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22 July 2025
Illegal alien pleads guilty to leading smuggling organization involving transportation of over 100 personsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has admitted to an alien smuggling conspiracy and illegal reentry into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The investigation revealed Edgar Ruiz-Briones arranged transportation and coordinating trips for illegal aliens coming over the southern border with Mexico. Ruiz-Briones was the leader of the smuggling organization, recruiting drivers from as far away as Kansas to come to the Rio Grande Valley.
Drivers would communicate directly with Ruiz-Briones to set up the trips, give updates on progress and set meeting spots for drop-offs in Houston after successful smuggling operations. They would pick up illegal aliens from different stash houses and transport them to Houston, where they met with Ruiz-Briones before going further into the United States.
Ruiz-Briones handled payments from the aliens to come into the United States and payments to the drivers he recruited.
Over the course of the 18-month conspiracy, Ruiz-Briones arranged for over 100 aliens to enter, remain and be transported further into the United States.
An illegal alien himself, having been removed from the United States on multiple occasions, he also pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States from Mexico and remaining here in violation of the law.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Oct. 30. At that time. Ruiz-Briones faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the alien smuggling conspiracy and 20 years for illegally re-entering the United States.
Ruiz-Briones has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Angel Urbina-Ramirez, a/k/a Angel Urbina Ramirez, a/k/a Angel Urbinaramirez, age 53, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Poteau, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.
The Indictment alleged that on June 13, 2025, Urbina-Ramirez, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed on January 30, 2018, without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to 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).
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Urbina-Ramirez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Forty-Eighth Conviction in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Asad Mohamed Abshir has pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. He is the 48th defendant to be convicted in this massive fraud scheme.
“This guilty plea is another step in exposing the staggering levels of corruption that have been hiding in plain sight across Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This defendant laundered millions meant to feed children and funneled it into a web of shell companies and luxury spending. As FBI Director Kash Patel recently said, this case stands as one of the most egregious abuses of public trust in recent memory. The people of Minnesota deserve better.”
In fall of 2020, the defendant, Asad Mohamed Abshir, 34, assisted his brother and co-defendant, Abdinasir Abshir, in the operations of non-profit called Stigma Free International. Under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, the Abshir brothers claimed to operate, through Stigma Free, a food distribution site in Mankato, Minnesota. At the same time, Abdinasir Abshir claimed to provide food for the Mankato site through an entity he controlled called Horseed Management LLC. But the Abshirs did not provide the food they claimed to, and they were not entitled to the taxpayer dollars they received for their claims.
Over the course of 2020 to 2021, the Abshirs fraudulently claimed to have provided 1.6 million meals to children. For his role in the scheme, Abdinasir personally received about $750,000. The defendant used $77,353 in fraud proceeds to purchase a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali truck, which has been seized and will be forfeited to the United States. In addition, the Unites States seized $424,762.51 from the bank account for the defendant's shell company, Santana LLC, all of which will be forfeited.
“Asad Abshir’s guilty plea underscores a troubling intersection of deception and exploitation within federal assistance programs designed to nourish vulnerable populations,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Abshir not only undermined the integrity of the Federal Child Nutrition Program, but also abused the resources intended for the nation’s most at-risk children. This case serves as a stark reminder of the critical need for stringent oversight and accountability in the administration of taxpayer dollars.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Abshir pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Former bank insider pleads guilty to stealing money from customer accountsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A South Chesterfield woman pled guilty today to embezzling funds from and making false statements to her former employer, Truist Financial Corporation.
According to court documents, Ahshah Dior Martin, 35, repeatedly stole customer banking information to enrich herself.
In 2023, Martin began improperly using her access to Truist computer systems to gather Truist account holders’ banking information. Then, she initiated fraudulent debits and withdrawals from these accounts for her own benefit. For instance, Martin repeatedly initiated payments from customer bank accounts to a child support payment processor, through which Martin paid herself. In all, Martin used her access to sensitive customer financial information to steal $195,000 from at least 70 separate Truist customer accounts.
Martin stole from the Truist accounts of individuals and entities, including multiple churches, a children’s museum, an eye tissue bank non-profit organization, manufacturing and construction companies, a small business making customized holsters, and the North Carolina Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. Martin spent stolen funds on cosmetic products, clothing, travel expenses, dining, and at a hookah bar.
On April 15, 2024, Martin was terminated by Truist. Despite repeated attempts to retrieve her Truist laptop, Martin retained access to her work computer. To conceal her wrongdoing and prevent the return of her Truist laptop, Martin faked her own death. On April 17, 2024, in response to an email from Truist asking for the computer, Martin responded, “Sorry to inform you, she has passed away.”
Martin is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20 and faces up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey D. Pittano, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Robert S. Day are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-102.
Former Madera School Executive Charged with Stealing Federal Funds from Charter School for Disadvantaged K – 8th GradersRead the Press Release
On July 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a sealed indictment charging Nicholas M. Retana, 67, of Madera, with one count of embezzling money from a program that received federal funding, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
On Monday the indictment was unsealed and Retana was arraigned.
According to court documents, Retana was the founder and executive director of a kindergarten through 8th grade charter school in Madera County until early 2020. As executive director, Retana used school funds on improper personal expenses for himself, his family, and associates. He concealed the misused funds by mislabeling the expenses in school accounting records and misrepresenting the expenses when asked. For example, Retana purchased new Ford F-150 Raptor pickup trucks for his two sons using school funds. He also had a personal relationship with a self-proclaimed sex worker turned relationship coach whom he paid $12,000 using school funds.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Spivak and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Retana faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Banker Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jennifer Lamanna (49, Venice) today pleaded guilty to one count of theft or embezzlement by a bank employee and one count of making a false statement to an agency of the United States. Lamanna faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the embezzlement and up to 5 years for making a false statement. She has also agreed to forfeit $280,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Lamanna worked for an FDIC-insured financial institution. As a result of reduced in-branch staffing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lamanna had sole access to and exercised control over a branch bank vault located in Venice, Florida. In 2020, Lamanna began using a contingency cash bag to steal cash from the vault, then physically removed the cash from the branch until the contingency cash bag program was discontinued. After the cash bag program ended, Lamanna continued to embezzle cash from the vault and deposited $255,362 in stolen funds into a bank account she controlled.
To balance out the vault and conceal her embezzlement, Lamanna made multiple large withdrawals and subsequent matching deposits out of a customer’s account. To make the sham transactions appear legitimate, Lamanna filed fictitious Currency Transaction Reports. On June 8, 2023, Lamanna made a materially false statement to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a sub-agency of the U.S. Treasury Department, when she completed and submitted a Currency Transaction Report falsely stating that a bank customer deposited $160,100 in cash into his account knowing that no such deposit took place.
This case was investigated by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Tampa field office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Former Bank Officer Sentenced for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Edward Jenkinson (47, Trinity) to 11 months in federal prison for theft, embezzlement, or misapplication of funds by a bank officer. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $122,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Jenkinson pleaded guilty on April 8, 2025.
According to court documents, Jenkinson was employed as a bank officer at a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured institution. As a bank officer, Jenkinson was responsible for managing a financial center located in Tampa. One of Jenkinson’s duties was to oversee the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and teller cash drawers at the financial center.
Between March and November 2024, Jenkinson embezzled FDIC-insured funds. As part of his embezzlement scheme, Jenkinson redeemed certificates of deposit without customers’ knowledge or consent. He then prepared deposit tickets and deposited the redeemed funds in customer checking accounts. Subsequently, Jenkinson embezzled the funds from the victim customers’ accounts and drafted cashiers’ checks payable to himself, which he deposited into his own bank accounts. Jenkinson depleted most of the embezzled funds through cash withdrawals. Jenkinson also embezzled $52,000 from the ATM at the financial center he managed and spent the funds on gambling, paying off debts, and retail purchases.
This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Foreign National Sentenced After Being Convicted at Trial of Illegally Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on July 18, 2025, following a one-day bench trial before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, Huan Lin, 41, a Chinese citizen, was convicted of illegally entering the United States. Following the trial, Judge Doyle sentenced Lin to a time-served sentence of approximately three months.
According to evidence presented at trial, on April 18, 2025, Lin was spotted walking across a field near Holland, Vermont, about a quarter-mile south of the U.S.-Canada border. Lin got into a minivan with New York license plates, which appeared to be a car for hire. After Lin got into the minivan, agents with United States Border Patrol stopped the vehicle. Lin, who was the sole passenger, presented agents with a Chinese passport that contained a Canadian visa and a stamp showing she had entered Canada about seven days earlier. In her purse and backpack, Lin carried changes of clothing, electronics chargers, foreign currency, and what appeared to be Chinese identification and bank cards. Border Patrol agents confirmed that Lin had no legal status in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of United States Border Patrol and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. Lin was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defenders Charles N. Curlett, Jr., and Emily Kenyon.
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).
Five Defendants Sentenced in Connection with Operating One of the Largest Illegal Television Show Streaming Services in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the final judgments were issued for five Nevada men, including a citizen of Germany, who were sentenced on May 29 and 30 to terms of up to 84 months in prison for running Jetflicks, one of the largest illegal television streaming services in the United States.
“The defendants operated Jetflicks, an illegal paid streaming service that made available more television episodes than any licensed streaming service on the market,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This scheme generated millions of dollars in criminal profits, and hurt thousands of U.S. companies and individuals who owned the copyrights to these shows but never received a penny in compensation from Jetflicks. The sentences issued in this case demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to protect American creativity and to ensure that large-scale infringers are brought to justice and punished for their crimes.”
“Digital crimes are not victimless crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “The copyright owners lost millions of dollars as a result of the illegal paid streaming service. These sentences underscore our joint commitment with the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and FBI to deter and disrupt intellectual property crime via thorough investigation and prosecution of those who violate federal intellectual property laws.”
“By building and running one of the largest unauthorized streaming services in the U.S., these individuals not only stole from content creators and legitimate streaming services, they undermined the integrity of our economy and the rule of law," said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “These sentencings are a reminder that illegal actions have consequences. The FBI and our partners are unwavering in our commitment to protect intellectual property rights and hold criminals accountable.”
After a 14-day trial that ended in June 2024, a federal jury in the District of Nevada convicted Kristopher Lee Dallmann, 42; Peter H. Huber, 67; Jared Edward Jaurequi, also known as Jared Edwards, 44; Felipe Garcia, 43; and Douglas M. Courson, 65, all of Las Vegas, of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement. The jury also convicted Dallmann of criminal copyright infringement by distribution, criminal copyright infringement by public performance, and money laundering. Subsequently, the court sentenced Dallmann to 84 months in prison; Huber to 18 months in prison; Jaurequi to time served (almost 5 months in prison), 180 days of home confinement, and 500 hours of community service; Garcia to three years probation with 49 days in prison and 1000 hours of community service; and Courson to three years probation with 48 days in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants ran a site called Jetflicks, an online subscription-based service headquartered in Las Vegas, that permitted users to stream and at times download copyrighted television programs without the permission of the relevant copyright owners. At one point, Jetflicks claimed to have 183,285 different television episodes, significantly more than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Prime, or any other licensed streaming service. This was the largest internet piracy case — as measured by the estimated total infringement amount and total number of infringements — ever to go to trial as well as the first illegal streaming case ever to go to trial. The defendants’ conduct harmed every major copyright owner of a television program in the United States. Copyright owners lost millions of dollars from the operation.
Evidence presented at trial showed that the defendants used automated software and computer scripts that ran constantly to scour sites around the world hosting pirated content. The software and scripts would download, process, and store illegal content, and then make it immediately available on servers in the United States and Canada to tens of thousands of paid subscribers located throughout the United States for streaming and/or downloading. The defendants often delivered episodes to subscribers the day after the shows originally aired on television. The service was not only available to subscribers over the internet but specifically designed to work on many different types of devices, platforms, and software.
Each defendant performed at least one and often multiple roles at Jetflicks including management, computer programming and coding, design of the website, applications, and customer interface, technical assistance, content acquisition, subscriptions and revenue, and customer support.
Dallmann reaped millions of dollars in profit from the operation. The government conservatively estimated the value of the copyright infringement in the case at $37.5 million. This included the approximate retail value of the defendants’ reproduction of infringing works to create the Jetflicks inventory as well as the approximate retail value of the streams of pirated television episodes that the defendants provided to subscribers.
The five defendants sentenced were among eight defendants originally indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with operating Jetflicks. In addition to the defendants just sentenced in Nevada, defendant Darryl Polo previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to four counts of criminal copyright infringement and one count of money laundering for his involvement with Jetflicks as well as an equally large illegal streaming site he ran called iStreamItAll. Similarly, defendant Luis Villarino also previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. In May 2021, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Virginia sentenced Polo and Villarino to, respectively, 57 months in prison and 12 months and a day in prison.
After the case was transferred to the District of Nevada for trial, defendant Yoany Vaillant was tried separately from the other five remaining defendants. In November 2024, after an eight-day trial, a federal jury convicted Vaillant of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. Vaillant is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Las Vegas Field Office.
Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti, Trial Attorney Michael Christin, and Acting Deputy Chief Christopher S. Merriam of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Edward G. Veronda for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. The CCIPS Cybercrime Lab, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada provided significant assistance.
Five Defendants Sentenced in Connection with Operating One of the Largest Illegal Television Show Streaming Services in the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS - Yesterday, the final judgments were issued for five Nevada men, including a citizen of Germany, who were sentenced on May 29 and 30 to terms of up to 84 months in prison for running Jetflicks, one of the largest illegal television streaming services in the United States.
“The defendants operated Jetflicks, an illegal paid streaming service that made available more television episodes than any licensed streaming service on the market,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This scheme generated millions of dollars in criminal profits, and hurt thousands of U.S. companies and individuals who owned the copyrights to these shows but never received a penny in compensation from Jetflicks. The sentences issued in this case demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to protect American creativity and to ensure that large-scale infringers are brought to justice and punished for their crimes.”
“Digital crimes are not victimless crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “The copyright owners lost millions of dollars as a result of the illegal paid streaming service. These sentences underscore our joint commitment with the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and FBI to deter and disrupt intellectual property crime via thorough investigation and prosecution of those who violate federal intellectual property laws.”
“By building and running one of the largest unauthorized streaming services in the U.S., these individuals not only stole from content creators and legitimate streaming services, they undermined the integrity of our economy and the rule of law," said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “These sentencings are a reminder that illegal actions have consequences. The FBI and our partners are unwavering in our commitment to protect intellectual property rights and hold criminals accountable.”
"Every act of digital piracy has a real-life victim," said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "The results of this investigation — the largest of its kind to go to trial — demonstrate that the FBI and our partners will pursue thieves who infringe upon intellectual property rights and steal profits from hardworking creators, copyright owners, and licensed streaming services."
"These sentences are the result of the robust collaboration between the FBI and our law enforcement partners in the endeavor to safeguard intellectual property rights and ensure accountability for criminal activities," said Special Agent in Charge Amir Ehsaei for the FBI Las Vegas Division.
After a 14-day trial that ended in June 2024, a federal jury in the District of Nevada convicted Kristopher Lee Dallmann, 42; Peter H. Huber, 67; Jared Edward Jaurequi, also known as Jared Edwards, 44; Felipe Garcia, 43; and Douglas M. Courson, 65, all of Las Vegas, of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement. The jury also convicted Dallmann of criminal copyright infringement by distribution, criminal copyright infringement by public performance, and money laundering. Subsequently, the court sentenced Dallmann to 84 months in prison; Huber to 18 months in prison; Jaurequi to time served (almost 5 months in prison), 180 days of home confinement, and 500 hours of community service; Garcia to three years' probation with 49 days in prison and 1000 hours of community service; and Courson to three years' probation with 48 days in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants ran a site called Jetflicks, an online subscription-based service headquartered in Las Vegas, that permitted users to stream and at times download copyrighted television programs without the permission of the relevant copyright owners. At one point, Jetflicks claimed to have 183,285 different television episodes, significantly more than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Prime, or any other licensed streaming service. This was the largest internet piracy case — as measured by the estimated total infringement amount and total number of infringements — ever to go to trial as well as the first illegal streaming case ever to go to trial. The defendants’ conduct harmed every major copyright owner of a television program in the United States. Copyright owners lost millions of dollars from the operation.
Evidence presented at trial showed that the defendants used automated software and computer scripts that ran constantly to scour sites around the world hosting pirated content. The software and scripts would download, process, and store illegal content, and then make it immediately available on servers in the United States and Canada to tens of thousands of paid subscribers located throughout the United States for streaming and/or downloading. The defendants often delivered episodes to subscribers the day after the shows originally aired on television. The service was not only available to subscribers over the internet but specifically designed to work on many different types of devices, platforms, and software.
Each defendant performed at least one and often multiple roles at Jetflicks including management, computer programming and coding, design of the website, applications, and customer interface, technical assistance, content acquisition, subscriptions and revenue, and customer support.
Dallmann reaped millions of dollars in profit from the operation. The government conservatively estimated the value of the copyright infringement in the case at $37.5 million. This included the approximate retail value of the defendants’ reproduction of infringing works to create the Jetflicks inventory as well as the approximate retail value of the streams of pirated television episodes that the defendants provided to subscribers.
The five defendants sentenced were among eight defendants originally indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with operating Jetflicks. In addition to the defendants just sentenced in Nevada, defendant Darryl Polo previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to four counts of criminal copyright infringement and one count of money laundering for his involvement with Jetflicks as well as an equally large illegal streaming site he ran called iStreamItAll. Similarly, defendant Luis Villarino also previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. In May 2021, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Virginia sentenced Polo and Villarino to, respectively, 57 months in prison and 12 months and a day in prison.
After the case was transferred to the District of Nevada for trial, defendant Yoany Vaillant was tried separately from the other five remaining defendants. In November 2024, after an eight-day trial, a federal jury convicted Vaillant of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. Vaillant is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Las Vegas Field Office.
Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti, Trial Attorney Michael Christin, and Acting Deputy Chief Christopher S. Merriam of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Edward G. Veronda for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. The CCIPS Cybercrime Lab, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada provided significant assistance.
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Final Member Sentenced in Tennessee Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced James Calvin Hennings, 43, of Milan, Tennessee to over 27 years in federal prison for his role in an organized drug trafficking scheme in Western Tennessee as well as possession of contraband by a federal inmate. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
Agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted a series of controlled purchases from Hennings during the months of March and April 2022. These controlled purchases led to a Title III wiretap investigation that ran from May 20, 2022 until July 6, 2022 that revealed Hennings received drugs from a source of supply operating out of California and Middle Tennessee and then re-distributed narcotics within the Western District of Tennessee. Hennings, a known affiliate of the Crip Street Gang, was previously injured in a shooting that left him confined to a wheelchair. Due to his limited mobility, he compensated co-conspirators with methamphetamine and financial payments in exchange for their assistance in distributing narcotics.
During the pendency of the Title III interceptions, Hennings was intercepted ordering drugs from sources outside the state to ship narcotics to the Western District of Tennessee; these efforts were thwarted by law enforcement. Additionally, he made several attempts to purchase and acquire firearms, intending to retaliate for his previously sustained injury.
Between March 2022 and July 2022, agents seized 2,361 grams of methamphetamine, 4,197 pills containing 452 grams of fentanyl, several pounds of marijuana, and three firearms from this drug trafficking organization. After Hennings’ arrest and incarceration for the federal drug trafficking charges, he was found in possession of a cellular telephone in a United States Marshals holding facility.
The following co-conspirators were also sentenced as part of their plea agreements in this case:
- Robert Linningham, 41, of Humboldt, TN: 120 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
- Justin Cody Rodgers, 37, of Jackson, TN: 66 months and a five-year period of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
“This sentence reflects Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) commitment to ensuring criminals face severe consequences when they flood our communities with illegal contraband,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “The removal of dangerous narcotics from our streets affirms our commitment to ensuring public safety and protecting our citizens from the devastating impact caused by illegal drugs. We will not tolerate those individuals who prey on some of the most vulnerable members in our communities. Our communities are safer today largely due to a strong collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners.”
This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Milan Police Department, Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Drug Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, as well as the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christie Hopper and Hillary Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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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.
Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Arrest in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Oday Smith, 39, of the District of Columbia, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, on a federal firearms charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smith is charged federally with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
According to court documents, on July 14, 2025, members of the MPD’s Fourth District Crime Suppression Team were on patrol on the 5700 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest, when they noticed Smith hiding behind a bus stop with a black satchel.
As officers approached, Smith immediately fled and eventually discarded his black satchel. Officers searched the satchel and discovered a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol, containing one .40 caliber round loaded in the chamber and 14 additional rounds in the magazine.
Smith is prohibited from possession of a firearm and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2009 second degree murder conviction in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
This case is being prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful. Make D.C. Safe Again aims to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Court Upholds Bureau of Reclamation’s Conversion of Water Service Contracts in Central Valley of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Last week, a judgment entered by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California confirmed the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation to convert water service contracts to long term repayment contracts pursuant to the Water Infrastructure and Improvements for the Nation Act. The converted contracts eliminate the need for future renewals and associated costs and allow contractors to lower their overall costs by prepaying their share of project construction costs. The converted contracts also benefit the government by facilitating faster repayment of construction costs which can provide funding for future water storage projects.
The Court agreed with Reclamation’s interpretation of the WIIN Act, that
- the WIIN Act requires contract conversion upon request, and
- WIIN Act § 4011(a)(4)(c) strips Reclamation of discretion to modify any “water service … contractual rights” other than those related to the financial terms specifically addressed by the WIIN Act.
Because those provisions removed Reclamation’s discretion, Reclamation was not required to conduct an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, or consult under the Endangered Species Act, as part of the contract conversions.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement.
Trial Attorneys David Gehlert and Jeff Candrian of ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled the case.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Role in Drug Trafficking GangRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on
Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Kai James, 37, of St. Croix, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and six years of supervised release by District Judge Mark A. Kearney. He pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy led by James and his brother, Ivan James. Other members in the James gang, Ivan James, Joh Williams, Malachi Benjamin, Ariel Petersen, Jahkiebo Joseph, Tillisa Ceaser, and Luis Ortiz, Jr., all of St. Croix, were previously sentenced by Judge Kearney for their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at the trial of Ivan James and Joh
Williams and other hearings, the investigation into the James drug trafficking organization began in
January 2013 after Bureau of Corrections officers at the Golden Grove Correctional Facility seized an iPhone from then-inmate Joh Williams. A search of the cell phone seized from Williams revealed text messages related to smuggling and distribution of controlled substances in the prison. Thereafter, Drug Enforcement Administration obtained authorization to intercept calls from a second cell phone used by Williams while incarcerated. The wire investigation revealed evidence of distribution of controlled substances within the facility by Williams, supplied by Ivan James. The investigation further revealed that Vivian Ford, a former corrections officer, was a member of James’ organization who smuggled narcotics into Golden Grove in food containers for distribution by Williams.
Members of the gang who worked at the Henry Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix used their secured access to smuggle multiple kilograms of cocaine per week onboard commercial aircrafts destined for the continental United States. Testimony revealed that Ivan and Kai James recruited couriers to deliver bricks of cocaine as passengers on board commercial flights. As a manager/supervisor in the drug trafficking gang, Kai James used as many as 10 couriers to travel to
New York, North Carolina, and Florida with 2 to 3 kilograms of cocaine per trip in this broad and brazen drug trafficking operation.
In addition, a search warrant was executed on the family home of Ivan and Kai James. Law enforcement recovered marijuana, cocaine, and marijuana cultivation equipment. In a field adjacent to the property, agents seized over 1,000 marijuana plants.
A federal jury found Ivan James guilty on drug conspiracy, possession of 1,000 marijuana plants, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug conspiracy and possession of firearms resulting in the death of Levar Pogson. On his conviction, Judge Kearney sentenced James to 420 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Joh Williams was also found guilty on the drug conspiracy charge and was sentenced to 90 months of imprisonment, followed by seven years of supervised release. Ariel Petersen and Jahkiebo Joseph pleaded guilty to possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug conspiracy and importation of firearms. Petersen was sentenced to
93 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and Joseph was sentenced to 68 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Malachi Benjamin pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Tillisa Ceaser and Luis Ortiz, Jr. both pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy. Ceaser was sentenced to 62 months of imprisonment, and
Ortiz was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
“Due to the tremendous work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security
Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol, the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of
Corrections, the members of this drug trafficking organization have received just and lengthy sentences for their involvement in these crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Adam Sleeper.
“This sentence sends a clear message, and it is credited to the extensive collaboration between federal and local law enforcement partners. Our joint efforts are essential in the U.S. Virgin Islands towards combatting drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and the myriads of other illicit activities of transnational criminal organizations in our area of responsibility,” said Homeland Security
Investigations Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos.
“The guilty plea of Kai James represents a decisive blow against the violent narcotics conspiracy that plagued the people of St. Croix for far too long,” stated DEA Caribbean Division
Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Miranda. “This case underscores the unwavering commitment of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal organizations that threaten the safety and well-being of our communities. We are proud to have worked alongside the USAO, HSI, FBI, CBP, and ATF to bring justice to those impacted by these crimes. Let this serve as a clear message: we will not relent in our fight to protect the Caribbean from the scourge of drug trafficking and violence.”
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security
Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol, Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of
Corrections. It was prosecuted by former United States Attorney Delia Smith, Acting Assistant United
States Attorney Adam Sleeper, and lead OCDETF attorney Kyle Payne.Clifton T. Barrett Takes Oath as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Clifton T. “Cliff” Barrett took the oath of office yesterday to become the United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. The oath was administered by U.S. District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. at the L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building in Greensboro. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Mr. Barrett as the interim U.S. Attorney on July 21, 2025.
“I am honored to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina and thank President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for placing their trust in me,” said U.S. Attorney Barrett. “I look forward, along with other prosecutors in the office, to making the Middle District a safer place to live by holding offenders accountable for their actions. We will work closely with state, local, and federal law enforcement in addressing President Trump’s law enforcement priorities.”
As the U.S. Attorney, Mr. Barrett is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Middle District of North Carolina, which covers 24 counties in the central part of the state from Durham County on the east to Yadkin County on the west, stretching up to Virginia on the north side and down to South Carolina on the south. Approximately 3 million people live in the Middle District of North Carolina. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to immigration, gang violence, National Security, drug trafficking, and violent crime. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Barrett joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of North Carolina in September 1994. He has prosecuted a broad range of federal criminal cases, including drug trafficking organizations, violent crime, child exploitation, public corruption, tax fraud, and offenses related to terrorism. He has held numerous leadership roles in the office, including 25 years as Chief of the Criminal Division. He has also served in leadership at the Department of Justice as an evaluator of other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and as a member of the Criminal Chiefs Working Group, an appointed committee that works in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Commission in providing advice to the U.S. Attorney General.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Barrett was an Assistant District Attorney for nine years in Forsyth County, North Carolina where he primarily prosecuted violent crime cases.
Barrett received his bachelor’s degree in history cum laude from Wake Forest University in 1982, and his Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1985. He has been an Adjunct Professor at Wake Forest University School of Law teaching Criminal Trial Advocacy since 1996.
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Clewiston Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jose Ignacio Carrizalez III (27, Clewiston) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Carrizalez pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025.
According to court documents, on April 12, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Carrizalez’s residence after he sold a firearm to a confidential informant and offered to sell another one. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized multiple firearms, assorted ammunition, and a “switch” designed for use in converting a semi-automatic pistol into a machine gun. Carrizalez is a convicted felon and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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.
Charleston Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Antwaun Winbush, 45, of Charleston was sentenced on Monday, July 21, 2025, to 12 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 25, 2024, a law enforcement officer attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Winbush on U.S. Route 35 in Putnam County. Winbush attempted to flee from the officer, reaching speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. While fleeing, Winbush dumped large quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana out of his vehicle’s window. Some of the thrown methamphetamine struck the officer’s patrol vehicle and the officer inhaled methamphetamine through the air vents. Winbush almost struck multiple vehicles while fleeing before he lost control of his vehicle and came to a stop.
Officers arrested Winbush following the pursuit and recovered some but not all the methamphetamine from the roadway. As part of his guilty plea, Winbush admitted that he possessed approximately 141.8 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
Winbush also committed other criminal conduct on October 4, 2021, and December 24, 2023. On October 4, 2021, an officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Winbush in Jackson County. A search of the vehicle by law enforcement resulted in the seizure of approximately 227 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, 8 grams of cocaine, 14.7 grams of fentanyl, and a Glock model 33 .357-caliber pistol found hidden behind the stereo area of the dashboard. Winbush admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances and to intending to distribute them.
On December 24, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Winbush’s residence and seized more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, and ammunition found hidden behind a loose wall. Officers also found drug trafficking paraphernalia, including scales, cutting agents and plastic baggies, during the search.
“Winbush’s criminal history dates back 30 years and includes 20 adult convictions. Winbush has shown time and again that he is only deterred from continuing his criminal conduct and putting citizens at risk when he is incarcerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the brave law enforcement officers who safely apprehended the defendant after he endangered their lives and the public with his reckless attempt to flee the Putnam County traffic stop. I also commend investigative work of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).”
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price prosecuted 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. 2:24-cr-154.
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Charleroi Staffing Agency Owner Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay More Than $3.6 Million in Restitution for Harboring Illegal Aliens and Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $3,630,479.13 on his convictions of failing to pay employment taxes and harboring individuals who were not legally authorized to be in the United States, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Andy Ha, 28. Ha pleaded guilty to the charges in February of 2025 (read the plea news release here).
According to information presented to the Court, Ha was the president and owner of the Charleroi staffing agency Prosperity Services, Inc., where Ha employed individuals who were not legally authorized to be in the United States, and paid for such workers to stay in a former hotel. Ha signed false employment tax returns on behalf of the agency, in which Ha reported less than 10% of Prosperity’s employees. Ha and Prosperity failed to pay taxes on the other unreported employees, resulting in a tax loss of at least $3.1 million over the course of a year.
Assistant United States Attorney William Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ha.
California man gets maximum sentence for laundering proceeds from email fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A San Fernando, California, man has been ordered to federal prison for operating an illegal money transmitting business, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Victor Rubio Jr. 28, pleaded guilty Feb. 6.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks has now ordered Rubio to serve the maximum 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered additional evidence about other frauds Rubio committed while on bond in imposing the sentencing, assessing extra points for obstruction of justice. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hanks noted Rubio had committed obstruction after writing his letter to the judge asking for leniency and apologizing for his first crime.
Rubio admitted that from 2021 to 2022, he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Rubio ran the unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed only on paper.
As part of the plea, Rubio acknowledged opening and maintaining bank accounts to collect money from at least two victims in a BEC scheme, including a healthcare liability insurance company headquartered in Georgia and a township in New Jersey. Then, for a fee, he transmitted the fraud proceeds to co-conspirators.
In response to fraudulent wire instructions from spoofed email accounts, victims sent interstate wire transfers for payment to Rubio instead of to the true creditors to whom the victims owed money.
More than 45 people in multiple states, including Rubio and seven others in the Southern District of Texas, have been charged in separate business email compromise schemes that affected numerous victims.
Previously released on bond, Rubio was taken into custody where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI - Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC HERMAN, 32, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, following two fatal overdoses involving fentanyl in 2021, both of which are believed to be connected to Herman, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stratford Police Department began investigating Herman’s drug trafficking activities. In May and June 2022, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from Herman.
Herman was arrested on September 15, 2022. At the time of his arrest, he possessed a distribution quantity of cocaine, a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” with a laser sight attached, and additional rounds of ammunition.
Herman’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Herman has been detained since his arrest. On March 24, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”), fentanyl, and heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.
Herman pleaded guilty in state court to narcotics and manslaughter charges stemming from an overdose death investigation and was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, suspended after eight years, and five years of probation. Judge Bolden ordered Herman’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.
The DEA’s HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.
Brevard County Drug Traffickers Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Michael Jatsko (34, Melbourne), Alivia Mae Assidio (23, Melbourne), and Leonard Ronald Nile, Jr. (52, Melbourne) with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Jatsko and Assidio are also charged with distribution of methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Jatsko and Assidio each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Nile faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Jatsko and Assidio that the United States intends to forfeit a Mossberg pistol and Blackside Tactical rifle, which were seized from their residence.
According to court documents, Jatsko, Assidio, and Nile were involved in a drug conspiracy until June 24, 2025, when Jatsko and Nile were arrested. On June 24, 2025, law enforcement witnessed Jatsko and Nile loading into their vehicle large bags and boxes believed to contain narcotics. When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, Jatsko and Nile fled at a high rate of speed. The high-speed chase ultimately ended in Brevard County, after Florida Highway Patrol troopers immobilized the fleeing car. A search of the vehicle revealed multiple kilograms of cocaine. Subsequent searches of Jatsko and Assidio’s storage unit and residence revealed substantial quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, as well as firearms. At the time, Jatsko and Assidio both had prior felony drug convictions. As convicted felons, they are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
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 was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office - Special Investigations Unit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Sowell.
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).
Bon Air Man Pleads Guilty to Involvement in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to fentanyl and cocaine trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
DeVaughn Faulk, 28, of the Bon Air neighborhood of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2024 and July 2024, Faulk participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, both Schedule II controlled substances, by functioning as a redistributor of street-level amounts of both substances.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for November 12, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Faulk will remain in custody.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Faulk.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Beko Technologies Agrees to Pay over $3.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Beko Technologies, Corp. (Beko), a manufacturer of compressed air products located in Atlanta, Georgia and a subsidiary of a German company, has agreed to pay $3,662,026 to resolve allegations that it provided false information to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for which it was not eligible, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“PPP loans were designed to assist struggling businesses and to keep people employed in the middle of the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “The program was supported by taxpayer money to help small businesses and the U.S. economy, not to bankroll foreign businesses ineligible for taxpayer-funded assistance.”
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The PPP was administered by the Small Business Administration and provided forgivable loans to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, Congress approved funding for a second round of forgivable PPP loans. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the requested loans and that the information they provided was true and accurate.
This settlement resolves allegations that Beko misrepresented that it was a small business when it submitted applications for PPP loans totaling over $2.5 million. The government contends that Beko represented in its loan applications that it had 104 or fewer employees when it was, in fact, a subsidiary of a Germany company with over 500 employees worldwide, and therefore was ineligible for the loans, which were forgiven in full at the expense of U.S. taxpayers
This matter arose from a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Beko Technologies Corp., No. 3:24-cv-980 (W.D.N.C.).
The government’s investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Johnson.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Bapchule Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Stabbing DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Daryl Patrick Johns, 46, of Bapchule, Arizona, a member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced on July 17 by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
On February 15, 2023, Johns stabbed and killed the victim on the Gila River Indian Community. Johns pleaded guilty on November 1, 2024, to Second Degree Murder.
The Gila River Police Department and the FBI Phoenix Indian Country squad conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1639-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-122_Johns# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Bank contractor sentenced for participation in $8 million debit card schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 23-year-old Houston woman has been sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud after debit cards were loaded with fraudulent funds, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jaysha Victorian pleaded guilty April 3.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Victorian to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how she participated in a scheme to steal unemployment funds that were being supplemented during the pandemic, and how she was able to commit millions of dollars of fraud in just a few weeks.
Victorian worked for a bank contractor from late 2020 to early 2021 and used her access to load prepaid debit cards with fraudulent funds, including unemployment benefits for California. She credited at least 187 cards with nearly $8.6 million. Recipients withdrew or spent over $7.6 million before the bank could freeze the cards.
She admitted to using some funds herself, including a $1,000 ATM withdrawal in Houston, and received about $300,000 in cash proceeds from her role in the scheme.
She was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, Houston Police Department, Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General’s Covid Fraud Unit and Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Karen Lansden prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 47 Months in Federal Prison Following Two Jury Convictions in Six MonthsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 47 months in prison following two separate jury convictions in less than six months.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on October 26, 2021, Albuquerque Police Department officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert and multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire and a man brandishing a weapon outside an apartment complex in southeast Albuquerque. Upon arrival, officers located Anthony Hernandez, 32, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, attempting to hide behind a wall. A search of the area led to the recovery of a stolen 9mm pistol. Witnesses identified Hernandez as the individual seen with the firearm and spent shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Hernandez was federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and, following a jury trial in October 2024, was convicted on that charge.
While in pretrial detention, Hernandez committed multiple violent assaults. On November 15, 2022, he attacked a CoreCivic security contractor, causing serious injuries including a concussion and a nasal fracture. Hernandez was subsequently indicted for assaulting a federal officer resulting in bodily injury.
Further investigation revealed Hernandez’s involvement in additional assaults on fellow inmates and correctional officers, including an incident involving a homemade weapon. Contraband, including a sharpened weapon and methamphetamine, was also found in his possession during his time in custody.
In January 2025, following a three-day trial, a federal jury found Hernandez guilty of assaulting a federal officer causing bodily injury—his second jury conviction in six months.
Upon his release from prison, Hernandez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and United States Marshal David Barnett made the announcement today.
The Albuquerque Police Department investigated the felon in possession case and the United States Marshals Service investigated the assault on the officer. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Kimberly Bell are prosecuting the case.
Akron Man Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Akron, Ohio, has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months of imprisonment on his conviction of conspiring to distribute and distributing methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Charles Woods, 67.
According to information presented to the Court, investigators identified Woods as a methamphetamine supplier for a drug trafficking operation between Akron, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Investigators searched Woods’ residence and obtained approximately 294 grams of methamphetamine. In court, Woods admitted that he conspired to distribute and distributed between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine over a five-month period.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Woods.Across-the-Board Convictions in Final Highs RICO Trial of 2025Read the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Following an eight-day jury trial, a federal jury convicted two defendants of all charged counts for their involvement in the Highs street gang, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
Defendants Cortez Davon Blakemore, 35, and Robert Lesure, 23, were convicted by a jury of federal RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Blakemore and Lesure were long-standing and prolific drug traffickers for the Highs criminal street gang. They sold fentanyl at the intersection of Broadway and Lyndale in North Minneapolis, which the Highs had taken control of and turned into an open-air drug market. As the jury heard at trial, the Highs is a violent criminal street gang that has long wreaked havoc on North Minneapolis, selling fentanyl and other deadly drugs and enforcing its territory through violence, kidnapping, and murder, including the murders of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. Forty members of the Highs gang were charged in this large RICO indictment. Blakemore and Lesure are the 37th and 38th defendants to be convicted in this case. A final RICO defendant is set to be tried in 2026.
“These convictions bring justice not just to the victims of the Highs gang, but to an entire community that has endured years of violence, fear, and loss,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “For too long, this gang terrorized Minneapolis, maintaining control through chaos. Today, the people of this city get something they’ve long been denied: peace. This case is the result of a relentless federal coalition—the U.S. Attorney’s Office side-by-side with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Our message is clear: if you endanger our communities, we are coming for you. And we won’t stop until every neighborhood in this city is free from fear.”
“This isn’t just another trial; it’s a continuation of our full-court press to dismantle the Highs street gang and hold every last member accountable,” said Travis Riddle, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the St. Paul Field Division. “We’re proud to stand alongside our prosecution and investigative partners who’ve shown unmatched determination, trial after trial, to bring justice to the communities harmed by this violence.”
“As the summer progresses, Minneapolis is continuing to see a drop in violent crime, especially gun violence throughout the city,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “The outstanding work of MPD officers and our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office have been instrumental in targeting the small number of individuals committing a disproportionate amount of violence in the city. This conviction is the latest result of efforts that can not only be seen in the reduction of crime, but also felt by the community as we work to rebuild trust.”
“Our focus isn’t just on the money—it’s on the damage that money fuels,” said Jason Bushey, IRS Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office. “When violent gangs push drugs and fear into our communities, our agents work relentlessly to expose the money behind the violence. This conviction is the result of that effort and a clear reminder that those who profit from chaos and pain will be held accountable.”
“In the wake of the guilty verdicts in the Highs gang RICO trial, it becomes abundantly clear that the efficacy of our justice system hinges not merely on the application of law, but on the transformative power of collaborative law enforcement partnerships,” stated FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “These alliances are essential, for they weave a fabric of shared intelligence and resources that fortify our collective resolve against violent crime, ensuring that justice is not merely an ideal, but a tangible reality for our communities.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigation, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also is deeply grateful to the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section (VCRS) for their continued partnership and expertise on this and other ongoing RICO cases. This partnership has been critical to the success of these gang prosecutions.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez, Albania Concepcion, and Carla Baumel tried this case. They are prosecuting the case along with Attorney Brian Lynch of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section.
11 Venezuelan Nationals and One Columbian National Indicted for Financial Fraud in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today charging a dozen foreign nationals of bank fraud and engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025 at the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. Eleven Venezuelan nationals and one Colombian national are accused of committing financial fraud crimes after they allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud banks in Utah and elsewhere.
According to court documents, between January 2023 and June 2023, the defendants were involved in a scheme to defraud financial institutions by opening accounts and presenting fraudulent cashier’s checks to be deposited to those accounts. In some instances, defendants deposited multiple counterfeit checks at different branches on the same day. Defendants then laundered the funds by check, cashier’s check, and cash withdrawal.
Defendants are residents of Salt Lake County:
1. Gilberto Emiro Andrade-Romero, 36, of Venezuela
2. Felipe Enrique Linares-Lobo aka Carlos M. Hidalgo Noguera, 32, of Venezuela
3. Alexis Jose Calixto-Bracho, 25, of Venezuela
4. Daniel Jose Fuenmayor-leal, aka Enais Inciarte-Urdaneta, 34, of Venezuela
5. Yeritza Astrid Cuello-Plata, 40, of Venezuela
6. Federico Javier Gutierrez-Pirela, 36, of Venezuela
7. Hendry Ricardo Martinez-Concho, 42, of Venezuela
8. Cristina Paola Nava-Yoris, 24, of Venezuela
9. Patricia Del Carmen Orozco-Cuello, 37, of Colombia
10. Ismael Norberto Rodriguez-Moreno, 47, of Venezuela
11. Jorge Luis Urribarri-Vento, 32, of Venezuela
12. Rayner Jose Delgado-Quiroz, 24, of VenezuelaActing United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and a HSI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brent L. Andrus and Carl D. Lesueur of the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
This is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
21 July 2025
Woman Indicted for Robbing a Parking Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maylin Carranza Garcia, 29, of Annandale, Virginia, was indicted in Superior Court on felony charges of robbery and retaliating against a government official on June 25, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Carranza Garcia was indicted by the grand jury on July 16, 2025. An arraignment is scheduled for July 29, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:07 p.m. on June 25, 2025, at 2526 L Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., a Parking Enforcement Officer just finished issuing a parking ticket for a driver who refused to move their car from a no parking zone. The driver’s sister, Carranza Garcia, then engaged in a verbal altercation with the parking enforcement officer before snatching her parking enforcement device and fleeing the scene. Carranza Garcia discarded the parking enforcement device on the side of the road.
Carranza Garcia was located and arrested on June 26, 2025. The stolen parking enforcement device was recovered the same day.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kadian Carter.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Swatting ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Evan Strauss, 27, of Moneta, Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, Strauss helped create and operate an online group known as “Purgatory.” The group used multiple online social-media platforms, including Telegram and Instagram, to coordinate and plan swatting and doxxing activities and to announce and brag about swats that they conducted.
“Swatting” is a term used to describe a criminal incident in which an individual contacts emergency services and falsely reports an emergency, often involving an act of violence that reportedly has or will occur at a particular location to elicit an armed law enforcement response to that location. “Doxxing” is a term used to describe the practice of — searching for and publishing on the Internet — personal, private, or identifying information about an individual with malicious intent, such as providing the information for the purpose of facilitating the swatting of the individual.
From December 10, 2023, through January 18, 2024, Strauss and his co-conspirators, including a co-conspirator who resided in Hagerstown, Maryland, and made calls from Maryland, placed swatting calls to police and other emergency response departments. One or more of the conspirators, acting with the intent to threaten, intimidate, and harass individuals and entities, falsely reported emergencies in the form of violent acts at particular locations to cause armed law enforcement responses.
Strauss and his co-conspirators often used shared scripts to plan and coordinate their conduct. They then called police departments using Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services to obscure their phone numbers and identities.
As part of the scheme, Strauss called the Newark Delaware Police Department and falsely claimed that he heard a man firing shots in a school hallway. Moments later, the Maryland co-conspirator called the department again, threatening to shoot a specific Newark High School teacher and kill students. As a result of these calls, which occurred in the middle of the school day, authorities placed the school on lockdown as police officers rushed to respond. Later the same day, Strauss and other conspirators bragged about the incident and posted images from the resulting news coverage onto their group’s social media accounts.
Strauss encouraged a Purgatory conspirator to “shut down” an airport. Following Strauss’ urging, the conspirator used a VOIP number to call the Albany Police Department in Albany, New York, stating he was going to the Albany International Airport to “shoot everybody up” and that his “friend” was going to set off bombs in the airport. Police units then rushed to respond to these threats.
Additionally, as part of this scheme, the Maryland co-conspirator called the Houston County Sheriff’s Office in Dothan, Alabama, and threatened to burn down part of a residential trailer park and kill any law enforcement officers who arrived to respond to the threat.
Strauss faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of threatening to damage or destroy by fire or explosive and a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy, cyberstalking, and interstate threats. Co-conspirators Brayden Grace, 19, of Columbus, Ohio, and Owen Jarboe, 19, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty earlier this year and are awaiting sentencing.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, November 6, at 10 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Additionally, Ms. Hayes praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Columbus; Ohio Police Department; Newark, Delaware Police Department; Lenoir City, Tennessee Police Department; Albany, New York Police Department; Albany County, New York Sheriff’s Office; Fairburn City, Georgia Police Department; Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department; Giles County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office; Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department; Tarboro, North Carolina Police Department; Boston, Massachusetts Police Department; Dodge County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office; Houston County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte, and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert I. Goldaris and Patricia C. McLane who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Venezuelan National Convicted and Sentenced for Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Venezuelan national was sentenced in a federal court in Waco Friday to time served after he pleaded guilty to one count of failure to notify of an address change and one count of failure to carry his alien registration on his person.
According to court documents, Jarrison Bladovino-Melano aka Jarrison Jovanniy Melano aka Yabanni Merlano, was arrested in Belton on July 13 for possession of marijuana and booked in the Bell County Jail. As he was determined to be an illegal alien, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer with the jail. Further investigation revealed Bladovino-Melano was previously paroled into the United States by the U.S. Border Patrol in September 2022, and released so that he could travel to New York and reside at an address provided by his sponsor. One year later, Bladovino-Melano was encountered by the Frederick Police Department in Aurora, Colorado, where he was residing at the time instead of at the New York address. He was then found to be residing in Belton.
Bladovino-Melano was transferred into ICE custody on July 17. He pleaded guilty the next day in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland, who sentenced Bladovino-Melano to time served. Bladovino-Melano remains in ICE custody for further processing.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Utah Man Convicted for Threatening a Palestinian Rights OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Utah man pleaded guilty to transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. Specifically, the defendant, Kevin Brent Buchanan, threatened violence against the employees of a D.C.-based Palestinian rights organization. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 18.
According to publicly filed court documents, between Oct. 31, 2023, and Nov. 2, 2023, Buchanan used his cellular phone to call and leave five messages for members of the organization. In his Nov. 2 voice message, Buchanan stated in part: “Your families are going to be followed and watched.”; “You don’t even belong in America.”; “I hope every Muslim in the United States [expletive] croaks.”; “You are all going to [expletive] die, you pieces of [expletive] traitors.” Buchanan admitted that he intentionally targeted the organization because its staff and members are Palestinian, and because the organization advocates on behalf of Palestinians.
Buchanan faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Visser and Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, community partners to host National Night Out event in East St. LouisRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – To strengthen relationships between residents and law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Illinois, event organizers and police officials are inviting the East St. Louis community to a free event with activities for attendees of all ages to celebrate National Night Out.
The event will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 8206 State St. in East St. Louis.
Community partners will give out school supplies to students, provide food to families and offer an array of activities like competitive games, police demonstrations, and a live DJ. This National Night Out is a free event for East St. Louis residents.
Ameren Illinois, ATF, Catholic Urban Programs, the City of East St. Louis, Community Development Sustainable Solutions, Community Life Line, DEA, the East St. Louis Police Department, the FBI Springfield Field Office, Illinois State Police, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service are partnering to host the event.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes community partnerships with police and neighborhood camaraderie.
Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Roles in Black Market Peso Exchange Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Two Mexican nationals were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison to 55 months each in prison for their roles in a two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy to move drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico.
According to court documents, Mauricio Anzures-Zarate, 53, of Mexico City, Mexico, and Beatriz Salcedo-Carreon, 63, of Guadalajara, Mexico, participated in a sophisticated, international money laundering conspiracy to transfer funds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States to cartels in Mexico without physically transporting money across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conspirators concealed those funds through the movement of goods between the two countries.
“The defendants used an elaborate, trade-based money laundering scheme to exploit our financial system and transfer the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking from the United States to Mexico,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These financial facilitators actively promoted cartel operations in cities across the United States, which enabled the flow of deadly narcotics into our communities. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue the total elimination of cartels and the money launderers who enable their pernicious activities.”
“The lifeblood of any drug trafficking organization is the uninterrupted flow of cash,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “Here, defendants laundered drug proceeds through a sophisticated trade-based scheme. This criminal operation, and others like it, put money in the pockets of the cartels and endangered lives on both sides of the border. Taking this conspiracy out of commission is a great win, but it’s just the beginning.”
“Despite the sophisticated tactics used to conceal profits made from smuggling poison into our country by the Mexican cartels, our expertise enabled us to dismantle their thriving operations," said Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division. “DEA, along with its federal counterparts, has dealt a significant blow to the finances of the Mexican cartels through the incredible investigative work of our agents. If we trace your money activities back to the cartels, you will have your day in court and will face justice.”
“Anzures-Zarate and Salcedo-Carreon thought they could escape justice, but found our reach extends past the money trail they left,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office. “They conspired to use black market peso exchanges, which are one of the classic methods to launder drug dollars, and a method that leaves a traceable trail to the cartels. For businesses that get approached for a quick cash sale to transport goods into Central and South America, remember that we will find you because your greed leaves evidence.”
According to court documents, the defendants directed money couriers to collect drug proceeds in numerous U.S. cities and then transfer the funds to Laredo, Texas, to be laundered through local businesses. As part of the scheme, store owners in downtown Laredo accepted the drug proceeds as payment for merchandise to be exported to businesses in Mexico. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Salcedo-Carreon, Anzures-Zarate, and others instructed the Mexican businesses to transfer pesos to accounts or people in Mexico who were affiliated with cartels. Through this trade-based money laundering scheme, Mexican cartels disguised illicit drug proceeds as legitimate international commercial transactions and received laundered drug proceeds in Mexico without physically transporting cash across the U.S.-Mexico border. Eight other defendants were previously convicted and sentenced for their roles in the money laundering conspiracy. Anzures-Zarate was ordered to pay a money judgement of $1,176,165 and Salcedo-Carreon was ordered to pay a money judgement of $887,269.
The DEA and IRS-CI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in this matter. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and April 2024 extradition of Salcedo-Carreon.
Trial Attorneys Keith H. Liddle and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt, Amanda Gould, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Two Men Sentenced to a Combined 14 Years in Prison for Robbing Mail Carriers in Metro DetroitRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Two men were sentenced today for armed robberies that targeted U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Sean McStravick, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division.
Sentenced were Michael Lamar Smith-Ellis, 31 of Detroit and Terrance Tucker, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona. United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmund sentenced Smith-Ellis and Tucker each to 7 years in federal prison.
According to court records, in September and October 2023, Smith-Ellis and Tucker robbed mail carriers, at gun point, in Taylor and Northville, Michigan and demanded their “arow keys” or USPS master keys that can be used to access postal mailboxes to steal mail for the suspects’ gains. Law enforcement arrested Smith-Ellis and Tucker, within minutes after the armed robbery of the mail carrier in Northville. A search of the vehicle driven by the defendants revealed firearms, gear, several credit cards in other people’s name along with a USPS key ring and an “arrow key”.
“We all know the commitment of postal carriers to deliver the mail no matter the conditions. And we are committed to protecting them as they do their job,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon said. “These violent criminals deserve a serious sentence.”
“The safety of postal employees is a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the federal law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service,” said Sean McStravick, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who attempt or conspire to harm postal employees for personal gain: we will find you and we will ensure you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We would also like to thank our local law enforcement partners for their invaluable assistance in this investigation.”
USPIS investigated this case with assistance provided by Taylor, Northville, and Livonia police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan Ho prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Three Foreign Nationals with Prior Convictions Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two Mexican nationals and a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances today to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Artemio Valencia-Rodriguez, 47; Uvalfre Mariano Cazares-Guillen, 33; and Ismael Artemio Hidalgo-Gomez 27, are all charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for all three defendants are scheduled for August 4, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Brenda N. Weksler.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Valencia-Rodriguez and Cazares-Guillen, both citizens and nationals of Mexico, and Hidalgo Gomez, a citizen and national of Guatemala, were all previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally.
On July 1, 2025, Valencia-Rodriguez was remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from the Clark County Detention Center. Valencia-Rodriguez was arrested by officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on February 8, 2024, for two counts Lewdness by Person Over 18 with Child Less Than 14 and Kidnapping of Minor. Valencia-Rodriguez had previously been deported to Mexico on January 9, 2003, August 12, 2009, and August 17, 2009. Valencia-Rodriguez has two prior felony convictions for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and a felony conviction for Convicted Person Possess Firearm.
On July 2, 2025, Cazares-Guillen was remanded to the custody of ICE from the Clark County Detention Center after he had been arrested by officers from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for Use/Posses Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Act Imitation Controlled Substance. Cazares-Guillen had previously been deported to Mexico on or about August 18, 2018, after being convicted of Burglary While in Possession of Firearm and two counts of Robbery.
On July 3, 2025, Hidalgo-Gomez was remanded to the custody of ICE, from the Clark County Detention Center after he had been arrested by officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for Battery Domestic Violence. Hidalgo-Gomez had previously been deported to Guatemala on or about October 6, 2017, November 2, 2017, and February 4, 2021. Hidalgo-Gomez was convicted on January 19, 2021, of the same offense he is currently charged with in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
If convicted, Valencia-Rodriguez and Hidalgo-Gomez both face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
If convicted, Cazares-Guillen faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Jason Knight made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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The Justice Department Dismisses Failed Biden-Era Lawsuit Challenging Tennessee’s Law Protecting Minors from Experimental Sex-Change Medical ProceduresRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division dismissed with prejudice the ill-fated Biden-era challenge to Tennessee’s law protecting minors from horrific and experimental sex-change medical procedures. The Department dismissed its complaint in intervention because it does not believe challenging Tennessee’s law serves the public interest.
Last month, the Biden Administration’s challenge was soundly rejected by the Supreme Court of the United States when the 6-3 majority held that Tennessee’s law does not violate the Equal Protection Clause.[1] The court held that Tennessee had a rational basis for enforcing the law as it “responds directly” to the “uncertainty” and “ongoing debate” about the “risks and benefits” associated with these medical practices. The Biden administration filed its complaint in intervention after individual plaintiffs and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the law passed in 2023. After the Supreme Court’s decision, the individual plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their complaint.
Tennessee is one of 25 states with laws protecting minors from sex-change medical procedures.
“Last month, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee state law protecting vulnerable children from genital mutilation and other so-called ‘gender-affirming care,’” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “That was the right decision, and this Department of Justice will no longer be in the business of attacking laws like Tennessee’s that protect children.”
“The United States today undid one of the injustices the Biden administration inflicted upon the country by dismissing a lawsuit against a Tennessee law that protects minors from invasive and mutilating procedures,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to fight to protect the health and welfare of our children and defend states that seek to ban these barbaric practices.”
[1] United States v. Skrmetti, 145 S.Ct. 1816, 1826 (2025).
Texas trafficker gets 20 years for attempting to smuggle over 40 kilos of methamphetamine in torque convertersRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 28-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle methamphetamine into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Santos Joel Garza pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Garza to serve 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Garza’s lengthy and violent criminal history to include multiple convictions for robbery. He also assaulted detention guards while in custody.
“Methamphetamine destroys lives and poisons American communities,” said Ganjei. “The staggering amount of methamphetamine seized here—roughly 90 pounds—shows that Mr. Garza was trusted by his confederates, likely indicating a long history of drug smuggling and cooperation. With today’s sentence, Mr. Garza will now have two decades to think about the harm that his trafficking caused.”
The investigation revealed that on Jan. 13-14, 2023, Garza and Britain Jean Sada traveled to Laredo from Houston to attempt to smuggle methamphetamine into the United States. Sada then crossed into Mexico to pick up the drugs which were concealed in torque converters loaded into the bed of the truck. Garza remained in Laredo but lent his cell phone to Sada for use while in Mexico.
Upon arrival back in the United States, Sada claimed she was visiting family for a few hours in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Authorities noticed the converters and referred her to secondary inspection.
There, they found 41.35 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in the converters.
The investigation revealed Garza and Sada had regularly communicated about the trip and the drugs. He admitted he was hired to facilitate the drug transaction and had participated in similar events on prior occasions.
Garza has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Sada, 36, Houston, had also pleaded guilty to her role and is currently set for sentencing July 24.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.
Texas National Guard soldier convicted of alien smugglingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Houston resident has been found guilty for conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before convicting Mario Sandoval following a one-day trial.
Sandoval was deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border with the Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lonestar. Following release from his orders, Sandoval remained in the Rio Grande Valley began smuggling aliens in July 2024.
The jury saw Sandoval’s text messages discussing that drivers were needed for trips from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations north of the immigration checkpoint. Surveillance would later show him at the immigration checkpoint at the same time he was sending text messages about the presence of law enforcement and K-9 patrols.
The defense attempted to convince the jury no conspiracy existed, and his text messages were out of context. They did not believe those claims and found Sandoval guilty as charged.
“The conduct in this case represents an unthinkable violation of public trust,” said Ganjei. “Thousands of brave men and women, military and civilian alike, work tirelessly to keep our border secure. It is truly disheartening that one bad apple chose to betray his fellow soldiers, his fellow citizens, and his country by engaging in human smuggling. I wish to thank the jury for their time and attention to this matter.”
Sandoval was discharged from the Texas National Guard in October 2024.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for Oct. 22, at which time Sandoval faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Tennessee Men Sentenced for Bank Robbery Spree in Tennessee, Indiana, and KentuckyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. –Two Nashville, Tenn., men, Markwez Wynn, 26, and Stephen Hampton, 26, were sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to 65 months and 60 months in prison, respectively, for bank robbery by intimidation and/or aiding and abetting bank robbery by intimidation.
According to their plea agreements, from May 2023 until May 2024, Wynn robbed four banks and Hampton participated in robbing three banks located in Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky. Wynn robbed one bank in Nashville alone, threatening to kill the teller if an alarm went off. In two of the robberies, while Wynn robbed the bank, Hampton acted as the getaway driver. Wynn was disguised and obtained access to the vault in each of these robberies, getting away with $81,500 and $109,500 in cash, respectively. The last of the series of robberies occurred on May 21, 2024, at a Forcht Bank in Lexington. Wynn and Hampton entered the bank in masks and demanded everyone put their hands up. They obtained access to the vault and took money both from the tellers and the vault. From this robbery, the defendants obtained $181,175 in cash.
As part of their sentencing, Wynn was required to forfeit $84,268 in cash and Hampton had to forfeit $82,037 in cash. Additionally, Wynn was ordered to pay $376,785 in restitution and Hampton was ordered to pay $372,175 in restitution.
Under federal law, Wynn and Hampton must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Joseph E. Carrico, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Nashville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Louisville, FBI Nashville, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Three Santa Rosa County Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Roles in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – David Kennedy, 41; Michael McQueen, 51; and Roosevelt Jones, 52, of Milton, Florida, were sentenced to federal prison for trafficking in controlled substances in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Working with our state and local partners, federal law enforcement was able to dismantle a significant drug trafficking ring that plagued Santa Rosa County for years,” stated United States Attorney Heekin. “We are pleased with this successful operation, in particular, because all three men are repeat drug trafficking offenders. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to Take Back America by cracking down on the drug traffickers plaguing our communities, and my office will not stop aggressively pursuing those who seek to victimize our citizens by flooding our streets with poisonous drugs.”
Court documents reflect that covert undercover purchases of illegal drugs, as well as surveillance and judicially authorized wiretap intercepts of telephone communications, enabled law enforcement to execute multiple search warrants in Milton that led to the seizure of cocaine, pure methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. In addition, law enforcement seized firearms and illicitly derived United States currency.
David Kennedy was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Michael McQueen was sentenced to 11½ years in federal prison to be followed by 6 years of supervised release.
Roosevelt Jones was sentenced to 6½ years in federal prison to be followed by 6 years of supervised release.
“Partnerships are key to disrupting drug trafficking activity, and we have great partners,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Our communities will be safer with these drug peddlers off the streets.”
“The successful collaboration between the federal, state, local agencies, and our Narcotics Detectives has been instrumental in removing dangerous drugs from our streets,” said Sheriff Bob Johnson, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. “More importantly, this joint effort led to the arrest of key drug dealers, ensuring they are held accountable for their actions and making our communities safer.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the Pensacola Police Department; the Gulf Breeze Police Department; and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
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.
Suspicious vehicle leads to arrest of three smugglers and 33 illegal aliensRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - A local resident and two Mexican nationals have been charged with human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The criminal complaint alleges Joe Michael Cruz, 64, Rio Grande City, and Elbis Lisandro Moreno Uruqia, 19, transported aliens from Mission to Hebbronville, while Jesus Felipe Hernandez Rangel, 21, allegedly harbored aliens at a residence in Mission.
All three are scheduled for an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano at 10 a.m.
According to the charges, Cruz arrived at the Hebbronville Border Patrol (BP) Checkpoint early July 17 driving a truck towing a box trailer. Law enforcement noticed the trailer had an uneven weight distribution and searched it, leading to the discovery of 24 illegal aliens, including Moreno, according to the charges. The complaint alleges Moreno was accompanying the aliens in the back of the trailer but was a paid smuggler. Moreno and Cruz had allegedly smuggled 18 aliens two weeks earlier.
According to the complaint, two of the transported aliens provided information on the residence where they were earlier that morning. The charges allege authorities executed a search warrant at the location and found another 10 illegal aliens with Hernandez, who was identified as the caretaker of the residence.
If convicted, all face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Homeland Security Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to .repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Sioux City Woman to Federal Prison for Meth DistributionRead the Press Release
A woman who distributed methamphetamine after previously being convicted of a felony drug offense was sentenced July 18, 2025, to more than five years in federal prison.
Alesha Rasmussen, age 34, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 10, 2025, guilty plea to distribution of methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense.
At sentencing, Rasmussen admitted that on July 10, 2024, she sold approximately one ounce of methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement in Webster County, Iowa. Rasmussen was previously convicted of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa in November of 2011. Following her term of imprisonment for the 2011 offense, she was revoked from supervised release on four occasions for violations of her conditions of release.
Rasmussen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rasmussen was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rasmussen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03042.
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Sacramento Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Jayson Fernandez Butay, 30, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 25 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material and possessing child sexual abuse material, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced. Judge Shubb also ordered Butay to pay $118,278 to his victims in restitution.
According to court documents, in April 2019, Butay used Snapchat to correspond with a 15‑year-old girl living in Finland. Butay lied about his identity and convinced her to send him naked images of herself. Once he received these images, Butay threatened to disclose them to his victim’s family and friends unless she sent him sexually explicit videos. In this way, Butay obtained at least one additional sexually explicit video from the victim. Butay also produced child sexual abuse material depicting additional minor victims, including at least one 9-year-old girl who remains unidentified, using common internet applications.
Law enforcement agents subsequently executed federal search warrants at Butay’s residence in Sacramento. Agents seized hundreds of images and videos from Butay’s digital devices that depicted the sexual exploitation of children, including infants.
“This investigation highlights the serious threat sextortionists pose to children who use popular messaging and social media apps,” said FBI Sacramento Field Office Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Online anonymity combined with the natural inexperience of youth creates a dangerous environment that parents must better understand and monitor. The FBI works closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring these predators to justice. We urge anyone who has been targeted or victimized to come forward. You are not alone — we will help you.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Pierre Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine in Central South DakotaRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 14, 2025.
Scott Reiners, age 37, was sentenced to 12 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Reiners was further ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
Reiners was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024 . He pleaded guilty on April 3, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy between September 2022 and April 2023 in which Reiners and several other individuals conspired to distribute methamphetamine in and around the central South Dakota area, including within the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations. As part of the conspiracy, Reiners was involved in distributing between 5 kilograms and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. Reiners was also involved in a traffic stop where law enforcement seized 254 grams of 97% pure methamphetamine and a handgun. Reiners is prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior felony convictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Reiners was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Targeting U.S. Army Servicemembers in Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alpha Omega Mayhue, 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston to 65 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $3,100 special assessment for stealing the personal information of multiple U.S. servicemembers and using it to inflict emotional distress, and related offenses.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January 2024, pleading guilty in July of last year to one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft, seven counts of misuse of a Social Security number, one count of aggravated identity theft, 21 counts of false statements, and one count of cyberstalking.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from February 2018 to March 2021, Mayhue, who served in the United States Army with his victims, stole and used their personally identifiable information to harass and stalk them over past grievances he had with them in the military.
Mayhue and unknown co-conspirators impersonated the victims and conducted numerous unauthorized transactions with banks, credit unions, the Federal Trade Commission, and other entities, including terminating their military and disability benefits, rerouting direct deposit payments, changing account information such as email addresses, physical addresses and phone numbers, and reporting their debit cards as stolen. In addition, Mayhue cyberstalked one victim, claiming he was surveilling her and subjecting her to sexual threats.
“Investigating individuals who hold positions of trust and misuse Department of Defense (DoD) information is a priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to protect our nation’s service members.”
“Today’s sentencing holds Mr. Mayhue accountable for his role in an account takeover scheme that targeted members of the U.S. Army by using their personally identifiable information to impersonate them and conduct unauthorized transactions with various entities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Scalzo of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Electronic Crimes Unit. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate such schemes that harm consumers and threaten to undermine the safety and soundness of our nation’s banking system.”
The case was investigated by the DCIS, FDIC OIG, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Federal Trade Commission Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
Oklahoma City Duo Plead Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearms Following Shooting at Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – LARRY WELCH, 29, and JACOB MADISON, 24, both of Oklahoma City, have each pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 6, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment, charging both Welch and Madison with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on April 7, 2025, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a reported shooting at an apartment complex. Witnesses told police that prior to the shooting, they had been involved in a dispute with the shooting suspects, later identified as Welch and Madison. Nobody was injured as a result of the shooting. Officers reviewed nearby surveillance video which showed Welch and Madison opening fire on the unarmed witnesses and then fleeing the complex. Officers canvassed the area, and shortly thereafter arrested Welch and Madison, who were found hiding in a residential backyard shed on a nearby property. Law enforcement also recovered two firearms, which Welch and Madison used during the shooting.
Public records show that both Welch and Madison have lengthy criminal histories. Welch has previous felony convictions that include:
- possession of a firearm after felony conviction in Cherokee County District Court case number CF-2015-629;
- injuring or burning a public building in Mayes County District Court case number CF-2015-0228; and
- feloniously pointing a firearm in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-2019-1389.
Madison has previous felony convictions that include:
- second-degree burglary in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2020-1275;
- knowingly receiving or concealing stolen property in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2022-437; and
- possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, committing a felony with a firearm with a defaced ID number, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia in McClain County District Court case number CF-2023-0072.
On July 16, 2025, both Welch and Madison pleaded guilty, and both admitted they possessed a firearm despite their previous felony convictions.
At sentencing, the defendants face up to 15 years in federal prison each, and fines of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laney Ellis (SAUSA) is prosecuting the case. SAUSA Ellis is an attorney with City of Oklahoma City whose position is funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant awarded to the City of Oklahoma City to enhance efforts to address and reduce violent crime.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
New Haven Man Admits Operating Illegal Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, that WILLIAM McNEILLY, 56, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to charges related to his operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McNeilly owned and operated Global Income Marketplace LLC (“GIM”) from a storefront in West Haven. According to its Connecticut state registration, GIM was engaged in “website builders programming tech computer repairs and upgrades.” McNeilly and another individual also operated Global NuMedia LLC (“GNM”), a limited liability company registered in Delaware. McNeilly, who never obtained a license from the Connecticut Department of Banking to engage in the business of money transmission, opened up several bank accounts in the names of GIM and GNM, and a cryptocurrency exchange account in the name of GNM, and used the accounts to operate a business through which he exchanged customers’ cash, checks, and money orders for cryptocurrency, charging a fee for the service.
Between approximately July 2019 and June 2022, McNeilly exchanged more than $1 million in U.S. currency for cryptocurrency on behalf of customers throughout the U.S. McNeilly knew that some of the funds involved in his illegal business were derived from fraud schemes, and the investigation revealed that cashiers checks from victims of romance fraud schemes were mailed to GIM and deposited into GIM accounts.
In February 2021, McNeilly was contacted by TD Bank and told that a $10,000 wire transfer to GNM was reported as fraudulent, and that he needed a license to operate a money transmission business. Despite the warning, and that TD Bank closed the GIM and GNM accounts, McNeilly continued to operate his money transmission business through other GIM and GNM bank accounts.
McNeilly pleaded guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and three counts of making illegal money transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
McNeilly was arrested on June 6, 2024. He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for October 20.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
Mobile Man Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Edwards Cordell Burks, Jr., was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock.
According to court documents, in November 2024, members of the Mobile Police Department (MPD) responded to a local hospital where two individuals were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds. During the course of MPD’s investigation, and after speaking with victims and witnesses, MPD developed Burks as a suspect in those shootings. MPD officers also located and secured the crime scene off Spring Hill Avenue. Surveillance from a nearby business captured the shooting. The shooter in the surveillance footage appears to be Burks. Three bullet casings were collected from the scene and a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) notice for Burks went out to law enforcement. Two days after the shooting, an MPD officer on regular patrol observed Burks walking on the sidewalk within a mile of the crime scene. The officer detained Burks and located a loaded firearm in his waistband. The firearm and casings from the scene were compared via the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a match was generated indicating that the firearm from Burks was the same firearm used in the shooting two days before. Burks is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possession a firearm.
At sentencing, Judge Beaverstock imposed a 92-month sentence of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release upon Burks’ discharge from prison. Burks has also been charged with state assault offenses based on the shootings which remain pending.
The Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case exemplifies the mission of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).