Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
23 July 2025
Lowcountry Babysitter Indicted for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Florence returned a 10-count indictment against Brandon Brill, 26, of Berkeley County, for production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material and coercion and enticement of minors.*
The indictment alleges that Brill was a nanny and childcare provider in the District of South Carolina. From as early as June 2023 until his arrest on various state charges in February 2025, Brill used his position of trust and access to children to exploit at least six minor victims. Brill would regularly invite the children he cared for and/or who lived in the same neighborhood as him over to his house to play video games and have sleepovers. Further, Brill would use the minors he had access to by virtue of his position as a nanny and childcare provider to gain access to additional minors. Brill faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, and the Moncks Corner Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, in January 2025, Lewiston police officers stopped a vehicle operated by Kulmiye Abukar Idris, 35, for traffic violations. Officers searched the vehicle and found a handgun. Idris was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for gross sexual assault.
Idris faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release for three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lewiston Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Androscoggin County District Attorney’s Office.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
###
Lake County Woman and Federal Inmate Arrested for Smuggling Drugs into PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Michelle Nicole Marie Brannon (36, Lake County) and Robert Hayes (46, Hillsborough County) on a federal indictment. Brannon is charged with one count of making a materially false statement or representation to a federal agency and one count of providing contraband to a federal prisoner. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. Hayes is charged with one count of possession of contraband by a federal prisoner. If convicted, Hayes faces a maximum of 5 years in federal prison.
According to the court records, Brannon and Hayes are brother and sister. On April 27, 2025, Brannon visited Hayes, an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. As Brannon was being screened before the visitation, she made a materially false representation to a corrections officer that she did not have any narcotics in her possession. Subsequently, she was caught providing Hayes with buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance. Federal inmates are prohibited from possessing controlled substances in the prison facility.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Lake County Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Gregory Coleman III (28, Leesburg) has entered a guilty plea to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Coleman faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal grand jury indicted Coleman on December 12, 2023.
According to the court records, Coleman has been convicted of four state felonies, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting law enforcement with violence, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, and possession of cocaine. Following these convictions, on November 4, 2023, Coleman sold a firearm to a confidential source who was working in cooperation with federal agents. Coleman told the source he had more firearms but wanted to keep them for himself. As a convicted felon, Coleman is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Eustis Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Justice Department Supports Seattle’s Motion to Terminate Police Department Consent DecreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today announced that it has filed a response in support of the City of Seattle’s Motion to Terminate the Consent Decree in United States v. City of Seattle. The decree required reforms in the Seattle Police Department’s practices regarding use of force, crisis intervention, stops and detentions, supervision and accountability. With support from the Justice Department, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) achieved sustained substantial compliance.
The Justice Department brought this case pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division and the Special Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division jointly investigated and found that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) had engaged in a pattern or practice of unnecessary or excessive force that violated the Constitution and federal law. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington entered the consent decree in 2012.
“We congratulate the Seattle Police Department on its achievement of sustained substantial compliance with this thirteen-year-old consent decree,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division will continue to work with police departments across the country to help make America’s communities safe again.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, believes the district court should terminate the consent decree and monitorship, which have been in place for 13 years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “Seattle has been held up as an example of successful police reform and has done recent work on its crowd control policies and accountability systems. We trust it will continue to lead the way on constitutional policing.”
Justice Department Supports Seattle’s Motion to Terminate Police Department Consent DecreeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today announced that it has filed a response in support of the City of Seattle’s Motion to Terminate the Consent Decree in United States v. City of Seattle. The decree required reforms in the Seattle Police Department’s practices regarding use of force, crisis intervention, stops and detentions, supervision and accountability. With support from the Justice Department, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) achieved sustained substantial compliance.
The Justice Department brought this case pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division and the Special Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division jointly investigated and found that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) had engaged in a pattern or practice of unnecessary or excessive force that violated the Constitution and federal law. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington entered the consent decree in 2012.
“We congratulate the Seattle Police Department on its achievement of sustained substantial compliance with this thirteen-year-old consent decree,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division will continue to work with police departments across the country to help make America’s communities safe again.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, believes the district court should terminate the consent decree and monitorship, which have been in place for 13 years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington. “Seattle has been held up as an example of successful police reform and has done recent work on its crowd control policies and accountability systems. We trust it will continue to lead the way on constitutional policing.”
Justice Department Announces Formation of Strike Force to Assess Evidence Publicized by ODNIRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the formation of a Strike Force to assess the evidence publicized by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and investigate potential next legal steps which might stem from DNI Gabbard’s disclosures.
This Department takes alleged weaponization of the intelligence community with the utmost seriousness.
Upon the formation of the Strike Force, Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated:
“The Department of Justice is proud to work with my friend Director Gabbard and we are grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American people. We will investigate these troubling disclosures fully and leave no stone unturned to deliver justice.”
Jury Convicts Man Who Targeted Metro Air Support Helicopter in St. Louis with LaserRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury on Wednesday found a man guilty of a crime for temporarily blinding Metro Air Support pilots with a laser pointer.
Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis took roughly 20 minutes to convict Joshua J. Johnson, 44, of one felony count of knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. The trial started Tuesday afternoon with jury selection.
Evidence and testimony at the trial showed that shortly before 9:45 p.m. on August 9, 2024, Johnson used a blue laser to target a marked Metro Air Support helicopter that was flying over the Benton Park neighborhood in St. Louis in support of other officers. A St. Louis County Police Department pilot and a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department pilot were temporarily blinded when blue light flooded the cockpit. As the blue light started to wane, the officers were able to track the beam to the driver’s side of a vehicle below them. The officers then tracked the vehicle as it drove down the street. The driver aimed the laser at the helicopter again. The officers continued to track the vehicle and provided updates to officers on the ground, who stopped the vehicle and arrested the sole occupant – Johnson. After initially denying that he pointed the laser, he later admitted that he was responsible. He also admitted that fact in calls from jail.
Laser pointers are widely available and range in power. The strongest models can permanently blind air crews. Those who point lasers at aircraft can also be subject to civil penalties of up to $11,000 imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the FAA in 2024.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30. The crime carries a potential punishment of up to five years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Metro Air Support Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohsen Pasha and Derek Wiseman are prosecuting the case.
Jamaican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Jamaican national was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio on Tuesday to 70 months in prison for his role in a human smuggling conspiracy that placed lives in jeopardy.
According to court documents, Bryan Adamson, 52, was involved in the coordination of at least 14 alien smuggling events for a human smuggling organization (HSO) between May 6, 2021, and April 28, 2022. He was responsible for recruiting drivers, hiring scouts, paying drivers and co-conspirators, and communicating/coordinating directly with co-conspirators to facilitate the further transport of aliens that arrived in Laredo from Mexico.
In May 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio began investigating the criminal activity of an HSO that smuggled hundreds of aliens from Laredo to San Antonio inside tractor trailers. HSI was able to link at least 19 human smuggling events involving the actual apprehension of over 900 aliens to this HSO. The HSO would smuggle aliens from Mexico to Laredo, where they would be kept in stash houses before being transported to San Antonio in tractor trailers. The loads ranged from approximately 30 aliens to more than 100 aliens traveling in a single trailer.
Several of those smuggling events involved dangerous conditions inside the trailers, including the event on May 6, 2021, in which the San Antonio Police Department received 911 calls regarding a tractor trailer that was in transit with individuals sticking their hands out of a small door in the trailer. The area surrounding the opening had been ripped apart by the individuals inside the trailer in their attempts to escape. Forty-one aliens were apprehended, including one who had to be transported to the hospital for treatment due to displaying symptoms of dehydration. Two of the aliens were unaccompanied minors. One of the aliens told HSI that he was positioned by the trailer doors and observed several people inside having trouble breathing. The aliens stated there had been over 100 people in the trailer and the temperature inside the trailer was high due to the number of bodies, causing them to fear for their lives. When officers arrived, they observed that several of the aliens appeared to be disoriented and were asking for water.
On June 15, 2022, Adamson was charged with one count of transporting illegal aliens. A second count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and placing the life of a person in jeopardy was added in a superseding indictment on Aug. 17, 2022. Adamson was arrested on June 23, 2022. He pleaded guilty to both charges on May 1, 2025.
In addition to Adamson’s imprisonment, Adamson was ordered to spend three years on supervised release. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez also ordered that Adamson forfeit $164,250 and two firearms along with ammunition and accessories. “Human smuggling crimes don’t just violate borders—they endanger lives, exploit vulnerable people, and finance some of the most dangerous criminal organizations our world has ever known,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This sentencing sends the message that we will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases and intend to hold those involved accountable.”
“This sentencing underscores the life-threatening risks posed by transnational human smuggling networks that prioritize profit over people,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “The defendant’s actions not only violated federal law but posed a risk to human life. We will continue working with our international and domestic partners to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law.”
Seven of Adamson’s co-defendants have already been sentenced. Fredi Zagala-Servin and Sedrick Zelitis Smith were sentenced to 97 months and 84 months in prison, respectively. Mark Algie Holliday, Norman Lee Walker, Jr., Ronnie Joe Branch and Eliseo Loredo were each sentenced to 30 months in prison. Rodney Edward Shavers was sentenced to time served on Feb. 26 after being in custody since Dec. 31, 2022.
Debbie Marie Gonzales pleaded guilty in May and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 17, while Francisco Arredondo-Colmenero awaits further proceedings following his arrest in Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Gattinella handled the forfeiture on the case.
This investigation was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
###
Jamaican National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that DWAYNE CLAUD SINGH, 37, a citizen of Jamaica residing in New Haven, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Singh was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained pending a hearing that is scheduled for July 28.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in 2014, Singh was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of drug, weapon, and forgery offenses and was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. In December 2017, the U.S. Immigration Court in Hartford ordered Singh removed to Jamaica for violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act. He was deported to Jamaica in January 2018.
It is further alleged that Singh illegally reentered the U.S. and has been using Connecticut and California identifying documents in the name of “Kevin Anthony Smith,” and a Facebook profile in the name of “Poochie Gully.” Singh also has an active state arrest warrant for breach of peace and threatening offenses, which was issued by the Connecticut Superior Court in March 2023.
If convicted of the charge of unlawful reentry, Singh faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
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 Neighborhood (PSN).
Jacksonville Convicted Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Brian Keith Speights (68, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to escaping from federal custody at a halfway house in Jacksonville. At sentencing, Speights will face up to five years in prison. Speights was arrested on January 20, 2025, in Jacksonville and has been in federal custody since that time. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 19, 2025.
According to court documents, in 2019, Speights was sentenced to serve 90 months in federal prison after being convicted of using his Jacksonville residence to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, and for possessing several firearms in furtherance of illegal drug trafficking. In May 2024, the Federal Bureau of Prisons lawfully transferred Speights into the custody of the Bridges Reintegration Center (Bridges), a halfway house located in Jacksonville. As part of his application requesting this transfer that he signed on May 7, 2024, Speights acknowledged that he remained in the custody of the Attorney General of the United States, and if he failed to remain within the limits of his confinement at Bridges, his failure to do so would be deemed as an escape.
On January 2, 2025, Speights knowingly and willfully escaped by leaving the Bridges Reintegration Center without authorization and failing to return. On January 20, 2025, he was located at a residence in Jacksonville and arrested by deputies from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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).
Inmate Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Assaulting Former Cellmate with Contraband KnifeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that DA’QUAN TUCKER was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern to 57 months in prison for repeatedly stabbing his former cellmate in the head and face with a 6‑inch contraband knife on April 3, 2024, while incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution (“FCI”) Otisville. In March 2025, TUCKER pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing contraband in prison.
“Da’Quan Tucker brutally attacked a fellow inmate in the prison yard at FCI Otisville without provocation by repeatedly stabbing him in the head and face with a contraband knife,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Violence like this risks the lives and safety of inmates and prison staff and will not be tolerated in federal prison. Today’s sentence demonstrates that such conduct will be met with serious punishment.”
According to the Indictment, court filings and statements made in court:
On April 3, 2024, TUCKER was incarcerated at FCI Otisville, where he was serving a sentence related to a robbery he committed in July 2023 while he was on supervised release. That day, TUCKER, without provocation, repeatedly stabbed another inmate—his former cellmate—in the head and face using a six-inch contraband knife. Following the assault, TUCKER told prison staff that he would attack the victim again if he had the chance and would try to kill him.
* * *
In addition to the prison term TUCKER, 23 of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton thanked the staff of FCI Otisville for their assistance and praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shaun E. Werbelow and Justin L. Brooke are in charge of the prosecution.
Importers Agree to Pay $6.8M to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Relating to Voluntary Self-Disclosure of Unpaid Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
Manchester, New Hampshire, based Global Plastics LLC (Global Plastics) and Melville, New York, based Marco Polo International LLC (Marco Polo), both subsidiaries of MGI International LLC, have agreed to pay $6.8 million to resolve their civil liability under the False Claims Act for knowingly failing to pay customs duties on certain plastic resin imported from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that MGI International and its subsidiaries took a number of significant steps entitling them to credit for cooperating with the government.
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties.
In 2024, MGI and its subsidiaries disclosed to CBP and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire that, beginning in May 2019, Global Plastics and Marco Polo failed to declare the correct country of origin and value on certain entries of plastic resin products manufactured in the PRC and, as a result, failed to pay the proper duties owed to CBP.
“The Department will pursue those who gain an unfair trade advantage in U.S. markets, including those who knowingly evade or underpay duties owed on foreign imports,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “As today’s settlement reflects, when importers fail to pay customs duties owed, they can mitigate the consequences by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with investigations, and taking appropriate remedial measures.”
“Companies doing business in the United States must play by the rules, including paying full custom duties owed for imports,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack for the District of New Hampshire. “This resolution demonstrates that when companies self-disclose misconduct, cooperate fully with the government’s investigation, and take meaningful corrective action, they can receive credit for those admissions. We will continue to hold accountable those who attempt to avoid paying what they owe to the federal government, while also recognizing responsible corporate behavior.”
“When companies use unfair trade practices and fraudulent methodologies to avoid paying customs duties, it robs the American people of revenue and undermines our economy,” said acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas of the Office of Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “I am proud that CBP was able to work with the Department of Justice to help ensure a level playing field for law abiding businesses.”
MGI cooperated with the United States’ investigation by, among other things: making a timely voluntary self-disclosure of the potential violations; performing a thorough and independent internal investigation; preserving, collecting, and disclosing facts not known to the government but relevant to its investigation; conducting an analysis of potential damages that was shared with the government; and implementing appropriate remedial actions, including disciplining personnel and making improvements to compliance procedures. As a result, MGI, Global Plastics, and Marco Polo received credit under the Department’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act settlements.
This resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, with assistance from the CBP’s Office of Chief Counsel.
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Raphael Katz of the District of New Hampshire and Senior Trial Counsel Art J. Coulter of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: Read the Settlement here
Illinois Man Sentenced to 48 months’ Imprisonment for Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 22, 2025, Ronald Pallek (55) of McHenry, Illinois, was sentenced to 48 months’ incarceration for executing an investment fraud scheme that resulted in a loss of over $1.6 million to over 100 investors in Illinois and Wisconsin.
According to court records, Pallek engaged in a years’ long scheme during which he convinced friends, friends of friends, and family members to give him money to invest. Pallek promised these investors that he could double their money using an “iron condor” strategy of investing even though Pallek knew that he had never been able to generate such profits. Despite losing his victims’ funds in the market or spending them for his own benefit, Pallek continued to solicit additional victims, even promising commissions to those he previously had defrauded. During the scheme, Pallek repeatedly sent falsified earning statements to his victims, lied about his purported successes, and made Ponzi-style payments to prior victims with new victim funds. The investigation also revealed that Pallek used the funds to pay for his own living expenses, including his mortgage and for his car, and for gambling activities.
In announcing his sentence, United States District Judge Brett Ludwig noted that Pallek engaged in a “serious criminal enterprise” and kept his scheme going by “cultivating trust with friends and acquaintances” and through repeated “acts of deceit and false conduct.”
In addition to the 48-month period of incarceration, Pallek was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,679,250.00, and to serve a period of 3 years of supervised release.
“Mr. Pallek abused the trust of his victims, targeting hard-working individuals and small business owners,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “The sentence in this case reflects not only the significant financial but also the long-lasting emotional harm Mr. Pallek inflicted, and I commend everyone involved in holding him accountable and seeking justice for his victims.”
“Mr. Pallek deceived investors and caused significant financial and emotional harm through a Ponzi-like scheme,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The FBI will continue its relentless pursuit of investigating those who hide behind financial fraud as one part in our mission to protect the American people. We continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that justice is served.”
“The cruelty of this scheme wasn’t just in the dollars stolen—it was in the betrayal. This defendant exploited the trust of those closest to him, using friends and family like an ATM to fund his lifestyle,” said Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Investment fraud doesn’t just drain bank accounts—it corrodes trust and weakens the financial systems we all rely on. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to pursue those who exploit personal relationships for personal gain.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie F. Stewart.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on X
Illinois Man Sentenced to 41 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Yesterday, Kareim J. Coverson, 37 years old, of Calumet City, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Phillip P. Simon after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Coverson was sentenced to 41 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $614,597.50 in restitution to the victims of the offense.According to documents in the case, between approximately May 2019 and June 2020, Coverson participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $3.3 million from the proceeds of large business checks stolen out of the mail. Coverson and his co-conspirators registered fictitious corporations with the Indiana and Illinois Secretaries of State, opened fraudulent corporate bank accounts, and deposited the stolen checks into the fraudulent accounts. The actions of Coverson and his associates resulted in an unrecovered loss of over $1 million to the affected businesses and financial institutions.
Coverson is the last of 10 defendants to be convicted and sentenced in this case and a related prosecution arising from the same scheme. In April 2024, Coverson’s brother, Oliver Coverson, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for his role as the organizer of the scheme. Earlier this year, Defendant Scott Vue received a prison sentence of 51 months for his role in the offense, which included opening fraudulent bank accounts, depositing stolen checks, and recruiting additional participants to the conspiracy.
“The Coverson brothers and their associates assembled a large criminal conspiracy that caused millions of dollars of harm to businesses and banks throughout the United States. These defendants stole from small and large businesses alike, disrupting the flow of commerce, and compromising the mail and financial systems on which everyday Americans rely to conduct their business,” said Proctor. “As the court’s sentences in this case demonstrate, such conduct is not tolerated in the Northern District of Indiana and will be met with serious consequences.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater.
Illegal alien sent to prison for role in nationwide scheme to sell fake Texas paper vehicle tagsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The final man in a large-scale conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to the sale of hundreds of thousands of fraudulent Texas paper license plates has been ordered to prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Emmanuel Padilla Reyes, 35, pleaded guilty May 13.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Reyes to serve 60 months in federal prison and to pay $22 million in restitution to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard testimony from the family of a victim killed by a truck bearing a fraudulent paper license plate that one of Reyes’ dealerships had issued. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that there were many more victims just like this one whose lives Reyes harmed and changed, and that this was not a victimless crime.
“The defendant’s criminal scheme was not only illegal in itself, but also facilitated scores of other crimes, such as armed robberies and drive-by shootings,” said Ganjei. “Texas motorists deserve to know vehicles on the roadways alongside them and their families are genuinely licensed, rather than the instruments of crime.”
“This case led not only to arrests and prison sentences for those behind a national multimillion-dollar scheme, but it also led to changes in the way temporary tags are issued in Texas. Changes that just went into effect July 1,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “That’s impactful, and I’m so proud of our law enforcement partners and the FBI Houston case team who made it all happen.”
Reyes and co-conspirators sold over 550,000 tags using the internet and messaging apps, without selling any vehicles. He used aliases, including a stolen identity, to obtain car dealer licenses for the scheme. The fake tags allowed buyers to evade registration, insurance and law enforcement detection, enabling crimes such as robberies and drive-by shootings.
In Texas, used car dealers must obtain an independent General Distinguishing Number to access the state’s eTag portal and issue temporary buyer tags. At the time of the indictment, the system lacked data entry restrictions. Reyes used fake identities and documents to obtain licenses for two fictitious dealerships, “King’s Ranch Autoland” and “Texas Motor Company,” then advertised Texas buyer tags for sale on Facebook and Instagram.
Reyes will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Co-defendants Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez, 45, Octavian Ocasio, 53, and Daniel Christine-Tani, 36, were also charged and convicted in the scheme and were sentenced to prison. Lopez, also in the United States illegally, failed to report to prison. A federal grand jury returned an indictment Feb. 20 charging her with failure to surrender. Lopez is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for her arrest. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Travis County Constable Office - Precinct 3, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Adam Goldman are prosecuting the case.
Hunting show host receives lifetime hunting ban in KansasRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Georgia man was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered forever banned from hunting and fishing in Kansas after illegally hunting game.
According to court documents, Matt Jennings, 35, of Bowdon, Georgia, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a white tail deer in interstate commerce.
On November 11, 2022, Jennings killed an antlered deer near Florence, Kansas. His antlered deer tag did not allow him to take a deer in this part of the state. The next day the defendant drove to Oklahoma where he fraudulently registered the kill in Oklahoma using an Oklahoma electronic tag.
On November 19, 2022, the defendant killed another antlered deer near Wakeeney. Although he had a valid tag for that area of Kansas, killing of a second antlered deer in the same year is a violation of state law. He illegally exceeded the bag limit of one antlered deer per season.
The defendant hosts a hunting show titled “The Game”. These two illegal hunts were featured as part of his show.
A federal judge ordered Jennings to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, pay a $10,000 fine, and forfeit the antlers from the white tail deer he illegally hunted.
During his five-year probation, Jennings is prohibited from guiding, hunting, trapping, fishing, or being with anyone engaged in those activities in Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks investigated the case with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Missouri Department of Conservation, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster prosecuted the case.
###
Fort Thompson Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling Funds from the Crow Creek Sioux TribeRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a woman from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, who was convicted of Embezzlement from an Indian Tribal Organization. The sentencing took place on July 21, 2025.
Mariah Pearl Sazue, age 35, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $44,627.25 in restitution to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sazue was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. She pleaded guilty on April 17, 2025.
Sazue served as the Human Resources Director for the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe between June 2022 and May 2024. In December 2022, Sazue began submitting timesheets with forged signatures and grossly inflated overtime hours. In total, Sazue received $44,627.25 in excess overtime pay before being fired for fraud in May 2024. When confronted, Sazue claimed she would never take advantage of the tribe.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Sazue was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former daycare director sentenced in large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 34-year-old resident of Laredo has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Cynthia Elizabeth Arellano pleaded guilty Aug. 13, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now imposed a 45-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Arellano used her home, where her husband and three-year old daughter also resided, as a stash house for approximately 245 kilograms of cocaine and $428,411.00 in drug proceeds.
“Drugs and violence often go together, so the idea of using your home where your three-year-old daughter lives, as a stash house, is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible,” said Ganjei. “The amount of money and drugs at her home demonstrates that the defendant was a trusted member of the conspiracy, and that kind of trust only comes from a long history of repeated transactions. She knew exactly what she was getting into, and, by extension, what she was getting her family into.”
In April 2024, Cristian Jareth Flores arranged the sale of one kilogram of cocaine for $14,000. During the undercover operation, Juan Antonio Ochoa-Saucedo then delivered the drugs at a local retail establishment.
The investigation revealed Ochoa-Saucedo picked up the brick of cocaine from Arellano at her residence and that he had done so on previous occasions.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Arellano’s home where they discovered two money counters and drug ledgers revealing extensive cocaine trafficking involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds.
At the time of her plea, she admitted she committed the crime because she needed money.
Flores and Ochoa-Saucedo also pleaded guilty for their roles and were sentenced to 36 and 57 months in prison.
Arellano was permitted to remain bond and surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date.
Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Laredo Police Department. 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 Leslie Ann Cortez is prosecuting the case.
Former New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud for Telemarketing Scheme Targeting Timeshare Owners over the Age of 55Read the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A former New Jersey resident recently pled guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his participation in a telemarketing scheme to defraud timeshare owners over the age of 55 from 2016 to 2020, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
James Toner, a/k/a “Jason Turner,” a/k/a “James Turner,” a/k/a “Jason Thomas,” 43, of Lake Mary, Florida pleaded guilty today, before the Hon. Karen M. Williams, U.S. District Judge, Camden, to Counts One and Two of a 13-count Indictment, charging conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing that targeted or victimized timeshare owners over the age of 55 (Count One) and wire fraud in connection with telemarketing that targeted or victimized timeshare owners over the age of 55 (Count Two). Toner’s sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2025.
Toner was previously charged by indictment along with William O’Hanlon, a/k/a “Patrick Burns,” a/k/a “William Burns,” 61, Karen Stefanowski, 63, and William Chiusano, Jr., then-48, of Laguna Niguel, California. Chiusano is now deceased, and charges against him have been dismissed. O’Hanlon and Stefanowski previously pleaded guilty before Judge Williams to their roles in fraudulent telemarketing schemes from 2016 to 2023 on May 9, 2025 and April 30, 2025, respectively.
In addition, Alex Klemash, 32, of Williamstown, New Jersey, Michael Lambe, 45, of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, and La’Tresa Jackson, 59, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Williams on March 8, 9, and 13, 2023, respectively, to related Informations charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the 2016 to 2020 telemarketing scheme.
Accordingly, all living defendants charged for their roles in the telemarketing scheme from 2016 to 2020 have now pleaded guilty. The sentencings for the defendants are currently scheduled as follows:
La’Tresa JacksonSeptember 25, 2025Alex KlemashSeptember 23, 2025Michael LambeSeptember 30, 2025William O’HanlonSeptember 24, 2025Karen StefanowskiSeptember 4, 2025James TonerDecember 2, 2025According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charge to which Toner pleaded guilty arise out of his participation in a timeshare fraud scheme operated through businesses WILLIAMS ANDREWS BURNS LLC, RESORT BNB, INC., and WILLIAMS & BURNS, INC. (collectively referred to as “WAB”). As part of his plea agreement, Toner admitted that he was a manager and supervisor at WAB.
From in or about October 2016 through in or about October 2020, Toner and additional co-conspirators (collectively referred to as “Conspirators”), engaged in a scheme to financially enrich themselves by selling fraudulent services to timeshare owners offered through WAB, including offering to rent and/or buy the owners’ timeshares under false and fraudulent pretenses or representations, and offering to recover monies timeshare owners had previously paid in connection with other scams. The Conspirators obtained lists of timeshare owners and their contact information, and cold-called them to pitch their various services in return for upfront fees.
The Conspirators made numerous false and misleading statements to the timeshare owners, including falsely stating that the timeshare owners had “bonus” timeshare weeks which WAB would rent for them in return for an upfront fee, and falsely guaranteeing thousands of dollars in rental income for the timeshare owners. Once the timeshare owners had signed up and paid their fees for the phony rentals services, the Conspirators also generally pitched collections/recovery services, offering to obtain refunds of monies previously paid by the timeshare owners in other fraudulent scams, in return for fees. Again, the Conspirators made numerous false and misleading statements in many instances to both timeshare owners and the banks that issues their credit cards. One of the fraudulent pitches used by the Conspirators was to falsely claim that the timeshare owner had been identified as a victim of timeshare fraud and was entitled to monies that were held by a government entity, often referred to as the attorney general’s office or the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), and that WAB would obtain those monies for the timeshare owner in return for the payment of an upfront fee. The Conspirators also offered additional fraudulent services to timeshare owners, including occasionally offering timeshare buyouts/take-overs.
Toner agreed to make restitution for any proven losses to victims of WAB.
Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison, including an enhancement of 10 years in prison for committing such fraud via telemarketing that targeted persons over the age of 55 or victimized 10 or more persons over the age of 55. The sentences on each count may run consecutively. Each offense also carries a potential fine of the greater of $250,000,or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and the defendant may be sentenced to a term of supervised release after any term of imprisonment imposed.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; special agents of the IRS Criminal Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Cooperative Disability Investigations – Eastern Region, Conor Washington, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elisa T. Wiygul and Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
###
Defense Counsel:
Lee Vartan, Esquire and Melissa Wernick, Esquire for William O’Hanlon
Zach Intrater, Esquire for Karen Stefanowski
Megan Davies, Esquire for James Toner
Michael Baldassare, Esquire for La’Tresa Jackson
Perry DeMarco, Sr., Esquire for Alex Klemash
Ira M. Slovin, Esquire for Michael Lambe
toner.indictment.pdfFormer FAA Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Deceased Mother’s BenefitsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Blue Springs, Mo., man pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud for stealing his mother’s Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits since 2019.
Afshin Setoodeh, 62, became the representative payee for his mother’s SSDI benefits in 2018. In this role, Setoodeh was responsible for appropriately using these benefits for the care of his mother. After she returned to her home country of Iran in 2019, Setoodeh did not notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she had left the country as required, nor did he notify SSA when his mother passed away in 2022. Even after her death, Setoodeh continued to assert to SSA that his mother was alive and that he was spending the benefits appropriately. Setoodeh withdrew the benefits from his mother’s checking account which totaled approximately $55,000 from 2019 through 2024. Setoodeh also used his mother’s identity to open several credit cards both prior to and after her death.
Setoodeh committed this crime while employed as a civil engineer with the Federal Aviation Administration in Kansas City.
Under federal statutes, Setoodeh is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.
Former Chinatown Walgreens Manager Sentenced to 147 Months in a Series of Inside-Job RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Robinson, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 147 months in prison, for his role in seven inside-job robberies of a Walgreens drug store in the District’s Chinatown neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Robinson pleaded guilty on March 11, 2025, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and to using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In addition to the 147-month prison term, the Honorable Jia M. Cobb ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $7,245.75 in restitution.
Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
Sentencing is pending for co-defendants Kamanye Williams, Gianni Robinson, and London Teeter, the last of whom was also a former Walgreen’s store manager.
According to court documents, the four co-conspirators devised a scheme to carry out armed robberies of the Chinatown Walgreens store nearly once a month, beginning in July 2023, when either Michael Robinson or Teeter were working. As a store managers, Michael Robinson and Teeter knew the timing of cash transfers within the business. The co-conspirators would also relay information to each other on how many armed security guards were present in the Chinatown Walgreens and how much cash was in the manager’s office at any given time.
When Michael Robinson was on duty, he gave inside information to his nephew, Gianni Robinson, who then relayed it to Williams so that Williams could more easily rob the store.
The robberies occurred on July 18, 2023, Aug. 2, 2023, Sept. 2, 2023, Nov. 10, 2023, Dec. 4, 2023, Jan. 9, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2024. In their plea agreements, the co-defendants admitted that they stole and split at least $28,983.
In each robbery, Williams entered the Chinatown Walgreens wearing clothing selected to disguise his identity. Williams brandished a firearm at employees of the Walgreens, and at Special Police Officers assigned to guard the store, and then demanded business proceeds located in the Manager’s Office. Williams forced employees into the manager’s office or accessed the manager’s office using a code provided by Michael Robinson or Teeter. Williams then robbed the employees and fled through a rear exit.
Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance.
Michael Robinson later admitted that he and Teeter reviewed internal surveillance footage of a robbery, and discussed how to make future robberies look more authentic. Michael Robinson asked Williams to assault him during the robberies to make it look more real.
In response to the robberies, the Chinatown Walgreens hired armed Special Police Officers to protect the business. Undeterred, the co-conspirators continued the robberies and Williams escalated to stealing the firearms from the Special Police Officers.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov.
24cr96
Florida Man Sentenced for Decades-Long Scheme to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
Defendant Hid Millions in Swiss Accounts and Lied to the IRS During AuditMIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing millions of dollars in assets and income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts and claiming to the IRS that those assets were not his and instead belonged to foreign nationals.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: between 1985 and 2020, Dan Rotta, a dual Brazilian and U.S. citizen, hid more than $20 million in assets in dozens of secret Swiss accounts at five different Swiss banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank Bonhôte, and Bank Julius Baer. The accounts were held in his own name, in the names of sham structures, and, in one instance, a pseudonym. Over the years, Rotta earned tens of millions of dollars of income from these assets that he did not report on his tax returns and used to fund his lavish lifestyle. He caused a substantial tax loss to the IRS.
Rotta employed increasingly elaborate schemes to keep his accounts hidden. Over the years, he kept his accounts open, in part, by falsely representing that he was not a U.S. citizen, leveraging his Brazilian citizenship to claim he was a Brazilian citizen residing in Brazil.
Starting in 2008, after it was reported publicly that UBS and its bankers were under criminal investigation for helping U.S. taxpayers evade their taxes, Rotta closed his UBS account and moved his funds to Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte.
In 2011, after the IRS obtained records related to one of Rotta’s Swiss accounts, he nominally changed the documentation of his accounts at Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte to make it appear that his co-conspirator, a Brazilian national and resident, owned the assets in the accounts. Despite the change, Rotta continued to control the assets and transferred millions of dollars out of those accounts for his use.
Shortly after Rotta changed the account documentation, the IRS audited him. During the audit, Rotta falsely denied that he owned the assets in the foreign financial accounts and, instead, claimed that the millions of dollars he withdrew from the accounts were non-taxable loans from foreign nationals. Rotta provided the IRS with fake promissory notes and false affidavits from the foreign nationals to corroborate his claims. During the audit, Rotta continued to use the funds in his foreign accounts to fund his lifestyle in the United States, but to conceal his use of the funds from the IRS, he often routed transfers from his foreign accounts through nominee accounts and attorney trust fund accounts in the United States.
The IRS did not believe Rotta’s story and assessed millions of dollars of additional taxes as well as penalties and interest against him. Rotta sought to reverse the assessments by filing a false petition in U.S. Tax Court. In that petition, Rotta, through his attorney, falsely denied having any foreign accounts and attached fictitious loan documents. Furthermore, the nominee account owners traveled to the United States to retell the false loan story to IRS attorneys.
In 2017, after Rotta presented the false evidence that the purported loans had been repaid, the IRS reversed the deficiencies and agreed that he owed no additional tax. Unbeknownst to the IRS, however, the “loan repayments” were fake: the funds that Rotta purportedly repaid went back into accounts that he controlled shortly after the IRS dismissed the suit. Also, as part of the conspiracy, Rotta had his U.S.-based attorneys create sham trust structures that he used to transfer his assets to the United States without alerting the IRS. On paper, it appeared that Rotta’s co-conspirator funded the trusts for Rotta’s benefit. In reality, Rotta funded the trusts with transfers from his Swiss accounts.
In 2019, Rotta became aware that the IRS would receive additional account records from Switzerland that contradicted the false claims that he had previously made. In an attempt to avoid criminal liability, Rotta applied to participate in the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice. Under that practice, taxpayers who failed to comply with their tax and reporting obligations could make timely, accurate, and complete disclosures of their conduct, which might offer a path to resolve their non-compliance and limit their criminal exposure. Rotta made false statements in his submission, including falsely claiming that the assets in the Swiss accounts mostly belonged to others, and that any funds provided to him were non-taxable gifts. Rotta also falsely claimed that the nominee account owner gifted Rotta money because that nominee had no children to benefit from the funds. In fact, that nominee had two children.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith for the Southern District of Florida ordered Rotta to serve three years of supervised release. The court will determine restitution at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., and dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida, Senior Litigation Counsels Sean Beaty and Mark Daly, and Trial Attorney William Montague, as well as former Trial Attorney Patrick Elwell of the Tax Division, prosecuted the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20113.
###
Florida Man Sentenced for Decades-Long Scheme to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
A Miami man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing millions of dollars in assets and income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts and claiming to the IRS that those assets were not his and instead belonged to foreign nationals.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: between 1985 and 2020, Dan Rotta, a dual Brazilian and U.S. citizen, hid more than $20 million in assets in dozens of secret Swiss accounts at five different Swiss banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank Bonhôte, and Bank Julius Baer. The accounts were held in his own name, in the names of sham structures, and, in one instance, a pseudonym. Over the years, Rotta earned tens of millions of dollars of income from these assets that he did not report on his tax returns and used to fund his lavish lifestyle. He caused a substantial tax loss to the IRS.
Rotta employed increasingly elaborate schemes to keep his accounts hidden. Over the years, he kept his accounts open, in part, by falsely representing that he was not a U.S. citizen, leveraging his Brazilian citizenship to claim he was a Brazilian citizen residing in Brazil.
Starting in 2008, after it was reported publicly that UBS and its bankers were under criminal investigation for helping U.S. taxpayers evade their taxes, Rotta closed his UBS account and moved his funds to Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte.
In 2011, after the IRS obtained records related to one of Rotta’s Swiss accounts, he nominally changed the documentation of his accounts at Credit Suisse and Bank Bonhôte to make it appear that his co-conspirator, a Brazilian national and resident, owned the assets in the accounts. Despite the change, Rotta continued to control the assets and transferred millions of dollars out of those accounts for his use.
Shortly after Rotta changed the account documentation, the IRS audited him. During the audit, Rotta falsely denied that he owned the assets in the foreign financial accounts and, instead, claimed that the millions of dollars he withdrew from the accounts were non-taxable loans from foreign nationals. Rotta provided the IRS with fake promissory notes and false affidavits from the foreign nationals to corroborate his claims. During the audit, Rotta continued to use the funds in his foreign accounts to fund his lifestyle in the United States, but to conceal his use of the funds from the IRS, he often routed transfers from his foreign accounts through nominee accounts and attorney trust fund accounts in the United States.
The IRS did not believe Rotta’s story and assessed millions of dollars of additional taxes as well as penalties and interest against him. Rotta sought to reverse the assessments by filing a false petition in U.S. Tax Court. In that petition, Rotta, through his attorney, falsely denied having any foreign accounts and attached fictitious loan documents. Furthermore, the nominee account owners traveled to the United States to retell the false loan story to IRS attorneys.
In 2017, after Rotta presented the false evidence that the purported loans had been repaid, the IRS reversed the deficiencies and agreed that he owed no additional tax. Unbeknownst to the IRS, however, the “loan repayments” were fake: the funds that Rotta purportedly repaid went back into accounts that he controlled shortly after the IRS dismissed the suit. Also, as part of the conspiracy, Rotta had his U.S.-based attorneys create sham trust structures that he used to transfer his assets to the United States without alerting the IRS. On paper, it appeared that Rotta’s co-conspirator funded the trusts for Rotta’s benefit. In reality, Rotta funded the trusts with transfers from his Swiss accounts.
In 2019, Rotta became aware that the IRS would receive additional account records from Switzerland that contradicted the false claims that he had previously made. In an attempt to avoid criminal liability, Rotta applied to participate in the IRS’s voluntary disclosure practice. Under that practice, taxpayers who failed to comply with their tax and reporting obligations could make timely, accurate, and complete disclosures of their conduct, which might offer a path to resolve their non-compliance and limit their criminal exposure. Rotta made false statements in his submission, including falsely claiming that the assets in the Swiss accounts mostly belonged to others, and that any funds provided to him were non-taxable gifts. Rotta also falsely claimed that the nominee account owner gifted Rotta money because that nominee had no children to benefit from the funds. In fact, that nominee had two children.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith for the Southern District of Florida ordered Rotta to serve three years of supervised release. The court will determine restitution at a later date.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C., and dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsels Sean Beaty and Mark Daly, Trial Attorney William Montague, and former Trial Attorney Patrick Elwell of the Tax Division, as well as Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida, prosecuted the case.
Fleming Island Felon Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Jason Stewart Karst II (37, Fleming Island) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Karst entered a guilty plea in March 2025.
According to court documents, in April 2024, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives received a complaint from a local shooting range that Karst and another individual had been shooting fully automatic firearms at the range. Surveillance video from the range showed Karst firing a fully automatic gun as well as a separate gun that was equipped with a silencer. Agents obtained a search warrant for a home owned by Karst and executed the warrant on May 1, 2024. During the search, agents found five silencers, a privately manufactured firearm that was equipped with a machinegun conversion device, and a pistol that was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device inside a large safe. The guns matched the appearance of the ones used by Karst at the shooting range. In addition, while agents were executing the search warrant, Karst drove up to the house. During a search of Karst’s car, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office found a white powdery substance, over 20 grams of marijuana, a scale, a pistol without a serial number, and keys to the safe.
Karst was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including two convictions for possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell or deliver, attempted use of a minor to deliver a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Additionally, contrary to federal law, the machinegun conversion devices and silencers were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record—a database maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.
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.
Federal Jury Convicts a Texas Man of Sexually Assaulting a Female Passenger Onboard a Commercial Airline FlightRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict today against a Texas man after he grabbed and groped a female passenger multiple times without her consent while onboard a late-night flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City.
Robert Sutherland MacLean, aka “Bobby,” 59, of Frisco, Texas, was charged by indictment on April 18, 2023, with abusive sexual contact in the special aircraft of the United States.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 1, 2022, while in flight, MacLean made calculated and sexually laced statements to a stranger seated next to him while he sexually assaulted her multiple times in the first-class cabin.
“Mr. MacLean unlawfully and illegally imposed his will upon another person— sexually assaulting her over and over again on that late night flight,” said prosecuting attorney Bryan N. Reeves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, during the trial.
MacLean’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Kimball at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and assisted by the Salt Lake City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Kennedy and Bryan N. Reeves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Honduran National for Alien Smuggling in Del RioRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted a Honduran national this week on charges of alien smuggling.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in October 2024, Jerson Alberto Rivera-Kelly, 37, who was then in the United States as a lawful permanent resident was observed by a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent driving an SUV south on Highway 2083 near Comstock, approximately 20 miles from the U.S. border with Mexico. Other USBP agents in the area at that time were searching for a group of five suspected illegal aliens. Rivera-Kelly was pulled over and five occupants were found in the vehicle. All of the occupants were attempting to conceal themselves inside his vehicle. The five individuals were determined to be illegal aliens.
Rivera-Kelly was indicted in November 2024 for one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and one count of illegal alien transportation for profit. The federal jury convicted him on both counts on July 21, 2025. Both charges carry penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine in addition to any restitution ordered.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Ashley Ellis-Dotson are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
###
Federal Jury Convicts Panama City Felon of Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jarrel Daniel Rivaz, 35, of Panama City, was found guilty by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon on Tuesday morning, July 22, 2025. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from violent criminals and drug traffickers requires close collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners like we saw in this case. I am deeply appreciative of the outstanding work of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF to get this criminal off our streets, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to keep our communities safe from the predations of drug traffickers like this defendant.”
Evidence admitted at trial established that on December 21, 2023, during a search warrant executed at the defendant’s house in Panama City, law enforcement found and seized over 900 grams of cocaine, a large quantity of marijuana, two firearms, and ammunition. One of the firearms was found loaded in a locked shed in the same bag as some of the marijuana. Rivaz had previously been convicted of a felony drug trafficking offense in New York under the name “Gerald Walker.”
Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2025, at 10 a.m. in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II. Rivaz faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of life.
The verdict was the result of a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ward Narramore and Alicia Forbes.
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.
Federal Charges Filed Against Pensacola Man for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Carlton Shoemaker, 51, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for three counts of possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Shoemaker appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida on July 22, 2025.
If convicted on all counts, Shoemaker faces up to life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This 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.
Dominican National Sentenced to Nine Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ramon Ramirez-Frias, aka “Willy Ramirez-Frias” and “Mollo,” 40, a Dominican national illegally residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott to nine months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after prior deportation. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
In April 2004, following his arrest by U.S. Border Patrol in Puerto Rico, Ramirez-Frias was processed for voluntary removal from the United States. The defendant later illegally reentered the country, and was arrested by FBI Philadelphia in April of 2022 on federal drug charges. Ramirez-Frias pleaded guilty in February 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin and was removed from the U.S. in November 2023, pursuant to an immigration judge’s order.
Earlier this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI received information that Ramirez-Frias had returned to the U.S. illegally and was living in Philadelphia. He was located and arrested in February, indicted in March, and pleaded guilty to illegal reentry in April.
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).
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris.
Domestic trafficker imprisoned for possessing over 2,000 counterfeit pillsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 41-year-old resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been sentenced for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Walter Wellington Somers pleaded guilty April 2, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Somers to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Somers had travelled from Louisiana and was planning to return to sell the fentanyl pills for a greater profit and that he has had numerous prior convictions and contacts with law enforcement.
“All too often, we hear tragic stories about someone’s young son or daughter dying after taking a single pill laced with fentanyl, and it's people like this defendant who put that one lethal dose in their hand,” said Ganjei. “The seizure of Mr. Somers’ deadly wares kept these pills from hitting the streets and undoubtedly saved many lives. The Department of Justice wishes to thank the staff at the Embassy Suites for their quick thinking in recognizing the drugs and alerting authorities. This is an example of community action leading to a great result.”
“DEA’s diligent investigative efforts helped save countless lives,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the Houston Division. Only two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose, and Somers had thousands of fake fentanyl pills that could have devastated the Laredo community. DEA is unwavering in its commitment to eradicate these dangerous drugs from our neighborhoods and bring those responsible for dealing these deadly drugs to justice.”
On Dec. 23, 2023, law enforcement responded to a call from the Embassy Suites Hotel in Laredo. Hotel staff found what they believed to be drugs in one of the rooms while trying to clean it.
Law enforcement arrived on scene and observed Somers attempting to get back into the room. He claimed he was only there to pay for a television he had broken.
Authorities conducted a search of the hotel room and discovered a silver zipper bag containing several clear plastic bags with a large number of small blue circular pills. They were imprinted with an “M-30” logo. Law enforcement confirmed Somers had been staying in the room and checked out earlier in the day before returning to the hotel.
A laboratory analysis later determined there were a total of 2,319 blue pills which contained fentanyl. The investigation revealed the source of supply was from Sinaloa, Mexico.
The investigation revealed Somers had traveled from Louisiana to meet a friend in South Texas. In phone messages between the two, they discussed collecting money and acquiring narcotics. In one audio message, the individual told Somers if he sent $700 or $800 that evening, someone would front them 3,000 pills.
The friend also sent Somers a video of him holding three bags of blue M-30 pills that were identical in size, shape and packaging to the pills seized Dec. 23, 2023.
Somers will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
DEA and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Chamberlin and Brittany Jensen prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. 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.
More information on the dangers of fentanyl can be found on the DEA’s website. #OnePillCanKill
Delco Woman Pleads Guilty to Carjacking a Family, Shooting at One of the Victims, and Fleeing in SUV with Their Infant Son in the BackseatRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Phillis Fugah, 24, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage on one count of carjacking, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with an August 29, 2024, carjacking and shooting in Upper Darby.
The defendant was charged by indictment in November of last year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, she and a male subject rushed a Honda Pilot parked on the 7100 block of West Chester Pike, where a man sat in the backseat with his two young children, awaiting his wife’s return. The male subject fled the scene after opening the passenger side door.
Fugah pulled open the front driver’s-side door, got behind the wheel, aimed a gun at the man, and demanded money. The man’s five-year-old son jumped out of the open front passenger door onto the sidewalk. The man got out of the rear driver’s side door and told Fugah that his infant child was still in the vehicle, as he tried to open the front driver’s side door. Fugah resisted and struggled with the man over the door.
The defendant raised her gun and shot at the male victim, with the bullet partially shattering the driver’s side window and hitting the man’s baseball cap, narrowly missing his head. A piece of the bullet struck the window of an occupied SEPTA bus across the street, passing over the heads of several passengers. Fugah then fled in the Honda Pilot, which was soon located a short distance away with the infant inside and unharmed.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and the Upper Darby Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Doherty and Sandra Urban.
Defendant Convicted and Sentenced in Long-Term Methamphetamine Trafficking Investigation in Washington CountyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal judge sentenced Brandon Taylor, 42, to 180-months in federal prison after having previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
United States Attorney Heekin said: “Distribution of methamphetamine and other drugs in the smaller towns and rural areas of northwest Florida have a devastating effect on the citizens of those communities. My office is committed to working with our local and state partners, and the federal law enforcement agencies, to aggressively target and prosecute those who distribute these deadly drugs in our district.”
“The hard work and determination of the law enforcement agencies involved ultimately led to the arrest of Taylor and identified several additional drug suppliers in surrounding states,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that can destroy families and communities. The surrounding areas will be safer and healthier with this drug trafficker off the streets.”
“I really appreciate the invaluable assistance provided by our federal partners in the prosecution of Brandon Taylor. Several families, not only in our county but in the surrounding counties, have been affected by Taylor’s unnecessary distribution of methamphetamine,” stated Sheriff Crews, Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Court documents reflect that from 2019 through 2022, Taylor received large quantities of methamphetamine from a source in Georgia and distributed those drugs to dealers and users in Washington County and Bay County. He used a courier provided by his source in Georgia or recruited subordinate drug dealers and users from the area to travel and pick up the drugs for him. He paid them in methamphetamine. This same investigation led to the prosecution and conviction of four other Washington County residents in 2023, who were customers of Taylor. The investigation led to the seizure of several kilograms of methamphetamine, and the identification of illegal drug sources in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Chipley Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Walter Narramore prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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.
Covington Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Austin Lineback, 59, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Interim U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Tipton County Sheriff’s Office detectives executed a search warrant of Lineback’s home on January 30, 2023, where he resided alone. As a result of the search, detectives recovered multiple electronic storage devices. A forensic examination revealed images of child sexual abuse material. Following a two-day trial in January 2025, a federal jury found Lineback guilty on the one-count indictment.
On July 18, 2025, Lineback was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and lifetime supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children and to identify and rescue child victims of sexual exploitation.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by detectives with the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office and agents with the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum, Eileen Kuo, and Lauren Delery prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Construction Company President Charged with $5 Million Payroll Tax and Wire Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., announced the unsealing of a 14-count Complaint charging NIGEL KENNETH JOSEPH with failing to pay years of employee payroll taxes, scheming to defraud a construction contractor of millions of dollars, and aggravated identify theft. JOSEPH was arrested and presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
“As alleged, Nigel Joseph didn’t just shortchange his workers—he lied about it, falsified records, and pocketed the money for himself,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Then he allegedly defrauded the public by ducking millions in taxes. That’s not entrepreneurship that fuels growth—it’s fraud that erodes trust.”
“When a person purportedly leases luxury vehicles, buys NBA tickets and travels to tropical islands instead of paying payroll taxes for his employees, it is the American people who are victimized,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “There is no turning a blind eye to this egregious fraud, and our CI agents work relentlessly to follow the money and bring those who think they can evade payroll taxes and falsify records to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[[1]]
JOSEPH founded BWK, a masonry subcontractor registered in the Bronx, New York, in 2019. Between 2019 and 2021, BWK earned at least $10 million performing construction across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Despite these earnings, JOSEPH willfully refused to collect payroll taxes from his employees and refused to pay taxes he owed as an employer. According to an IRS-CI analysis of financial records, JOSEPH failed to pay at least approximately $2.9 million on behalf of his employees and at least approximately $750,000 he owed as an employer. Rather than pay taxes, JOSEPH used BWK funds to finance his own lifestyle—including by transferring tens of thousands of dollars to his wife; making personal rental payments; purchasing courtside NBA tickets and a Rolex; leasing a BMW 3-Series, a Mercedes GLE, and a BMW 5-Series; and traveling to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
According to interviews with employees and business partners, JOSEPH said, in sum and substance, that he did not want to file taxes and sometimes refused to speak to an accountant because he did not want to talk about how much he owed to the Government. An employee said that JOSEPH chose to not collect or file taxes because the IRS was, JOSEPH said in sum and substance, not paying attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, because JOSEPH knew that payroll taxes had not been properly withheld by BWK, JOSEPH also directed the production of falsified certified payroll documents in order to obtain approximately $1.96 million in payments pursuant to at least two construction contracts. According to documents reviewed and interviews conducted by IRS-CI, JOSEPH conspired with others to produce falsified documents listing the names, hours worked, wages, and tax withholdings for at least approximately 10 employees between in or about October 2021 and June 2022 in order to obtain payment for performing masonry work as part of two elementary school construction projects on Long Island.
In order to falsify payroll documents as part of the scheme, on or about November 17, 2021, JOSEPH texted an employee instructions to “Put [an employee], [another employee], yourself and one other laborer” as employees on a construction site where the employee—who performed only payroll functions for BWK—in fact never worked. In a text message he sent on or about November 8, 2021, JOSEPH directed an employee to identify JOSEPH as a “foreman”; JOSEPH’s wife as a “laborer”; and two other employees as “laborers.” In fact, JOSEPH was not a foreman; his wife was not a laborer; and neither of the other two employees were laborers, either.
In a text message sent on or about February 3, 2022, JOSEPH expressed concern that the falsified certifications would be uncovered, writing in response to a warning from an employee that “[w]e have big problems . . . [w]ith the taxes,” that, “Damn . . . I’m thinking I should not have put everyone working 35 hours every week.” On or about March 28, 2022, JOSEPH directed an employee in text messages that “this is going to be the last month that we do this with [the] accountant . . . [a]nd then you and I gonna do it ourselves,” adding that he would “fake it until we make it.”
* * *
JOSEPH, 45, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, is charged with 11 counts of failure to account for and pay over payroll taxes, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.
The mandatory and maximum potential sentences in this case 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 investigative work of IRS–CI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan T. Nees is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._joseph_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Conspiracy Ringleader of $78 million Diverted Prescription Drug Operation Sentenced to Fourteen Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Stephen Costa, 40, was sentenced to fourteen years in prison after pleading guilty to his leadership role in a conspiracy that distributed thousands of bottles of diverted pharmaceutical drugs, many intended for HIV and cancer patients, into the legitimate supply chain around the United States.
According to court documents, Costa was the architect of a scheme, which resulted in the prosecution of 20 defendants in a series of superseding indictments issued between 2019 and 2024. The conspiracy originated in early 2013, when Costa began acquiring licensed pharmaceutical wholesale companies using the names of recruited associates, and established new corporations to distribute the drugs he acquired. Several of Costa’s accomplices were individuals he had previously conspired with in a similar scheme based in New York and others he had known from other businesses or high school.
Once Costa had control of these companies, he purchased diverted drugs from suppliers he had worked with before and directed his co-conspirators on how to price, market, sell, and distribute the drugs. These diverted drugs were ultimately funneled to legitimate pharmacies around the country.
Costa continued to expand the Miami-based conspiracy even after his conviction in the New York scheme. Before reporting to prison to serve his sentence, Costa facilitated the introduction of his primary supplier of diverted pharmaceuticals to a co-conspirator to perpetuate the operation during his imprisonment. Costa received several payments from the proceeds of his co-conspirator’s continuing operation.
In total, approximately $78 million worth of diverted drugs were sold to unsuspecting patients, believing their medications had been shipped directly from legitimate manufacturers—not purchased on the streets and repackaged under false labeling. The criminal operation was shut down in May 2019 through a joint effort by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), and FBI Miami.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maximillian Pagano of the FDA-OCI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Tamen prosecuted the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20674.
###
Colorado man sentenced to 30 years in prison on drug chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Greely, Colorado drug trafficker who led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit was sentenced today to 360 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
In October 2024, a federal jury in Billings found Moises Zamora, 40, guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Zamora has a prior federal conviction in Montana for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and he received a sentence of imprisonment in that case of ten years. See US v. Zamora, CR 21-78-GF-BMM.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over this matter.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that on November 11, 2022, a Yellowstone County Sheriff’s deputy pulled into a convenience store parking lot in Billings and noticed a car parked in an obscure manner, away from the pumps or store entrances. As the deputy drove toward the car, he saw the driver, later identified as Zamora, point toward his patrol vehicle and then slouch in the seat. The deputy found Zamora's behavior suspicious and pulled behind the vehicle to investigate. Zamora reversed his car and drove away. The deputy activated his lights and siren, but Zamora continued driving, and a high-speed pursuit began. The chase lasted almost 10 minutes and involved speeds reaching 80 mph, with Zamora driving recklessly and entering the lane of oncoming traffic. Zamora finally stopped when he came to a dead end and was arrested.
The deputy observed two blue “M30” pills, later confirmed to be fentanyl, in the backseat. Law enforcement determined Zamora had a warrant for his arrest and was booked into the Yellowstone County Detention Center. Law enforcement served a search warrant on Zamora’s car and located approximately six pounds of meth, two fentanyl pills, three cell phones, and drug paraphernalia. Six pounds of meth is the equivalent of approximately 21,744 doses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A Colorado man pleaded guilty today to sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Wesley Chambers, 34, of Fort Collins, sexually abused a minor for years and recorded the abuse. Law enforcement found more than 200 sexually explicit videos and photographs of the minor on Chambers’ cell phone, and more than 20,000 photographs and 2,500 videos of the sexual abuse and exploitation of other minors.
Chambers pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting a child and one count of possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant also admitted to accessing child pornography on the dark web, including “hurtcore” sites. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 22 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 70 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado, Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek of the FBI Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A Colorado man pleaded guilty today to sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Wesley Chambers, 34, of Fort Collins, sexually abused a minor for years and recorded the abuse. Law enforcement found more than 200 sexually explicit videos and photographs of the minor on Chambers’ cell phone, and more than 20,000 photographs and 2,500 videos of the sexual abuse and exploitation of other minors.
Chambers pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting a child and one count of possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant also admitted to accessing child pornography on the dark web, including “hurtcore” sites. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 22 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 70 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado, Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek of the FBI Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the FBI Denver Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Prison for Violating Conditions of Court-Supervised Release Following ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for violating the conditions of court-supervised release following his imprisonment for a firearms offense.
KEESHON SAMSON, 31, was released from federal prison in 2023 after being convicted of illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Chicago’s South Side. The gun had been reported stolen in a burglary of a licensed firearms dealer. Samson remained under court-supervised release for three years following imprisonment.
In February 2025, Samson was accused of breaking windows out of an acquaintance’s house and threatening the physical safety of an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator in a series of harassing telephone calls from a masked phone number.
On July 2, 2025, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that Samson threatened the DCFS investigator and thus violated the supervised release conditions, one of which prohibited him from committing a federal, state, or local crime while under supervision. Judge Blakey sentenced Samson to 21 months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.
“In our federal system of justice, supervised release is a critically important part of the sentencing process,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “It is designed to help offenders transition back into society while also ensuring public safety. When a defendant on supervised release chooses to violate clear conditions designed to protect the community, my Office will not hesitate to prosecute the violation and hold the defendant accountable.”
“The defendant’s conduct while on supervised release demonstrated a reckless disregard for the law, the safety of others, and the Court’s orders,” said ATF SAC Amon. “This sentence sends a clear message that violations of Court-imposed conditions of release will not be tolerated.”
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to EscapeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ronald Edward Tinsley, 52, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to escape after failing to return to a federal reentry facility.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 19, 2025, Tinsley failed to return from an approved work pass to Dismas Charities Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans. Law enforcement officers arrested Tinsley on the resulting warrant on May 13, 2025.
Tinsley was confined at Dismas Charities as a result of his conviction for possession of a stolen firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 18, 2021.
Tinsley is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service
.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer D. Gordon is prosecuting the case.
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. 2:25-cr-88.
###
Career Offender Sentenced to 175 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Pearcy man was sentenced yesterday to a total of 175 months in prison on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, as well as violations of his term of supervised release from a previous conviction. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, on July 22, 2024, a Trooper with the Arkansas State Police attempted to make a traffic stop on Michael Fryar in Garland County. After the Trooper initiated his lights, Fryar fled in his vehicle and a pursuit ensued. After a short pursuit Fryar abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot into a wooded area. The Trooper pursued on foot and had to deploy his taser to get Fryar apprehended. At the time of the offense, Fryar was in possession of a loaded firearm with a round in the chamber and a distribution amount of methamphetamine. Fryar has an extensive criminal history and was on federal supervised release at the time of the offense.
The Arkansas State Police, 18th East Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.Convicted Felon Charged with Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jason Wayne Coleman, 41, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Coleman appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida on July 22, 2025.
Coleman faces a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment for each count.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This 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 available 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.
Brevard County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Drugs While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Maurice Devantay Kimbrough (31, Cocoa) to 15 years in federal prison for distribution of controlled substances and violations of supervised release. Kimbrough pleaded guilty on April 21, 2025.
According to court documents, between October and December 2024, Kimbrough sold fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to a confidential source and undercover agent. During his arrest, Kimbrough was in possession of additional drugs. In total, Kimbrough was responsible for distributing and possessing nearly 1.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, over 80 grams of fentanyl, and over 10 grams of cocaine. At the time of this drug activity, Kimbrough was serving a four-year term of supervised release due to convictions for previous federal drug offenses.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Bloomfield Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Bloomfield man faces up to life in prison after admitting in federal court to sexually abusing an incapacitated victim.
According to court records, between February 26 and February 27 of 2016, Donovan Pete, 44, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with an incapacitated victim.
Pete pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse. At sentencing, Pete faces up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Pete will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement (Pete).pdfBirmingham Man Sentenced to 36 Years in Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge has sentenced a Birmingham man for possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Frederick Leonard Temple, Jr., also known as “Cutt” and “Cutthroat,” 35, to 432 months in prison. In February, Temple was convicted by a jury of possession of a machine gun, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
“This sentence sends a clear message that violent, criminal conduct like Defendant Temple’s will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I commend our law enforcement partners and prosecutors for their unwavering commitment to ensuring Temple was brought to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing illustrates the continuous commitment that the ATF shares with our state, local, and federal law-enforcement partners to combat the illegal possession of firearms, fight violent crime, and remove narcotics from the streets,” said ATF Special Acting Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz. “We will continue to utilize all of our resources in an effort to maintain public safety in the communities that we serve.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Temple distributed fentanyl on two separate occasions. On January 26, 2022, members of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force and officers from the Birmingham Police Department executed a search warrant at Temple’s residence. During the search, officers found drugs and firearms in a rear bedroom where an infant was located. The search of the residence resulted in the seizure of 14 firearms, including a Glock 9 mm pistol equipped with a machine gun-conversion device commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” several high-capacity firearm magazines, including 100- and 50-round drum magazines, and a large amount of various ammunition, as well as fentanyl, methamphetamine, six digital scales of various sizes, and other drug paraphernalia.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristy M. Peoples and Alan Kirk prosecuted the case.
Billings man sentenced to 7 months in prison for passport fraudRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – An illegal alien who lived in Billings and assumed the identity of a U.S. citizen was sentenced today to approximately 7 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Diego Xiap, 48, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of making a false statement in a passport application.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on February 3, 2021, Xiap, claiming to be John Doe 1, submitted Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport at the post office in Billings. For proof of identity, Xiap used a Montana driver license number that belonged to John Doe 1, issued May 8, 2020, which was set to expire on November 9, 2027. For proof of citizenship, Xiap submitted a birth certificate filed on November 9, 1976, and issued on May 1, 2003.
Xiap’s application was deemed suspicious and eventually referred to a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent for investigation. The Agent quickly determined that Xiap, who appeared to have been living under John Doe 1’s identity for approximately 30 years, was not actually John Doe 1. The real John Doe 1 was born in Puerto Rico and has lived there his entire life. There are photos of Doe 1 in government records in Puerto Rico and he bears no resemblance to Xiap. Another DSS agent in Puerto Rico talked to John Doe 1’s brother and showed him photos of Doe 1 and Xiap. Doe 1’s brother immediately identified Doe 1 and said he had no idea who Xiap was. Further investigation revealed an Oregon Work ID card issued in the 1990s that was used by Xiap, but bearing the name of yet another different person, John Doe 2.
On April 24, 2024, the DSS agent tracked down Xiap in Billings. Initially, Xiap fled from his job when the agent showed up, but the agent was able to find him at home. Xiap gave a statement insisting he was really John Doe 1 but had no knowledge of any of his relatives or history in Puerto Rico. Xiap then told the agent he might tell the real story but needed to speak to an attorney first. The interview was terminated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Diplomatic Security Service.
Billings man sentenced to 14 years in prison on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who distributed drugs in the Billings area was sentenced today to 168 months in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Tirrell Lewis, 45, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on November 3, 2023, law enforcement officers received a call that there were two gunshots in the vicinity of a residential address and the caller saw a gray Mustang leave the area very quickly. Officers spoke to the Lewis’s girlfriend on scene, and she said the sounds were fireworks. She also said she and Lewis were in a relationship and he had not been present at her residence. She allowed officers to look in her backyard where they found two spent rifle casings.
The caller told police Lewis had been at the residence and he and his girlfriend were arguing before the two gunshots and then the caller saw Lewis leave in the gray Mustang.
Later that evening officers located the Mustang. They attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled a short distance before stopping in front of Lewis’s girlfriend’s residence. Lewis got out of the car and fled on foot behind the residence. He circled the house and ran right into an officer who then arrested him. When Lewis was taken into custody, he was found to have $6,216.18 on his person.
On November 13, 2023, a search warrant was executed on the Mustang. Inside were 4 firearms, 91 rounds of assorted ammunition, 7 ounces of fentanyl, and 9 ounces of methamphetamine. The drugs were located in a backpack in the trunk. The fentanyl was in 3 bags inside. One contained 50 pills, one contained 1,003, and one contained 814. The methamphetamine was in two zip lock baggies next to a scale and 23 clean baggies. There was a paystub for Lewis and one of the handguns under the backpack.
Lewis is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous federal conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Billings Police Department, ATF, and DEA.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Badger, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Kenneth Brown, 60, from Badger, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of child pornography, on July 22, 2025, in Sioux City federal court.
At the plea hearing, Brown admitted that from early May 2023, through April 3, 2024, he received and possessed child pornography. A CyberTip to law enforcement revealed 32 files of child pornography had been uploaded to the internet from Brown’s cell phone. During a forensic examination of Brown’s phone, 27 videos and 28 images of child pornography were found, some containing materials depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Brown remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Brown faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3013.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Augusta Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Livestreaming Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Augusta man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
U.S. District Court Judge Stacy D. Neumann sentenced Nathaniel Gagne, 37, to 8 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.
According to court records, in April 2023, investigators from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Augusta Police Department began investigating the possible livestreaming of child sexual abuse material. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) had notified the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit (MSP CCU) that it had received a report through its CyberTipline that an Omegle user, later identified as Gagne, had uploaded a video file containing suspected child sexual abuse material. Omegle is an anonymous chat site where users are matched at random within topics and can communicate by text or video. The file reported by Omegle contained four images of a three- to four-year-old child being sexually abused.
During the execution of a search warrant at his Augusta home, Gagne admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material and sharing it on Omegle. Investigators seized two cell phones and an SD card during the investigation, recovering hundreds of images and videos.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from MSP CCU and the Augusta Police Department.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
###