Italian man named “Tony,” who lived in Clarkston, Montana, asked him to travel to Las Vegas to pick up packages of meth for “Tony.”
MRDTF also was working with a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from another dealer. During one of the transactions, the recording captured the dealer stating he got his drugs from “Tony.” The source confirmed “Tony” was Anthony Catalusci.
In September 2024, law enforcement searched Catalusci’s house and seized a small quantity of meth. During the search, Catalusci admitted he was distributing methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
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.
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Three El Salvadoran Nationals Sentenced for $146 Million Construction Payroll Scheme That Defrauded the IRS and Workers’ Compensation InsurersRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Eduardo Anibal Escobar (45), Carlos Alberto Rodriguez (36), and Adelmy Tejada (57), all residents of Orlando, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Escobar was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Rodriguez was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison, and Tejada was sentenced to 18 months in prison plus 6 months of home detention. Each pleaded guilty on April 3, 2025.
The court ordered the defendants to pay $36,957,616 in restitution to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes and a total of $397,895 in restitution to two insurance companies for workers’ compensation claims they paid out.
Escobar and Rodriguez are legal permanent residents from El Salvador. Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen from El Salvador.
According to court documents and information presented in court, from approximately January 2015 through August 2024, the defendants conspired to facilitate the payment of construction workers “off the books” to avoid paying payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance premiums. The scheme also facilitated the employment of undocumented workers who were not legally authorized to work in the United States.
The defendants, through their companies—T. Escobar Construction and C. Escobar Construction—entered into agreements with hundreds of construction subcontractors to enable the subcontractors to obtain contracts with, and perform work for, construction contractors. In exchange for 6 to 8 percent of the subcontractors’ payroll, the defendants caused certificates of insurance in the name of the defendants’ companies to be sent to construction contractors from which the subcontractors wished to obtain work, representing that the subcontractors worked for their companies and were covered by the companies’ workers’ compensation insurance.
In fact, the companies’ insurance policies were based on applications representing that the policies would cover a handful of employees and a minimal payroll. As a result of the defendants’ using their certificate of insurance to represent that the subcontractors worked for their companies, the insurers unwittingly covered hundreds of workers.
A total of $146,077,535 in payroll checks were deposited into the bank accounts of the defendants’ companies, from which they withdrew cash to pay the subcontractors’ workers, after subtracting their 6 to 8 percent fee—all without withholding, or paying over, payroll taxes to the IRS. As a result, the U.S. Treasury lost $36,957,616 in unpaid payroll taxes. The defendants’ scheme allowed the construction contractors and subcontractors to disclaim responsibility for paying payroll taxes to the IRS, for ensuring that adequate workers’ compensation insurance was obtained, and for verifying that the workers were legally authorized to work in the United States.
“This case highlights how federal and state agencies are working together to successfully investigate and assist in the prosecution of individuals who engage in illegal financial schemes to enrich themselves,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, IRS-Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Florida Department of Financial Services collaborated our resources to bring down a criminal enterprise that facilitated unfair competition by defrauding workers’ compensation insurers and evading their obligation to pay federal taxes.”
“These criminals defrauded the government by dodging payroll taxes and exploited vulnerable workers by not carrying proper insurance,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “Unscrupulous and illegal tactics in the construction industry damage the integrity of law-abiding contractors, and that price is eventually passed on to the consumer. These sentences are a testament to the persevering investigative work of HSI special agents and our partners with IRS Criminal Investigation and the Florida Department of Financial Services.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of a continuing investigation by these agencies of the use of shell companies and “ghost” employees in the construction industry. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
Stamford Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARIUS GAMBLE, also known as “Rell,” 39, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 80 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Gamble as a large-scale fentanyl distributor. Between April and September 2024, investigators made four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Gamble.
Gamble was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on September 12, 2024. On that date, a search of his Nobile Street residence revealed approximately 42 grams of fentanyl, a kilogram press machine, a respirator mask, additional items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $31,307 in cash. A search of Gamble’s vehicle revealed approximately six grams of fentanyl.
Gamble has been detained since his arrest. On January 13, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
St. Louis County Man Admits Selling Fentanyl, Methamphetamine to PoliceRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted selling fentanyl and a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police detective.
Stephon Murphy, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He admitted selling the drugs to an undercover detective with the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force on four occasions. On May 24, 2024, Murphy sold 111.8 grams of meth in the parking lot of an apartment in St. Louis County. On June 13, 2024, Murphy sold 113.6 grams of meth and 8.58 grams of fentanyl to the detective at the same location. On July 11, 2024, outside of an apartment building in St. Louis, Murphy sold 113.3 grams of meth and 3.9 grams of fentanyl. At the final sale, on August 7, 2024, outside of the same building, Murphy sold 112.3 grams of meth and 14.4 grams of fentanyl. He had what appeared to be a pistol with a drum magazine concealed in his pants, his plea agreement says.
Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Rebar is prosecuting the case.
Somerset County Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Stealing over $600,000 in Program BenefitsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey man was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $691,465.44 in benefits from various programs and institutions, including the Social Security Administration and the United States Department of Defense, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Steven Jones, 66, of Somerset, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an Information charging him with Theft of Public Money. Judge Kirsch imposed the sentence on July 25, 2025, in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Steven Jones’ father received several federal retirement benefits before he died in October 2004. After Jones’s father died, Jones intentionally falsified his father’s death certificate so that the federal agencies would continue to issue the retirement benefits. On two occasions, Jones had a person impersonate his father to a federal agency so that the agency would think his father was still alive and continue payments. The investigation revealed that Jones unlawfully collected these payments for nearly 20 years, from October 2004 to December 2023.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Jones to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $691,465.44 in restitution.
Acting U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation leading to this sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chana Zuckier of the Bank Integrity and Money Laundering Recovery Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Abrams of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Steven Altman, Esq.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
Richard Martinez, 30, from Sioux City, Iowa pled guilty July 24, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Martinez pled guilty to possessing and aiding and abetting another’s possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on July 17, 2024, law enforcement was conducting surveillance at WinnaVegas Casino (near Sloan, Iowa) during which a vehicle was observed traveling away from the casino over the speed limit. Law enforcement attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle, which took off at high-speed. During the flight, two packages of methamphetamine were thrown out the passenger window. Law enforcement found the approximately ½ pound of methamphetamine near where it was thrown. Martinez admitted that the driver of the vehicle handed him the methamphetamine and instructed him to throw it out of the window during the pursuit, which he did.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Martinez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and four years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, and the DEA Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4078. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sedalia Man Charged with Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Sedalia, Mo., man has been charged in federal court with unlawfully possessing a firearm following an investigation into a shooting in downtown Springfield on July 20, 2025.
Kenkori Lenell Grant Jr., 23, was charged in a criminal complaint that was filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., on July 20, 2025. The complaint was unsealed and made public today following Grant Jr.’s arrest and initial court appearance. Grant Jr. remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing on Aug. 1, 2025.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Grant Jr. possessed a Fort Barnes Armory pistol equipped with a high-capacity magazine. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Grant Jr. has prior felony convictions for harassment, assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Springfield Police Department officers heard shots fired near the intersection of S. Patton Ave. and W. Walnut St. near midnight on July 20, 2025. When officers arrived on scene they located a Fort Barnes Armory pistol under a nearby car. Officers located surveillance footage of the area depicting who appeared to be Grant Jr. placing the firearm under the vehicle following the shooting.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
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).
Second Man Involved in Alien Kidnapping Conspiracy Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A second man involved in a conspiracy to kidnap and transport aliens and hold multiple victims for ransom before instigating a deadly shootout in a quiet, Charlottesville neighborhood, pled guilty today to federal charges as part of Operation Take Back America.
Jordan Perez, 21, of Lockhart, Texas, pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of transporting an alien resulting in death.
“Over the last four years, we have seen millions of people illegally cross the southern border, leading to chaos, heartache and tangential crimes like human trafficking, human smuggling, and kidnapping,” United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert said today. “Far too often, as in this case, individuals take advantage of those who illegally enter the country, and the results are tragic. Through Operation Take Back America, this Department of Justice aims to bring the rule of law back to our country.”
“Jordan Perez, and his co-conspirator Ricardo Ordaz, not only victimized families, they terrorized an entire town by initiating a shootout in one of our peaceful Virginia communities,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck. “We will not tolerate such actions from those who seek to bring violence upon our neighbors. ICE HSI Washington, D.C. will continue to investigate and apprehend anyone who threatens the safety of our Virginia neighborhoods.”
According to court documents, in early January of 2023, Perez and co-defendant Ricardo Ordaz, and other co-conspirators, kidnapped multiple victims and held them for ransom, knowing these individuals had entered the United States illegally.
As part of the scheme, Ordaz arranged to pick up two victims from an area near the United States-Mexico border and bring them to a house near Austin, Texas. Once there, Perez, and others, held both victims against their will and under armed guard. Ordaz then called and messaged the victims’ families and friends demanding cash ransom in exchange for their release.
Ordaz exchanged one of the victims in Texas for $5,000 cash, and on January 8, 2023, Perez and a co-conspirator transported another victim to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they arranged to exchange that victim for $10,000 in cash.
During the exchange, when it was revealed that the full $10,000 ransom was not available, an argument and shootout ensued, during which Perez, and another co-conspirator, brandished firearms that led to the shooting death of one of the kidnappers.
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).
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Harrisonburg investigated the case with assistance from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, and HSI Austin, Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.
Scott E. Bradford Appointed to Serve as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Scott E. Bradford has taken the oath of office—administered by U.S. Circuit Court Judge Danielle J. Forrest on Monday—to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. On July 28, 2025, United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Mr. Bradford to serve as interim U.S. Attorney.
The District of Oregon serves approximately four million people and covers more than 98,000 square miles. Our expansive region hosts a wide variety of cultural and geographic diversity and is home to nine federally recognized Tribes. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon has approximately 100 employees, with the main office located in Portland, where nearly half the population of the state lives, and two branch offices in Eugene and Medford, Oregon.
“I am honored to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and thank Attorney General Bondi for placing her trust in me. It is a privilege to lead this great office, serving alongside such dedicated public servants. I look forward to working with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the public and defend the interests of the United States,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Bradford is an 18-year veteran of the Department of Justice, joining the Department in 2007 through the Attorney General Honors Program and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2009. He has held several leadership positions in the office, including Chief of the White Collar Unit, Chief of the Economic, National Security, and Cyber Crimes Unit, and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division. In 2022, Bradford was the Department’s Regional Cybercrime Attaché in Southeast Asia. Bradford returned the Department of Justice in 2024 in Washington, D.C., most recently serving as the Acting Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Bradford clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman.
Bradford received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law.
Salvadoran National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national residing in Lynn has been indicted for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Emelio Neftaly Pineda, 46, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Pineda was arrested on June 12, 2025 and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Pineda was deported on or about July 20, 2016 after having been convicted of a felony.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien, having previously been convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley 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 Elizabeth Riley of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Pill TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jose Luis Aguilar Saucedo, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to seven years and six months in prison for fentanyl distribution, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, Aguilar Saucedo distributed hundreds of fentanyl pills that were made to look like prescription “M-30” oxycodone pills to a DEA confidential source on three separate occasions in March, April, and August 2020.
Fifteen co-defendants have pleaded guilty, and 11 have previously been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 19 months to 27 years. Luis Lopez Zamora is scheduled to be sentenced in August 2025, Leonardo Flores Beltran and Sandro Escobedo are scheduled to be sentenced in October 2025, and Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2025.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting 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 OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Richmond Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Richmond, Ky., man, Derek Hahn, 37, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to 330 months in prison, for the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on October 2, 2024, law enforcement reviewed a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that reported an incident of child sexual abuse material being uploaded and shared with another user or group of users on the Kik platform. Through an investigation, law enforcement determined that the IP address was associated with Hahn’s home and place of employment. Hahn was taken into custody, and two phones were seized from his person and searched, where multiple images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity were found. Additionally, multiple videos were also found depicting a minor undressing and completely nude. In the videos, the victim does not appear to know they are being recorded, and the camera is recording from a hidden location. Hahn admitted that he produced the videos and images.
Under federal law, Hahn must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. In addition to his prison sentence, Hahn was also ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Derrick Napier, Frankfort Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the HSI, KSP, Frankfort Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Repeat felon illegal alien sentenced to 39 months for unlawful entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 53-year-old man from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for unlawfully reentering the country for the 4th time, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Rafael Cortez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty May 1.
U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered him to serve 39 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard about Cortez-Gonzalez’s prior criminal record, including three prior felony convictions. In handing down the sentence, the court noted this sentence will hopefully serve as a deterrence.
Cortez-Gonzalez had two previous felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as for transporting an illegal alien within the United States.
He was first removed in November 2000 and illegally returned three times. Authorities discovered him again Feb. 12 in Kenedy County with no authorization to be there.
Cortez-Gonzalez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine K. Tucker prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Prince George’s County Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Roddrick Navara Shelby, 48, of Laurel, Maryland, to 70 months in federal prison for distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division, and Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
According to the guilty plea, in November 2024, the DEA and MCPD began investigating Shelby in connection with suspected fentanyl trafficking. During their investigation, law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases where Shelby sold a confidential source approximately 500 pills.
The pills were blue in color and imprinted with “M30” – mimicking the markings on legitimate pills that one would receive from a manufacturer containing oxycodone hydrochloride. As confirmed by laboratory analysis, the blue “M30” pills contained fentanyl. In total, Shelby sold approximately 1,471 fentanyl pills, or more than 150 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, to the confidential source.
On the morning of March 20, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Shelby’s residence and vehicle in Laurel, Maryland. In a kitchen drawer, and other places in the residence, law enforcement identified assorted ammunition, one loaded magazine, two empty .357 caliber Glock magazines, and one empty .45 caliber Glock magazine. Law enforcement also found approximately 63 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, in a kitchen drawer, law enforcement found three digital scales with white residue and three small-knotted baggies containing what seizing officers suspected was cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Previously Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Hopkins, 39, a resident of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty on July 25, 2025, in U.S. District Court, on a firearms charge. The plea, which comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative, was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
This case is being prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to make D.C. Safe and Beautiful. Make D.C. Safe Again aims to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Hopkins pleaded guilty to the indictment before U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb on count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Cobb set a sentencing hearing for November 7, 2025.
As part of his plea, Hopkins admitted to possessing a 9mm handgun, which MPD officers had recovered from the sofa cushions in an apartment during the execution of a residential search warrant. Hopkins also admitted to possessing 14 rounds of ammunition, which had been loaded in the magazine of the 9mm handgun.
Hopkins is a previously convicted felon and was on supervised release after being convicted of assault, burglary, and stalking.
Joining in the announcement was Special Agent in Charge Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Kate Naseef are prosecuting this case.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to More Than 35 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Children, Recording and Sharing Images of the Abuse, and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joshua Lang, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 430 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for extensive child sexual exploitation and child pornography offenses. The defendant was also ordered to pay $23,545 in restitution and $14,300 in special assessments.
As detailed in court filings, the crimes of Lang and his partner, co-defendant Kenneth Miller, came to light after the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit (PPD SVU) began investigating a lead from the Tampa (Fla.) Police Department in July 2023 that Lang had purchased child pornography from a 13-year-old girl on Instagram in December 2022.
On July 19, 2023, PPD SVU and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia executed a state search warrant at Lang and Miller’s Mayfair residence based on this information. As the search unfolded, law enforcement learned that Lang and Miller’s child sexual abuse and exploitation activities extended far beyond Lang’s online activities, to include hands-on sexual abuse of children, and their scheme to manufacture, trade, and collect videos and images of one of their victims, his siblings, and his friends.
Lang and Miller were arrested the same day and charged in Philadelphia County with numerous sexual offenses. They remained in Philadelphia County custody until they were charged in federal court via complaint and warrant in September 2023.
On February 8, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a 16-count indictment against Lang and Miller, charging them with conspiracy to manufacture child pornography and six counts of manufacture and aiding and abetting the manufacture of child pornography. Lang was also charged with three additional counts of manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography and three additional counts of receipt of child pornography.
Miller, who pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, was sentenced in September of last year to 400 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
The investigation showed, and the defendants subsequently admitted, that over the course of approximately three years, they sexually abused Minor 1 when he was between the ages of 12 and 14 years old, recording videos of the acts to forever memorialize the child’s abuse. The pair also installed hidden cameras in their bathroom and surreptitiously produced and attempted to produce sexually explicit images of at least five children, ages nine to 17, using the bathroom and showering at their residence.
Throughout this three-year period, on a near-daily basis, Lang and Miller discussed with each other their sexual interest in children, strategized ways to groom minor children for sexual abuse and exploitation, and carried out these tactics to gain the child victims’ trust and further increase their access to these children. The defendants also regularly traded and discussed the images and videos of child sexual abuse material that they created of the children.
On his own, Lang also engaged in and recorded hands-on sexual abuse of Minor 2 when she was between the ages of eight and nine years old, sharing the videos with Miller. Lang was also well immersed in the online world of child exploitation, amassing a collection of more than 13,000 unique files of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) on his iPhone, including the images purchased online from a 13-year-old girl that kicked off PPD SVU’s investigation.
“The crimes Lang committed are stomach-turning,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He sexually abused two children, documented that exploitation, and violated the privacy and trust of other children for his and his partner’s gratification. Together, they strategized ways to sexually groom minors to whom they had access. Our community is emphatically safer with these predators in prison, and today’s sentence ensures Lang will remain behind bars where he can’t harm another innocent child.”
“Today’s sentencing brings a just end to the depravity of two grown men, Joshua Lang and Kenneth Miller, who conspired to sexually exploit and abuse innocent children over an extended period of time. Their actions were not only reprehensible but meticulously planned and executed,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “The collaborative efforts of HSI Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania were crucial in uncovering the full extent of their vile actions and bringing them to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to relentlessly pursuing those who engage in such abhorrent crimes and safeguarding our communities from such predators.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Amanda McCool.
Perry Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – David Alan Miles, 31, of Perry, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent work of the state, local, and federal partners to make our community safer by getting this dangerous individual off the streets. My office remains fully committed to aggressively prosecuting those who put others at risk, fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting criminals with the full force of the law.”
Court documents reflect that Miles was arrested on February 7, 2025, after initially fleeing from police in a high-speed pursuit, eluding officers on foot, and then pretending to have been the victim of a carjacking. A canine team from Taylor Correctional Institution responded to help track the “carjacker,” leading officers to Miles’ mothers’ house. Miles eventually admitted to officers that he had fled from the traffic stop because he had a rifle in the vehicle with him and knew he was not allowed to possess firearms. Miles is a seven-time convicted felon, who had previously been to federal prison for possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun and sale of a firearm to a convicted felon.
Miles faces imprisonment for up to 15 years.
The case involved an investigation by the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Perry Police Department and the Florida Department of Corrections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 2, 2025 at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.