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Friday 13 June 2025
United States Attorney’s Office Statement on Upcoming ProtestsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Ahead of planned protests in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States Attorney’s Office will uphold the central principles of freedom of expression and the rule of law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has been in communication with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to offer our support, and our assurance that violations of federal law, to include inciting a riot, engaging in civil disorder, destroying federal property, assaulting police and federal personnel, or unlawful possession of firearms, will be met with federal charges.
“The guarantees of the First Amendment end at the point of violence against persons or property,” said United States Attorney David Metcalf. “Those who cross that line against any federal officers or facilities in upcoming protests should expect arrest and prosecution. The Department of Justice is committed, as always, to working with our partners at all levels to uphold public safety, including the safety of law enforcement officers.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 116 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 116 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On June 9, Alejandro Garcia Rivera and Angel Bel Tran Zamora, both Mexican citizens, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting after they were intercepted by the U.S. Coast guard off Point Loma as alleged captains of a smuggling boat; Gerardo Bejarano-Velazquez - who was also aboard the boat and had been previously deported to Mexico in 2018 in Nogales, Arizona - was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation. Two other passengers were being held as material witnesses.
- On June 10, 2025, Jose Pablo Lopez Lopez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, when the defendant attempted to cross the border in his vehicle at the Tecate Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 113 packages containing 122 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the door panels, spare tire, firewall and passenger seats.
- On June 10, Juan Moreno Morales, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, he tried to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry aboard an ambulance. The defendant eventually admitted to using a bogus medical emergency as a scheme to enter the United States illegally. Moreno Morales was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and 2023.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On June 9, Reymond Arias Valdez, a national of the Dominican Republic, who has multiple felony convictions for narcotics distribution in Massachusetts, was sentenced in federal court to 18 months in custody for illegally entering the U.S. In addition, Arias-Valdez has a previous felony unlawful reentry of a deported alien conviction from 2020.
- On June 13, Carlos Fernando Gallegos-Camacho, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of being a deported alien found in the United States in 2022 and 2010, was sentenced in federal court to nine months in custody for again reentering the U.S. illegally.
- On June 13, 2025, Monica Valdivia Ramirez, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 56 months in prison for importation of over 86,000 fentanyl pills into the United States, with an estimated street value of more than $800,000. She was found guilty by a federal jury in February.
- On June 13, 2025, Francisco Luevano-Casillas - a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony cocaine trafficking - was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for illegally reentering the U.S. after deportation in May 2008. For the 2008 drug offense, Luevano-Casillas was sentenced to 96 months in prison.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 78 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 36 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 66 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for burglary, alien smuggling, DUI, and reentry of a deported alien.
In one significant case, Georgina Ramirez was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a two-count indictment charging conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and high speed flight from a checkpoint. In September 2023, Ramirez was transporting four illegal aliens from El Paso, Texas to Deming, New Mexico, when she fled from a Border Patrol checkpoint on I-10 west of Las Cruces, New Mexico. After traveling several miles, she stopped the vehicle in the median of the interstate, telling the group of aliens to run. While fleeing, one of the aliens was struck and killed by an oncoming semi-truck.
In a similar case, Ulysses Uriel Chanez was arrested and initialed on charges arising from an incident on April 8, 2025. Chanez entered the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Otero County, New Mexico at a high rate of speed, failed to stop, and fled from agents at speeds exceeding 100 mph. Because of the risk to the agents and the public, the chase was discontinued and Chanez was not apprehended. Chanez was charged by criminal complaint with high-speed flight from checkpoint and was arrested on June 6, 2025.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Nevada Residents Charged for Conspiring to Engage in Voter Registration Fraud in MinnesotaRead the Press Release
Minneapolis, Minn. – Two Nevada residents, formally of Minnesota, were charged by Information with Conspiracy to Engage in Voter Registration Fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Election fraud strikes at the heart of our democracy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Thankfully, the FBI stopped this fraud in its tracks, before anyone successfully cast a fraudulent ballot. But we will stay vigilant. Whether its jury bribery, witness tampering, or now election fraud—crimes that threaten our democracy have no place in Minnesota.”
“Nothing is more central to our democracy than fair and impartially conducted elections,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Through their actions, Combs and Williams attempted to deprive the citizens of Minnesota of a secure and reliable election process. Along with our partners, the FBI will stop at nothing to identify and bring to justice anyone who threatens the security of our electoral system.”
According to court documents, beginning in 2021 and continuing through 2022, Ronnie Williams and Lorraine Lee Combs participated in a conspiracy to generate fictitious names and information that they used to fill out Minnesota voter registration applications. Williams and Combs then signed a form certifying that they “have read and understand this statements” and “that giving false information is a felony punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.”
According to court documents, Williams then provided the completed voter registration forms to Foundation 1, an entity seeking to register voters in Minnesota, which submitted the false voter registration applications to county election offices across Minnesota. Foundation 1 paid Williams for the registrations, and Williams split the proceeds with Combs.
Williams is scheduled to appear for an arraignment and change of plea hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Laura M. Provinzino on July 8, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office wishes to thank the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section for partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also wishes to thank the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and full cooperation with this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs and Trial Attorney Jonathan Jacobson of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting this case.
Trinitarios Gang Leader Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Triple Shooting in QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Pedro Serrano, also known as “Papo,” the leader of the Ozone Park (or “OZP”) set of the Trinitarios street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 183 months in prison for carrying out a June 29, 2021 shooting that injured three victims. The shooting was part of a long-running conspiracy to murder members of a rival Trinitarios gang set. Serrano pleaded guilty in March 2024 to assault in-aid-of racketeering and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Serrano was ruthlessly committed to a dangerous criminal enterprise, and he and his co-conspirators shot multiple victims in furtherance of a senseless gang rivalry to advance his enterprise,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Such warfare jeopardizes public safety and underscores the importance of my Office’s mission to eradicate violent gangs from our communities.”
"Pedro Serrano, a leader of a Trinitarios sect, waged a reckless shootout, targeting, and injuring rivals to bolster his gang’s hierarchical status," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. "His actions not only jeopardized the safety of a residential community, but also perpetuated the gang’s years-long territorial feud. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI’s dedication to crushing any gang violence that threatens our city."
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their work and assistance on the case.
According to court filings, Serrano, along with other members of the gang, engaged in a series of violent feuds with rivals, including rival sets within the Trinitarios. Beginning in at least 2021, disputes arose between OZP and other sets of Trinitarios from Queens and Brooklyn, including the Southside set, resulting in back-and-forth shootings between sets. On June 29, 2021, Serrano carried out a retaliatory shooting—while driving through a residential neighborhood in Queens—targeting Southside members.
Serrano enlisted fellow OZP members—including co-defendant Albert Santana-Fernandez, also known as “Pipa,” a Pennsylvania-based member of OZP—to help attack OZP rivals. After departing from Serrano’s house, the co-conspirators drove around until they located a rival group of Trinitarios on 77th Street near Jamaica Avenue near the Queens-Brooklyn border. Serrano and Santana-Fernandez were armed with firearms and after locating their rivals, fired shots at them from their moving vehicle. At least 13 shell casings were recovered at the scene, and three victims were wounded—one of whom sustained a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Santana-Fernandez pleaded guilty to his role in the shooting in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey R. Oken and Benjamin Weintraub are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
PEDRO SERRANO (also known as “Papo”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, NYALBERT SANTANA-FERNANDEZ (also known as “Pipa”)
Age: 27
Philadelphia, PAE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-28 (ENV)
Three Indicted for Elaborate $24 Million Transnational Gold Smuggling and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges Beatriz Eugenia Hernandez (B. Hernandez), 57; her son Carlos Mathias Gonzalez, 26; and her brother Esteban Hernandez (E. Hernandez), 47, of an elaborate transnational gold smuggling and money laundering scheme that involved the wire transfer of over $24 million from the United States to Colombia.
According to allegations in the indictment, B. Hernandez, Gonzalez, and E. Hernandez received shipments from a Colombian company that purported to contain various types of metal widgets when, in fact, half of the packages would contain undeclared gold cylinders that were inserted within the widgets and painted over to avoid detection. B. Hernandez, Gonzalez, and E. Hernandez would extract the gold cylinders, sell the gold through two U.S. corporate entities, and then wire the funds between the entities’ bank accounts before ultimately wiring the funds to the Colombian company’s accounts in Colombia. The scheme’s systematic cycle of gold importation, followed by international wire transfers, resulted in approximately $24,628,943 being wired to Colombia from the United States between December 2018 and May 2022.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting this case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20236.
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Texas Man Guilty of Drug and Racketeering OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JULIO CESAR DELGADO (“DELGADO”), age 39, formerly a resident of Brownsville, Texas pled guilty on June 5, 2025, before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, 846; and Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3).
The charge of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine, now carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $8,000,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 8 years. Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Sentencing will occur on October 9, 2025.
Court documents reflect that the Defendant was part of a sophisticated conspiracy that smuggled cocaine from Mexico into the United States at Brownsville, Texas and transported it to customers in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Michigan. DELGADO, and others, would also collect payment from the customers. During the investigation, the Louisiana State Police seized approximately $31,000 from DELGADO and another individual during a traffic stop. The money was payment received for cocaine delivered to a trafficker in Michigan. This money is subject to forfeiture.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.
Tennessee Man Sentenced in Kentucky to 25 Years in Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Kentucky for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; obstructing a sex trafficking investigation; interstate transportation for prostitution; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Portier Q. Govan, 37, of Memphis, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Govan guilty in December 2024.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and his co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, recruited and enticed the victim to engage in commercial sex by preying on her young age and financial situation, and by making false promises of easy money. To establish his control over the victim, Govan threatened to kill her by pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, and then lowered and discharged the gun, firing a bullet across her lap and missing her body by inches. Govan also showed her a video of himself torturing a defenseless man tied to a chair. He sexually assaulted her and compelled her to engage in commercial sex acts for his profit by making her fear for her life.
“The defendant used brazen acts of violence to compel the 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to the victim’s head,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This significant sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s conduct and sends a clear message that the DOJ will relentlessly prosecute and hold accountable human traffickers who abuse and exploit others for financial gain.”
The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.
“This sentence is the culmination of a tremendous joint effort between the Bowling Green Police Department and the FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Kyle G. Bumgarner. “Thanks to their efforts, Portier Govan will spend a significant portion of his adult life in federal penitentiary for his depraved conduct. While his sentence is lengthy, there is no sentence that sufficiently remedies the trauma he inflicted on his victim—who will continue to have unwavering support from our office”
“Depriving an innocent victim of their civil rights by violently forcing them to engage in commercial sex is unconscionable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Portier Govan’s criminal activity. The FBI, in collaboration with our state and local law enforcement partners, will never stop working to identify and hold accountable violent criminals and to help victims receive the support needed as they recover from significant trauma.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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Social media finance influencer pleads guilty to orchestrating $20 million Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A social media finance influencer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to a real estate Ponzi scheme.
Tyler Bossetti, 31, of Columbus, received more than $23 million in investments from victim investors throughout the United States and abroad. In total, dozens of investors lost more than $11 million.
He pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aiding in a false tax filing.
According to court documents, from 2019 until 2023, Bossetti widely publicized what he described as a real estate investment program. The defendant, through his company Boss Lifestyle LLC, guaranteed large rates of return for short-term investments. He advertised the investments, often promising thirty percent or more rate of return, through social media, especially Facebook and YouTube.
The plea agreement further details that Bossetti also caused the issuance and filing of approximately 14 false and fraudulent 1099-INT tax forms. The defendant filed the IRS forms to report interest income for investors who did not earn interest. Bossetti claimed he had reinvested victims’ interest earnings when in fact he did not.
Bossetti admitted to misappropriating investor funds to further his lifestyle and make purchases like rental payments on a condo in downtown Columbus, frequent travel, a $150,000 Mercedes SUV and various cryptocurrency investments.
Bossetti was charged by a bill of information in April 2025.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and aiding in a false filing carries a potential maximum penalty of up to three years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth PossessionRead the Press Release
Jon Waugh, age 55, from Sioux City, Iowa, a man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it within 1,000 feet of a protected location pled guilty June 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
On August 14, 2024, law enforcement officers contacted Waugh outside his apartment for an outstanding arrest warrant, while he was on his way to sell methamphetamine. Officers searched Waugh and found and seized approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine and $854 in cash. Law enforcement officers searched Waugh’s residence and seized over one kilogram of methamphetamine, a scale with meth, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms, one of which was stolen. At the plea hearing, Waugh admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to other individuals in Sioux City. Waugh’s residence was within 1,000 feet of a protected location, specifically a local elementary school in Sioux City.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Waugh remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Waugh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
Seven defendants charged with trafficking drugs from Lower 48 to AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned two unrelated indictments last month charging seven defendants with trafficking drugs from California and Nevada to Alaska for distribution.
“These cases are a reminder that our office takes seriously the threat of drug traffickers targeting Alaska, and we will be relentless in working with our law enforcement partners in stopping the flow of dangerous drugs to keep Alaskans safe,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska.
U.S. v. Miles et al.
According to court documents, beginning in at least March 2024 and continuing through February 2025, Kinarla Miles, 67, of Highland, California, Jerome Larue, 51, of Juneau, and Edie Seslar, 60, of Juneau, allegedly conspired with each other to traffic meth to Alaska and knowingly and intentionally attempted to possess meth with intent to distribute it in Alaska.
During the same offense period, Miles, Larue, Seslar and Travis Lind, 38, of Juneau, also allegedly conspired to launder money from their drug trafficking activity.
Miles, Larue and Seslar face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for their drug trafficking charges. Lind faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy.
The USPIS Juneau Domicile, Juneau Police Department and Alaska State Troopers, as part of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task Force (SEACAD), are investigating the case, with assistance from the USPIS San Bernadino Domicile.
U.S. v. Rodgers et al.
According to court documents, beginning in at least September 2024 and continuing through March 2025, Christian Rodgers, 33, of Kenai, Helmut Mey, 37, of Las Vegas, and Jonhatan Lau-Osuna, 37, of Las Vegas, conspired with each other to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl in Alaska.
Rodgers is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time of the alleged conduct, Rodgers had two prior felony convictions for misconduct involving controlled substances and misconduct involving weapons in Alaska Superior Court, Kenai.
Mey is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Lau-Osuna is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
If convicted, all three defendants face between 10 years to life in prison.
The charges are a result of an investigation conducted by the USPIS Anchorage Domicile, FBI Anchorage Field Office, and Alaska State Troopers through the Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Initiative’s Southcentral Area-Wide Narcotics (SCAN) team, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central District of California, District of Nevada and District of Idaho.
These cases were brought as part of the Alaska Parcel Interdiction Initiative, a statewide partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Alaska State Troopers and other local law enforcement to disrupt the flow of dangerous narcotics into Alaska through the mail. Together, the agencies work tirelessly to interdict suspicious U.S. Postal Service and other carriers’ parcels, with a goal of seizing narcotics before they enter communities and prosecuting those responsible for trafficking drugs to Alaska.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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San Antonio Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years for 2 Counts of Enticing, Coercing a MinorRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court to 151 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release for attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor.
According to court documents, between June and August of 2023, Stephen Eugene Hall, 41, communicated with two undercover law enforcement agents whom he believed to be 12- and 14-year-old girls. Throughout their conversations over the Kik app, Hall attempted to entice them to engage in sexual activity and to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Hall was arrested by FBI agents on Aug. 23, 2023, when he traveled to a hotel in San Antonio with the intent to engage in sex with the individual whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2025, to two counts of attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez.
“These proactive law enforcement operations, using the social media apps many children use today, are vital and necessary in order to catch child predators before they can cause their irreparable intended harm,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to the work of our FBI partners in Boston and in San Antonio, we were able to put another child predator in federal prison for over a decade, with another 20 years of supervised release to follow.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that neither the FBI, our law enforcement partners, nor the American people will tolerate those who seek to sexually abuse or exploit children," said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our colleagues at the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work and ongoing partnership as we continue to seek justice on behalf of the victims in this case.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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San Antonio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court to 180 months imprisonment to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for attempted production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, between May of 2022 and June of 2023, George Isaac Del Bosque, 33, made a surreptitious recording of a 15-year-old minor while the child victim was undressing and nude. A search of Del Bosque's phone revealed 16 sexually explicit images and three sexually explicit videos of the minor. Del Bosque was arrested Sept. 5, 2023. He pleaded guilty to the charge on March 11, 2025, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery. Prior to his arrest, Del Bosque was a licensed clinical vocational nurse. As a result of the charges, he voluntarily surrendered his license.
“Protecting children has been and will remain one of the highest priorities of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “I appreciate the handling of this case by our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department, and I also want to express how important it is—as demonstrated in this case—for child victims and their families to be vigilant and not hesitate to report sexual exploitation when it occurs.”
"This sentencing sends a clear message that HSI is committed to holding accountable those who exploit the most vulnerable members of our society,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in internet crimes against children.”
HSI and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sacramento Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Postal Robberies While Armed with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
William Carl Jackson, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for robbing a postal carrier while armed with a dangerous weapon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Jackson robbed two postal carriers in Sacramento, one on July 11, 2024, and a second on July 31, 2024. During each robbery, he brandished a fake pistol at the victim and then ordered the victim to turn over his postal keys. After taking the victim’s keys, he then fled from the scene on a bicycle. He advertised for sale at least one of the stolen keys after the robbery.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong prosecuted the case.
Rwandan Immigrant Arrested for Concealing Role as Perpetrator of Genocide After Fraudulently Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Note: see indictment here.
A federal grand jury in Ohio has returned a three-count indictment unsealed today charging Rwandan national Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, 65, of Dayton, Ohio with lying on his U.S. immigration and naturalization applications. Specifically, the indictment alleges that he concealed his role as a perpetrator of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, among other misrepresentations. Nzigiyimfura was arrested Wednesday in Dayton and made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura participated in the genocide that took place between April and July 1994, when members of Rwanda’s majority Hutu population killed hundreds of thousands of the country’s minority Tutsi ethnic group in an attempt to eradicate the ethnic group. An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during the three-month genocide. Nzigiyimfura, a Rwandan businessman and butcher, was allegedly a leader and organizer of the genocide against Tutsis in the area in and around Gihisi and Nyanza. Nzigiyimfura allegedly provided weapons, transportation, and material inducements to other Hutus and directed them to search for and apprehend people to be killed based on their status as Tutsis. He allegedly set up roadblocks to detain and kill Tutsis, using his personal vehicle to transport materials to build the roadblocks. According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura devised a scheme to trick Tutsis in hiding to believe that the killings had stopped only to have them rounded up and murdered.
“As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Galeotti thanked the prosecutors from the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), agents from HSI Cincinnati and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio for their work in bringing this important prosecution.
“The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications in the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio. “This egregious conduct will not be tolerated.”
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) is committed to pursuing justice for victims of genocide by ensuring that those who committed atrocities in foreign lands cannot hide in Ohio or any other community in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of ICE HSI Detroit. “No one wants a war criminal as their neighbor and these allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people. His indictment and arrest is a step toward justice for those victims. ”
When the genocide ended in 1994, as alleged, Nzigiyimfura fled Rwanda and later lived in Malawi. While living in Malawi in 2008 to 2009, Nzigiyimfura allegedly submitted materially misleading applications for an immigrant visa and alien registration, including by falsely representing that he was not an alien who had engaged in genocide. In the presence of a U. S. Consular Officer, Nzigiyimfura affirmed he understood that any willfully false or misleading statement or willful concealment of material facts could subject him to criminal prosecution. Additionally, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an affidavit in which he misleadingly claimed he “left Rwanda in 1994 due to the Genocide,” when in fact, he fled the country because of his participation in the persecution and massacre of Tutsis. His alleged misrepresentations and omissions yielded an immigrant visa to enter the United States in 2009.
Five years later, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application to naturalize as a U. S. citizen. Here, too, according to the indictment, he knowingly made false statements and omitted material facts, including claiming he had never persecuted any person, never committed a crime or offense, and never lied to any U. S. Government official to gain entry to the United States. In a November 2014 interview with a U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, Nzigiyimfura verbally reaffirmed these false statements, as well as others, according to the indictment. His application for naturalization has not been granted. Nzigiyimfura has lived in the United States since 2009.
In 2018, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application and supporting documentation for a replacement Permanent Resident Card (green card) that was due to expire in 2019 and obtained a new fraudulently procured green card with an expiration date in 2029. On July 27, 2021, Nzigiyimfura allegedly used his fraudulently procured replacement green card in connection with an application for an Ohio driver’s license.
Nzigiyimfura is charged with one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Cincinnati is investigating the case, with assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.
Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U. S. Attorney Rob Painter of the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U. S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV. ICE@ice. dhs. gov or complete its online tip form at http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Prison Term for Unprovoked Attack on a Man at Navy Yard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rashad King, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in Superior Court to eight and a half years in prison for assaulting a man at the Navy Yard Metro station in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
King pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, just before midnight on July 20, 2024, King approached the victim at the Navy Yard Metro Station and, unprovoked, started to punch him until he fell to the ground. The defendant then stomped on the victim’s head over twenty times. As the victim lay unconscious, King took the victim’s bag and fled the scene. An off-duty FBI Special Agent saw the encounter, followed the defendant, and observed him enter a Metro Bus. The agent flagged down an officer and pointed out the defendant.
King was arrested and has been in custody since. At the time he was arrested, the defendant had the victim’s bag, which contained the victim’s license.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Albi and Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case.
Prime Capital Ventures Owner Indicted for Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kris Roglieri, age 45, of Queensbury, New York, was indicted yesterday on a wire fraud conspiracy charge in connection with the operation and collapse of his purported commercial lending business, Prime Capital Ventures, LLC. Roglieri had been previously indicted on five counts of wire fraud, and yesterday’s superseding indictment added a wire fraud conspiracy charge and seeks the forfeiture of millions of dollars’ worth of vehicles, watches and real estate that Roglieri purchased as part of his fraudulent scheme.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to the superseding indictment, Roglieri operated Prime Capital Ventures, LLC (“Prime Capital”) and, between March 2022 and January 2024, conspired with others to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars from Prime Capital’s clients. The indictment alleges that Roglieri and his co-conspirators fraudulently promoted Prime Capital as a lending business capable of making large commercial loans, and deceived clients into sending Prime Capital “Interest Credit Account” (or “ICA”) payments based on false promises that these payments would allow Prime Capital to make these large loans and that the ICA payments would be refunded if those loans did not materialize.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “As alleged, Kris Roglieri perpetrated a massive fraudulent scheme against clients across the country that came to Prime Capital Ventures for loans to fund their business projects. Instead of giving these clients legitimate loans, Roglieri gave them lies, and spent millions of dollars on his made-for-Instagram extravagant lifestyle. He spent millions on exotic vehicles and watches, and on private international jet travel, including a vacation to Anguilla that he took as Prime Capital was in bankruptcy proceedings and with the company’s creditors beset with confusion, anger and grief. But today’s indictment shows that these crimes ultimately did not pay for Roglieri, as he now faces the prospect of many years in prison.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s indictment illustrates the staggering depth of the alleged fraud committed by Mr. Roglieri. The FBI takes very seriously our responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others.”
The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The superseding indictment alleges that Prime Capital held itself out as a commercial lending business, but never had the ability to legitimately fund loans. As part of contractual arrangements with its borrower clients situated across the country, Prime Capital obtained upfront interest payments from prospective borrowers while it sought to secure loans for those borrowers; these upfront interest payments were characterized by Prime Capital as the “Interest Credit Account” payment, or “ICA” payment for short. ICA payments did not represent fees to Prime Capital. Instead, each borrower’s upfront ICA payment would be debited over time as the loan was funded and accrued more interest. An ICA payment would also be refundable if Prime Capital failed to secure a loan for the borrower client. Depending on the size of the loan that Prime Capital promised, an ICA payment could be in the millions of dollars. Prime Capital obtained ICA payments as large as $20 million.
The indictment alleges that because Prime Capital never had a source of loan funding, Roglieri used ICA payments from newer borrower clients to partially fund loans to, and to refund ICA payments to, older borrower clients, contrary to promises that each ICA payment would be kept in a pledged account and would be used only for the benefit of the client that made the ICA payment. Roglieri also drew on ICA payments to pay his debts and buy the following, all of which the Government has since seized or secured, and is now seeking to forfeit:
- A Ferrari LaFerrari F150, a Ferrari Enzo, a Ferrari 812 Competizione, and a Ferrari engine table (this is a table with a Ferrari engine as its base);
- Eight Mercedes Benzes including a Mercedez Benz SLR McLaren;
- A Porsche Carrera;
- A Maserati MC 12 Corse;
- Two Richard Mille watches;
- Six Rolex watches;
- A multi-million-dollar residential property in Virginia Beach, Virginia; and
- $764,000.83 seized from bank accounts.
Roglieri has been in custody since his arrest on a criminal complaint on May 31, 2024. United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino has set a firm trial date of January 5, 2026.
If convicted of wire fraud or wire fraud conspiracy, Roglieri faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine, as well as up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The Government is also seeking an asset forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $183,818,821.82.
Two co-conspirators have pled guilty in connection with this case. Kimberly Owen, a/k/a Kimberly “Kimmy” Humphrey, age 41, and her brother Christopher Snyder, age 45, both of Virginia Beach, have each pled guilty to a charge of wire fraud conspiracy. Both Owen and Snyder admitted to conspiring with each other and Roglieri to defraud Prime Capital clients.
The FBI is conducting this ongoing investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Michael Barnett are prosecuting this case.
Pierce County man charged with illegally possessing ammunition as part of an investigation over threats to detonate a bombRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 46-year-old resident of Graham, Washington was charged today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma following the investigation into his threats to build a bomb and set it off in a public area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. David Michael Eddo was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance on the criminal complaint charging him with illegal possession of ammunition this afternoon. He is scheduled for a detention hearing on Wednesday June 18, 2025. He remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.
According to the criminal complaint, Eddo is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammuniti0n because of his conviction for drive-by shooting and assault. In that 2019 case, Eddo fired multiple shots into the cab of a semi-truck that was on the I-5 exit ramp to the Port of Tacoma. He was sentenced to 26 months in prison.
In early May 2025, Eddo came to the attention of the FBI for writing a ‘manifesto’ in which he claimed to be building and deploying a bomb to get ‘justice’ for his father who died approximately 20 years ago at the Port of Tacoma. Eddo allegedly names certain people who were involved in litigation over his father’s death as targets in the manifesto.
On June 12, 2025, law enforcement searched Eddo’s Graham home and recovered various items that could be used to make an explosive device including Ammonium Perchlorate also called Potassium Nitrate. Eddo had no license to purchase, use, or store explosives.
Additionally, agents recovered two different types of ammunition. Unlawful possession of ammunition is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI is leading the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elyne Vaught.
Otis Elevator Company Agrees to Pay More Than $600,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegation Related to Invoices for Elevator MaintenanceRead the Press Release
Otis Worldwide Corporation, an international elevator services firm headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, which is branded and doing business as Otis Elevator Company (Otis), has agreed to settle allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to invoices for preventive maintenance services submitted to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that were not rendered pursuant to the terms of a Contract. Under the settlement, Otis will pay the United States $616,987.02.
“A contractor, like Otis, has an obligation to submit invoices and seek reimbursement solely for work and services that have been performed as claimed,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “This settlement with Otis demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office and federal partners like TVA’s Office of the Inspector General are using all tools available to address fraud, waste, and abuse and protect public funds.”
“The TVA Office of the Inspector General is committed to identifying and investigating instances where vendors fail to fulfill contractual obligations as well as false claims and overpayments that negatively impact ratepayers throughout the Tennessee Valley. We would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their dedicated support of such efforts,” said Assistant Inspector General, Investigations D. Eric Beals of the Tennessee Valley Authority Office of Inspector General.
The United States’ investigation focused on an August 2017 Contract between Otis and TVA. The United States contended that the Contract required Otis to provide turnkey modernization and specified monthly preventative maintenance services related to certain elevators in the TVA Knoxville Office Complex. The United States maintained that it has certain civil claims against Otis arising from its performance of the Contract. Specifically, the United States contended that Otis submitted false claims for payment to TVA for preventive maintenance services that were not rendered.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the TVA Office of the Inspector General – Office of Investigations (TVA-OIG).
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating waste, fraud, and abuse impacting federal agencies. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, and mismanagement of TVA resources can be reported to TVA-OIG at 1-855-882-8585 or www.oigempowerline.com
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal and Alexa Ortiz Hadley for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Okemah Resident Sentenced for Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dustin James Coggins, age 34, of Okemah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Okemah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On January 14, 2025, Coggins pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on August 2, 2024, while driving in Okemah, Oklahoma, Coggins aggressively tailgated another vehicle and pointed his rifle at the driver.
The crime occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Coggins will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Ohio Woman Arraigned on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Kesahia Davis, 32, of Ohio, was arraigned on June 9, 2025, in the District Court of the Virgin Islands on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges following the return of an indictment on May 21, 2025. The indictment charges Davis with one count of conspiracy to commit a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana
According to court records, on March 23, 2025, Davis arrived at the Cyril E King Airport on Spirit Airlines. After her flight arrived, the checked baggage for the flight was unloaded and brought to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) X-Ray machine for routine examination. While conducting checked baggage examinations on the X-Ray machine, a CBP Officer discovered anomalies in the checked baggage that he believed to be consistent with marijuana within. CBP allowed the baggage to be sent through the conveyer belt and monitored who would take possession of the baggage. As the baggage arrived on the conveyer belt in the baggage retrieval area, Davis picked the baggage off the belt and proceeded to walk towards the exit of the airport. CBP Officers then stopped and detained Davis. CBP Officers asked Davis if the baggage was hers, and she replied that it was. Davis was then escorted to secondary inspection. Upon CBP inspection of the baggage in secondary, a lock was identified on the baggage. Davis stated she did not have the key to the lock. CBP used a TSA key and unlocked the baggage. CBP then located approximately 3.89 kilograms of marijuana.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and CBP. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise George.North Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Abuse and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Samuel Villarreal III (25, North Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images depicting the sexual abuse of children and possessing an unregistered firearm. He was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Villarreal entered a guilty plea on March 4, 2025.
According to court documents, from on or about December 29, 2022, through on or about June 29, 2023, Villarreal knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view images of children being sexually abused that he sought out and downloaded from the internet.
In December 2022, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from an electronic service provider reporting that Villarreal had uploaded files that depicted child sexual abuse material (CSAM). A subsequent search warrant for Villarreal’s social media account revealed CSAM.
On June 29, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Villarreal’s residence in North Fort Myers, Florida, and seized Villarreal’s laptop and cellphones. Villarreal agreed to speak with agents and admitted that he used his computer to access CSAM on the internet and that he had a folder on his computer where he stored CSAM images. He also admitted that he had also used his cellphone to view CSAM and having used the social media application.
During the search of Villarreal’s residence, agents located Villarreal’s unregistered short-barreled rifle, which they seized. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a record check of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records database and found no records of the firearm being registered, as required since the barrel was less than 16 inches. Villarreal admitted that he got the firearm as a rifle and modified it himself by putting a shorter barrel on it. He told agents that he never applied to have it registered with ATF, and that he was aware of the requirement before replacing the barrel with a shorter one.
The subsequent forensic examination of Villarreal’s cellphones and laptop revealed images of CSAM.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This 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 and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Nigerian-Born Man Previously Convicted in an $80 Million Fraud Case Indicted on New Charges of Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Wednesday charging Omoyoma Christopher Okoro, 51, a United States citizen born in Nigeria, with naturalization fraud. The indictment alleges that Okoro lied about his criminal history on his application to obtain U.S. citizenship.
According to the indictment and previously issued court documents, Okoro is alleged to have made knowingly and materially false statements under penalty of perjury on an application for naturalization. In response to one question “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” he answered “No.” Okoro took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on December 13, 2018.
On September 19, 2024, following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Okoro was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud. He was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of bank fraud. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 100 months and ordered to pay over $22 million dollars in restitution. According to the jury’s verdict, Okoro committed those crimes from at least August 13, 2008, through January 1, 2011. He was not arrested until after he naturalized in 2018, so immigration officials were unaware of his crimes prior to granting citizenship.
Okoro is charged in a three-count indictment with naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison as well as the automatic revocation of his United States citizenship.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Division is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:25-CR-130.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Newton Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newton man pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025 in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing two firearms and ammunition.
James Welch, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2025. Welch was charged in February 2025.
On Feb. 28, 2025, during a search of the defendants Newton residence a pistol and a rifle, as well as ammunition were recovered. Welch is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions.
The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of a $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 Foley and Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The Newton Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Resident Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DERRICK HINES, age 52, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is set for October 9, 2025.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2023, while investigating a shooting, New Orleans Police Department officers discovered that DERRICK HINES illegally possessed a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony.
The maximum penalty for this firearm offense is fifteen years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Third Drug Trafficking Offense and Multiple Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ODINE DOMINICK (“DOMINICK”), age 34, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, the morning his jury trial was set to begin, before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to possession with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(D); 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); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in the fall of 2023, law enforcement officers observed a photograph of DOMINICK with a rifle magazine in his waistband and a video of DOMINICK inside of a stolen car with a handgun. On December 14, 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at DOMINICK’s residence and found over 100 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin; vacuum sealed bags of marijuana weighing over a kilogram; eight digital scales; drug trafficking supplies; 400 rounds of various calibers of ammunition; and a loaded Glock Model 23 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine.
Prior to his most recent arrest, DOMINICK had already been convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in Orleans Parish, and being a felon in possesion of a firearm, in St. Bernard Parish.
Because of his prior federal drug trafficking conviction, DOMINICK was charged with a sentencing enhancement. As to Count 1, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to an $8,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release. As to Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to Count 3, he faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Nevada Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MOLINE, Ill. – Luisito Espanola, 65, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced on May 21, 2025, to 32 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons following his convictions for wire fraud and money laundering. United States District Judge Sara Darrow ordered Espanola to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons on June 23, 2025.
During the one-week jury trial, the government presented evidence that on December 2, 2020, and December 22, 2020, Espanola created and sent fraudulent emails to the City of Moline requesting that the City make ACH (payment information) changes for two vendors with which the City conducted business. As a result of that fraud, the City of Moline suffered a loss of $404,764.59.
“We thank the thorough and professional efforts of the Moline Police Department and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter and bringing this fraudster to justice,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass.
Espanola faced a penalty of up to twenty years in prison on each of his two fraud convictions and a penalty of up to twenty years in prison on each of his two money laundering convictions.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bass and Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Travelling to Louisiana to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Twelve-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ERIC CHARLES FULLER (“FULLER”), age 55, from Springfield, Missouri, was sentenced on June 10, 2025 by United States District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry to 57 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b). Additionally, Judge Guidry ordered FULLER to serve five (5) years of supervised release after imprisonment, register as a sex offender, and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the court documents, on or about December 7, 2023, law enforcement personnel, operating online in an undercover capacity and pretending to be a twenty-nine-year-old mother with a twelve-year-old daughter, met FULLER on a social network and messaging application. Over approximately the next month, on numerous occasions FULLER discussed his interest in engaging in various sexual acts with the “mother” and daughter,” culminating in FULLER making arrangements to travel from his residence in Springfield, Missouri, to the New Orleans area to engage in sexual contact, individually and collectively, with the “mother” and “daughter.” During his conversation FULLER described the contact he anticipated as “highly taboo,” “highly illegal,” “risky,” “not the worst way to be,” and “a way to have a happier life.” FULLER left Springfield, in his red, 2002 Chevrolet Prism, on about January 11, 2024, and arrived at a predetermined location in Mandeville, Louisiana on Friday, January 12, 2024, for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with the individual FULLER believed to be a twelve-year-old female.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 420 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Late yesterday, Jonathan Alan Peters, 33 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Peters was sentenced to 420 months in prison, 15 years of supervised release. Restitution will be imposed at a later date.According to documents in the case, Peters took photographs depicting images of child sexual abuse material. He then distributed the images to other people on the Internet. The investigation revealed he possessed 110 images and 29 videos which depicted child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Xa Xiong, 32, St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Xiong pled guilty to this charge on February 21, 2025.
In July 2024, investigators received information from a confidential source that a large quantity of methamphetamine was being stored inside a storage unit in Eau Claire. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the storage unit and found a backpack with about six pounds of methamphetamine inside, ultimately linked to Xiong. On July 26, 2024, Xiong sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A week later, Xiong met up with the same undercover officer to sell the officer two pounds of methamphetamine and Xiong was arrested during the attempted delivery.
At Xiong’s sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern over the large quantity of drugs the defendant was distributing. Judge Conley remarked that it was far beyond what was necessary to support a personal drug habit.
The charges against Xiong were the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, Eau Claire Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Levins prosecuted the case.
Midlands Men Sentenced for Injuring Officers During Riot on May 2020Read the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brandon Jemar Pickett, 38, of Cayce and Luis Rosario, 29, of Columbia, have been sentenced to four years and one year and one day, respectively, in federal prison for interfering with law enforcement officers during civil disorder.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on May 30, 2020, organizers held a peaceful protest at the South Carolina State House to protest the death of George Floyd. After the protest, some individuals continued protesting at the City of Columbia Police Department. However, the protest turned into a violent riot when multiple individuals began throwing objects at police officers, destroying property, and setting police cars on fire.
During the riot, Brandon Pickett picked up a large rock and threw it at a police officer causing the officer to suffer a chipped tibia. Rosario threw water bottles with an unknown substance at officers and picked up a wooden barricade and threw it at an officer resulting in a head injury requiring seven stitches.
Pickett has prior convictions for assault with intent to kill, failure to stop for a blue light, and attempted burglary. Rosario has no prior convictions.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Pickett to 48 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lewis sentenced Rosario to one year and one day followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall is prosecuting the case.
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Michigan Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material on a Military BaseRead the Press Release
A Michigan man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possessing over 41,026 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was also ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, David Mark Bartels, 38, of White Cloud, admitted to purchasing collections of CSAM while he was employed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Forensic review of a five-terabyte hard drive seized from Bartels revealed tens of thousands of CSAM files within the folder “\NSFW\Nope\Dont open\You were Warned\Deeper\.” These files included 1,500 images and videos of 285 known victims. Bartels used the Tor browser, which allows users to surf the dark web, to access images and videos of CSAM, including content depicting bondage, domination, and sadomasochism.
Bartels pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside of the United States.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge for the Western District of Michigan, and Special Agent in Charge Norm Dominesey of the NCIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
NCIS Resident Agency Guantanamo Bay investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy for the Western District of Michigan 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 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.
Mexican national indicted in the Eastern District of Texas for immigration violationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national has been charged with a federal immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Silvestre Montoya-Medina, 45, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported.
According to the indictment, on February 19, 2025, Montoya-Medina was found unlawfully in Frisco after being previously deported from the United States on May 21, 2024.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Montoya-Medina faces up to 20 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by the Frisco Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican national charged with kicking federal agent during immigration inspectionRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 37-year-old Mexican woman living in San Benito has been charged with assaulting an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Maria Isabel Cruz-Salas is expected for her next hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Betancourt June 18 at 11:15. She is currently in custody.
The criminal complaint filed June 10 alleges Cruz-Salas assaulted a federal officer during a worksite immigration inspection in San Benito.
According to the charges, authorities were conducting a lawful enforcement operation June 9 at Taqueria El Mante, where they discovered Cruz-Salas. As an HSI agent attempted to detain her, she allegedly kicked him in the face.
If convicted, she faces a maximum of eight years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
ICE-HSI and FBI are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Mexican National with Two Prior Deportations Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking of FentanylRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national who twice illegally reentered the United States after previously being removed from the country was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in the trafficking of fentanyl to Nevada, Colorado, and California.
Marco Antonio Quezada-Ramirez is a citizen and national of Mexico and he pleaded guilty to one-count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, Marco Antonio Quezada-Ramirez admitted that beginning on a date unknown and continuing up to on or about September 19, 2023, there was an agreement between him and his co-defendants to distribute fentanyl in the United States. As part of the agreement, Quezada-Ramirez admitted that on June 8, 2023, he a sold approximately 600 fentanyl pills, and on July 12, 2023, he sold approximately 500 fentanyl pills. On July 31, 2023, Quezada-Ramirez received a shipment of approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills that was intended for resale. Law enforcement recovered the 30,000 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop in Las Vegas along with cocaine and heroin.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Los Angeles Division, which oversees Las Vegas, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Melanee Smith prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Mexican National Charged with Illegally Reentering the United States After Previously Being Deported Four TimesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Armando Soto-Carbajal (29, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Soto-Carbajal faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to documents, on June 9, 2025, Soto-Carbajal was encountered on Interstate 95 during a traffic stop conducted by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. While a deputy was conducting database queries, Soto-Carbajal fled on foot. Deputies pursued, located, and detained Soto-Carbajal several hundred feet into the woods off the highway.
The indictment alleges that Soto-Carbajal is a citizen of Mexico who was previously deported from the United States on four separate occasions. When found back in the United States, he had not obtained the consent of immigration authorities to lawfully reenter the country.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to over 6 years in Federal Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Mexican citizen was sentenced on June 10, 2025, to 6 years and 3 months in federal prison for cocaine trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Hector Campoy, 41, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Campoy was illegally in the United States.
“We will eradicate the deluge of poison being pumped into the Western District of Kentucky by transnational criminal organizations and illegal immigrants. This sentence is one step in that direction, with much more work to be done,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner.
“I commend the work of DEA and LMPD investigators in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “Let this be a warning to all transnational drug traffickers; if you’re operating within our borders, DEA will hunt you down and you will be brought to justice.”
“Another dangerous criminal is off the streets and behind bars thanks to the strong partnership among our law enforcement agencies. This case reflects our continued commitment to protecting the safety of Louisville’s neighborhoods,” said Chief Paul Humphrey.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the DEA and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case.
This conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Marrero Man Sentenced for Narcotics and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on June 10, 2025, TYRIQUE RICHARDS, age 28, of Marrero, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 66 months imprisonment and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D), as well as 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). Following imprisonment, RICHARDS, will be placed on supervised release for three (3) years.
According to court documents, on February 27, 2024, February Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force (NOGTF) members arrested RICHARDS pursuant to local parish attachments. Upon arrest, RICHARDS was found in possession of marijuana, cocaine, a digital scale, and a Glock firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material on a Military BaseRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS — A Michigan man was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for possessing over 41,026 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was also ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, David Mark Bartels, 38, of White Cloud, admitted to purchasing collections of CSAM while he was employed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Forensic review of a five-terabyte hard drive seized from Bartels revealed tens of thousands of CSAM files within the folder “\NSFW\Nope\Dont open\You were Warned\Deeper\.” These files included 1,500 images and videos of 285 known victims. Bartels used the Tor browser, which allows users to surf the dark web, to access images and videos of CSAM, including content depicting bondage, domination, and sadomasochism.
Bartels pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside of the United States.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge for the Western District of Michigan, and Special Agent in Charge Norm Dominesey of the NCIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
NCIS Resident Agency Guantanamo Bay investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy for the Western District of Michigan 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 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.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Selling Ghost Guns, Stolen Guns, Machinegun Conversion Devices, and CocaineRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident who pleaded guilty to unlawfully selling ghost guns, stolen guns, large capacity magazines, machinegun conversion devices, and cocaine in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, from April 24, 2023, to August 3, 2024, Richard Edwin Sanchez engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a Federal Firearms License by selling 17 firearms, including .223, .40, and 5.56 caliber firearms, 9mm firearms, and a 12-gauge shotgun. Of these firearms, 10 were Glock semi-automatic firearms capable of being converted into fully automatic weapons using machinegun conversion devices provided by Sanchez. In addition, he sold 21 machinegun conversion devices. Of the Glock pistols, nine were sold with large capacity magazines, two were stolen, and two others were associated with at least five shootings in the Las Vegas and North Las Vegas area. Two other firearms sold had either no serial number or an obliterated serial number. Additionally, Sanchez sold a total of about 435 grams of cocaine.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to one-count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, one-count of distribution of cocaine, and one-count of possession or transfer of a machine gun.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Alex Buenaventura, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF; and the United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
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Kershaw County Man Sentence to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Frederick Siou Beaufort, 41, of Camden has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Sept. 3, 2023, a Kershaw County sheriff’s deputy saw Beaufort driving his car while not wearing a seatbelt. The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the car and while speaking with Beaufort, the deputy spotted a large hand-rolled cigarette sitting on the front passenger seat. The officer asked him what the item was, and he stated it was a “blunt,” a street name for a marijuana cigarette. As the deputy searched the car, he located a handgun under the driver’s side floor mat. Beaufort stated he did not have a concealed weapons permit and that he was a convicted felon.
At the time of his arrest, Beaufort had been convicted of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, resisting arrest, distribution of crack cocaine and was out on bond for murder.
United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Beaufort to 27 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparer for Fabricating Expenses and CreditsRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here.
The Justice Department filed a complaint today to permanently bar tax preparer Tanja D. Hollis, of Griffin, Georgia, and her business, Tanja Tax Preparations LLC, from preparing federal tax returns for others.
The complaint, filed in a federal court in Newnan, Georgia, alleges that Hollis prepared and filed false federal tax returns through Tanja Tax Preparations that understated her customers’ tax liabilities by reporting false or exaggerated business expenses and claiming tax credits for false education expenses.
According to the complaint, despite knowing them to be false, Hollis prepared returns claiming business expenses for customers who did not own or operate a business and education expenses for customers who were not enrolled as students. The IRS interviewed Tanja Tax Preparations customers who said they did not give Hollis any reason to believe that the items reported on their returns were legitimate.
The complaint alleges that, by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, Hollis caused the United States to lose substantial tax revenue.
In addition to a permanent injunction, the complaint asks the court to order Hollis to turn over the ill-gotten tax preparation fees she earned while preparing and filing fraudulent tax returns.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Secures $1 Million Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Lassen County LandlordRead the Press Release
The owners of approximately 80 rental units in and around Susanville have agreed to pay $1 million to resolve a civil lawsuit alleging that owner Joel Lynn Nolen sexually harassed female tenants and prospective tenants for more than a decade in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The settlement resolves claims against Joel Nolen, Shirlee Nolen, and Nolen Properties LLC.
The Department of Justice’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California in February 2023, alleged that Joel Nolen’s sexual harassment included unwelcome sexual acts and unwelcome touching, demanding sexual acts to terminate eviction proceedings or forgive missed payments, unwelcome sexual comments, soliciting explicit photographs, and adverse housing actions against tenants who rejected his sexual advances.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “My office will continue to hold accountable any landlord who enables or engages in sexual harassment or retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.”
Under the consent order, which must be approved by the court, defendants must pay $960,000 to 19 tenants and prospective tenants harmed by Joel Nolen’s harassment and a $40,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order permanently bars Joel and Shirlee Nolen from managing residential rental properties, requires Joel and Shirlee Nolen to hire an independent property manager, mandates training and policies to prevent future discrimination, and requires Joel and Shirlee Nolen to take steps to vacate discriminatory evictions and repair credit of tenants harmed by the harassment.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The department previously reached a $100,000 settlement with several defendants who co-owned rental property with Nolen.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia Morris and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorneys Arielle R. L. Reid and Alan A. Martinson handled the case for the United States.
Jury Finds Virginia Man Guilty of Kidnapping, StrangulationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Adam Ahmed, 38, of Chantilly, Virginia, was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of kidnapping and strangulation related to an incident that began in Manassas, Virginia, on May 10, 2024, and ended in northeast Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned on June 12th and included two counts of making threats and one count of misdemeanor assault. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno scheduled sentencing for August 15, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 9, 2024, Ahmed was arrested in Virginia on multiple warrants for protective order violations and assault charges against his ex-girlfriend. The next day, on May 10, 2024, the victim got into Ahmed’s car outside her home in Manassas, Virginia, believing that they would sit in her building parking lot and talk about their relationship. Instead, the defendant took off, driving erratically. Ahmed told the victim that they were both “going to die tonight,” and that if she was going to charge him with abduction, he was going to do it. The defendant drove onto I-66 and took the victim into the District, where he repeatedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her.
After several hours of terrorizing the victim, Ahmed told her that he was going to drive her somewhere no one would find her. When he stopped the car, he climbed over her and strangled her with both hands until she couldn’t breathe. While strangling her, he bit her, putting his whole mouth over hers. He started driving again, eventually stopping at a Shell gas station on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue. At one point, Ahmed walked away from the car, and the victim tried to escape. Surveillance footage shows the defendant rushing at the victim, picking her up, and struggling with her to force her back in the car. A passerby on the street saw the defendant hitting the victim and turned into the gas station parking lot, rescuing the victim and calling 911.
During the course of trial two expert witnesses spoke about the unique dangers inherit in strangulation, and violence in intimate partner violence relationships, respectively. Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence, as a major strangulation study in San Diego, found surviving domestic violence “victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.” The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section has charged over 110 acts of felony strangulation since the D.C. Council created it as a criminal offense under D.C. Code 22-404.04, which went into effect in July of 2023.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives at the Metropolitan Police Department. They also credited Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trisha Jhunjhnuwala and Amanda Swanson, of the Sexual Offense and Domestic Violence section for successfully prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal Officer and Setting an Apartment Building on FireRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Armando Carrillo-Diaz, 45, an illegal alien from Rioverde, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, has been sentenced for assaulting a federal officer, arson, and illegally reentering the United States.
“When illegal aliens resort to extreme and dangerous measures to avoid removal, they not only violate our immigration laws but also put law enforcement officers and the public at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our Office is committed to taking decisive action to hold accountable those who attack law enforcement officers and endanger the community.”
“This conviction sends a strong message to those who think they can evade justice by resorting to dangerous and reckless actions,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated collaboration between HSI and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels, we were able to catch Armando Carrillo-Diaz, an illegal alien, and hold him accountable for his reckless and fiery attempts to evade justice.”
“Carrillo-Diaz posed a serious threat to law enforcement and the community,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “Our top priority is working with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: On April 26, 2023, deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) attempted to arrest Armando Carrillo-Diaz in the parking lot of his apartment complex. Carrillo-Diaz nearly struck one of the officers as he fled from the scene in a pickup truck.
When ERO officers later returned to his residence to locate him, Carrillo-Diaz attempted to evade capture by setting his apartment on fire. The fire spread, prompting the Gwinnett County, Georgia, Fire Department to evacuate residents from the building. Carrillo-Diaz then sliced his own throat with a box cutter when the officers tried to apprehend him. The officers immediately rendered medical aid and arranged for Carrillo-Diaz’s transport to a local hospital.
On June 26, 2024, a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia returned a superseding indictment charging Carrillo-Diaz with the offenses of Assaulting a Federal Officer, Arson, and Illegally Reentering the United States.
On June 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced Carrillo-Diaz to five years in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Carrillo-Diaz was convicted of these charges on January 29, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by ERO, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Gwinnett County Fire Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Hopkinsville, Kentucky Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy and a Supervised Release ViolationRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Hopkinsville, Kentucky man was sentenced on June 11, 2025, to a total of 9 years in federal prison for conspiring to traffic in fentanyl and violating his federal supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, on January 12, 2024, Jamie A Harris, 47, obtained a shipment of fentanyl pills that he intended to distribute. The DEA lab confirmed the presence of more than 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectible amount of fentanyl.
As a result of his conduct, Harris was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Harris was sentenced to an additional 1 year in federal prison for a violation of his federal supervised release from a previous federal conviction.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Hopkinsville Police Department Special Investigations Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Honduran national indicted in the Eastern District of Texas for immigration violationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Honduran man has been charged with a federal immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Darwin Adalid Romero-Garcia, 32, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported.
According to the indictment, on July 19, 2023, Romero-Garcia was found unlawfully in Lewisville after being previously deported from the United States on January 30, 2018.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Romero-Garcia faces up to 20 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by the Lewisville Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Honduran national indicted in the Eastern District of Texas for immigration violationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Honduran man has been charged with a federal immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose Mejia-Carranza, 37, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported.
According to the indictment, on August 18, 2024, Mejia-Carranza was found unlawfully in Sherman after being previously deported from the United States on October 14, 2023.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Mejia-Carranza faces up to 20 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by the Sherman Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Honduran man pleads guilty, sentenced for possessing fraudulent green cardRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Pedro Alexander Colindres-Hernandez, a citizen of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to fraud and misuse of a visa. Colindres-Hernandez was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fauzia K. Mattingly and Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that Colindres-Hernandez is an alien without any legal status in the United States. On April 10, 2025, Colindres-Hernandez was encountered in the parking lot of a store on Southwestern Boulevard in Hamburg, NY, and found to be in possession of a fraudulent alien resident card that contained his photo, which had not been lawfully issued to him by the U.S. government.
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.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Martin B. Coombs.
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Hays woman appears on witness tampering and failure to report child abuse chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Hays woman accused of witness tampering and failing to report child abuse appeared this week for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Chantel Lee King, 56, pleaded not guilty to a superseding indictment charging her with two counts of attempted obstructing justice by witness tampering and two counts of failure to report child abuse. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the superseding indictment, King faces 20 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Johnston presided. King was released on conditions pending further proceedings.
Count 1 of the superseding indictment alleges that in September 2020, King knowingly attempted to intimidate and corruptly persuade another person, with intent to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States of information relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense, namely aggravated sexual abuse in Indian Country, sexual abuse in Indian Country, and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, and took a substantial step towards the commission of the offense.
Count 2 of the superseding indictment alleges that in September 2020, King, a teacher, school counselor, instructional aide, teacher’s aide, and teacher’s assistant, employed by a tribal, Federal, public, and private school, knowing or having reasonable suspicion that Jane Doe 1 was abused in Indian Country, did fail to immediately report such abuse to the local child protective services agency or local law enforcement agency.
Count 3 of the superseding indictment alleges that in October 2020, King, a teacher, school counselor, instructional aide, teacher’s aide, and teacher’s assistant, employed by a tribal, Federal, public, and private school, knowing or having reasonable suspicion that Jane Doe 2 was abused in Indian Country, did fail to immediately report such abuse to the local child protective services agency or local law enforcement agency.
Count 4 of the superseding indictment alleges that in October 2020, King knowingly attempted to intimidate and corruptly persuade another person, with intent to hinder, delay, and prevent the communication to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States of information relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense, namely aggravated sexual abuse in Indian Country, sexual abuse in Indian Country, and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, and took a substantial step towards the commission of the offense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case reference. 25-38.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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