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22 July 2025
‘We knocked her out with some gummies:’ trafficker sent to prison for conspiring to smuggle toddler from MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 23-year-old Laredo woman has been ordered to prison for her role in an unaccompanied minor smuggling ring, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Vanessa Valadez pleaded guilty Sept. 20, 2024, admitting she smuggled a child into the United States for financial gain.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered her to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
“Those that choose to engage in the human trafficking business are not good people. They aren’t motivated by altruism or sympathy. They are paid to traffic in human beings, and they treat people they smuggle as nothing more than cargo,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will not rest until all such smuggling rings—particularly those that deal in children—are completely eradicated.”
“The sentencing of this individual underscores the serious consequences for those who exploit and endanger vulnerable populations, especially children,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee. “Drugging children to facilitate human smuggling is not only criminal it’s inhumane. HSI is committed to identifying and dismantling the criminal networks behind these horrific acts and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”
From August to September 2023, Valadez and other family members operated a child smuggling ring working to bring young illegal minors from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the United States. All the children were under the age of five.
On the night of Sept. 19, 2023, members of the smuggling ring retrieved a young girl from a stash house which the organization members operated. The co-conspirators smuggled the girl across the border and delivered her to Valadez in downtown Laredo. Co-conspirators then took the child further into the United States and delivered her to unknown people.
Two days later, the ring attempted to transport another young girl. However, law enforcement intercepted them following a routine border inspection at the Juarez Lincoln Bridge in Laredo. To carry out their scheme, co-conspirators had sedated the girl with melatonin gummies and used an unlawfully obtained birth certificate to deceive authorities into believing the girl was a family member.
The investigation revealed the smuggling ring had attempted to similarly transport at least four girls into the United States, three of whom remain unidentified and their whereabouts are unknown. Members of the smuggling ring obtained birth certificates of U.S. citizen children to pose as a family unit at ports of entry to the United States. At times, organization members used melatonin gummies to sedate at least one child to ensure a successful smuggling attempt.
One text message uncovered in the investigation showed an image depicting an unconscious child and a caption, “La noquiamos con unas gomitas,” translated in English as “we knocked her out with some gummies.”
Co-conspirators Ana Laura Bryand, 47, Dallas; her niece Kayla Marie Bryand, 20, Jose Eduardo Bryand, 43, and Nancy Guadalupe Bryand, 44, all of Laredo; and Lizeth Esmeralda Bryand Arredondo, 32, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty and have all already been sentenced to federal prison.
ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations and assistance from Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department, Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General and FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence A. Check Jr. prosecuted the case.
Zuni Man Charged in Unprovoked Stabbing That Left Victim Seriously InjuredRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has been charged in federal court for allegedly stabbing another man without provocation, causing serious injuries.
According to court documents, on the night of June 16, 2025, Adrian Cheama, 36, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, allegedly approached the victim while he was walking with a friend along a residential street in Zuni, New Mexico. Without provocation, Cheama stabbed the victim in the abdomen with a weapon described as either a circular metal pole or a knife, then walked away laughing. The victim sustained serious injuries as a result.
Multiple witnesses placed Cheama at the scene and described him carrying a backpack and a baton-like object before and during the attack. The investigation revealed that Cheama had previously made statements suggesting he was looking for the victim.
Cheama is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Cheama faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Woman Who Distributed Fentanyl Resulting in Death Sentenced to Fourteen Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who sold fentanyl in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced today to fourteen years in federal prison. Jessica Lee Erickson, age 44, from Daytona Beach, Florida, received the prison term after a January 2, 2025 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.
Starting in or about May 2024, Erickson began providing a mixture or substance containing fentanyl to the victim. On June 15, 2024, Erickson distributed a mixture or substance containing fentanyl to the victim at a home in Dubuque, Iowa. On that same day, the victim used the fentanyl that had been provided by Erickson and died.
Erickson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Erickson was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Erickson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR- 01033.
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Wetzel County Man Admits to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Lee Lemasters, 61, of Paden City, West Virginia, has admitted to the possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and police records, law enforcement received a tip that Lemasters had child pornography on his cell phone. A search of Lemasters’ phone uncovered hundreds of images and videos depicting children in sexual situations.
Lemasters faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Probation Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Washington Hunting Guide and Outfitting Company Enter Guilty Pleas to Lacey Act CrimeRead the Press Release
Branden Trager of Brush Prairie, Washington, and his guiding company Mayhem Services LLC pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Tacoma to violating the Lacey Act.
In pleading guilty, Trager admitted he and Mayhem Services violated the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) during a January 2023 hunting trip in western Washington and then transported the taken birds in violation of the Lacey Act. Enacted 125 years ago, the Lacey Act protects the nations wildlife resources by prohibiting wildlife violations that cross state or international borders. Trager also acknowledged that in 2022 he brought hunters into British Columbia, Canada, where he guided waterfowl hunting trips targeting the harlequin duck. He could not operate as a hunting guide under Canadian law.
The harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) is a small sea duck with a habitat ranging from Alaska to California. Hunters prize the harlequin as a trophy and as part of a challenge to hunt 41 North American waterfowl species. Washington closed harlequin hunting for the 2022-2023 season, but limited hunting remained open in British Columbia.
According to plea agreements filed in court, the recommended fines are $100,000 for Trager and $75,000 for Mayhem Services. The parties also agreed to recommend that the court order the defendants to make a public statement expressing contrition and emphasizing the importance of hunting, guiding, and wildlife regulations. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 16.
According to a Joint Factual Statement filed in court, the MBTA prohibits, among other things, taking migratory birds using a motor vehicle; taking migratory birds by using a vehicle to concentrate, drive, or rally them; taking migratory birds in excess of daily bag limits; taking or crippling a migratory bird and not make reasonable efforts to retrieve it; and transporting taken migratory birds belonging to another individual without tagging them. Taking includes pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting.
The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking law. It prohibits, among other things, transporting wildlife that had been illegally taken under federal, state, tribal or foreign law. The MBTA is a U.S. law that implemented treaties with Canada and other nations to ensure sustainable populations of migratory birds.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement led the investigation along with Homeland Security Investigations, British Columbia Conservation Officer Service, and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors and Trial Attorney Sarah Brown of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Harlequin duck in Oregon. Photo credit Peter Pearsall, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Reference photo only.Utah Man Pleads Guilty in Making Threats Against Palestinian Rights OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Brent Buchanan, 63, of Tooele, Utah, pleaded guilty yesterday in the District of Columbia in connection with threatening violence against the employees of a D.C.-based Palestinian rights organization, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Buchanan pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for November 18, 2025. Buchanan faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Joining in the announcement were Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
According to court documents, between Oct. 31, 2023, and Nov. 2, 2023, Buchanan used his cell phone to call and leave five voice mail messages for members of the organization. In his November 2 message, Buchanan stated in part: “Your families are going to be followed and watched;” “You don’t even belong in America;” “I hope every Muslim in the United States [expletive] croaks;” and “You are all going to [expletive] die, you pieces of [expletive] traitors.”
Buchanan admitted that he intentionally targeted the organization because its staff and members are Palestinian, and because the organization advocates on behalf of Palestinians.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI Salt Lake City and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Utah. Prosecuting the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Visser and Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
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United States Unseals Civil Action Filed Against Approximately $2M in Digital Currency Involved in Hamas FundraisingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today announced the unsealing of a civil forfeiture action against approximately $2 million dollars in digital currency connected with Buy Cash Money and Money Transfer Company (BuyCash), a Gaza-based money transfer business that was involved in financially supporting Hamas – a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) – as well as its agents and collaborators.
“Terrorist organizations like Hamas and their affiliates rely on shadowy financial networks to fund their deadly operations,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “By seizing millions in cryptocurrency, the Justice Department is aggressively dismantling the financial infrastructure of terrorism and refusing to allow our digital currency platforms to become safe havens for terrorist financing.”
“It is essential to disrupt the flow of money to terrorist organizations like Hamas which enables their lethal activities,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Our message is that terrorists cannot hide behind digital currency to bankroll their operations. The FBI and our partners will continue our efforts to cut off the flow of money and - most importantly - stop the violence committed by Hamas and their affiliates.”
“The forfeiture action executed today is an example of how diligently our office works to prevent any actions from taking place that support foreign terrorist organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Our partnership with other law enforcement agencies strengthens us to uphold the safety of the American people from entities that threaten the security of our citizens.”
“The forfeiture action unsealed today demonstrates that no matter what lengths terrorism financers take to obscure their illegal transactions, the FBI will aggressively disrupt the transmission of illicit proceeds intended to support designated terrorist organizations like Hamas,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.
BuyCash, and one of its owners, Ahmed M. M. Alaqad, have been suspected of supporting various terrorist organizations including Hamas, ISIS, Al-Qaida affiliates and others. After the October 2023 attacks on Israel, BuyCash and Alaqad were designated as having materially supported Hamas under Executive Order 13224 by the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC). Since 2017, BuyCash and Alaqad have supported several foreign terrorist organizations. In 2017, BuyCash was used for the procurement of large quantities of online infrastructure on behalf of ISIS. In September 2019, BuyCash was used to receive funds from a known Al-Qaida affiliate. In 2019, law enforcement identified various instances where BuyCash, with the direct support of Alaqad, directly aided in the transfer of fiat currency to known individuals and entities in support of Hamas. In June 2021, Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terrorist Financing seized various digital currency accounts connected to Hamas and the Izz-al-Din Qassam Brigades, including one involving BuyCash.
The complaint describes a detailed scheme whereby users utilized BuyCash to fund accounts at Binance and to fund unhosted wallet addresses containing USDT (or Tether) to obfuscate their financial support of international terrorist organizations, including Hamas. Before and after the October 2023 attacks, one account was reported to have received at least $4 million to support Hamas.
The government’s forfeiture action targets funds previously seized via Tether and Binance connected to BuyCash and removed approximately $2 million dollars from streams of funds supporting international terrorism.
A civil forfeiture complaint contains mere allegations. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
The FBI Washington D.C. Field Office is investigating the case. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajbir S. Datta and Thomas Saunders for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Allison Ickovic of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Deputy Chief Alicia Cook of the National Security Division. Critical assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers, Gina Torres, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
United States Reaches $501,556 Civil Settlement Resolving Allegations of False Claims to Federal Health Care ProgramsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Drake on Tuesday announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and a Missouri psychiatrist have reached a $501,556 civil settlement that will resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations.
The settlement resolves allegations that from Jan. 1, 2019, through May 31, 2024, Dr. Mohd Azfar Malik falsely indicated to both Medicare and Missouri Medicaid that he provided face-to-face psychotherapy to patients, including by submitting false claims for payment when he was out of town and for services that were provided by other practitioners. Dr. Malik was part-owner of Behavioral Health Services, LLC which owned and operated Psych Care Consultants in St. Louis, Missouri.
The settlement consists of $250,778 in restitution, which is doubled under the FCA.
The civil settlement contains no admission of liability. In April of 2025, Dr. Malik pleaded guilty to making false statement in federal health care related matters and admitted submitting claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers in which he falsely claimed to have performed in-person services when he was out of Missouri or out of the country. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11.“Holding health care professionals accountable for submitting false claims for financial gain is crucial for maintaining public trust and ensuring that critical resources are appropriately utilized,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners will continue to collaborate our efforts to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
This civil settlement was a result of the combined work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, HHS/OIG Office of Investigations, the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.U.S. commences civil action to forfeit $7.1 million in cryptocurrency tied to oil and gas storage fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington today filed a civil action seeking the forfeiture of cryptocurrency valued at approximately $7.1 million seized in the investigation of an oil and gas related investment fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. The funds, part of some $97 million taken in by the coconspirators between June 2022 and July 2024, was seized by Homeland Security Investigations in December 2024.
“The co-schemers in this fraud moved their ill-gotten gain through various cryptocurrency accounts to try to launder the money stolen from victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Federal investigators and prosecutors in our office moved as quickly as possible to trace and seize the cryptocurrency so that some of the losses can be returned to victims.”
According to the forfeiture filing and other records in the case, from at least August 2022 through August 2024, the co-schemers convinced victims to send money to what was represented as escrow accounts to purchase oil tank storage in either Rotterdam, Netherlands, or Houston. The schemers indicated that the investors could make significant profits by renting the oil tank storage they obtained to others. The victims sent money to accounts linked to these entities: Sea Forest International LLC; Apex Oil and Gas Trading LLC; Navigator Energy Logistics LLC; Terminal Energy International Escrow Service LLC; Energo Horizons Logistics (EA) LLC; Legacy Energy Logistics Transport Group LLC; Green Tree Gateway LLC. However once victims sent their money, they were not sent any further information on their investment and co-schemers simply stopped responding.
Newcastle, Washington resident Geoffrey K. Auyeung, 47, was indicted in August 2024 as the coconspirator in the U.S. who is charged with receiving much of the fraud proceeds generated by the fraud scheme. The money was quickly moved to one or more of at least 81 different accounts at financial institutions, moved offshore, or moved to one or more of at least 19 different cryptocurrency accounts, where it was used for the purchase of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Tether, USD Coin, and Ethereum. Much of the cryptocurrency was further transferred to accounts at the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
According to the forfeiture filing, the cryptocurrency accounts that were seized were linked to individuals in Russia and Nigeria. Some of the cryptocurrency purchased with victims’ funds was also sent to cryptocurrency exchanges in Russia and Nigeria, at least one of which is alleged to have facilitated money laundering for transnational criminal organizations – including terrorist organizations and organizations that violate international trade sanctions.
At the time of Auyeung’s arrest and indictment, some $2.3 million was seized from his bank accounts. The $7.1 million in cryptocurrency the government is seeking to forfeit is in addition to the $2.3 million.
Should the court approve the forfeiture the money will be distributed to victims in the case. Currently. Investigators have identified dozens of victims who were defrauded out of approximately $17.9 million. Investigators believe those numbers will continue to grow as more victims are identified and verified.
The case is being investigated by HSI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jehiel Baer and Yunah Chung.
U.S. Files Forfeiture Action Against $2 Million in Digital Currency Involved in Hamas FundraisingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today announced the unsealing of a civil forfeiture action against approximately $2 million in digital currency connected to Buy Cash Money and Money Transfer Company, a Gaza-based money transfer business that was involved in financially supporting Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), as well as its agents and collaborators.
The forfeiture action was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
“The forfeiture actions executed today is an example of how diligently our office works to prevent any actions from taking place that support foreign terrorist organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Our partnership with other law enforcement agencies strengthens us to uphold the safety of the American people from entities that threaten the security of our citizens.”
“Terrorist organizations like Hamas and their affiliates rely on shadowy financial networks to fund their deadly operations,” said Attorney General Bondi. “By seizing millions in cryptocurrency, the Justice Department is aggressively dismantling the financial infrastructure of terrorism and refusing to allow our digital currency platforms to become safe havens for terrorist financing.”
“It is essential to disrupt the flow of money to terrorist organizations like Hamas which enables their lethal activities,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Our message is that terrorists cannot hide behind digital currency to bankroll their operations. The FBI and our partners will continue our efforts to cut off the flow of money and - most importantly - stop the violence committed by Hamas and their affiliates.”
“This forfeiture action demonstrates that no matter what lengths terrorism financers take to obscure their illegal transactions, the FBI will aggressively disrupt the transmission of illicit proceeds intended to support designated terrorist organizations like Hamas," said the FBI’s Jensen.
BuyCash, and one of its owners, Ahmed M. M. Alaqad, have been suspected of supporting various terrorist organizations including Hamas, ISIS, Al-Qaida affiliates and others. After the October 7, 2023, attacks, BuyCash and Alaqad were designated as having materially supported Hamas, by the Office of Foreign Asset Control under Executive Order 13224.
Since 2017, BuyCash and Alaqad have supported various foreign terrorist organizations. In 2017, BuyCash was used for the procurement of large quantities of online infrastructure on behalf of ISIS. In September 2019, BuyCash was used to receive funds from a known Al-Qaida affiliate. In 2019, law enforcement identified various instances where BuyCash, with the direct support of Alaqad, directly aided in the transfer of fiat currency to known individuals and entities in support of Hamas. In June 2021, Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terrorist Financing seized various digital currency accounts connected to Hamas and the Izz-al-Din Qassam Brigades including one involving BuyCash.
The complaint describes a scheme in which various users across the world used BuyCash to fund accounts at Binance and to fund unhosted wallet addresses containing USDT (or Tether) to obfuscate their financial support of various international terrorist organizations including Hamas. Before and after the October 2023 attacks, one account was reported to have received at least $4 million to support Hamas.
The government’s forfeiture action targets funds previously seized via Tether and Binance connected to BuyCash and removed approximately $2 million dollars from streams of funds supporting international terrorism.
The civil forfeiture complaint is merely a set of allegations. It is the government’s burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding.
The FBI Washington D.C. Field Office is investigating the case. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajbir S. Datta and Thomas N. Saunders with assistance from Trial Attorney Allison Ickovic of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Deputy Chief Alicia Cook of the National Security Division. Critical assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers, Gina Torres, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Forfeited and Returned More Than $37 Million to Crime VictimsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada announced today that, from October 1, 2024, to July 16, 2025, more than $37 million was forfeited through asset forfeiture actions and returned to victims of crime. Funds forfeited and deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund may be used to compensate victims and restore losses caused by criminal conduct.
A total of $37,236,606.37 was forfeited and of this amount:
- In December 2024, a victim received $3,443,286.03.
- In April 2025, the Small Business Administration received $531,308.46 of the fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
- In May 2025, the Small Business Administration received $1,068,123.94 of the fraudulently obtained PPP loans.
- In July 2025, a victim received $32,193,787.94.
“The Asset Forfeiture and Financial Litigation Units of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, worked diligently to forfeit these funds and return them to victims,” said U.S. Attorney Chattah. “Our office remains committed to holding offenders financially accountable and to restoring victims. I commend the exceptional efforts of our Asset Forfeiture Unit and professional staff in pursuing justice and upholding the rule of law.”
“The successful return of these funds is due to the coordinated efforts of the FBI, local law enforcement, and the US Attorney's office,” said Special Agent in Charge Amir Ehsaei for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “This serves as an important reminder of our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for victims and their families. Forfeiting ill-gotten gains removes financial resources from criminals and serves as a powerful tool to restore victims. It is highly recommended to report scams and frauds promptly.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office is proud to see our special agents’ hard work result in the recovery of millions in stolen COVID relief funds and real, tangible justice for victims of other financial crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office. “Financial crime can be devastating to victims. That’s why it’s crucial for our agency to continue uncovering such crimes through the leveraging of our financial expertise and investigative techniques. IRS-CI exists to protect American taxpayers and ensure the integrity of our tax system, and these figures today are just a portion of the amazing results we are seeing throughout the nation.”
The PPP is one of two programs that was developed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. PPP provides funding to businesses through loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
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Timothy VerHey Appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of MichiganRead the Press Release
He was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi and sworn in on July 21, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN − The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan announced today that Timothy VerHey has been appointed to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. On July 21, 2025, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed VerHey to serve as Interim United States Attorney. He was formally sworn in by Chief United States District Court Judge Hala Y. Jarbou.
As U.S. Attorney, VerHey will serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer representing the United States in all federal criminal and civil litigation in the Western District of Michigan. The district encompasses 1.6 million people and covers the western half of the lower peninsula and all the upper peninsula of the State. He leads a staff of approximately 70 prosecutors, civil litigators and support staff.
VerHey has been a federal prosecutor in Grand Rapids for nearly 35 years, where he has prosecuted all manner of crimes ranging from international fraud, domestic terrorism, capital murder, drug offenses, child sex offenses and violent crime. After graduating with honors from the University of Notre Dame Law School, he clerked for the Honorable Harry W. Wellford, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. After two years as an attorney at the Grand Rapids law firm Warner, Norcross & Judd, VerHey joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1990. The Justice Department has recognized him more than once for superior performance as a prosecutor, and he is frequently asked to train the nation’s federal prosecutors in trial skills.
VerHey said, “I am honored that Attorney General Bondi has asked me to serve as the U.S. Attorney for this district. The people of West Michigan expect that I and the members of this office will apply federal law in a fair and effective manner, and that is exactly what we will do.”
Three Syracuse Men Plead Guilty to Possessing and Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK –Erik Burch, age 30, Khalid Richardson, age 30, and Lamar Stanford, age 33, each of Syracuse, have each pled guilty for their respective roles in a firearms trafficking operation. Burch pled guilty last week to the unlawful sale of a firearm to a prohibited person; Richardson pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on June 4, 2025; and Stanford pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on April 30, 2025. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Richardson admitted that he sold firearms to an individual whom he knew to be a felon on four separate occasions in 2022. He further admitted that he obtained firearms on two of those occasions from his co-defendants, Stanford and Burch. Stanford and Burch each admitted to possessing firearms on the dates of the firearm sales that they engaged in with Richardson. Stanford and Burch were each prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions.
Acting United States Attorney John Sarcone stated, “If you sell firearms to felons, be ready to spend a long time in federal prison. We will not tolerate felons buying, selling, or possessing firearms in the Northern District of New York. We will use all of the tools at our disposal to make sure these people are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “This case underscores the serious threat that illegal firearms trafficking pose to our communities. These defendants — including two convicted felons — were involved in trafficking firearms, a crime that puts lives at risk and undermines the safety of our communities. Thanks to the diligent work of ATF NY Syracuse, in coordination with the Syracuse Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, we were able to disrupt this operation and hold these individuals accountable. We remain committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to stem schemes that fuel violent crime.”The charges filed against Burch, Richardson, and Stanford carry a maximum term of 15 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. 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. Burch is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2025; Richardson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2025; and Stanford is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2025. The defendants will appear for sentencing before Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd.
ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Syracuse Police Department’s Intelligence Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Three Phoenix-Area Men Sentenced to Prison for Telemarketing Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Hopkins, 62, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced on July 16, by Senior United States District Court Judge David G. Campbell to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution. Hopkins previously pleaded guilty to mail fraud, conspiring to defraud the United States, and false statement on a tax return. Hopkins is the third co-conspirator to be sentenced in connection with a telemarketing fraud scheme that stole millions of dollars from more than a thousand victims across the country.
Two of Hopkins’ co-conspirators were also sentenced over the last year. Richard Kuhlmann, Jr., 58, of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced on May 30, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Susan M. Brnovich, to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,140,231 in restitution. Kuhlmann previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States, mail fraud, and transactional money laundering.
David Bartlett, 54, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was sentenced on November 24, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $500,000 in restitution. Barlettt previously pleaded guilty to Mail Fraud.
Kuhlmann and Hopkins owned and operated an Arizona-based telemarketing company that went by various names, including GTT Financial. GTT Financial called potential customers, offering to help reduce their credit card interest rates. Individuals who used GTT Financial’s services to successfully lower their interest rates were then targeted by the fraud scheme. GTT Financial employees, including Bartlett, told victim-customers they could purchase a “sales lead” for $1 and that each “sales lead” represented another potential customer for GTT Financial’s credit card debt service. Victim-customers were promised a portion of any fees paid to GTT from each sales lead and told they would receive a significant return on their investment.
In reality, there was no “sales lead” investment opportunity and money from the victim-customers went to the co-conspirators and other employees of GTT Financial. In total, between 2014 and 2019, the co-conspirators raised more than $10 million for the fictious “sales lead” investment from more than a thousand victim-customers across the United States.
The IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raymond Woo and Matthew Doyle, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-22-00221-PHX-DGC; CR-22-00276-PHX-SMB; CR-22-00562-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-125_Hopkins# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Obmar Garcia-Galban (25, Tennessee) has pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 124 grams of fentanyl and approximately 2 kilograms of a substance containing MDMA and ketamine, also known as “Tusi,” as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Garcia-Galban faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on December 19, 2024, Garcia-Galban had 124.6 grams of fentanyl, 1.99 kilograms of Tusi, and a firearm with the serial number removed in his vehicle. During an interview with law enforcement, Garcia-Galban stated that he planned to sell the fentanyl, Tusi, and firearm to an individual in Florida.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
This case was part of an OCDETF investigation. 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.
St. Louis County Tax Preparer Who Falsified Tax Returns SentencedRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County tax preparer to five years of probation for falsifying federal income tax returns for clients.
Judge Fleissig also ordered Elisa Y. Brown, 60, to pay $156,559.98 in restitution.
Brown admitted preparing false tax returns from 2016-2020. Brown prepared the returns from her home in exchange for between $150 and $250 per return. She did not have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), which is issued by the IRS and required on returns prepared for compensation. Brown digitally signed each tax return in the name of the taxpayer, making it appear to the IRS that the taxpayer had prepared the return.
Brown “made up businesses out of thin air and claimed tens of thousands of dollars in false business expenses, false medical and dental expenses, and false cash donations, all for the purpose of inflating the refunds her clients would receive from the IRS, often by thousands of dollars per return,” a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow says.
Brown admitted filing false tax returns for 11 clients from 2016-2020. During the same time, she prepared and submitted a total of 560 tax returns, many of which contained similar false deductible expenses.
Brown pleaded guilty in April to two counts of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.
The case was investigated by IRS - Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Felon Caught with Stolen Gun and Vehicle Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced a felon caught in a stolen car with a stolen gun to 102 months in prison.
Deonte Alfred, 26, of Berkeley, Missouri, pleaded guilty in August to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted as part of his plea agreement that on Jan. 6, 2021, he fled from St. Louis County Police in a stolen vehicle. Police were conducting surveillance in a place that Alfred was known to park and sell stolen vehicles, according to a separate court filing.
Alfred jumped out of the driver’s seat while the vehicle was still in motion, endangering others, and then discarded a loaded, stolen .40-caliber Glock handgun with an extended magazine as he fled on foot, his plea agreement says. Officers arrested Alfred after he scaled several fences, when he lost his footing on the bank of a creek. Alfred admitted to police after his arrest that he sold stolen vehicles and knew that the vehicle he was driving was stolen.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel prosecuted the case.
St. Johnsbury, Vermont Man Sentenced to 36 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on July 7, 2025, Shawn Snead, 33, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 24 months’ imprisonment. Snead previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and admitted that in February and March 2024 he worked with a co-conspirator to distribute fentanyl in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Judge Sessions also sentenced Snead to 12 months’ incarceration, to run consecutively to the 24-month sentence, for a related supervised release violation. Following his incarceration, Sneed will also be subject to a 3-year term of supervised release.
According to court records, the offense involved multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Critically, Snead committed this offense while on federal supervised release following his 2020 conviction in U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base. Snead began his supervised release in July 2022, and not even two years later, he was selling drugs again.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Cate and Michelle Arra. Snead was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo., and possessing firearms.
Russell Lee Deck, Jr., 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes to a total sentence of 25 years in federal prison without parole, followed by three years of supervised release.
On Nov. 8, 2024, Deck pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Deck admitted he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County from June 1 to Aug. 25, 2022, and to possessing firearms.
The drug trafficking conspiracy ended when a Springfield police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Deck on Aug. 18, 2022. When the officer pulled behind Deck’s vehicle in a hotel parking lot and activated his lights, Deck put the car in reverse and rammed the officer’s vehicle. The officer got out of his vehicle, pulled his duty weapon, and ordered the vehicle’s occupants to stop. Instead, Deck drove forward, then put his vehicle in reverse and rammed the officer’s vehicle again before fleeing the parking lot.
A police pursuit ensued, with Deck driving at a high rate of speed in a residential neighborhood, while Deck’s passenger shot at the officer’s vehicle. The pursuit ended when Deck crashed into a Jeep SUV at an intersection. While the Jeep suffered significant damage, the innocent driver appeared to be unharmed. Deck’s passenger fled the crash on foot and was arrested after Greene County deputies found the passenger hiding under a car. Shell casings and damage from gunfire were located throughout the neighborhood.
Officers removed Deck from the wrecked vehicle and found two bags containing a total of 46.2 grams of methamphetamine in Deck’s pockets. Inside Deck’s vehicle, officers found two handguns on the front passenger side floorboard.
Deck’s passenger who fired the shots during the pursuit, Blake Basten, was sentenced in federal court to a total sentence of 10 years for two counts of felon in possession of a firearm on Feb. 27, 2024.
Deck’s co-defendant in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Justin Hollingsworth, was sentenced to a total sentence of 18 years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on June 24, 2024.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Springfield Man Indicted for Assaulting Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for assaulting a postal worker.
Courtney J. Ellis, 45, was charged today in a one count indictment with assaulting an employee of the U.S. Postal Service while they were performing their official duties. Today’s indictment replaces a felony criminal complaint filed June 23, 2025.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, on June 18, 2025, Ellis struck the victim on the head with a wooden board while he was delivering mail to Ellis’s address. The victim, who was delivering mail along that route for the first time, was wearing a USPS uniform and driving a marked USPS delivery vehicle. After striking the victim, Ellis yelled that he didn’t belong in the neighborhood and followed him back to his vehicle where he continued to yell at and threaten the victim until he drove away.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Special Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Violating an Arrestee’s RightsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brigette O. Robertson of Washington, D.C. pled guilty today to violating the constitutional rights of a detained citizen by stomping on her face in June 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich took Robertson’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for Oct. 21, 2025. For the offense to which she pled guilty – a misdemeanor count of violating constitutional rights – the defendant faces a potential penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
According to court documents, on June 24, 2023, Robertson was employed by Specific Protection Services, LLC., as a Special Police Officer (SPO). She was licensed in the District of Columbia to act and to carry out law enforcement actions as a SPO. That day, while in full uniform and vested with police powers, Robertson was assigned to and providing security services at a McDonald’s restaurant on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.
At about 3:30 p.m., Robertson got into a verbal altercation with a patron at the restaurant. The altercation escalated into a physical confrontation. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene. After the patron was under the control of an MPD officer, the patron remained prone on the ground. Robertson stepped over the patron and, while doing so, stomped on the patron’s face. The stomp to the face caused the patron to experience pain and bleeding. The stomp was without legal justification and in violation of the individual’s constitutional rights.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews police-involved use of force to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove civil rights violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely.
The FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division investigated the case. Prosecuting the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
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Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Attempted Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who was convicted of Attempted Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on July 15, 2025.
Elliott Anderson, age 28, was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2022. He pleaded guilty on April 7, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between March 7, 2022, and March 8, 2022, when Anderson attempted to possess materials which contained images of child pornography. More specifically, during that timeframe, law enforcement agents engaged in a joint undercover child exploitation/human trafficking operation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On March 7, 2022, Anderson made contact via the online application MeetMe and then via text messages on his cell phone with what he believed was a 15-year-old female but was a law enforcement officer working in an undercover capacity. Anderson asked the undercover persona to provide photographs of sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Anderson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Silver City Felon Charged with Armed Robbery and CarjackingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Silver City man is facing federal charges after a series of increasingly violent incidents involving firearms, robbery, and carjacking, all while prohibited from possessing a gun due to a prior felony conviction.
According to court documents, on June 25, 2024, Silver City police officers responded to a residence following reports that Dominic Carbajal, 25, was possibly armed. Carbajal was detained and during a subsequent search, officers found a loaded magazine in Carbajal’s pocket and recovered a stolen pistol loaded with a 32-round magazine. Carbajal reportedly admitted he was aware he could not lawfully possess a firearm due to his status as a convicted felon.
Roughly a year later, on January 22, 2025, officers responded to an armed robbery at a local nutrition store. Surveillance video showed Carbajal walking through the store with various items before fleeing without paying. When the store owner followed him outside, Carbajal allegedly turned and pointed a black handgun at the owner before escaping in a car.
On March 23, 2025, Carbajal allegedly committed a carjacking in a parking lot. The victim reported that Carbajal approached him while he was parked, demanded his keys, and began striking him with his fists and a metal pipe. Carbajal allegedly threatened to shoot the victim if he didn’t comply, then stole the man’s wallet, phone, and jewelry before fleeing in the victim’s SUV.
Officers later tracked the stolen vehicle to a residence where Carbajal was reportedly seen. As officers attempted to arrest him, Carbajal allegedly released two pit bulls to attack law enforcement and fled on foot, discarding his clothing as he ran. He was ultimately subdued with a Taser and taken into custody. Officers reported signs of opioid intoxication, and Carbajal allegedly admitted that he had used “powder” when asked if he had taken fentanyl.
Carbajal is charged with interference with commerce by robbery, carjacking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and using a firearm during a crime of violence. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Carbajal faces up to 27 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Silver City Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens is prosecuting the case.
View the Complaint (Carbajal).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Serial Scammer Sentenced to Federal Prison after Defrauding Department of Education out of More Than $930,000 in Financial AidRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Reina Isom, 47, of Gainesville, Florida, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud and two counts of Federal financial aid fraud. Isom has also been ordered to pay $348,148 in restitution.
According to court documents, for nearly a decade, Isom devised and carried out an elaborate scheme to defraud the Department of Education out of nearly one million dollars in federal financial aid. At the time of these offenses, Isom was living in Muncie, Indiana.
To carry out her scheme, Isom first enrolled accomplices in low-cost, online colleges using their dates of birth, social security numbers, and other personal information. Isom then submitted Free Application for Federal Student Aid (“FAFSA”) forms online to apply for loans and grants for the “student.” In completing and submitting these forms, Isom lied by leaving blank portions requesting information about the student’s income, their spouse’s income, and their parents’ income. Her purpose in providing false financial information was to increase the amount of financial aid awarded by the Office of Federal Student Aid (“FSA).
To profit from these efforts, she directed that the excess financial aid be refunded to bank accounts or reloadable debit cards controlled by her or others with whom she conspired.
To ensure the financial aid kept flowing, Isom did far more than submit fraudulent forms. She also ensured that these “students” stayed enrolled by completing coursework, including writing papers and recording video speeches. To pull this off, Isom submitted assignments that had been copied and pasted from other purported students who had taken the courses in previous terms. Most of the time, this meant merely submitting the same assignment repeatedly, only changing the name of the student.
In total, Isom submitted more than 50 fraudulent FAFSA applications for more than a dozen different individuals, causing over $930,000 in federal financial aid to be fraudulently dispersed. Of these funds, more than $340,000 were deposited into her personal bank accounts or loaded onto debit cards she controlled.
Isom has been convicted of fraud on two prior occasions. In 2004, Isom paid an individual $3,000 to start a fire in an apartment she had recently insured against fire damage. She was convicted of arson with intent to defraud. In 2011, Isom was found guilty of fraud for enrolling fake students in the University of Phoenix online school and completing fraudulent FAFSA forms, as well as applying for credit cards using stolen identities.
“Federal financial aid programs play a critical role in opening the doors to higher education for individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “When someone abuses these programs, they don’t just break the law—they potentially steal a life-changing opportunity from a first-generation student or someone from an underserved community. We will not hesitate to pursue and prosecute those who shamelessly exploit public resources for personal profit.”
“I’m proud of the work of OIG special agents and our law enforcement colleagues for shutting down yet another student aid fraud ring and holding Ms. Isom accountable for her criminal actions,” said Scott Wingle, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Central Regional Office. “The Office of Inspector General is committed to stopping student aid fraud rings, and we will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who participates in them.”
The Department of Education-Office of Inspector General investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Eakman and Meredith Wood, who prosecuted this case.
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Repeat Domestic Violence Offender from Ganado Sentenced to 96 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Jason Gishie, 46, of Ganado, Arizona, was sentenced on July 16, by Senior United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 96 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Gishie, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault of an intimate partner by strangling.
On or about June 20, 2024, Gishie brutally assaulted an intimate partner at his home in Greasewood, Arizona, within the Navajo Nation community. Using a baseball bat, Gishie hit the victim several times on her head and body. He then strangled her with both hands for several seconds. The victim was medically treated for injuries related to the assault. Gishie had previously been convicted of multiple domestic violence related offenses, including Aggravated Domestic Violence in Maricopa County in 2004, and Assault by Strangling in the District of Arizona in 2019.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Flagstaff office and the Navajo Nation Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08120-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-123_Gishie# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Rapid City Man Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Federal Prison for Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Appear After Release. The sentencing took place on July 21, 2025.
Rayzohn Bertrand, 24, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bertrand was indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Appear After Release in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 12, 2025.
Bertrand was previously convicted of the federal offense of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. As part of his sentence, he was required to comply with conditions of supervised release. On release, Bertrand was alleged to have violated conditions of his supervised release and was arrested to have revocation proceedings. A United States Magistrate Judge released Bertrand from custody pending his revocation hearing, instructing him that he is required to appear at all court proceedings. Defendant was released and failed to appear for his revocation hearing, in violation of federal law. Bertrand admitted to the violation of supervised release on July 21, 2025, and was sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. This sentence is to run consecutively to the 30-month sentence above.
This case was investigated by U.S. Marshals Service and the Summerset Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Bertrand was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Carey Ann Trotter, also known as “Carey Ann Metz-Wood,” 41, of Crab Orchard, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2024, Trotter possessed approximately 10.51 grams of methamphetamine and a total of 25.95 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, a synthetic opioid, in several packages. As part of her guilty plea, Trotter admitted that she intended to use some of the controlled substances and aid and abet another individual in the possession and distribution of controlled substances.
Trotter further admitted to possessing a Glock model 21 .45-caliber pistol, a CBC model 817 .17-caliber rifle, and a 26-round high-capacity magazine for .45-caliber ammunition. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Trotter knew she was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of her prior felony conviction for delivery of oxycodone in Raleigh County Circuit Court on January 3, 2017.
Trotter is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
Trotter’s co-defendant, Joshua Mason Trotter, 44, of Crab Orchard, pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Joshua Mason Trotter admitted to possessing the Glock model 21 .45-caliber pistol and CBC model 817 .17-caliber rifle on July 1, 2024. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-22.
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Providence Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl-Laced PillsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Michael Sellers, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 70 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of supervised release. Sellers pleaded guilty in March to two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
At the time of his guilty plea, Sellers admitted that on at least two occasions he sold more than 1,000 counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills to an individual. Sellers admitted that on November 16, 2023, he provided the individual with 1,027 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills in exchange for $2,500 in cash. On November 24, 2023, he provided the same person with 1,024 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills in exchange for $2,500. Unbeknownst to Sellers, both transactions were monitored by the FBI and the pills were quickly seized.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter I. Roklan and Stacey A. Erickson.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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Pontotoc County Resident Sentenced for Assault and Threatening Interstate CommunicationsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dekentrek Donneil McDowell, a/k/a Deketrek D. McDowell, a/k/a X Day Day, a/k/a X Deezy, a/k/a X Lil Beefy, age 20, of Ada, 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 and 46 months for one count of Threatening Interstate Communications. The Court ordered the terms to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Ada Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
On January 22, 2025, McDowell pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to investigators on June 4, 2024, McDowell pistol-whipped an individual, then pointed the gun at the individual’s head. Then, on July 27, 2024, McDowell left multiple voicemail messages through a cell phone application threatening to kill a second individual and her unborn child. The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John L. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. McDowell 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.
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and HeroinRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jermaine Z. Lewis, 32, of Pensacola, Florida, pled guilty in federal court for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Federal law enforcement and our state and local partners are not going to idly sit by and let drug traffickers flood our streets with deadly drugs. Through the great work of a multi-agency operation, this armed drug dealing felon will now be incapacitated, and the Pensacola community will be safer for it.”
Court documents reveal that in January and February 2025 Lewis was distributing fentanyl on the streets of Pensacola. Law enforcement intercepted a mailed parcel bound for Lewis that contained approximately four pounds of fentanyl pills. With this information, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Lewis’ residence in March 2025. Law enforcement seized two loaded firearms, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Wire receipts detailing money transfers to Mexico were also recovered. Lewis is a previously convicted felon.
Lewis faces up to life imprisonment upon sentencing, which is scheduled for October 16, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Possession with Intent to Distribute Large Amounts of NarcoticsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Timothy Lamar McGee, 42, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court for possession of more than 500 grams of cocaine, tetrahydrocannabinol, and marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent work of the Pensacola Police Department and our federal DEA agents to make our community safer by getting this dangerous individual off the streets. My office remains fully committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting violent criminals with the full force of the law.”
Court documents reflect that in September of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McGee’s residence in Pensacola, Florida. During a search of the residence, investigators located more than 600 grams of cocaine, more than 300 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol, more than 1,000 grams of marijuana, approximately $32,000 in United States currency, and four firearms.
McGee faces a minimum mandatory term of five years of imprisonment on each charge, consecutive, and up to life in prison if convicted as charged.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pensacola Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Owner of Local Business ‘All American Papers’ Arrested on Tax Evasion ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A criminal indictment was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging two owners of a local chain of retail stores operating under the banner “All American Papers” with tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Ramon Roque, 73, of the District of Columbia, was arrested today and made his initial appearance this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh in the U.S. District for the District of Columbia. Roque was released pending a further hearing in this matter on July 25 before U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell.
Joining in the announcement was Kareem Carter, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office, which is leading the investigation.
According to the indictment, Roque and a co-defendant owned and controlled multiple retail businesses in the District under different registrations, trade names, and taxpayer identification numbers. The business names included All American Papers, All American Bakery & Café, All American D.C., American Legends, and All American Sole (collectively All American Papers). The business had retail stores at multiple locations in the District, but effectively operated as a single enterprise with common payroll accounts and common bank accounts with commingled funds. The indictment alleges that between 2018 and 2020, All American Papers generated at least $14 million in revenue from the sale of their merchandise.
Notwithstanding the success of the business, Roque and his co-defendant never filed federal income tax returns for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020. The indictment further alleges that the defendants impeded and obstructed the Internal Revenue Service in the collection of taxes from All American Papers by using multiple business names and trade names for their company; obtaining multiple Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) for their company; providing false information to banks concerning the ownership of the company; and using false identity information with payroll companies so their income would not be reported to the IRS. The indictment also alleges that the defendants structured cash deposits at financial institutions to prevent banks from notifying the U.S. Treasury about their business’ income.
The indictment charges Roque with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States government in the assessment and collection of taxes, and three counts of failure to file income tax returns for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020.
The charges in an indictment are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud the United States is five years’ incarceration, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The maximum statutory sentence for failing to file an income tax return is imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $25,000, or both for each count of conviction. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert.
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New York Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Traffic Firearms from Maine to New YorkRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Syracuse, New York man was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to violate federal firearms laws and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Tyquinn Montell Cannon (aka “Q”), 32, to 45 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cannon pleaded guilty on June 17, 2024.
According to court records, beginning in May 2022, Cannon knowingly conspired with others in Maine and New York to illegally obtain firearms at federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) in central and southern Maine using straw purchasers. Two of the coconspirators in Maine would arrange for the straw purchase of firearms, and Cannon would deliver, or arrange the delivery of, the illegally obtained firearms to coconspirators in New York. In September 2022, Cannon was found in possession of a Glock .40 caliber pistol, which had earlier been straw purchased at an FFL in Maine. Cannon is prohibited from possessing firearms due to felony drug convictions in Illinois.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Massachusetts State Police investigated the case.
STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.
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New York Man Charged for Making and Attempting to Use Improvised Explosive Devices in ManhattanRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today charges against MICHAEL GANN alleging that he manufactured at least seven improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”) using precursor chemicals—chemicals that can be combined to create an explosive mixture—that he had ordered on the internet, stored at least five IEDs and shotgun shells on adjoining rooftops of residential apartment buildings in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, threw at least one IED onto the subway tracks of the Williamsburg Bridge, and subsequently lied to law enforcement about having disposed of his explosives and supplies in a dumpster. This case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho.
“The safety of New Yorkers is paramount,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Michael Gann built explosive devices, stored them on a rooftop in SoHo, and threw one onto the subway tracks—putting countless lives at risk. Thanks to swift work by our law enforcement partners, no one was harmed. That vigilance assuredly prevented a tragedy in New York.”
“Michael Gann allegedly produced multiple improvised explosive devices intended for use in Manhattan,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Due to the successful partnership of law enforcement agencies in New York, Gann was swiftly brought to justice before he could harm innocent civilians shortly after his dangerous actions became known. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is enduring in its commitment and determination to protect the homeland.”
“This defendant allegedly stockpiled homemade explosives and traveled to New York City with these deadly devices,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “He threw one of these devices onto an active subway track and stored others on the rooftop of a residential building, but because of the skilled investigative work and swift response from the NYPD and our partners, we were able to intervene before he caused any harm. I am grateful to the members of the NYPD, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for all the work they do every day to keep New Yorkers safe.”
As alleged in the Complaint, Indictment, and public court filings:[1]
In or about May 2025, GANN ordered approximately two pounds of potassium perchlorate and approximately one pound of aluminum powder—precursor chemicals—online, along with over 200 cardboard tubes and over 50-feet worth of fuses. In or about early June 2025, GANN received his packages containing the precursor chemicals and other supplies, mixed the precursor chemicals together, applied a flame to the mixture, and caused an explosion. GANN subsequently assembled at least seven IEDs using the precursor chemicals, cardboard tubes, and fuses.
GANN stored the precursor chemicals and at least five IEDs, pictured below, on the rooftops of residential apartment buildings in SoHo. The pictured black device contained approximately 30 grams of explosive powder—approximately 600 times the legal limit for consumer fireworks.
GANN also stored at least four shotgun shells on the same rooftops, which he intended to combine with one or more of the IEDs.
GANN threw a sixth IED onto the subway tracks on the Williamsburg Bridge, as pictured below.
On or about June 5, 2025, law enforcement agents arrested GANN in SoHo, incident to which they recovered a seventh IED from GANN’s person. Following GANN’s arrest, GANN falsely told law enforcement, in substance and in part, that he had disposed of the precursor chemicals and the shotgun shells in a dumpster in Manhattan.
In or about May and June 2025, GANN conducted internet searches related to explosives and firearms, including: “will i pass a background check,” “gun background check test,” “can i buy a gun in any state without ffl [federal firearms license],” “3D gun printing,” “gun stores,” “clorine bomb,” “how to make flash powder from household items,” “what to mix with potassium perchlorate to make flash powder,” “alluminum powder,” “black powder nearby,” “quarter stick m1000 firecracker,” “1/2 stick dynamite,” and “rechargeable nail gun to shoot into steal.”
On or about June 5, 2025, just hours before GANN was arrested with an IED on his person, GANN posted to Instagram, “Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?”
* * *
GANN, 55, of Inwood, New York, is charged with one count of attempted destruction of property by means of explosives, which carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of transportation of explosive materials, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of destructive devices, which also carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Nassau County Police Department; and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky, Michael D. Lockard, and Chelsea L. Scism, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Isaacson, are in charge of the prosecution.
u.s._v._gann_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the charging instruments and other public filings to date constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Mobile Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Arson at Local Grocery StoreRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Timothy Jones has been sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for arson. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock earlier today.
According to court documents, in February 2024, Jones intentionally set a fire inside of the Greer’s Downtown Market at Government and Broad Streets in Mobile, Alabama. Jones’ actions were captured on surveillance footage, and he was apprehended nearby shortly after he set the fire. The store was open at the time Jones set the fire and employees and customers were inside. Fortunately, no one was injured but Jones’ actions caused damage to the store.
At sentencing, Judge Beaverstock imposed the 5-year mandatory minimum sentence and a 3-year term of supervised release upon Jones’ discharge from prison. Jones was also ordered to pay approximately $25,000 in restitution to the business due the losses suffered because of his actions.
The Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Beth Stepan and Kasee Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mexican National Indicted after Illegal Alien Dies During Smuggling AttemptRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a seven-count indictment against Miguel Salomon-Lugo, 40, of Chihuahua, Mexico, for smuggling illegal aliens for profit resulting in death, bringing in illegal aliens for profit, smuggling illegal aliens for profit, and conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens for profit.
The indictment alleges that on June 19, Border Patrol Agents encountered two illegal aliens who told them that two other individuals in their group needed assistance in the area of Bonita Tank near Arivaca, Arizona. Border Patrol air assets were able to locate the illegal aliens in distress, but the helicopter could not land because of the terrain. The agents relayed the individuals’ location to other agents. Despite the excessive 100+ degree heat, Border Patrol Agents on the ground moved quickly to assist the distressed aliens. Upon arrival, agents discovered that one of the men had died after falling down a steep ravine.
All three of the surviving illegal aliens reported that they were part of a group led by two foot-guides who had brought them from Mexico into the United States. Salomon-Lugo was identified as one of those foot guides.
According to court documents, the deceased illegal alien began to feel faint due to heat while traveling. After being told to continue by one of the foot guides, he became dizzy and fell down a ravine, suffering the injuries that would lead to his death. His uncle, one of the other members of the group, stayed with him as the group moved on. The foot guides instructed others to leave the suffering man behind and continue north.
A conviction for smuggling illegal aliens for profit resulting in death carries a maximum penalty of death.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-3238-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-124_Salomon-Lugo# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Man sentenced to over 11 years for importing nearly $8 million in methamphetamineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Camargo, Mexico, has been sentenced to federal prison for importing more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Cesar Alejandro Saavedra-Garcia pleaded guilty Feb. 28.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Saavedra to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Saavedra-Garcia played an integral role in smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the large amount of meth found in Saavedra-Garcia’s vehicle and the fact that he had admitted to transporting narcotics previously.
On Dec. 17, 2024, Saavedra-Garcia arrived at the Sarita Border Patrol Checkpoint and claimed he had no illegal drugs in his vehicle.
However, at secondary inspection, a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed 112 bricks of methamphetamine hidden in compartments near the vehicle’s cargo bed.
The drugs weighed approximately 109 kilograms and had an estimated street value of nearly $7.7 million.
At the time of his plea, Saavedra-Garcia admitted he knew he was smuggling narcotics into the United States.
Saavedra-Garcia will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore Parran and Avery Benitez prosecuted the case.
Local man gets over 10 years after picking up and delivering “aparatos”Read the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Laredo resident has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Fernando Tadeo Cerda, 25, pleaded guilty July 19, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Cerda to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release for the drug trafficking conviction. At the hearing, the court considered Cerda was subject to a mandatory 10 years in prison due to being previously convicted of smuggling aliens.
Cerda had also admitted he violated his term of supervised release and received another nine months to be served consecutively for a total 129-month-term of imprisonment.
The investigation revealed Cerda had conspired with his uncle, Jesus Garza, to coordinate delivery of large amounts of cocaine.
On Nov. 27, 2020, Cerda met with Garza and provided him a duffle bag containing the drugs. As Garza departed the location in Laredo, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and discovered the bag with five bricks which contained over 5,000 grams of cocaine.
Cerda later admitted Garza had instructed him to pick up and deliver “aparatos” (kilograms of cocaine). He further stated he made a total of four deliveries and was paid $1,000.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Garza, 63, Laredo, had also pleaded guilty and later sentenced to 48 months in prison.
Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.
Leader of Multi-State Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Wilfort Foster, III, 41, of El Monte, California, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to narcotics and money laundering conspiracy charges. Foster, a convicted felon serving a sentence of probation during a portion of the offense, led an operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as significant quantities of fentanyl, from California to the North Georgia area and elsewhere, and then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds.
“Our office partnered with a host of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle a significant, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering network,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Foster’s 28-year prison sentence should serve as a robust warning to others who might consider trafficking deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine in North Georgia.”
“DEA is committed to going after money laundering networks that move cash made from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to follow the money trail while working alongside our partners to hold those accountable who profit from the distribution of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine.”
“This sentencing marks the end of a years-long effort to dismantle a dangerous drug trafficking network that was pushing lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine into our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains focused on dismantling these dangerous organizations at every level—from supply to distribution to laundering the proceeds of their crimes.”
“This significant sentence reflects the massive danger that fentanyl and illicit narcotics pose to our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of HSI and our law enforcement partners, Wilfort Foster, III, who led a major drug trafficking ring, will no longer be able to endanger lives with these deadly substances.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in 2017 and continuing into 2022, Foster and others conspired to transport methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Cartersville, Georgia and other areas. Foster ran a stash house and illegal gambling operation in his California barbershop, which he used to supply his network with large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine for sale. In one instance, Foster supplied a co-defendant with more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine that law enforcement subsequently seized.
After Foster’s operation sold drugs, conspirators in Georgia laundered more than $600,000 in cash to Foster by using shell companies and flying with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to California. Foster maintained tight control of his network and once broke a co-defendant’s jaw during a feud over the co-defendant’s drug debt.
During the multi-agency investigation, law enforcement seized significant quantities of narcotics and more than a dozen firearms, including an AR-15. Foster continued his drug and money laundering operation in Georgia despite being on probation in California in a case involving the seizure of over nine kilograms of methamphetamine and two firearms.
Earlier today, United States District Judge William M. Ray II sentenced Foster to serve 28 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Foster was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering on January 6, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
Another member of Foster’s organization, Steven Ham, 43, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release on November 26, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Additionally, the following defendants have pleaded guilty as part of this case and are awaiting sentencing:
- Clifford Alexander, 39, of Gadsden, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Frank Miller, 47, of Cartersville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Kenneth Antoine Scott, 41, of East Point, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Lori Silvers, 46, of Rockmart, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Nia Thomas, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Cartersville Police Department, Cedartown Police Department, Polk County Police Department, Acworth Police Department, Kennesaw Police Department, El Monte (CA) Police Department, Los Angeles (CA) Sheriff’s Department, Rutherford County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Kansas City (KS) Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III, Matthew R. LaGrone, and Jeffrey Brown; former Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Beaulieu and Zachary Howard; and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons 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).
This effort is part of an 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Laredo men sentenced for multiyear cocaine trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two Laredo residents have been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Jose Castaneda, 44, and Juan Enrique Villanueva, 52, pleaded guilty March 4 and Dec. 12, 2024, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now imposed a 168-month-term of imprisonment for Castaneda, while Villanueva received 63 months. Both must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.
At the hearing, the court heard Castaneda managed a cocaine trafficking organization for several years that included Villanueva and others. Judge Ellison considered the scope of the organization, which included trafficking tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine each month, and the substantial profits Castaneda personally earned. Castaneda also fled from law enforcement and threatened a man with a knife in an attempt to avoid arrest.
On Sept. 16 and 26, 2024, authorities observed Castaneda and Villanueva transporting cocaine that was later sold. Law enforcement seized the drugs on these occasions along with additional cocaine at his residence weighing over 11 kilograms. They also found over $40,000 in cash from cocaine trafficking that was seized and forfeited as part of the sentencing.
The investigation revealed Castaneda and Villanueva were involved in this conspiracy for multiple years. This scheme included numerous co-conspirators and showed that Castaneda was making tens of thousands of dollars a month trafficking in cocaine that he used to make purchases of property, jewelry, vehicles and other possessions. Castaneda was held accountable for 43 kilograms of cocaine he was known to have distributed as part of this conspiracy.
Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.
Laredo man with prior murder conviction sentenced to 30 years for smuggling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 31-year-old resident of Laredo has been sentenced for illegally importing over 836 kilograms of methamphetamine into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Cornelio Aguilar pleaded guilty July 9, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered him to serve the 30-year sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Aguilar’s violent criminal history, including prior convictions for murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In imposing the sentence, Judge Ellison noted that this was a serious offense.
The investigation revealed Aguilar imported two loads of methamphetamine into the United States using tractor trailers between January and June 2022. Hidden inside the bags of charcoal he was hauling were bundles of methamphetamine.
Aguilar has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.
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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Laredo man sentenced to 63 months for smuggling over 100 illegal aliens in locked trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old resident of Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Manuel Aguirre pleaded guilty Feb. 6.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Aguirre to serve 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered Aguirre’s history of smuggling aliens on multiple occasions and the danger he posed by transporting them in a sealed, locked, dark and unventilated trailer that required authorities to open with a bolt cutter.
“Human smuggling is an incredibly dangerous enterprise, and it requires the trafficker to care absolutely nothing about the lives and safety of those they transport,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, there were no deaths in this case, but the underlying facts indicate that several of those transported had difficulty breathing and feared for their life. The Southern District of Texas will make sure that all human smugglers pay a serious price for their callousness.”
On Dec. 2, 2024, law enforcement observed several individuals being loading into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot. Aguirre was the driver of the truck hauling it. After he departed the location, authorities conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the discovery of 101 aliens locked inside the trailer, 13 of whom were children as young as 13 years old.
Multiple illegal aliens reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer. They were from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Honduras.
Aguirre will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.
Keokuk Men Sentenced to 240 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Two Keokuk men were sentenced to federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, between at least April and July 2024, Ronald Dickey Mason, 75, and Ronald Kieth Mason, 43, father and son, conspired to sell large amounts of methamphetamine in Keokuk, Burlington, Riverside, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids. In July 2024, law enforcement located 28 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk and a pistol in the center console of Ronald Dickey Mason’s car.
In February of 2025 Ronald Kieth Mason plead guilty as charged and Ronald Dickey Mason plead guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In March 2025, a jury convicted Ronald Dickey Mason of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. On July 22, 2025, the Court sentenced him to 22 years in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release.
Ronald Keith Mason was sentenced on June 25, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Lee County Narcotics Task Force, the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keokuk Police Department.
Jury Finds Winner Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking of Children and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Richard Alan Kucera, age 67, of Winner, South Dakota, was found guilty of two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child and two counts of Production of Child Pornography following a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 18, 2025.
Each count of Sex Trafficking of a Child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Each count of Production of Child Pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Kucera and co-defendant Ivy Heron, age 37, also of Winner, South Dakota, were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
At trial, the evidence established that between 2019 and 2021, Kucera and Heron entered into an agreement to recruit local girls to engage in sexual activity with Kucera in exchange for payment. Heron received a fee for each girl she recruited whom Kucera selected. Between 2020 and 2021, Heron recruited two sixteen-year-old girls, each of whom Kucera paid to engage in sexual activity. Kucera also created child pornography images and videos of both minor victims, which he uploaded to Facebook. The arrangement between Kucera and Heron was discovered in June 2022, when the minor victims were interviewed by law enforcement.
Heron pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025, to Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Child. She is in custody awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not yet been set. Kucera was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Joplin Man Indicted for Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with his possession of a firearm recovered following a shooting in Joplin, Mo.
Andrew M. Reed, 22, was charged in a single count indictment with being a felon possession of a firearm. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed on July 2, 2025.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, police officers responded to the area of 5th and Joplin Avenue in Joplin, Mo., on Feb. 15, 2025, in reference to gunshots, and recovered several spent cartridge casings in the area. Officers recovered a firearm with a thirty-round extended magazine loaded with ammunition consistent with the spent shell casings. Surveillance footage from a nearby business showed a male, later identified as Reed, hiding the firearm.
Reed has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony M. Brown It was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Jonesboro Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JONESBORO—Thomas Demetrius Williams, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 216 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Monday, July 21, 2025, by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall Jr.
On April 29, 2024, Williams, 41, of Jonesboro, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Judge Marshall also sentenced Williams to five years’ supervised release. Williams was indicted on April 2, 2024, in a second superseding indictment, on two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
On October 12, 2021, law enforcement officers received information that Williams was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine. An investigation revealed that Williams was on parole with an active search waiver on file. As law enforcement officers approached Williams’ residence he shared with his girlfriend to conduct a parole search, they observed three vehicles in the driveway. While at the residence, law enforcement officers observed the girlfriend and a small child in the grey vehicle in the driveway. The girlfriend stated the vehicle belonged to Williams. At that time, law enforcement officers circled the block and when they arrived back at Williams’ residence, they observed the white vehicle that had previously been in the driveway was no longer there.
During a parole search of Williams’ residence, law enforcement officers located a debit card in Williams’ name. While awaiting the arrival of a canine officer, Williams was observed driving by his residence in the white vehicle. Not long afterwards, Williams stopped his vehicle and made contact with the law enforcement officers at his residence. Upon arrival of the canine officer, it was deployed to search the area. The canine officer alerted to the presence of narcotics in the grey vehicle. Law enforcement officers searched the grey vehicle and located the bag the girlfriend had been carrying. During a search of the bag, it was revealed to contain 730.4 grams of pure methamphetamine, 299.5 grams of marijuana, 19.7651 grams of ecstasy pills, 4.7289 grams of oxycodone pills, $1,999 in cash, and a stolen Ruger, LCP .380 firearm.
Williams was sentenced as a Career Offender on the drug conviction due to his criminal history that includes aggravated assault, three domestic battery convictions, a terroristic threatening conviction, three serious drug convictions, drug trafficking convictions, and felon in possession of firearm convictions. There is no parole in the federal system.
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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.
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Individual Involved in Multi-Million Dollar Cocaine Seizure in Humacao is Sentenced to 18 1/2 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 15, 2025, United States District Court Senior Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Domingo Acosta to 222 months and 14 days in prison and 5 years of supervised release for the importation of more than 850 kilograms of cocaine on April 12, 2022. According to court documents, Domingo Acosta pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to: (1) conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, from Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere; and (2) possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendant possessed firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. On October 7, 2022, federal agents searched a property used by the defendant and seized the following electronic devices, handguns, magazines, and ammunition: (1) a Glock model G23, (2) a Glock model 19, (3) 2 Glock .40 caliber magazines, (4) 2 Glock 9mm magazines, (5) 38 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, (6) 42 rounds of 9mm ammunition, (7) 2 Garmin GPS units, and (8) a handheld radio ICOM. The defendant also has a prior felony conviction for immigration offenses.
The DEA HIDTA Fajardo TFGII/Maritime Program led the investigation. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organization (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Homeland Security Task Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side by side in the same location, assisted in the prosecution of this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Antonio J. López-Rivera from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Unit prosecuted the case.
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Indianapolis CPA Sentenced for Participation in Illegal Tax ShelterRead the Press Release
An Indiana CPA was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: between 2013 and 2022, Jason L. Crace prepared income tax returns for clients that claimed millions of dollars in false deductions for so-called “royalty payments.” However, as Crace knew, these “royalty payments” were merely circular flows of money designed to give the appearance of genuine business expenses. Typically, a client would send money to bank accounts controlled by scheme promoters who then sent the money — minus a fee — back to a different bank account controlled by the client. In this way, tax shelter participants retained control of the money they transferred, while falsely deducting the transfers as business expenses on their tax returns. One of the scheme’s promoters, Stephen T. Mellinger III, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role promoting the scheme.
In total, Crace’s preparation of false tax returns claiming fraudulent “royalty” deductions caused a loss to the IRS of more than $2.5 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, the court sentenced Crace to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution of $2,532,936.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard J. Hagerman, William M. Montague, and Matthew C. Hicks of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Illinois Tax Preparer Sentenced for Role in $3.6M Covid-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An Illinois man was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $3.6 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program implemented by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
According to court documents, Farooq Khan, 31, of Chicago, owned and operated Hannan Tax Services (Hannan Tax), a tax preparation company located in Chicago. From approximately May 2020 through October 2021, through Hannan Tax, Khan prepared and facilitated the submission of at least 30 fraudulent applications for loans through the PPP and EIDL program. At the time Kahn prepared and submitted the applications, he knew that the companies for which he sought the loans were non-operational and did not qualify. He also knowingly falsified the information contained in the applications, including the number of employees and tax records attributed to the defunct companies. Khan caused approximately $3.6 million to be fraudulently distributed by the SBA and PPP lenders. He also attempted to obtain at least an additional $588,900 in loans through other EIDL applications that were never funded for nonexistent companies. He personally obtained approximately $1.2 million of the fraudulent loan proceeds.
Khan pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on Feb. 19. At sentencing, he was also ordered to pay $3,645,104 in restitution.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew J. Scarpino of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Chicago made the announcement.
The FBI Chicago Field Office and ICE-HSI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Claire Sobczak Pacelli of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 8667205721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Trying to Arrange Florida MurderRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced an Illinois man to 97 months in prison for trying to have a business associate in Florida murdered.
At an initial meeting in Missouri in January of 2024, Ben Patrick Mullavey asked a former employee to kill Mullavey’s business partner in Florida. The employee contacted authorities. In later conversations, many of which were recorded by the FBI, Mullavey told the employee that he had been planning the murder for months and had conducted surveillance of the victim and stolen a Florida license plate. Mullavey suggested the best time and place to commit the murder, ways to avoid being identified on surveillance cameras and ways of disposing of the victim’s body.
On Jan. 13, 2024, the employee left Mullavey’s home with orders to kill the victim, a crossbow, arrows, the stolen Florida license plate, handwritten directions to a restaurant located next door to the victim’s business and $2,100 in cash.
In a victim impact letter, Mullavey’s target said that since being informed that he was the target of a murder-for-hire scheme, he has lived in a “state of constant fear.” Forced to abandon his business out of concern over the risk of being in a public place every day, he also lost his financial security, his apartment and everything inside it. “This is not just something that happened once. It is something that will affect me every day for the rest of my life,” he wrote.
Mullavey, 66, of Mechanicsburg, in Sangamon County, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one felony count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of attempted murder-for-hire.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.