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Tuesday 21 July 2026
Justice Department Secures Agreement with South Carolina to Protect the Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in South Carolina Special Primary Election and RunoffRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced an agreement between the Department and the State of South Carolina through the South Carolina State Election Commission and its Executive Director to help ensure that military service members, their family members, and U.S. citizens living overseas have an opportunity to participate fully in the upcoming special federal primary election and a runoff primary election, if necessary.
“This agreement reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the right to vote for members of our armed forces deployed around the world, their families, and U.S. citizens overseas, and ensuring that these voters are afforded a meaningful opportunity to vote in all federal elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “South Carolina officials worked with the department immediately to find a resolution to safeguard voting rights for the state’s military and overseas voters in the upcoming primary election and potential runoff.”
Due to the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, the special primary election to replace the late Sen. Graham as the Republican nominee for the 2026 General Election must occur on Aug. 11, 2026 and any runoff primary election, if necessary, must occur on Aug. 25, 2026. The agreement is necessary to provide a remedy for a potential violation of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
The agreement provides that for the Aug. 11, 2026 special primary election, South Carolina will send UOCAVA ballots by Aug. 1, 2026 to all eligible UOCAVA voters who have made a standing request for UOCAVA ballots for all elections through December 2027. Ballots will include information indicating that UOCAVA voters can return ballots securely by electronic transmission, and all ballots must be returned by Aug. 11, 2026, at 7:00 pm eastern daylight time, whether by electronic transmission, express mail, or post.
Each ballot also includes instant runoff voting, so that UOCAVA voters can select a candidate for a runoff election, if necessary, on Aug. 25, 2026. The agreement requires that by July 24, 2026, South Carolina contact all eligible UOCAVA voters who did not make a standing request to let them know about the special election deadlines and offer to send ballots by electronic mail if they would like to participate.
The agreement also requires that South Carolina publicize the deadlines about the special primary and runoff elections and the information in the agreement to potential South Carolina UOCAVA voters, including the availability of the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot to participate in those elections.
More information about UOCAVA and other federal voting rights laws is available on the Department of Justice website at www.justice.gov/crt/uniformed-and-overseas-citizens-absentee-voting-act.
Justice Department Releases $25M in Law Enforcement Grants and ResourcesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has just released $25 million in new grant Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) to support law enforcement. Today’s NOFOs are in addition to the nearly $700 million in NOFOs the COPS Office released last month in June.
The recently released NOFOs include the Safer Outcomes: Enhancing Crisis Response Training for Law Enforcement Program and other grant programs that:
- Produce products and resources to advance crime fighting, support common sense policing efforts, and uplift the image of the law enforcement profession;
- Provide technical assistance resources to help law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve in identifying and implementing improvements through training, consultation, peer-based learning, analysis, and assessments; and
- Establish new and support existing accreditation bodies in states or territories to increase the number of accredited law enforcement agencies nationwide.
“The Department of Justice is investing in strategies that reduce crime, hold offenders accountable, and give law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “These additional funding programs are another example of our commitment to safer neighborhoods, smarter strategies, and stronger partnerships across the country.”
Safer Outcomes: Enhancing Crisis Response Training for Law Enforcement Program supports agency-wide deescalation training, including train-the-trainer and overtime costs, while partnering with academies, academic institutions, and POST commissions to institutionalize best-practice training nationwide. Up to $13 million will be available.
Community Policing Development (CPD) Law Enforcement Products and Resources supports the development of products and resources that provide guidance on promising practices; develop and test innovative strategies; build knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and support new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities and a positive image of policing. Products and resources must specifically be designed for national distribution and offer creative ideas to uplift the image of the law enforcement profession, advance crime fighting, or support common sense policing efforts. Up to $6 million will be available. High priority areas include the following topics:
- Detecting and Investigating Human Trafficking
- Gang Violence Enforcement and Investigations
- Immigration and Border Security
- Investigating and Interrupting Child Exploitation
- Investigating and Interrupting Cybercrime
- Investigating and Interrupting Opioids and Drug Markets
- Officer Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention
- Preventing and Investigating Domestic Terrorism
- Unmanned Aerial Systems and Drones
- Vagrancy and Squatting
- Violent Crime Enforcement and Investigations
The Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI) offers a suite of services designed to highlight best practices of law enforcement agencies and the many ways they protect Americans, enhance officer safety and wellness, build agencies’ capacity for self-improvement and effectiveness, and promote community policing practices nationwide. CRI consists of programs meant to complement one another that range in time and complexity. This year's Collaborative Reform program has two funding opportunities. The first funding opportunity has two subcategories: Collaborative Reform Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) and Critical Response (CR). The second funding opportunity is invitational and only open to applicants that receive an invitation to apply. Up to $4.2 million will be available.
Community Policing Development (CPD) Accreditation Program is seeking to establish new and support existing accreditation bodies in states or territories throughout the United States. Funding will focus on activities such as providing technical assistance to agencies, defraying or underwriting accreditation costs for local agencies, improving customer service and marketing, and developing user-friendly policy templates. Up to $2.5 million will be available.
The COPS Office is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing and the Administration’s priority of Making America Safe Again by supporting the nation’s state, local, territorial and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
For more information on COPS Office NOFOs, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants.
Justice Department Announces Monitoring of Polling Sites in Three Arizona CountiesRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in three Arizona counties for the state’s primary election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.
The Department, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The Department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.
“The Department of Justice today continues to monitor elections consistently and in a uniform fashion nationwide, ensuring our elections are safe and secure,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice department’s Civil Rights Division. “Transparent election processes and election monitoring are critical tools for safeguarding our elections and ensuring public trust in the integrity of our elections. We appreciate Arizona’s cooperation in these important procedural safeguards.”
“Our democracy depends on free and fair elections,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “My office is pleased to be leading efforts to ensure election integrity for Arizona voters. Today’s monitoring effort is a critical piece of that.”
The Department is currently monitoring polls in Maricopa, Apache, and Pima counties with DOJ staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and Arizona’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors. Election officials in these three counties issued letters to DOJ personnel — giving them credentials to observe vote-casting procedures at various poll sites. Such communication ensures both election security and appropriate access to the franchise for all Americans.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
From now and up to Election Day on Nov. 3, 2026, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. If you would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at [email protected], and the Civil Rights Division will determine whether monitoring is warranted.
Justice Department Announces $400 Million Settlement to Provide for Healthcare Costs of the Alaska Native Tribal Health ConsortiumRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced its authorization of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) for contract support costs owed under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). ANTHC was formed in the 1990s to provide health services throughout the state of Alaska. Among other things, ANTHC operates the non-primary care functions of the Alaska Native Medical Center, which is one of the largest tribally run hospitals in our Nation.
“Congress directed, and the Supreme Court clarified, that Indian tribes should be reimbursed by HHS for qualifying administrative costs when administering their own healthcare programs,” said Acting Attorney General Blanche. “Our $400M settlement with ANTHC provides the consortium with support and autonomy for the healthcare services they provide to American Indians and Alaska Natives.”
“This settlement reflects our commitment to resolving litigation fairly and ensuring that federal resources are appropriately directed toward serving Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “We are pleased to have reached an authorized agreement that benefits American Indian and Alaska Native communities and remains consistent with the legal framework established by Congress.”
Through a compact with the federal government under ISDEAA, ANTHC is responsible for administering certain healthcare programs that the federal government otherwise would administer for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Alaska. In 2021, ANTHC filed litigation claiming the government had failed to pay certain contract support costs owed under ISDEAA and the compact. Specifically, ANTHC claimed the government owed contract support costs on revenue that ANTHC had collected from third-party payers, such as Medicare and private insurers, while administering the federal healthcare programs.
While the litigation was pending, in 2024, the Supreme Court decided in a similar case, Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe, that Title I of ISDEAA requires the federal government to pay contract support costs on revenue from third-party payers when the relevant ISDEAA contract requires the revenue to be used for the healthcare program.
Following that landmark decision, the Justice Department engaged in extensive negotiations with ANTHC to reach a fair resolution of ANTHC’s litigation and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made an official visit to the state in July 2026.
Jury Convicts Tallahassee Man of Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Raymond Lewis Shiver, 36, of Crawfordville, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners, my office was able to deliver a successful prosecution to ensure this defendant will be held accountable for his attempts to sexually exploit a child. My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting these horrific crimes to do everything in our power to keep our kids safe, both in our communities and online.”
Trial testimony demonstrated that from April 10-12, 2025, federal, state, and local law enforcement executed an undercover online chat operation designed to catch individuals who use the internet to sexually exploit children. During the operation, several fictitious ads were posted by law enforcement on websites commonly used for prostitution, and the defendant responded to one of the ads. In his text messaging with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 15-year-old child, the defendant expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the child in exchange for money. The defendant then traveled to meet the child and was arrested by law enforcement. Search of the defendant’s phone confirmed that he was the person communicating with the undercover officer through text messaging and phone calls.
Shiver faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph A. Ravelo and Meredith L. Steer.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 28, 2026, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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 theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
July Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the July Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
David Michael Brown. Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Brown, 32, of Mounds, is charged with possessing visual images depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The Creek County Sheriff’s Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-270
Quentin Robert Cahoon. Drug Conspiracy; Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Cahoon, 31, of Miami, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Feb. 2025 through Apr. 2026. Further, Cahoon knowingly attempted to possess methamphetamine for the purpose of distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Miami Police Department, the Wyandotte Nation Police Department, and the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-271
Franklin Earl Frazier, II. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 1 & 4); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12 Years of Age (Counts 2, 3 & 5) (superseding). Frazier, 46, of Bristow, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act with two minor children under 12 years old. He is additionally charged with knowingly causing abusive sexual contact with three minor children under 12 years old. The FBI and the Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster and Blithe Cravens are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-092
Jonathan Charles Hicks. Carjacking; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Aggravated Eluding a Police Officer in Indian Country. Hicks, 35, a transient and a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, is charged with taking a motor vehicle from the victim by force and violence with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm. Hicks allegedly Additionally, Hicks is charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and endangering others while eluding a law enforcement officer who was driving a marked official vehicle. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-273
Cody Lane Killion. Carjacking; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Hobbs Act Robbery; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to Crimes of Violence. Killion, 35, a transient and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with taking a motor vehicle from the victim by force and violence with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm. Killion allegedly brandished a firearm during crimes of violence and possessed a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. Additionally, Killion obstructed interstate commerce by robbery, assaulted the victims with a dangerous weapon, and brandished a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-274
Angel Manuel Lopez Castro. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lopez Castro, 27, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2019 and twice in 2023. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-272
Francisco Ramon Lopez Leyva. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lopez Leyva, 43, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2019 and 2022. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-275
Samuel Diaz Ramos. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Diaz Ramos, 35, a Honduran national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Additionally, he is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed in 2010. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-276
Aaron Chase Sanders. Possession of Child Pornography (superseding). Sanders, 28, of Bixby, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. Homeland Security Investigations, the Bixby Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Matt Cyran are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-117
Investigations into Cryptocurrency Scams Result in Seizure of More Than $25 MillionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, together with the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office announced today that multiple investigations conducted by its Cyber Fraud Task Force have resulted in the seizure of more than $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to international fraud schemes targeting residents of the United States and Canada. The seizures represent part of the more than $800 million recovered through the Scam Center Strike Force, launched in 2025 by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“This $25 million seizure is a direct result of the Scam Center Strike Force I launched in November 2025, and it demonstrates the power of aggressively targeting these international fraud networks,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our investigators cut through complex laundering schemes, protected victims, and shut down criminal pipelines. We will continue to identify these actors, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice.”
On July 21, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filed five civil forfeiture complaints in U.S. District Court seeking forfeiture of more than $25 million in cryptocurrency recovered during separate fraud investigations conducted by Secret Service Washington Field Office agents. As part of these investigations, agents identified multiple laundering networks and confirmed thousands of victims worldwide who were misled into believing they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments.
“This seizure is the result of months of tireless work by Washington Field Office investigators, who are among the best in the world at tracking down cyber criminals and tracing their illicit transactions,” said Special Agent in Charge Tara McLeese of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office. “These investigations are far from over and we encourage anyone who thinks they may be a victim of these scams, or similar cryptocurrency crimes, to contact us. I want to thank the Special Agents and Investigative Analysts who continue to work on these cases and symbolize the dual mission of the Secret Service every day.”
The complete list of investigations is as follows:
• Investigation 1: In late 2024, Canadian authorities alerted Secret Service agents to a large network of virtual currency wallet addresses suspected of transferring illicit proceeds. Investigators froze the identified addresses and traced more than 270 suspected victim transactions involving fraudulent investment platforms. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $10,400,913.
• Investigation 2: A private sector partner alerted the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force to multiple suspicious transactions. Investigators determined that more than 200 victims had been defrauded through online romance schemes. The illicit proceeds had been laundered through hundreds of intermediary addresses and commingled with funds from other victims. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $12,086,914.
• Investigation 3: In May 2026, a victim in the National Capital Region reported a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme. After the victim attempted to withdraw funds, the perpetrators cut off contact. Investigators traced the victim’s investments across multiple cryptocurrency addresses. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $1,230,900.
• Investigation 4: In March 2026, another victim in the National Capital Region transferred millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency to what they believed was a legitimate investment account. Investigators identified a second victim linked to the same fraudulent platform. A portion of the funds was traced to six cryptocurrency addresses and subsequently frozen. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $2,392,231.
• Investigation 5: The victim of an unrelated fraud was contacted by scammers claiming to have recovered previously stolen funds. The victim was persuaded to pay a fee in order to retrieve the money and made a series of transactions to the new scammers. Investigators have traced some of these transactions and continue working to recover additional funds. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $285,000.
These five investigations are ongoing and Secret Service investigators continue to work to identify the suspects behind these scamming networks and will work with our law enforcement partners to hold them accountable.
In each of these five cases, launderers were predominantly located in Southeast Asia, with IP addresses located in China, Malaysia, and Cambodia. These funds are the latest in the more than $800 million recovered as part of the Scam Center Strike Force
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force, in consultation with Associate Counsel Richard Goldberg of the Department’s Criminal Division. These matters are handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock from the District of Columbia and Jehiel Baer from the Western District of Washington.
Individuals who believe they may be victims of cryptocurrency fraud are encouraged to contact their local U.S. Secret Service field office at www.secretservice.gov/contact and submit a report through www.ic3.gov.
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Indianapolis Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Threatening to Kill United States RepresentativeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Shayla Addison, 28, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of influencing a federal official by threat.
According to court documents, on January 15, 2025, beginning at approximately 8:53 a.m., Addison sent five text messages to the campaign phone number of Victim 1, a member of the United States House of Representatives. The messages included explicit threats to kill Victim 1, including statements such as “Come outside b**** we’ll kill you” and “Tread lightly,” among other variations.
Minutes later, Addison sent additional messages to Victim 1’s campaign email address, again threatening to kill Victim 1 and stating, “We will kill you and blow that whole building up b**** come outside.” That same day, Addison also posted threatening comments on Victim 1’s Instagram account, including: “Shut up h** I’ll kill you” and “I hope you got mace… cause you gone need it.”
By sending the messages, Addison intended to retaliate against Victim 1 on account of Victim 1’s performance of official duties.
Addison has a long history of threatening people, including convictions for intimidation and invasion of privacy in three separate cases. In September 2019, Addison repeatedly called the Firehouse Subs restaurant in Hendricks County, Indiana where her ex-boyfriend worked and threatened to “blow up” or “shoot up” the store. The threatening calls continued into the next morning when Addison texted “We will be there at 1:00 p.m. to shoot the store up.” The investigation revealed that the calls began after Addison’s ex-boyfriend announced that he and his new girlfriend were having a child together.
Less than three months later, in December 2019, Addison called the same Firehouse Subs restaurant more than 50 times in a single day. Then, in September 2023, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to Addison’s mother’s apartment after Addison threatened to burn down the residence and poured gasoline on the front steps. When officers arrived, Addison was sitting in her car with an open gas can on the front seat.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Indianapolis and United States Capitol Police investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. Chief District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II.
“Threats of political violence regardless of where they come from, or who is targeted, are unacceptable and constitute a serious federal crime,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Targeting the safety of elected officials undermines their ability to freely serve the American people. Our office, along with our federal partners, will remain steadfast in putting a stop to these threats before they can come to fruition.”
"Threats of violence against elected officials are serious federal crimes that will not be tolerated," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. "The FBI remains committed to protecting those who serve our communities and investigating individuals who use threats, intimidation, or violence in an attempt to interfere with the work of public officials. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those responsible are held accountable."
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Olivier, who prosecuted this case.
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Illegal Alien from El Salvador Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An El Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in Everett, Mass., has been charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Defendant allegedly grabbed and unholstered officer’s weapon while resisting arrest.
Wilson Alfredo Figueroa-Landaverde, 30, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Figueroa-Landaverde will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to court documents, Figueroa-Landaverde, a citizen of El Salvador, was first encountered by authorities on July 3, 2015, after unlawfully entering the United States by crossing the Rio Grande River from Mexico on a raft. He was subsequently removed from the United States on July 14, 2015. It is alleged that that, at some point thereafter, Figueroa-Landaverde unlawfully reentered the United States. In February 2026, federal authorities allegedly received information that Figueroa-Landaverde was unlawfully present in the United States and residing at an address in Everett.
On July 1, 2026, Figueroa-Landaverde was located outside his Everett residence and officers attempted to arrest him. It is alleged that Figueroa-Landaverde resisted arrest and, during a struggle with law enforcement, grabbed and unholstered an officer’s firearm before being restrained and taken into custody.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $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 David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Conroy of the Major Crimes 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.
Houma Man Indicted for Violating Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 16, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted NICKY PARFAIT (“PARFAIT”),age 37, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, PARFAIT was indicted for possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and forty (40) grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A) and 841(b)(1)(B); being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(8) and 924(e)(1); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
If convicted of the possession with intent to distribute count, PARFAIT faces a minimum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, at least five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. For the felon in possession count, PARFAIT faces a minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. For the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime count, PARFAIT faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
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.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Home Health Care Operator Sentenced for Defrauding Missouri MedicaidRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a woman who defrauded Missouri Medicaid with false home health care claims to 15 months in prison.
Camille S. Childress, 41, was also ordered to repay $174,496 to Missouri Medicaid. Childress submitted fraudulent documents to enroll her home health care company, Inspiring Angels LLC, with Missouri Medicaid. The paperwork falsely claimed that someone else owned the company. Childress was trying to conceal her ownership due to a 2012 criminal conviction that would have disqualified her from participating.
Childress then submitted fraudulent claims to Missouri Medicaid seeking reimbursement for home healthcare services that were never provided. On numerous occasions, clients were in the hospital and could not have received any health care services at home. On other occasions, Childress submitted claims when the company did not have any timesheet records or documentation of the services. Missouri Medicaid paid $174,496 for claims submitted in 2021 and 2022.
“Health care providers who try to enrich themselves by submitting false claims to Missouri Medicaid not only drain taxpayer funds but also undermine the integrity of safety net programs designed to provide services to patients who genuinely need them,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s sentencing shows the unwavering commitment of HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud. We are proud of our work to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes that put both patients and public resources at risk.”
Childress pleaded guilty in March to one count of health care fraud.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Hacienda Employee and Business Owner Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy Involving Loss over $650,000Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 20, 2026, Harry E. Mueriel-Falero, a Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Departamento de Hacienda or “PRDT”) employee pleaded guilty to his intentional participating in a wire fraud conspiracy involving the loss of approximately $665,693 in Puerto Rico tax revenue, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Business owner Gabrielle López-Berríos, pleaded guilty to participating in the same wire fraud conspiracy and a conspiracy to bribe a separate Hacienda employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666. The defendants were indicted on October 23, 2025, and arrested on October 29, 2025.
According to the plea agreement in the case of Harry E. Mueriel-Falero, he knowingly and willfully conspired to commit wire fraud to defraud the PRDT by creating and submitting false information in the tax returns of several individuals and entities to eliminate or reduce tax debts with the PRDT or illegally claim tax refunds. From June 2023 through December 2024, Muriel-Falero was an employee and agent of the PRDT with duties that included physically and electronically accessing and reviewing tax returns and documents related to invoicing and collection of owed taxes. The defendant had privileged access to the PRDT’s online platform, the Internal Revenue Unified System (GenTax/SURI) and was experienced and able to access, monitor, and modify taxpayer information, including creating taxpayer credits, modifying income tax, employee retention tax and sales tax information.
As part of the conspiracy, Muriel-Falero corruptly solicited and accepted cash payments and other benefits, in exchange for submitting false information to the PRDT. The false information was submitted to the PRDT for the elimination of taxes owed, evasion of taxes, and theft of funds, with a total approximate loss to the PRDT of $665,693. One of the individuals Muriel-Falero conspired with was defendant Gabrielle López-Berríos, a Puerto Rico resident and business owner.
In April 2024, defendant Gabrielle López-Berríos negotiated and paid defendant Muriel-Falero money in cash through Person A to create and submit false information in López-Berríos personal tax returns to eliminate and reduce tax debts with the PRDT resulting in an approximate loss to the PRDT exceeding $11,192.
In addition to illegally obtaining personal tax relief through defendant Muriel-Falero, defendant Gabrielle López-Berríos also participated in a bribery conspiracy to obtain illegal tax relief for his companies, G FITNESS & BODY PERFORMANCE LLC and VEEVO LLC. Defendant López-Berríos paid money in bribes and kickbacks through Person A to a separate Hacienda employee in exchange for creating and submitting materially false information into PRDT’s GenTaxSURI system for the elimination of corporate taxes owed, evasion of taxes, and theft of funds. From November 2021 through April 2023, defendant López-Berríos made bribe payments to illegally erase and reduce a tax debt of his companies of approximately $18,671.
The sentencing hearing for defendant Muriel-Falero and defendant López-Berríos were scheduled for October 9, 2026, and October 16, 2026, respectively, by District Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy from the District of Puerto Rico’s Financial Fraud & Public Corruption Section is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an ongoing effort to combat public corruption and fraud committed by Puerto Rico Department of Treasury employees. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico announced the indictment of twenty-six individuals and corporations in this bribery and wire fraud scheme in October 2025 and the July 2, 2026 guilty plea of Luis A. Jiménez-Guzmán, an Hacienda employee who admitted to participating in a similar bribery conspiracy involving the loss of approximately $5,000,000.
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Fugitive apprehended in Mexico and removed to United States to face federal and state chargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Janero Van DeMario Garrett, 49, a United States citizen and multi-convicted felon, was apprehended in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico on July 17, after a joint operation conducted by DEA-Detroit, DEA-Mexico, US Marshals Mexico Foreign Field Office and US Marshals Detroit Office, FBI-Detroit, and Mexican authorities, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Garrett faces federal narcotics trafficking charges in the Eastern District of Michigan and state firearms charges in Wayne County, Michigan.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Joseph O. Dixon, special agent in charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.
According to the federal criminal complaint, on October 31, 2024, Garrett ignored Detroit police officers’ attempts to stop his vehicle and fled at a high rate of speed. Garrett later fled on foot, carrying a roller bag containing 10 kilograms of cocaine. Investigators found the cocaine in a trash can along Garrett’s flight path. On the same day, investigators found 3 kilograms of cocaine and $606,913 of suspected drug proceeds at his residence.
Portion of bulk case seized
Kilograms of cocaine located inside roller bag
“The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) works with our foreign partners to keep Americans safe by prosecuting drug dealers who harm our people. Hiding in another country will not save you. No defendant is beyond our reach,” said Gorgon.
“This individual was wanted on federal drug trafficking charges, and today’s arrest demonstrates that no one can evade justice indefinitely. Drug trafficking fuels violence, addiction, and instability in our communities, and the DEA will remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners around the globe to identify, locate, and apprehend those who engage in these criminal activities, and they will be held accountable in the U.S. justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon.
If convicted of the narcotics offenses, Garrett faces at least 10 years in prison.
This prosecution is part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Detroit comprises agents and officers from numerous agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
This case is being investigated by the DEA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Kuebler.
A complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent. It is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fort Walton Beach Man Indicted for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Aubrey Darnell Joseph, Sr., 35, of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Joseph, Sr. appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, at 8:00 AM before United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida.
If convicted, Joseph faces a minimum 10 years’ imprisonment to life imprisonment on each count.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica S. Etherton and Alicia H. Forbes.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Former St. Augustine Business Owner Sentenced to 29 Years for Attempting to Pay Traffickers in the Philippines to Film and Send Videos of Children Being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jack Dymond Leach (44, St. Augustine) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger to 29 years in federal prison for attempting to pay individuals in the Philippines to molest young children and send him videos of their sexual abuse. Leach was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, pay $103,000 in restitution to child victims, and register as a sex offender. On May 29, 2025, Leach, the former owner of Dymeng Technology Solutions, was arrested and has been in custody since that time. He pleaded guilty on October 21, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence discussed in open court, in March 2025, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were investigating child sexual exploitation activities involving a particular online communications application (“App”). An HSI analyst in Jacksonville discovered certain information associated with a specific App account that was communicating with two other App accounts that had been used by individuals in the Philippines in 2023 to traffic children for sexual exploitation. This particular App account was determined to have accessed the internet in St. Augustine. Further investigation revealed that this account belonged to Leach.
Between November 2023 and March 2024, Leach’s App account and the other two App accounts used by child traffickers in the Philippines exchanged 1,287 messages and numerous media files. In an App text message that Leach sent to a trafficker on November 21, 2023, Leach stated, “i like 3y, 5y, 8y.” The trafficker responded, among other things, “I c[a]n get that age.” On November 22, 2023, Leach texted, “will [the child] make dirty pics or vids …,” and “sure, i’ll pay for them.”
On December 2, 2023, Leach sent a message offering to pay the trafficker for producing a video depicting a child engaging in specific sexually explicit conduct and sending it to Leach. Leach and the trafficker discussed possible methods of payment via text message. On December 5, 2023, Leach sent the trafficker $160 to produce and send the video of the child being sexually abused. Leach also attempted to have traffickers molest two other children for the purpose of producing and sending him videos of their abuse.
On May 8, 2025, federal search warrants were executed at Leach’s residence and his business. HSI agents and other law enforcement personnel seized numerous electronic devices belonging to and used by Leach. A forensic examination of these devices revealed at least 933 photos depicting young children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case 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, rescue, and seek justice for victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Non-Profit IT Director Sentenced to Federal Prison for Nearly $550,000 TheftRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Michael Meenan, 60, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay $543,521 in restitution.
According to court documents, Meenan served as the Director of Information Services for an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization from 1999 to 2021. In that role, he was responsible for purchasing technology equipment using an employee credit card.
Starting as early as July 2007, Meenan abused his position of trust by making personal purchases with his company-issued credit card. These unauthorized purchases included DSLR cameras, lenses, Apple and Southwest Airlines gift cards, cycling equipment, and Amazon gift card balance reloads. He then used the reloaded balances to acquire additional photography and cycling items for his personal use. Meenan even posted photos of some of these items on social media.
To hide the fraudulent transactions from management and accounts payable staff, Meenan created doctored receipts that falsely described the personal items as legitimate technology purchases. For example, he altered a receipt to indicate he had bought $1,100 worth of “Uninterruptible Power Supply Units (UPS)” for the organization, when in reality he had simply reloaded an Amazon gift card with that amount.
In total, Meenan executed approximately 1,173 unauthorized transactions using his employee credit card, resulting in a financial loss of $543,521.13 to the organization.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.
“Nonprofits are especially vulnerable to fraud because they often lack the resources to prevent or recover from financial losses. The defendant, a trusted employee for more than 20 years, stole money meant to support the organization’s mission and betrayed colleagues who had relied on him for decades,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our SDIN Fraud Task Force—comprising federal prosecutors, special agents, forensic accountants, analysts, and others—is firmly committed to combating fraud and abuse in all forms.”
"When individuals entrusted with access to an organization’s resources use that position for personal gain, they undermine the trust placed in them and harm the people and communities those organizations serve," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. "The FBI is committed to investigating financial crimes and holding accountable those who abuse their positions for their own benefit."
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Wood, who prosecuted this case.
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Former Jail Official Pleads Guilty to Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Justin Harvey (50, Inverness) has pleaded guilty to acceptance of a bribe by a public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, Harvey worked as a correctional officer at Citrus County Detention Facility (CCDF), a jail facility where federal inmates are held while they await trial, sentencing, or designation to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. While Harvey worked at CCDF, he agreed to bring a cellphone into the facility to an inmate. In exchange, the inmate would pay Harvey $4,000 in cash. Harvey then met up with a colleague of the inmate – who was, in fact, an undercover law enforcement agent – and collected $4,000 and a cellphone to bring into the facility. Harvey then wrapped the cellphone in saran wrap to smuggle it into the facility. Harvey brought the cellphone into CCDF and gave it to the inmate. The inmate later returned the cellphone to law enforcement. Further analysis identified Harvey’s fingerprints on the tape that sealed the phone.
The introduction of contraband, like cellphones, into secure detention facilities presents a security risk to those both inside and outside the facility.
Harvey agreed to forfeit $4,000 to the United States, the money he received as a bribe.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan. Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench handled the forfeiture.
Florida Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brett Michael Smith, age 35, of Hillsborough County, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 121 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for receipt of child pornography.
According to the United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, pursuant to a federal search warrant, FBI agents seized and analyzed Smith’s cell phone and computers. The forensic analysis uncovered approximately 20,000 images and 4,500 videos of child pornography including videos that depict sadistic imagery and the sexual abuse of multiple children including infants. A review of Smith’s Internet search history showed that he searched for child pornography on multiple occasions beginning in November 2020 and continuing through March 13, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by FBI – Philadelphia Division, Allentown RAC, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (Tampa, Florida), the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (Largo, Florida), and the Minersville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Florida Businessman Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday to evading taxes on millions in income that he earned from business ventures that sold internet access to American servicemembers and contractors stationed abroad.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2013 and 2018, Joseph Stewart, of Miami, earned more than $4.5 million in dividends from his 50% ownership in a business that sold internet access to American servicemembers and contractors stationed on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Between 2013 and 2018, Stewart also earned income from his 50% ownership of a separate business that sold internet access to soldiers stationed on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Despite earning this income, Stewart stopped filing timely tax returns with the IRS once he began receiving significant dividends from his business in 2013.
In April 2016, despite having not filed tax returns or paid taxes since 2013, Stewart filed a false affidavit with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) attaching unfiled copies of federal tax returns while falsely attesting they were filed.
After Stewart received letters from the IRS in 2019, he hired a tax attorney and return preparers and falsely informed them that over $3.8 million in dividends he received between 2013 and 2018 were nontaxable loans. Stewart also falsely stated that he did not know the other shareholders of the business. As a result of these false statements, the tax professionals drafted tax returns for Stewart for 2013 through 2020 that underreported his income and taxes due. Stewart filed these false returns with the IRS, except for a 2013 tax return, which reported that Stewart owed approximately $155,720 in taxes.
In total, Stewart willfully failed to report around $4.62 million in income and caused a total tax loss to the United States of approximately $1.57 million.
Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ezra Spiro and Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Five Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that five co-defendants pleaded guilty to federal drug offenses and related charges.
On May 18, 2026, Anthony Wayne Schoggins, 40, of McAlester, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, each punishable by a term in prison of at least 5 years and up to 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Three co-defendants entered guilty pleas to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by ten years to life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine:
- Gerardo Cisneros Jr., 49, of McAlester, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty on February 19, 2026;
- Gabrielle Ralene Dawn Brown, 31, of McAlester, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty on February 19, 2026; and
- John Douglas Renkes, 38, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty on March 11, 2026.
On July 20, 2026, Charlie Dawn Edwards, 45, of McAlester, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information of Misprision of Felony, punishable by up to 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on June 1, 2025, Schoggins knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), Schedule II controlled substances.
The Indictment further alleged that beginning in or about March 2025, and continuing through September 2025, Brown, Renkes, Cisneros, and others knowingly and voluntarily conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and at least 5 grams of methamphetamine (actual), Schedule II controlled substances.
The Information alleged that on June 9, 2025, Edwards, having knowledge of the actual commission of a felony by Schoggins, cognizable by a court of the United States, to wit, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, did conceal the same, and did not, as soon as possible, make known the same to some judge or other person in civil or military authority.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration-McAlester Resident Office, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the McAlester Police Department, and the District 18 Drug Task Force.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the pleas and ordered the completion of presentence investigation reports.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed on each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Schoggins, Cisneros, Brown, and Renkes will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Edwards will remain released on bond with conditions pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.
Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Conduct “Operation Black Book” to Take Down Multi-State Cocaine Trafficking Organization as Part of Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY, SD – United States Attorney Ronald A. Parsons, Jr. announced at a joint press conference held today in Rapid City, South Dakota, that a multi-agency law enforcement operation has resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals located throughout the Pine Ridge Reservation, Rapid City, and Box Elder, South Dakota, as well as in Colorado, as part of Operation Take Back America, with the goal of protecting our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Operation Black Book is a federal investigation into a multi-state cocaine trafficking organization responsible for importing kilograms of cocaine into western South Dakota, including to communities within the Pine Ridge Reservation. Through the investigation, law enforcement has thus far seized over 37 firearms, more than $61,000, and approximately five kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution in South Dakota.
The investigation was spearheaded by the FBI Badlands Safe Trails Task Force (FBI Task Force) in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The South Dakota National Guard Counter Drug Unit, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and Rapid City Police Department also assisted in the investigation. The FBI Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs—Division of Drug Enforcement, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.
The first phase of the operation occurred in Colorado on June 16, 2026, resulting in the arrest of three individuals responsible for supplying the South Dakota drug trafficking organization with cocaine. The second phase of the operation began in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and continued until the afternoon. By the end of the operation, law enforcement officers arrested 14 targeted fugitives.
The arrestees have all been federally indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Some members of the drug trafficking organization face additional federal charges related to financial crimes and firearms offenses for their conduct in furtherance of the drug trafficking organization. The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may be considered. An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“Today this FBI announced the results of Operation Black Book, with 14 arrests of drug trafficking organization members operating near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Southwest South Dakota,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These were subjects allegedly flooding Pine Ridge and surrounding Indian Country with deadly narcotics going unchecked for years - and now they’ll face justice thanks to this sweeping investigation with partners. This op is an example of how this FBI is committing never before seen resources to our Indian Country partners who have been wrongly forgotten for decades. With the launch of Operation Steadfast Promise in April, this FBI’s first of its kind durational campaign to crush violent crime on Tribal Lands, the FBI now has over 400 agents/staff dedicated to working Indian Country, 3 more Safe Trails Task Forces for a total of 29 – all representing the FBI's largest ever commitment, partnering with 575 federally recognized tribes in America. These communities deserve to be remembered and under this FBI, they will be.”
“Operation Black Book is the latest chapter in our mission to carry out this Administration’s directive to completely dismantle and eliminate drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “This complex and skillfully executed operation represents law enforcement at its finest.”
“Operation Black Book is just one piece of the FBI’s total commitment to tribal communities under this year’s surge of resources to tribal lands called Operation Steadfast Promise,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Our agents and task forces are in the community and on tribal lands every day working to protect the public from gang members, drug traffickers, and transnational organized crime. Investigations like this prove that our partnerships with state, local, and tribal law enforcement are paying off for public safety.”
“Drug trafficking organizations exist to make money. IRS-Criminal Investigation exists to follow the money, and we’re proud to use that expertise to support our law enforcement partners in a joint effort to disrupt and dismantle dangerous drug activity,” said IRS-CI St. Louis Field Office Special Agent in Charge William Steenson.
“The DEA will go wherever an investigation takes us, be that a big city or small village, to remove the threatening individuals determined to profit off of the sale of deadly poisons,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “Today’s operation shows what can be accomplished when law enforcement partners work side-by-side on a cause that benefits our communities.”
“These arrests are the result of a strong partnership between law enforcement at the federal, state, tribal and local levels. Together we are taking illegal drugs out of our communities and making our streets safer,” said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.
“The Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement is grateful for the outstanding collaboration demonstrated throughout this investigation. The partnership between our agents, the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force, the FBI, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, DEA, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe was essential to achieving these results. Our collective efforts reflect a shared commitment to protecting Indian Country and ensuring the safety and well‑being of our communities,” said Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson.The following is a list of the defendants arrested in connection with Operation Black Book:
- Wuttichai Chankaeo – 32 years old; Commerce City, Colorado
- Joseph Valdez – 49 years old; Westminster, Colorado
- Amber Bravo – 42 years old; Westminster, Colorado
- Zeno Rendon – 31 years old; Box Elder, South Dakota
- Deja Guthmiller – 23 years old; Rapid City, South Dakota
- Mason Martin – 23 years old; Rapid City, South Dakota
- Dylan Sanchez – 34 years old; Rapid City, South Dakota
- Jarrian Ribitsch – 31 years old; Pine Ridge, South Dakota
- Laci Ribitsch – 32 years old; Pine Ridge, South Dakota
- Sara Clifford – 33 years old; Rapid City, South Dakota
- Ryan Jones – 38 years old; Rapid City, South Dakota
- Caleb Allard – 35 years old; Rapid City, South Dakota
- Savannah Backward – 31 years old; Pine Ridge, South Dakota
- Evan Sanchez – 33 years old; Rapid City, South Dakota
This effort 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 FBI’s Operation Steadfast Promise is a comprehensive surge of resources to address a wide range of violent crime threats including gangs and criminal enterprises, violent crimes against children, and fugitive apprehension cases while working to improve public safety in Tribal communities.
Federal jury convicts Poquoson man of telemarketing fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Poquoson man today on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, money laundering, unlawful monetary transactions, and obtaining information under false pretenses.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Barry Glenn Augustinsky, 55, owned various telecommunications companies that facilitated voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephone calls. From 2018 through at least 2023, Augustinsky and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of One Ten Communications, a call center in Karachi, Pakistan, engaged in a conspiracy in which representatives of OneTen used Augustinsky’s VoIP services to make millions of voice calls to people in the United States.
During those calls, representatives of OneTen made false and fraudulent representations, including telling victims that their credit card debt would be reduced or eliminated if they sent payments to companies controlled by Augustinsky. Callers also represented that they were agents of various legitimate debt relief companies even though OneTen had no affiliation with those companies.
Relying on these false representations, victims from across the United States sent hundreds of personal checks to post office boxes in Portsmouth and Poquoson, which Augustinsky collected and deposited. He kept 30 percent of the proceeds from each check received for himself, took an additional cut from the funds as payment for OneTen’s use of his VoIP service, and from time to time sent funds back to OneTen in Pakistan via wire transfer.
Augustinsky knew that OneTen representatives were making false representations, that calls made by OneTen were spoofing caller identification information, and that many of the people receiving calls and sending checks were elderly. Augustinsky also made false statements to a credit report company—claiming that he needed credit reports for “construction loan funding”—so that he could provide access to his overseas co-conspirator, who wanted access to the records to further the scheme and ultimately obtained over three hundred credit reports without authorization.
Augustinsky faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on November 5, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C., Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony C. Mozzi and Kristen S. Taylor are prosecuting the case.
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. 2:25-cr-97.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Woman of Assaulting United States Postal Carrier After Two-Day TrialRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a woman of assaulting a United States Postal Service mail carrier following a two-day trial.
DIANE BRINKLEY assaulted the mail carrier on June 9, 2025, in Chicago. The mail carrier was delivering mail at a home near Brinkley’s former residence when Brinkley approached and began yelling at her. Brinkley shoved the postal carrier, causing the mail carrier to fall onto the concrete steps of a home. When the mail carrier stood up, Brinkley struck her a second time, knocking the mail carrier down again.
Brinkley, 56, of Chicago, was convicted of a federal assault charge. The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago returned its verdict on July 16, 2026. The conviction is punishable by up to a year in federal prison. U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain set sentencing for November 16.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hayley Altabef and Eric Rigoli.
Federal Jury Finds Cherry Tree Resident Guilty of Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – After deliberating for one hour, a federal jury on July 20, 2026, found Mandi Litzinger, 44, of Cherry Tree, Pennsylvania, guilty on charges of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Litzinger was tried before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
The evidence presented during the week-long trial established that, on or about February 12, 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Litzinger distributed a quantity of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, which the jury also determined resulted in the serious bodily injury and death of another individual. Further, in and around February 2021, Litzinger conspired to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for November 19, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 20 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Hillary M. Weaver prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Litzinger.
Federal Grand Jury indicts two Glynn County men for drugs and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, Georgia: The July term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia has returned indictments for two men for drug distribution and firearms charges.
Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments.
Jonathan Shahaad Ruff, aka ‘Slaughter,’ 30, of Glynn County, Georgia, has been indicted for five counts of Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine. His co-defendant, Darnell Lamar Pickens, 30, of Glynn County, has also been indicted for Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
The indictment alleges that Ruff distributed methamphetamine in June and July of 2025 in Glynn County. The indictment further alleges that Ruff and Pickens distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in August 2025 in Glynn County. Pickens is also alleged to have possessed 5 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in January 2026 in addition to being found in possession of a firearm.
Under federal law, it is prohibited for previously convicted felons to possess firearms or ammunition.
Both defendants face statutory penalties of 10 years to life in prison for Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. If convicted, Pickens is also subject to a minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years imprisonment for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. A conviction for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon may result in up to 15 years in prison and each offense may also be accompanied by significant financial penalties and a minimum of 3 to 5 years of supervised release.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, Brunswick Police Department, and local law enforcement agencies. This case is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lyle J. Burnham II and Marcela C. Mateo.
Fashion House Enters Settlement for Receipt of Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A manufacturer and distributor of fashion and leather products with a principal place of business in Mercer County, New Jersey, entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by taking a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to which it was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
In May 2021, Longchamp USA, Inc. (Longchamp) applied for and received a $1,379,972 PPP loan. Under the eligibility rules in effect at that time, businesses with more than 300 employees were not eligible for PPP loans. Applicants were instructed that the 300-employee limit was inclusive of the applicant’s affiliates, including affiliates whose employees were based outside the United States. In its loan application, Longchamp certified that it was eligible for the loan and that it employed no more than 300 employees. However, Longchamp was not eligible for the loan because, inclusive of its affiliates and their foreign employees, it had more than 300 employees. After receiving the PPP loan, Longchamp sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loan, plus interest that had accrued. The United States also paid an associated lender processing fee of $41,399.
Longchamp fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, Longchamp paid the United States $1,997,110. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator’s share was $199,710.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thandiwe Boylan of the Health Care Fraud & Opioid Enforcement Unit in Newark, with assistance from Trial Attorney Denise Grugan of the Office of Capital Access, U.S. Small Business Administration.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Longchamp USA, Inc., Civil Action No. 24-4488 (D.N.J.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Counsel for Longchamp USA, Inc.: Justin C. Danilewitz, Esq., Philadelphia, P.A.
Counsel for Relator GNGH2 Inc.: David Abrams, Esq., New York, NY
longchamp.agreement.pdfEunice Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography; Investigation Linked Defendant’s Address to ChatroomRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On July 21, 2026, Scott Martel, 36, of Eunice, pled guilty in federal court to Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2). Martel faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the charges. His sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2026.
“Protecting children from sexual exploitation is one of the highest priorities of this Office,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “We will continue working alongside our federal partners to bring offenders who engage in this despicable conduct to speedy justice.”
According to court documents, FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) agents began investigating Martel in March of 2025 after identifying communications in a Chatib chatroom that described the graphic sexual acts he intended to commit with minors. These chats connected Martel to his residential address. Agents then executed a search warrant at his home during which Martel acknowledged his involvement in this activity. During the search, agents discovered additional electronic evidence showing that Martel knowingly received illegal images, including of a young child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The investigation established that Martel used multiple online platforms and electronic devices over a period of time to commit these offenses.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Cassidy, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon.
This case was investigated as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the 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.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 6:26 cr 00095 01.
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Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
[email protected]
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Employee who Embezzled $1 Million from St. Louis County Restaurant Sentenced to 21 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Tuesday sentenced a man who embezzled just over $1 million from a St. Louis County restaurant to 21 months in prison.
Judge Sippel also ordered Matthew Braasch, 48, to repay the money.Braasch pleaded guilty in April to one count of wire fraud. He admitted that while a manager of a restaurant in Grantwood Village, in St. Louis County, Missouri, he misused the company credit card to make personal purchases. Braasch was supposed to only use the company credit card for food and to pay state liquor and other taxes. Instead, Braasch spent $81,965 at Target, $29,801 at the Vineyard Vines clothing store, $39,634 at Amazon and over $10,000 on local hotel stays for an acquaintance. Due to the embezzlement, the restaurant lacked money to buy food and pay state taxes. During a state investigation, Braasch posed as the restaurant’s owner to conceal his crime, his plea says.
Braasch began stealing to enrich himself during the pandemic, when many restaurants struggled and closed, a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman says.
In court, Wiseman said Braasch was the gatekeeper of the restaurant’s funds, and no money would have been stolen without him “allowing it to happen.” Braasch stole from the restaurant and then pretended to be the owner and took out loans “all to conceal his theft,” Wiseman said.
“Matthew Braasch’s greed didn’t just betray the trust placed in him, it nearly cost an iconic restaurant its future. By stealing more than $1 million, he inflicted a financial blow that almost put the business under,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Strong financial controls are key to prevent the opportunity to embezzle. When the same employee is responsible for both authorizing and reconciling payments, it creates an opportunity to cook the books. Separating those responsibilities is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent fraud.”
The FBI, with assistance from the Missouri Department of Revenue, Criminal Tax Investigation Bureau, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Sentenced to 5 Years of Imprisonment for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Dominican National Sentenced to 5 Years of Imprisonment for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy
CONCORD – Carlo de los Santos Ruiz, a.k.a. “Julio,” 29, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 60 months in federal prison and 4 years of supervised release yesterday, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. In March, Santos Ruiz pleaded guilty to a single-count Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 or more grams of crack cocaine and 40 or more grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2024 and June 2025, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) based in Massachusetts and operating in New Hampshire. During the course of the conspiracy, the DTO trafficked crack cocaine and fentanyl. The defendant led the DTO and operated the various dispatch lines that drug buyers called to order drugs. He also personally distributed drugs on behalf of the DTO. Last June, law enforcement arrested the defendant and one of his co-defendants at the defendant’s home in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Parked near the home was a car used to traffic drugs that contained more than 400 combined grams of crack cocaine and fentanyl.
“Granite Staters deserve safe, drug-free communities, and I’m proud of the hard work of our state and federal law enforcement partners on the front lines. By investigating and interdicting traffickers like this defendant, we can take dangerous drugs like crack cocaine and fentanyl off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Carlo Santos Ruiz’s conduct and the harm he and his drug trafficking organization inflicted on communities in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “By leading a drug-trafficking organization and personally distributing significant quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl, he contributed directly to the dangers these drugs pose. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle organizations that pump poison into our neighborhoods and ensure those involved with them are brought to justice.”
The FBI’s Major Offender Task Force led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department and DEA provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon prosecuted the case.
DHS Employee Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining $478,000 VA-Backed MortgageRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employee has been arrested and charged for allegedly committing wire fraud and submitting false statements in a mortgage application seeking a mortgage backed by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA).
Schleider Aristhyl, 30, of Warwick, R.I., a military veteran and DHS employee, was charged with wire fraud and false statement in a mortgage application. The defendant was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today.
According to the charging documents, in October 2024, Aristhyl submitted two falsified documents that purported to be from the VA with his application seeking a VA-backed mortgage in the amount of $478,000 from private lender. The first fraudulent document stated that Aristhyl had received a VA disability rating of 100% and that he was receiving monthly disability benefits of over $3,000 per month. It is alleged that the document was falsified and that Aristhyl had no VA disability rating at the time of his application and he was not receiving any monthly disability benefits from the VA in October of 2024.
The second fraudulent document allegedly purported to be a VA certificate stating that Aristhyl was exempt from paying a “funding fee” to the VA. Veterans applying for a VA-backed mortgage are typically required to pay a funding fee to the VA, unless they are deemed exempt under VA rules. It is alleged that the document was falsified and that Aristhyl was not exempt from paying the funding fee, which was over $10,000.
Relying on the misrepresentations in these false documents the lender issued a mortgage loan in the amount of $478,000 to Aristhyl on Oct. 25, 2024 and the VA issued a loan guarantee backing a portion of the mortgage on Jan. 21, 2025.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of false statement in a mortgage application provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes 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.
Crestwood Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics-Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Crestwood man was sentenced on July 20, 2026, to 6 years and 5 months in federal prison for narcotics-related offenses.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Marie Maguire of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Matthew Ryan Elkins, age 41, of Crestwood, Kentucky, was sentenced to 6 years and 5 months for tampering with consumer products, acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deceit, and subterfuge and burglary involving controlled substances. The Court also imposed a $15,000 fine and three years on supervised release following his incarceration. Elkins also forfeited his Kentucky nursing licenses.
Elkins’ convictions stem from an arrest on March 21, 2024, by LMPD. Elkins, a contract nurse anesthetist for a Louisville pain treatment center, was caught by patrol officers in the act of burglarizing the pain treatment center and removing controlled substances intended for patients.
Patients of the pain treatment center were typically palliative care patients, patients with histories of cancer, spinal injuries, brain injuries, failed back surgeries, or other severe diseases. Intrathecal pain pumps were implanted to treat these patients, for whom all other therapies had proven ineffective. The liquid medications in these pumps were refilled periodically using a pre-filled syringe containing pain medicine, bearing the patient’s name and filled according to each patient’s needs. Prior to filling the patient’s pump, the pre-filled syringe was stored in the office safe.
Elkins admitted to LMPD officers that he had been removing narcotics from the office twice a week for at least three months. Elkins described how he would remove pain medications from pre-filled syringes (intended for specific patients’ pain pumps), deposit the pain meds into a separate vial, and save them for personal use. After removing the pain medications from the syringes, Elkins would refill them with sodium chloride and place them back in the safe in an attempt to evade detection. As a result, patients received heavily diluted and adulterated medications. Elkins’ actions caused patients to suffer extreme pain, sickness, and other withdrawal symptoms.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Matthew Elkins abused the trust of his patients and this community by stealing essential medications from vulnerable victims, tampering with their medications to avoid detection, and causing them severe injury. Today’s sentence is the result of seamless cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement and reaffirms our commitment to seek justice for vulnerable victims.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Kentucky Office of the Inspector General, Drug Enforcement and Professional Practices Branch.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin McKenzie prosecuted the case.
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Convicted Felon on State Probation Sentenced to 10 Years on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kuron Christopher Grant, 23, of Asheville, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm in Asheville, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Grant’s 10-year sentence will run at the expiration of his North Carolina sentence for violating his state probation.
“I have no patience for those that are given a second chance and return to a life of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We cannot give people unlimited chances when it comes to selling drugs and guns—a dangerous combination. Mr. Grant will have another decade in federal prison to think about that.”
According to filed documents and court proceedings, while Grant was on probation for 2024 state convictions of carrying a concealed gun, common law robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Grant for suspected drug trafficking in Buncombe County. Court records show that, between August and September 2025, on six occasions, Grant sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to law enforcement, as well as firearms, including a stolen AR rifle. On November 4, 2025, law enforcement arrested Grant and found in his backpack a short, barreled rifle fitted with an extended magazine. In total, according to court records, Grant was responsible for distributing more than 119 grams of pure methamphetamine and more than 181 grams of fentanyl and had illegally possessed three firearms.
Grant is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possessing Loaded Firearm with Extended Magazines After Fleeing Traffic StopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Robert D'Angelo Poteat, 40, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 33 months in prison in connection with illegally possessing a loaded firearm and high-capacity magazines that were recovered after he fled from a police traffic stop, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Poteat pleaded guilty on April 22, 2026, before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the 33-month prison sentence, Judge Kelly ordered Poteat to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court papers, at about 12:35 a.m. on Dec. 22, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped a pickup truck that Poteat was driving in the 2400 block of 14th Street, NW for a lane violation. An officer saw a firearm with an extended magazine in plain view on the passenger side floorboard and called for backup. As additional officers arrived and one opened the driver's side door, Poteat sped off at a high rate of speed. Officers later identified Poteat from department records as the driver who fled.
About two hours later, officers found the truck parked in the 800 block of Princeton Place NW with Poteat unconscious in the driver's seat. Officers called MPD's Emergency Response Team, which established contact with Poteat and ordered him out of the vehicle. Poteat exited with a cross-body satchel and a firearm tucked into his waistband.
Officers recovered a loaded .40-caliber Glock 23 with an extended, 29-round magazine from his waistband, and a 50-round drum magazine and a 15-round magazine from the satchel.
Poteat was previously convicted in D.C. Superior Court of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in two separate cases, including a 2015 case in which he was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 18 months of supervised probation.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Office investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Travis Wolf and Lauren Ibanez.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Officers recovered a loaded .40-caliber Glock 23 with an extended, 29-round magazine.
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Convicted Drug Trafficker on Probation Sentenced to 15 Years for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A convicted drug trafficker on probation was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert James Salyards, 52, of Claremont, N.C., was ordered to serve five years of supervised release after he completes the prison term.
“Career criminals like Salyards are fueling addiction and ruining communities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “By removing him from the streets, we have, as he admitted, put an end to at least 50 drugs sales every week.”
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Salyards was on state parole for a drug conviction. On February 25, 2025, officers with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office stopped Salyards’ vehicle for driving at excessive speed. During the stop, the officers observed a glass meth pipe at the front console. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, the officers found in the center console a clear plastic bag containing 111 grams of methamphetamine. They also located an eye glass case containing a plastic bag with 3.7 grams of methamphetamine. On the driver’s seat of the vehicle there was a bag containing another clear plastic bag with 26 grams of methamphetamine. During the investigation, Salyards admitted to selling methamphetamine, and that he made approximately 50 drug sales per week.
Due to Salyards’ multiple prior convictions, including Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell, or Distribute Methamphetamine, he was sentenced as a career criminal.
Salyards is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Hickory Police Department for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Canton Man Sentenced to 15+ Years in Prison for Meth and Heroin Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A 45-year-old man was sentenced to prison for his role in operating a drug trafficking enterprise out of his restaurant and home in Summit County.
Jerrick Jermain Daniels, of Canton, was sentenced to 180 months (15.6 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in March to:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
- Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; prior convictions include Possession of Cocaine in 2002 and 2005, Felonious Assault in 2007, and Trafficking in Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine and Possession of Heroin in 2014.
- Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Daniels was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, agents were investigating suspected drug trafficking taking place in Summit County, Ohio, when Daniels was identified as a suspect. In May 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at his residence located on Navarre Road and at his restaurant on Fremont, both located in Canton. In total, the following items were seized during the investigation:
- Bond Arms Roughneck .45 ACP handgun
- Springfield XD-9 handgun with a loaded magazine
- Smith and Wesson M&P handgun, with an extended magazine
- Carina RTA 12-gauge shotgun
- Glock 48 handgun
- Glock 42 handgun
- Glock 17 handgun
- Springfield XD-9 handgun
- Taurus G2C handgun
- Two digital scales with residue
- 156.74 grams of heroin
- 138.475 grams of pure methamphetamine
- Packing materials from the narcotics
Daniels later admitted possessing the narcotics with the intent to distribute them and that he used the firearms to further his drug trafficking operation.
This case was investigated by the FBI Canton Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
Burlington, Vermont Man Sentenced to 97 Months for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on July 21, 2026, Stephen Lane, 57, of Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 97 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 15-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Reiss also imposed a $10,000 assessment to be paid to the Child Pornography Victims Reserve and a $5,000 assessment to be paid to the Domestic Trafficking Victims’ Fund. Lane previously pleaded guilty to distributing a video of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
According to court records, between September 26, 2024, and October 9, 2024, defendant Lane corresponded with an undercover U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) special agent, who purported to be a 13-year-old living in Korea with her family. Lane engaged in messaging through social media websites and internet-based platforms, seeking to have the purported teenage girl produce and send CSAM. Army CID coordinated with the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations, who then executed a search warrant at Lane’s residence on October 10, 2024. A subsequent review of Lane’s electronic devices revealed that Lane was corresponding with multiple people over the internet, seeking media files and/or video chats depicting CSAM involving teenage girls. One of these people indicated they were 17 years old. Lane asked this person to produce CSAM, and during the exchange, sent a 28-second video of a child under the age of 16 exposing herself. Lane was initially charged in Vermont Superior Court. Upon his federal arrest in December 2025, Lane was found to be in violation of his state release conditions, including by using the messaging component of a meditation cellphone application to contact other users who he believed looked like young girls.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and Detectives of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ophardt. Lane was represented by Jessica L. Burke, Esq., and Sara M. Puls, Esq.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanylRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Giovanni Rosa, 32, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Between January and February 2025, Rosa conspired with others to sell fentanyl in the Buffalo area. Investigators conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Rosa between January 30 and February 27, 2025. For each of the controlled purchases, Rosa would acquire approximately an ounce of fentanyl from his source of supply.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo/Rochester comprises agents and officers from HSI, the FBI, DEA, ATF, and IRS-CI, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett Fitzsimmons. The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 16, 2026, before Judge Sinatra.
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Birmingham Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Possession of Illegal DrugsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man has been sentenced for possession of illegal drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
U.S. District Judge Annmarie C. Axon sentenced Deverick Dewayne Croom, 35, to 63 months in prison. In April, Croom pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“Keeping violent offenders and illegal drugs out of our communities remains a top priority,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “I am grateful to our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for their continued commitment to holding dangerous offenders accountable and keeping the citizens of the Northern District of Alabama safe.”
“As in this case, domestic violence involving firearms is particularly concerning and often links to further criminal activity that affects the victims and our communities as a whole,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet. “Today’s sentencing underscores the importance of holding individuals accountable who recklessly engage in criminal acts of violence, illegally possess firearms, and distribute narcotics.”
According to the court documents, on August 12, 2020, an officer with the Birmingham Police Department responded to a domestic violence call. The victim reported that Croom had assaulted and strangled her, shot at her, and took her phone and money. Law enforcement officers went to a Birmingham hotel to locate Croom. After knocking on the hotel room door and receiving no response, officers entered and found the room unoccupied. While in the room, they observed suspected marijuana and pills containing methamphetamine on the dresser and a loaded Windham Weaponry AR-style rifle in the closet. A short time later, Croom returned to the hotel and officers encountered him in the lobby. Croom was detained in connection with the domestic violence complaint and the suspected narcotics. It was subsequently discovered that Croom had active arrest warrants issued by the City of Birmingham. When Croom was detained, he had a hotel room key in his hand and the victim’s phone in his pocket. The officer returned to the room and seized 10 bags of marijuana (each containing approximately 3.5 grams of the drug), more than 200 pills containing methamphetamine, and the AR-style rifle. Croom was then arrested for possession of a controlled substance and domestic violence by strangulation or suffocation.
ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Baltimore County Felon Sentenced for Federal Drug-and-Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal judge sentenced a Baltimore County man to prison, today, in connection with drug-and-firearm charges related to a federal drug investigation.
U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Jacque “Hammer” Brown, 50, of Randallstown, Maryland, to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, after law enforcement recovered 500 grams of fentanyl and two firearms from his home.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to court documents, in March 2025, the DEA began investigating Brown after learning that he was dealing fentanyl in the Baltimore region. After investigators identified Brown’s vehicles and Randallstown residence, the court authorized law enforcement to conduct electronic surveillance over his vehicles and cellular phone.
In April 2025, investigators observed a meeting between Brown and his drug supplier. It appeared that Brown engaged in a re-up with his supplier. A few days after the meeting, investigators saw Brown meet with multiple suspected drug customers throughout the day. Later that evening, law enforcement observed Brown leave his residence with a plastic bag of suspected drugs. When Brown left in his vehicle, investigators initiated a traffic stop.
During the traffic stop, a K-9 officer responded to the scene, scanned the vehicle, and positively detected the presence of narcotics. After the positive alert, Brown, who was standing with a patrol officer, ran away from the traffic stop. As he fled, Brown threw a clear plastic bag. Then investigators quickly apprehended Brown, placing him under arrest.
After apprehending Brown, investigators retraced his steps and discovered a clear plastic bag that contained 15 grams of fentanyl on the ground. Officers also recovered a cellphone from Brown and three additional cellphones from his vehicle.
Following Brown’s arrest, law enforcement executed a search warrant on his Randallstown residence. Investigators searched Brown’s room, recovering 500 grams of fentanyl in multiple plastic bags; multiple digital scales; a hydraulic press; and sifters with drug residue. Law enforcement also found two firearms, a loaded 9mm Ruger, and a Mossberg Maverick 12-gauge shotgun. Brown, who is a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Additionally, investigators searched one of Brown’s phones and discovered messages between Brown and his fentanyl supplier. The messages revealed that Brown and his fentanyl supplier discussed the high potency of the fentanyl, and that Brown infused cutting agents in the narcotic to reduce the risk of overdosing.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Miner and Ari D. Evans who prosecuted this federal 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.
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Austin Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 220 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl while in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on March 24, 2023, Daltha Ray Terrell, aka Goo Ray, 31, presented himself to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm claiming that someone had shot him. Officers secured his car and obtained a search warrant. Located within the car were approximately 636 blue pills with “M-30” markings. Officers also discovered two firearms.
Further investigation revealed that Terrell was not shot by another individual but had shot himself when attempting to pull his firearm from his jacket. Additionally, the pills found in his vehicle tested positive for fentanyl.
Months later, on Dec. 1, 2023, officers responded to an overdose on an Austin Capital Metro bus. The victim was declared deceased after efforts to revive him failed, and officers located a small amount of crushed blue powder that field tested for fentanyl. Video surveillance reflected that the deceased victim had boarded the bus near Terrell’s residence. Evidence from the victim’s phone and CashApp revealed that Terrell was the victim’s dealer. Autopsy results opined that “fentanyl toxicity” was the sole cause of the victim’s death.
A state search warrant at Terrell’s residence resulted in the discovery of approximately 2,000 blue ''M-30" pills suspected to contain fentanyl, two handguns—one of which was equipped with a machinegun conversion device—and a shotgun that was later discovered to be stolen in a home invasion robbery one month prior to the execution of the search warrant.
The investigation revealed that from June 6, 2023, until the date of Terrell’s arrest on May 22, 2024, Terrell engaged in the unbroken distribution of fentanyl in excess of 400 grams. Terrell pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2026, to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Austin Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Gardner prosecuted the case.
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Armed Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – An Atlanta, Georgia man was sentenced to 420 months in prison for engaging in a yearslong methamphetamine-trafficking conspiracy, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a weeklong federal jury trial in October 2025, Kenyatta Lee Frazier, 45, manufactured and distributed tens of thousands of pressed methamphetamine pills throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi between September 2022 and August 2024. The jury reviewed numerous photos and videos of the pills that Frazier took with his cell phones after manufacturing them with an illegal pill press machine. Frazier marketed and sold the pills as “ecstasy” to his various customers.
In April 2023, agents arrested Frazier and a coconspirator during a traffic stop in Mobile after they had delivered 2,000 pressed methamphetamine pills to a customer in Mississippi. A court-authorized CCTV recording device installed in the truck in which Frazier was a passenger captured Frazier discussing drug deals, illicit profits, and the quality of his so-called “ecstasy” pills with coconspirators. When agents searched the truck, they found a loaded .380 caliber pistol that Frazier had concealed behind the plastic molding in the floorboard area near where he had been sitting. The pistol had previously been reported stolen out of Pinellas County, Florida.
The jury reviewed text messages in which Frazier had shared photos of the same pistol in an effort to sell it, as well as a recorded jail call in which Frazier admitted that he “stuffed” the pistol so that police would not find it. At the time Frazier illegally possessed the pistol, he previously had been convicted of at least eight felonies, including robbery, aggravated assault, firearms offenses, thefts, and drug crimes.
In addition to the 420-month prison sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Frazier to serve a ten-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time Frazier will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Frazier to pay $300 in special assessments and forfeited Frazier’s .380 caliber pistol to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller and George May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Mobile comprises agents and officers from, among others, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Arizona Man Sentenced in D.C. to 100 Months for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Murphy, 37, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 100 months in prison in connection with distributing child sexual abuse materials, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Murphy pleaded guilty on March 16, 2026, before Judge Royce C. Lamberth to one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to the 100-month prison sentence, Judge Lamberth ordered Murphy to serve 10 years of supervised release. Murphy will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court papers, on various occasions, Murphy used two encrypted messaging applications – Signal and Telegram – to distribute and receive child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), including materials involving extremely young children.
In addition to his receipt and distribution of CSAM, Murphy was a member of several Signal groups that were primarily used for the sharing of CSAM. Murphy also hosted and attended Zoom video meetings to connect with other “pedos” and view and exchange CSAM. In chat messages recovered by law enforcement, Murphy talked about building his “collection” of child pornography, ultimately possessing thousands of images and videos on his devices, all of which were discovered following his arrest.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Kelley.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Amarillo man charged with conspiracy to provide firearms to the Sinaloa Cartel and others charged with related crimesRead the Press Release
AMARILLO, Texas — United States Attorney Ryan Raybould announced that a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned a twelve-count indictment against an Amarillo man for conspiracy to provide firearms to the Sinaloa Cartel and three others charged with related crimes on June 25.
Loyd Walter Hall, 27, of Amarillo, is charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for importation into the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and several counts of providing false material statements to a firearms dealer, and conspiracy to straw purchase and traffic firearms. Jesus Quezada Meza, 30, a Mexican national living in Dumas, Texas, and Omar Velasquez, 44, of Utah, are each charged with conspiracy to straw purchase firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. Catlynn Ann Townsend, 29, of Amarillo, is charged with making a false statement in required information kept by a licensed firearms dealer.
From 2024 to 2026, Hall and several of his co-conspirators maintained a relationship with a member of the Sinaloa Cartel in Chihuahua, Mexico. Through this relationship, Hall provided firearms, technical know-how, and guidance on evading U.S. law enforcement to the Sinaloa Cartel despite his awareness of the Cartel’s status as a foreign terrorist organization. Hall worked with named and unnamed co-conspirators to accomplish this objective.
“Every firearm trafficked from the United States to a cartel strengthens its ability to terrorize communities, secure drug operations, engage in corruption, and commit international fuel theft,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This case highlights my office’s commitment to dismantling all the cartels’ criminal networks. We won’t stop until the cartels and those who aid and abet them are completely eradicated.”
“The allegations in this indictment describe not only the illegal trafficking of firearms to a designated foreign terrorist organization, but also efforts to provide the Sinaloa Cartel with guidance on bypassing U.S. firearms laws and avoiding law enforcement detection,” said Brian Garner, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Dallas Field Division. “Individuals who knowingly arm violent criminal organizations and help them exploit our laws threaten the safety and security of communities on both sides of the border. ATF remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, local, and international law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who support transnational criminal organizations.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to disrupting and dismantling the criminal networks that threaten our communities and national security,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “This indictment demonstrates the strength of our partnerships and our resolve to hold accountable those who traffic firearms and provide material support to violent cartels. HSI will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that those who endanger American lives face justice.”
Each defendant has made an initial appearance in court.
If convicted, Hall faces up to a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Meza and Velasquez each face up to 15 years in federal prison. Townsend faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI and the Amarillo Police Department.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The outstanding defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Monday 20 July 2026
Virginia Man Found Guilty of Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A district court judge today convicted a local tax preparer and Franconia museum guide of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over multiple years.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in December of 2022, law enforcement began an undercover investigation into a user who was requesting CSAM files on the peer-to-peer file sharing network, Freenet. Further investigation revealed that the user was Nathaniel Carey Lee, 39, of Springfield. In June of 2024, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant and seized multiple devices which were later found to contain a large volume of images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In an interview with law enforcement, Lee admitted to possessing approximately 4 million images of CSAM and/or child erotica.
Following a bench trial, Lee was convicted on two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Clement for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
The HSI Washington, DC Field Office investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Seizes More than 1,000 Internet Domains Used to Illegally Stream World Cup 2026 MatchesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today the successful seizure of more than 1,000 domains that were engaged in the unauthorized streaming of matches in the FIFA World Cup Finals in violation of U.S. copyright law. These seizures occurred over three separate actions during the World Cup, which include the nearly 400 sites seized by the end of last month, and were based on investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.
“The sustained effort to seize more than a thousand domains dedicated to illegally streaming the World Cup confirms the administration’s commitment to intellectual property rights and to the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Operation Offsides is part of the Department’s ongoing effort to protect copyright while reducing the risk to American consumers from the malicious software embedded in many illicit streaming services.”
““The unauthorized broadcast of World Cup matches violates intellectual property rights and fuels criminal organizations,” said Director Ivan J. Arvelo of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. “Through Operation Offsides and strong partnerships with law enforcement and the private sector, we identified and seized hundreds of domains, disrupting those who steal and distribute copyrighted content. Our ongoing efforts ensure that the excitement of the World Cup reaches fans through legitimate, secure channels.”
“Streaming content from illicit websites opens your devices to unknown risks. Criminals operating these unauthorized platforms are already willing to break the law when they stream copyrighted World Cup games, they might also be planning to inject malware or steal your payment information,” said Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of HSI. “Protect your online presence and enjoy the finals with official streaming partners.”
According to an affidavit in support of a seizure warrant which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the seized domains were used to illegally offer users copyright-protected content in the form of real-time streams of 2026 World Cup matches as they are being played and first broadcast. In support of the application for seizure authority, HSI special agents confirmed that the seized domains were actively broadcasting World Cup matches without authorization. The seized domains were identified with assistance of FIFA, with further supporting information provided by beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Motion Picture Association’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and Warner Brothers. FIFA is the international governing body of association football (soccer) and holds the exclusive rights to sanction and stage the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is being hosted in multiple cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Banner posted on seized sites.In addition to the U.S. actions, law enforcement authorities across the Western Hemisphere, in coordination with the Justice Department’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program, carried out extensive enforcement actions as part of “Operation Red Card” to combat digital piracy and counterfeiting linked to the World Cup. The ICHIP for Internet-Based Fraud and Public Health and ICHIP São Paulo coordinated efforts among Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru, including a two-day intergovernmental meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, from July 1 and 2, with the Colombian Attorney General’s Cybercrime Unit, Specialized Directorate Against Organized Crime, and HSI Attaché offices. These coordinated actions resulted in the blocking of hundreds of illegal streaming sites, including 14 in Argentina, 223 in Ecuador, 28 in Peru, 309 in Brazil, 256 in the Dominican Republic, and 1,140 in Colombia. Colombian authorities also conducted 13 nationwide search-and-seizure operations targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit sports apparel, leading to 11 arrests and convictions.
Building on a first phase on June 17 targeting counterfeit sports apparel in Colombia, authorities launched Phase II of Operation Red Card on July 10, executing simultaneous operations in Colombia including in Bogotá, Soacha, Maríalabaja, Manatí, and Sincerín. An ICHIP-mentored cybercrime prosecutorial team from the Colombian Attorney General’s Office arrested four members of the cybercriminal group Los Ciberinfiltrados, which since 2024 had illegally accessed telecommunication systems and sold pirated streaming content, including World Cup matches, via fraudulent credentials, VPNs, interception of security codes, and manipulation of corporate system profiles. In addition, ICHIP Bucharest coordinated efforts with Europol and foreign counterparts in Europe to combat illegal streaming activities in Europe during the World Cup.
The U.S. action is part of Operation Offsides, which focuses on disrupting illegal World Cup streaming and protecting intellectual property rights by identifying and seizing websites facilitating unauthorized broadcasts. Operation Offsides is led by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, targeting digital piracy domains associated with the World Cup. The operation is being conducted in coordination with HSI Washington, D.C., HSI Attaché offices, as well as private sector and law enforcement partners globally. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Mercer for the Eastern District of Virgina, Senior Counsel Brian Mund, Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose, and Acting Deputy Chief Christopher Merriam of the of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are assisting.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
The Justice Department is providing intellectual property and cybercrime technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in other countries through the ICHIP program. Learn more about the Department’s ICHIP Program, jointly administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and CCIPS through partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, here.
United States Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Alexandria Bullock (46, Wimauma) has pleaded guilty to theft by a postal employee. Bullock faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, Bullock entered duty with the U.S. Postal Service in April 2019. While on her mail route, she knowingly and unlawfully embezzled items of mail entrusted to her, including checks payable to individuals, charities, and legal entities. Bullock then changed the payee line of the checks she stole to her own name and subsequently deposited the altered checks into her bank account.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Two Men Charged with Kidnapping U.S. Forest Service Employees After Fifteen-Hour StandoffRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and Phoenix Henrichsen, 23, were arrested today and charged with kidnapping federal employees in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, the defendants kidnapped two U.S. Forest Service employees who were conducting field work near Gumboot Lake Campground in a remote area of Siskiyou County. The employees were abducted at gunpoint, bound, and taken to a trailer where they were held for the next 15 hours.
At one point, Joseph used one of the victim’s phones to place a call in which he stated that he had “taken two fed [employees] hostage from the Forest Service,” that one of the victims was “ziptied,” with [their] hands “behind [their] [expletive] back,” and that he had “live rounds ready to [expletive] anyone who [expletives] with me.”
This call prompted a large-scale law enforcement response involving local, state, and federal resources. After a 15-hour standoff, negotiators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hostage Rescue Team secured the release of both victims and the surrender of the suspects. Both are in custody.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Land Management, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, the Mt. Shasta Police Department, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Human Smuggling Guides Sentenced After Woman Dies in New Mexico DesertRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Mexican nationals were sentenced to federal prison for their roles as foot guides in a human smuggling operation that resulted in the death of a 26-year-old woman who was left behind in the New Mexico desert.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on August 7, 2024, United States Border Patrol agents in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, discovered 13 undocumented noncitizens hiding in the desert near New Mexico State Road 9 after they illegally entered the United States from Mexico. Agents later learned that another individual traveling with the group had been left behind and needed medical attention. When agents responded to the area, agents located 26-year-old Evelyn Esmeralda Villalta-Marquez deceased in the desert. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined Villalta-Marquez’s cause of death was hyperthermia due to environmental heat exposure.
During the investigation, agents determined Gustavo Joachin-Hernandez, 37, a Mexican national who had previously been deported, and Israel Gonzalez-Cruz, 36, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States, acted as foot guides for the group and were responsible for leading 12 undocumented noncitizens for approximately five and a half hours through desert terrain in temperatures reaching approximately 97 degrees. Joachin-Hernandez admitted that Villalta-Marquez struggled to keep up with the group due to the heat, that he assisted her to the pickup location, and that she was still alive but in bad shape when he left her behind to continue with the smuggling operation. Joachin-Hernandez further admitted he had worked as a foot guide for a human smuggling organization since November 2023 and expected to be paid $2,000 Mexican pesos for each illegal alien that he assisted in being successfully smuggled to a stash house.
Joachin-Hernandez and Gonzalez-Cruz pled guilty to conspiracy to transport an illegal alien and were sentenced to 46 months in prison. Upon their release from prison, they will be subject to deportation.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, made the announcement today.
HSI Las Cruces investigated this case with assistance from the United States Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Castellano prosecuted the case.
Three Illegal Aliens from Mexico Plead Guilty for Their Roles in an International Conspiracy to Smuggle Aliens from Canada into the U.S.Read the Press Release
Three illegal aliens from Mexico pleaded guilty today to being part of an international alien smuggling organization (ASO) that illegally brought aliens from Mexico and Central and South America across the northern border with Canada into the United States for profit.
According to court documents, Ignacio Diaz-Perez, 37, Samuel Diaz-Perez, 27, and Salvador Diaz-Diaz, 34, all of whom are illegal aliens from Mexico, were part of an ASO that brought hundreds of illegal aliens into the United States. Once the illegal aliens were inside the U.S., the ASO employed drivers to pick them up and drive them further into the country. The defendants personally participated in and coordinated smuggling events with other leaders of the ASO. During one smuggling event in May 2023, a van carrying illegal aliens led border patrol agents on a high-speed chase. Border Patrol had to stop their pursuit due to the risk to the public. Ultimately the local sheriff’s department used a tire deflation device to stop the vehicle after it failed to yield.
“Human smuggling threatens our national security in multiple ways, including the risks to public safety that take place when alien smugglers further ignore our laws and lead agents on dangerous high-speed pursuits,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants undermined the integrity of our border, disobeyed our traffic and public safety laws, and put ordinary citizens at risk. In short, for their own greed, they jeopardized the safety of the public and the illegal aliens they were smuggling. They will now answer for these offenses.”
“These defendants attempted to exploit our nation’s laws by unlawfully smuggling aliens into the United States through the northern border,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Through the outstanding efforts of the United States Border Patrol and their partners at Homeland Security Investigations, these smugglers have been brought to justice. They will no longer profit from exploiting vulnerable individuals or undermining the security of the American people.”
“I have seen firsthand the dangers and tragedies that result from human smuggling operations”, said Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Smugglers routinely put lives at risk, exposing vulnerable individuals to dangerous conditions, exploitation, and even death. This case sends a clear message that those who profit from smuggling human beings across our border will be held accountable. HSI remains committed to working with our partners to disrupt these criminal networks and protect the safety and dignity of every person.”
“Alien smuggling organizations prey on the most vulnerable without regard for human safety,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato of Border Patrol Swanton Sector. “Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the dedicated men and women of U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector will continue to investigate these human smuggling rings and hold them accountable for their actions. The message is clear, if you attempt to break immigration law, you will be arrested, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ignacio Diaz-Perez and Samuel Diaz-Perez each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and six counts of aliens smuggling for financial gain. Salvador Diaz-Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five counts of aliens smuggling for financial gain. They are scheduled to be sentenced on November 23. They face a minimum penalty of five years in prison and maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendant Edgar Sanchez-Solis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five counts of alien smuggling for private financial gain on May 7. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10.
HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol (BP) Burke Station investigated the case, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 419 U.S. convictions; more than 363 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
Texarkana man sentenced to federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas for possessing firearm equipped with an illegal Glock-switchRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Texarkana man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jakeem Butler, 25, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III on July 20, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on December 31, 2024, Butler was stopped for a traffic violation in Texarkana. During the stop, officers detected the strong odor of marijuana leading to a search of the vehicle. During the search, officers located a firearm equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device, also commonly referred to as a Glock-switch. Machinegun conversion devices are small mechanisms that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a firearm, converting a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texarkana, Texas, Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards.
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