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Monday 9 June 2025
Salvadoran Man Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran man unlawfully residing in Lynn has been indicted in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jose Leonardo Gutierrez-Mendez, 32, is indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Gutierrez-Mendez was previously deported to El Salvador in August 2014. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, Gutierrez-Mendez unlawfully reentered the United States. He was encountered by immigration authorities on or about May 8, 2025.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ritchie County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Dana Johnson II, 36, of Cairo, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Johnson in Parkersburg. Johnson admitted that he possessed a loaded SCCY model DVG-1 9mm pistol and a loaded Walther model P22 .22-caliber pistol that the officer found in Johnson’s waistband during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin on October 2, 2016, and first-degree robbery on January 12, 2012, both in Wood County Circuit Court.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-27.
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Repeat Offender Who Fired Automatic Weapon into St. Paul Neighborhood Sentenced to 82 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – After pleading guilty to illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon, Jermaine Marquize Williams, 35, of Saint Paul, was sentenced to a total of 82 months’ imprisonment—77 months’ imprisonment on the criminal case and an additional 6 months’ imprisonment consecutive for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joesph H. Thompson.
“While the people of St. Paul were sleeping in their homes, Williams took an automatic firearm and shot it into the neighborhood,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This conduct was extraordinarily dangerous, utterly brazen, and well-deserving of federal time.”
According to court documents, in August of 2024, Williams fired off multiple rounds from a fully automatic firearm in a densely populated Saint Paul neighborhood, outside a bar just before midnight. Video surveillance depicted Williams firing the machine gun out the driver’s side door of his vehicle before fleeing from the scene in his vehicle. Police recovered multiple discharged casings from the shooting. Williams has a prior 2019 federal conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, for which he received 65 months’ imprisonment. Williams had only been on federal supervised release for six months at the time he committed this crime.
Williams was sentenced in U.S. District Court on May 28, 2025, before Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 112 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Redby man with an extensive criminal record, including two prior federal convictions, was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“The pipeline of deadly drugs to Red Lake and Indian Country must end,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Redby trafficked in poison, profiting from the addiction and misery of some of our most vulnerable. He will rightly spend nearly a decade in federal prison.”
“Fentanyl kills silently, claiming the lives of unsuspecting victims struggling with substance abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “By introducing fentanyl and methamphetamine into the Red Lake community, Donnell preyed on the vulnerable to enrich himself. This sentence demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who use drugs to exploit and attack communities.”
According to court documents, in September 2024, Bobby Lee Donnell bought approximately 454 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from the Minneapolis area. Donnell then drove back toward the Red Lake Nation, where he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl. Fortunately, a Minnesota State Trooper stopped Donnell’s vehicle in Morrison County for a traffic infraction, developed probable cause to search the vehicle, and discovered the methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a digital scale.
According to court documents, Donnell is a repeat offender with a long history of convictions in tribal, state, and federal court. At the time of this offense, Donnell was on supervised release for 2022 federal convictions of possessing obscene material with the intent to sell.
Donnell was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 112 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute. This sentence includes a 12-month concurrent sentence for violating his federal supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
Repeat Offender Admits Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man admitted to possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
John Mangan, 78, of Lanoka Harbor, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court today to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On October 29, 2024, agents with Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence in Lanoka Harbor and discovered an electronic device containing over 250 images of children being sexually abused. Mangan was previously convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, including: (i) a New Jersey conviction for sexual assault against a minor, for conduct that occurred while Mangan was a school principal; and (ii) a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.
Because Mangan has been previously convicted of certain qualifying offenses, the count of possession of child pornography carries an enhanced mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Suzanne Axel, Hackensack, New Jersey.
mangan.information.pdfRegistered Sex Offender Sentenced to Thirty-Five Years in Prison for Enticing a Minor, Launching a Murder-for-Hire Plot to Silence the VictimRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A registered sex offender convicted in federal court for enticing a 12-year-old girl and then launching a murder-for-hire plot to have the victim silenced has been sentenced to 35 years in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Chander J. Cardente, 30, previously admitted to a federal judge that he enticed the young girl to engage in multiple sexual encounters and later launched a murder-for-hire plot in a scheme to eliminate her as a witness against him.
Court documents reflect that in the summer of 2021, Cardente, while posing as a 17-year-old, began communicating with the minor victim via a messaging app, and told the victim that he was interested in having sexual contact with her. In December 2021, he met the girl a short distance from her middle school, drove her to various locations in Rhode Island, and engaged in sexual contact with her multiple times. Cardente was subsequently arrested and detained in state custody.
While being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), Cardente communicated by telephone with another person, expressing his intent that the victim be murdered. In a conversation with a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity, Cardente told the officer that the victim needed “to end up dead” because she was “a witness.” He offered the undercover officer $200 in cash and equipment worth $1,500.
Cardente pleaded guilty on March 20, 2025, to enticement of a minor, commission of a felony while being required to register as a sex offender, and interstate murder for hire. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith to 420 months of incarceration and 30 years of federal supervised release, with the term of incarceration commencing on December 11, 2021, to include the time Cardente has been held prior to sentencing.
Cardente faced both federal and state prosecution in this matter. On May 1, 2025, at a hearing before Superior Court Justice David Cruise, Cardente plead nolo contendere to six counts of first-degree child molestation. Judge Cruise sentenced the defendant to 60 years with 35 to serve and 60 years of probation.
The case in federal court was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the Warwick, Cranston, and Burrillville Police Departments; Rhode Island State Police; and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Special Investigations Unit.
Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom acknowledges and thanks the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in advancing federal charges brought in this matter.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
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Real Estate Investor, His Company, and an Employee Sentenced for Defrauding Financially Distressed Homeowners and Financial InstitutionsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Johnston-based real estate investment firm, the company’s owner, and an employee of the real estate investment firm were sentenced in U.S. District Court today for conspiring to defraud and for defrauding homeowners, many of whom spoke little or no English, and financial institutions, criminal conduct that caused some homeowners to move out of their property, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
In April 2023, after a three week trial, a jury convicted Gregory F. Aloisio, 63, of Johnston, his real estate investment company, Aloisio Group, LLC, and Aloisio Group employee John DiFruscio, Jr., 72, of North Providence, for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently obtain properties from financially distressed homeowners; to fraudulently obtain fees, commissions, and other income associated with the rental, use and short sale of homeowners’ properties; to fraudulently purchase properties in short sales and illegally “flip” them for significant personal gain; and defraud several financial institutions.
Aloisio Group, LLC and DiFruscio, Jr., were each convicted of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud; Gregory Aloisio and John DiFruscio were each convicted on three counts of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud; and Gregory Aloisio was also convicted on a charge of money laundering.
U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy today sentenced Gregory Aloisio to a term of incarceration of 12 months and one day to be followed by three years of supervised release and John DiFruscio, Jr. to three years supervised release, the first three months in home confinement. District Court Judge McElroy imposed a term of one year of probation against the Aloisio Group. Restitution orders in this matter will be entered by the court within 30 days.
The government presented evidence during the trial that, as part of the conspiracy and to further their scheme, the defendants lied to homeowners, financial institutions, and others, including evidence of the following:
- Through misrepresentations and concealment, the defendants represented that they were working at “arm’s length” from the homeowners, meaning that there were no relationships or connections between themselves and the homeowners that could create incentive for suppressions of house purchase prices. In fact, the defendants were controlling both sides of the purchase transactions.
- The defendants filed affidavits and documents that falsely represented 1) that no commercial relationship existed between the parties to induce lenders to approve short sales; 2) that there was no agreement to “flip” or rent the targeted properties after the short sale; and 3) the identity of the seller, the identity of the buyer, and/or cash to the parties at closing.
- In fact, defendants lined-up buyers prior to short sale so as to guarantee a flip and profit after the short sale. Prior to short sale, the defendants entered into agreements with lined-up buyers to sell properties at prices more than the short sale prices.
- The defendants deceived homeowners into believing that they offered a legitimate solution to the homeowners’ financial distress. In reality, the defendants were using homeowners to perpetuate their fraud. Some financially distressed homeowners were convinced to move out of their residences and lost their homes. Others remained in their properties and paid rent to the co-conspirators.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to Just over Ten Years in Federal Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 6, 2025.
Vincent Boesem, age 32, was sentenced to ten years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Boesem in March 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 14, 2025.
Between July 3, 2022, and July 4, 2022, Boesem and his elderly uncle had been drinking together at the uncle’s home within the Pine Ridge Reservation. While intoxicated with alcohol and methamphetamine, Boesem became enraged and beat the victim about his head, face, and body. Although Boesem ultimately called 911 to get medical help, the victim succumbed to his injuries. Boesem acted in the heat of passion, that is, in an uncontrollable rage and with an extreme emotional disturbance.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Boesem was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on June 6, 2025.
James Thunder Hawk, age 42, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Thunder Hawk in October 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025.
Beginning in December 2020, and continuing through October 2022, Thunder Hawk and others joined in an agreement or understanding to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Some of the co-conspirators traveled to the Denver area, and other places, to acquire the drug. Thunder Hawk knew some of this methamphetamine he was selling would be further distributed.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Thunder Hawk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Portland Man Faces Federal Charges for Distributing Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm Following Fatal Overdose InvestigationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man has been charged with distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm following a fatal overdose investigation by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
Daryl Antonio Edward Turner, 43, has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on June 2, 2025, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a suspected fatal overdose near Wood Village, Oregon. Deputies seized a substance suspected to be fentanyl from the scene and quickly developed leads of the alleged fentanyl supply source, later identified as Turner.
On June 5, 2025, investigators contacted Turner in Portland and seized a firearm, counterfeit pills suspected to contain fentanyl, and $922 in cash. When questioned by investigators, Turner admitted that he possessed fentanyl for further distribution, acknowledged the dangers of fentanyl, and was aware the substance could kill people.
Turner made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Multnomah County Dangerous Drug Team (DDT). It is being prosecuted by AUSA Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The Multnomah County DDT is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, Gresham Police Department, the FBI, and U.S. Marshal’s Service (USMS).
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
Passaic County Lawyer Sentenced to 21 Months for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $300,000 in Covid-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey attorney was sentenced to 21 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Morton Chirnomas, 62, of Clifton, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an Information charging him with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Chirnomas was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From May 2020 to September 2020, Chirnomas fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans program. He also falsely obtained $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits using the names and identities of other people without their authorization.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense counsel: Saverio A. Viggiano, Newark, New Jersey
Onondaga County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography and Supervised Release ViolationsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Edward McKeraghan, 59, of Syracuse, New York pled guilty last week in United States District Court to possession of child pornography, and also admitted violating conditions of his federal supervised release. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.
McKeraghan, a federally convicted sex offender on supervised release for a prior child pornography offense, admitted that he possessed child sexual abuse material on an unreported and unmonitored internet-capable phone that he obtained in violation of his conditions of federal supervision. The phone was discovered by the United States Probation Office during a routine home visit.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2025. For the child pornography offense, McKeraghan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He also faces up to an additional 2 years for violating the terms of his supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Repeat sex offenders pose a grave threat to society, particularly to our children. My office will continue to vigorously prosecute all child exploitation offenses in the Northern District of New York.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated, “Mr. McKeraghan’s actions are especially disturbing, given he is a convicted predator on supervised release. Our children are among the most vulnerable members of our community, and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to working together to protect them any way we can.
The FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating the case with assistance from the United States Probation Office. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Company Sentenced for Violating OSHA Rule Leading to Worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
A Delaware corporation with a manufacturing facility in Ohio was sentenced today to pay a $500,000 fine, the statutory maximum, after pleading guilty to willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule. In addition to the fine, Fabcon will serve two years of organizational probation and comply with a Safety Compliance Plan. The criminal charge is related to an incident where an employee was killed when a pneumatic door closed on his head.
Fabcon Precast LLC makes precast concrete panels at its facility in Grove City, Ohio. Batch operators were employees responsible for operating and cleaning the facility’s only concrete mixer, which discharged concrete from its bottom through a pneumatic door. The mixer had an exhaust valve that, by design, released the pneumatic energy which powered the discharge door to make it inoperable.
The valve’s handle broke off, and was not replaced, prior to June 6, 2020. On that day, batch operator Zachary Ledbetter was injured trying to close the discharge door due to the broken valve. Ledbetter was eventually freed from the door, but he died at a hospital five days later.
“Today’s sentencing reflects Fabcon’s willful failure to implement measures to protect its workers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Sadly, this led to Zachary’s death. This tragedy shows the importance of following safety standards.”
“Fabcon Precast LLC willfully failed to adhere to OSHA safety regulations which resulted in the tragic and preventable loss of a worker’s life. This sentencing highlights our steadfast commitment to continue working with OSHA and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who jeopardize workers’ safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Megan Howell of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Great Lakes Region.
Federal law makes it a class B misdemeanor to willfully fail to follow an OSHA safety standard, where the failure causes the death of an employee. The class B misdemeanor is the only federal criminal charge covering such workplace safety violations.
The Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Cullman, of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and for the Southern District of Ohio respectively, prosecuted the case.
Northridge Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Meth-Caked Clothes – Including a Cow Pajama Onesie – in Suitcases Checked at LAXRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for possessing two suitcases containing more than a dozen clothing items – including a cow pajama onesie – caked in methamphetamine while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Australia late last year.
Raj Matharu, 31, of Northridge, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He remains free on $10,000 bond.
According to his plea agreement, on November 6, 2024, Matharu attempted to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney via airplane. He carried with him two suitcases filled with clothing that had been coated with nearly 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) of methamphetamine. After arriving at LAX, Matharu tried to check his bags but was told they were overweight. He then opened both his suitcases and transferred contents from one to the other, all of which was captured by airport surveillance cameras. He then successfully checked his luggage containing the meth-soaked clothes.
X-ray screening revealed abnormalities in Matharu’s suitcases, and they were flagged for secondary review. Officers inspected one suitcase and felt stiff clothing. A K9 unit was called, and Matharu was intercepted by officers after he crossed the jet bridge to board his Australia-bound flight. He was brought to the screening area, where he confirmed the two bags were his and that he packed them himself.
Officers opened the bags in front of Matharu, where they found stiffly dried white clothing caked in a powdery substance, as well as loose white residue on the lining and throughout both cases, all of which tested positive for methamphetamine. Further extraction of the substance from six of a total of 17 items in the suitcases and additional laboratory testing revealed that those items contained nearly 1.1 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Matharu admitted in his plea agreement that, at the time he possessed the suitcases, he knew he was transporting methamphetamine or some other federally controlled substance and that he intended to distribute it in Australia.
United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled an October 20 sentencing hearing, at which time Matharu will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter. United States Customs and Border Protection provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas G. Purcell of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Nine Defendants Arrested for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
FARGO – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that beginning on May 15, 2025, a multi-state law enforcement operation resulted in the arrests of nine defendants following their indictment by a federal grand jury in the District of North Dakota for roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy with ties to the Almighty Latin King Nation criminal street gang.
The defendants arrested are:
Ricardo Jaquez, 46, Oakes, North Dakota
Israel David Flores, a/k/a Izzy, 45, Audubon, Minnesota
Michelle Lee Fuller, 38, Audubon, Minnesota
Jose Manuel Jaquez, a/k/a Cash, 36, Oakes, North Dakota
Jacob Edward Lambert, 37, Oakes, North Dakota
Ashley Marie Bleecker, 40, Belcourt, North Dakota
Alfredo Hernandez Jaquez, a/k/a Freddy, 47, Wells, Minnesota
Wesley Wayne Tolleson, 37, Wells, Minnesota
Jason Leonard Gulden, 44, Aberdeen, South Dakota
All defendants have made appearances in federal court in North Dakota and face up to life in prison with a 10-year minimum mandatory if convicted.
This case is part of Operation Crown Down, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in North Dakota and other states. 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.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Drug Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; the Oakes Police Department; the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; the Cass County Drug Task Force; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force; the Pine to Prairie Drug Task Force; the CEE-VI Drug Task Force; the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Brown County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew P. Kopp.
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Nigerian citizen sentenced in million-dollar stolen mail credit card fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 64-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for his role in a large-scale mail theft and credit card fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Omokehinde Muyiwa Oyegoke-Tewogbade pleaded guilty Feb. 19.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $839,555.75. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment as Oyegoke-Tewogbade had overstayed his visa and was unlawfully present in the United States.
Over a six-month period between November 2022 and May 2023, Oyegoke-Tewogbade and co-conspirators schemed to steal U.S. mail containing new credit cards and bank statements intended for account holders. They contacted financial institutions to activate the stolen cards, increased credit limits and altered account information. They then used the cards to purchase goods, services, gift cards, cash and merchandise at retail stores.
In total, they fraudulently activated at least 120 stolen credit cards, causing an estimated $1 million in losses to Chase Bank.
Four others had also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges - Christopher McGee, 43, Daniel Sanchez, 37, Bradley Kane Zarco, 39, and Travis Castaneda Qawasmeh, 28, all of Houston. Sanchez has already been sentenced to 41 months, while the others are pending their hearings.
Oyegoke-Tewogbade will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Woman Guilty of Wire Fraud for Fraudulent Vehicle Purchase SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KENDRA WALKER (“WALKER”), age 41, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on June 5, 2025 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on June 5, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
According to court documents, in 2022, WALKER conspired with her father, Kenneth Richmond, to use fake and stolen personal identifying information to make fraudulent vehicle purchases from a local car dealership. The vehicle purchases were financed through a financial institution, and several of the loans went into default. WALKER also made three vehicle purchases in her own name using a fake Social Security Number in Georgia. In total, WALKER caused the financial institution to approve approximately $216,939 in loans for fraudulent applications. Richmond was also charged in this case and pled guilty for his role in this scheme in May 2025.
In pleading guilty, WALKER faces up to twenty (20) years in prison and up to three (3) years of supervised release. WALKER also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Judge Ashe set sentencing in this matter for September 25, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Secret Service, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Britain Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA GLAESER, 37, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing and sharing child sex abuse material.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2022, a Connecticut State Police detective investigating child exploitation offenses identified an IP address at Glaeser’s New Britain residence that was being used in the distribution of child sex abuse material. In 2012, Glaeser was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after two years, followed by 10 years of probation, which Glaeser was currently serving.
On December 9, 2022, HSI special agents executed a court authorized search warrant at Glaeser’s residence and seized his Chromebook, tablet, smartphone, and storage cards. Analysis of the seized items revealed more 3,000 images and videos of child pornography, including images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. The investigation also revealed that Glaeser used a peer-to-peer file sharing network to distribute child pornography to other users.
Glaeser has been detained since December 9, 2022. On September 26, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Nevada Woman Sentenced to 120 Months for $7 Million Advance Fee Ponzi Scheme and Obstructing the Government’s InvestigationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Nevada woman was sentenced to 120 months in prison for orchestrating a $7 million advance fee Ponzi scheme and obstructing the government’s investigation, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Anna Kline, formerly Jordana Weber, 35, of Sparks, Nevada, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to two counts of an Indictment charging her with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Kline was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release and pay $3,403,000 in restitution.
According to the Indictment and documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Fraud Scheme
Between April 2017 and July 2019, Kline owned and operated several shell companies that falsely purported to offer lending services to customers, typically small business owners seeking high value loans, often in excess of $100 million. As part of the scheme, Kline required the victim borrowers to pay up to 5% of a potential total loan amount as a “fee” prior to the loan being funded.
After the victim’s “fee” was paid, Kline purported to conduct due diligence on the loans. During this period, Kline frequently gave victims bogus explanations for why the funding of their loan was delayed. It was also common for the victims to be provided with falsified or fraudulent documents, including bank statements that purported to show that the shell companies had sufficient money to fund the loan.
Throughout the scheme, Kline and her significant other, Jason Torres, used the “fees” paid by the victims for their daily living expenses, as well as for numerous lavish purchases, which included several luxury vehicles, high priced artwork, and vacations. The “fees” were also used to pay back previous victims of the fraud, in the manner of a traditional Ponzi scheme.
At least six victims transferred a total of approximately $7 million being transferred to bank accounts controlled by the Kline as a result of the scheme.
Kline’s Obstruction
Kline was arrested on charges related to the fraudulent advance fee scheme in July 2019. While released on bail on those charges, Kline, through her then-attorney, Attorney-1, provided the Government with a .pdf document that purported to be a portion of a Cellebrite report showing iMessages between Kline and Torres that appeared to show Torres making threats toward Kline and insinuating that Torres was primarily responsible for the fraudulent advance fee scheme.
A forensic review of the .pdf document Kline provided to the Government revealed that it had been falsified. Further investigation revealed that Kline presented the fake Cellebrite report to a Family Court in California as part of a custody dispute between Kline and Torres. During that hearing, Kline represented that the report had been generated by a forensic examiner named “Drew Andrews.” Investigation revealed that “Andrews” did not exist but was actually an alter-ego of Kline’s that Kline used to deceive the California Family Court, Attorney-1, and a forensic expert into believing that the fraudulent Cellebrite Report was legitimate.
In addition to the fraudulent Cellebrite report, Kline also provided the Government a computer that she claimed contained an iTunes backup that included the alleged text messages from Torres. A forensic review of the computer revealed that data on the computer, including the iTunes backup, had been manipulated. Specifically, certain time stamps on the computer had been changed to make it appear as if the iTunes backup and other files stored on the computer were created in April 2020, when the fictional “Andrews” purportedly ran the fraudulent Cellebrite Report.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel:
Michael Huff, Esq., Philadelphia, PA
Monterey County Man Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Pills Resulting in Overdose Death of A Minor Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Edward Tellez Solis, aka Edward Telles Solis, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for possessing and distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills via social media and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila handed down the sentence.
Tellez Solis, 27, of Marina, Calif., was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 4, 2022. On Feb. 10, 2025, Tellez Solis pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the plea agreement and court documents, Tellez Solis used social media applications such as Snapchat and Telegram to advertise, sell, and distribute controlled substances such as fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills (known as “M30” pills or “blues”), cocaine, Ecstasy/MDMA, Hydrocodone/Norco tablets, marijuana, and Alprazolam/Xanax tablets. On March 3, 2022, Tellez Solis contacted a 15-year-old minor via Snapchat and offered to sell him 13 M30 pills, knowing that the pills contained fentanyl or some other federally controlled substance. The next day, Tellez Solis delivered at least nine M30 to the 15-year-old, who then suffered a fatal overdose.
During a search of Tellez Solis’s car, law enforcement found a stash of controlled substances, $17,243 in cash, a loaded firearm, three fully loaded magazines, and an additional 89 rounds of ammunition. An additional $98,246 in cash was found inside of his home.
“While this sentence brings a measure of justice to the community for this crime, it can never undo the pain and devastation the defendant’s reprehensible actions caused the victim’s family,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “We will continue to work closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners to fight the scourge of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics pouring over our border. We owe the victim’s family and the people of the Northern District of California nothing less.”
“Edward Tellez Solis used social media as a superhighway to sell lethal drugs and line his pockets with the proceeds. Today’s sentencing marks a crucial step in bringing justice to the victim and a family devastated by the scourge of fentanyl,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “We will be relentless in our pursuit of unscrupulous drug dealers who distribute poison in our community.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge Davila also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered Tellez Solis to pay $29,895.85 in restitution to the family of the minor overdose victim. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amani S. Floyd and Dan M. Karmel prosecuted the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA and the County of Monterey Sheriff’s Office.
Mexican commercial fishermen plead guilty to illegal red snapper harvestingRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Four members of a Mexican fishing crew have admitted they unlawfully transported fish taken from the Gulf of America, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Daniel Santiago-Mendoza, 22, has now pleaded guilty, while Miguel Angel Ramirez-Vidal, 32, Jesus David Luna-Marquez, 20, and Jesus Roberto Morales-Amador, 27, all citizens of Mexico, previously entered their pleas. All have admitted to knowingly transporting approximately 315 kilograms of illegally taken red snapper.
On April 16, the four-man crew left Playa Bagdad, Mexico, at night in a 25-foot open fishing vessel without running lights. They then traveled into the Exclusive Economic Zone in U.S. waters, ultimately deploying about four miles of longline containing approximately 1,200 hooks. The gear was set approximately 18 miles north of the Maritime Boundary Line with Mexico and about 25 miles east of South Padre Island (SPI).
When authorities apprehended the crew, they were in possession of approximately 693 pounds of red snapper and four sharks. The men knew the catch would be seized if they were caught in U.S. waters but chose to take the risk due to the limited supply of red snapper in Mexican waters.
They intended to sell the catch once they returned to Mexico. The snapper they unlawfully took from U.S. waters have an estimated retail value of over $9 thousand.
Ramirez-Vidal, the captain of the boat, had been arrested on 28 prior occasions for illegal fishing. The others also have similar previous arrests.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing for Ramirez-Vidal Aug. 13. Santiago-Mendoza, Luna-Marquez and Morales-Amador pleaded guilty and are also pending sentencing. At their respective hearings, each faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
They have been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Coast Guard Investigative Services, Coast Guard Station SPI, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Texas Parks and Wildlife and South Padre Island Police Department conducted the joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hagen is prosecuting the case.
The arrest and prosecution of Mexican commercial fisherman marks a change in policy concerning the protection of U.S. marine resources. In past instances, authorities would seize the catch and destroy the vessel but release violators back to Mexico. Any commercial fisherman now apprehended in U.S. waters caught violating the Lacey Act face potential fines and imprisonment.
Mexican National charged with assaulting federal officersRead the Press Release
Update: on January 9, 2026, Victor Vivanco-Reyes was acquitted by a federal jury of four counts of assaulting a federal officer.
Seattle – A citizen of Mexico residing illegally in Stanwood, Washington, appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle today charged with two counts of assault on a federal officer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Victor Vivanco- Reyes, 25, was being sought by a team from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, and Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO) due to his criminal convictions and lack of status in the United States. Vivanco-Reyes remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 13, 2025.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 22, 2025, HSI Special Agents attempted to locate Vivanco-Reyes in the Mount Vernon, Washington area. When his vehicle was located in a residential area, HSI agents activated the lights and sirens on their cars to get Vivanco-Reyes to stop. After pausing briefly at a driveway, Vivanco-Reyes accelerated away from the officers, driving at a high rate of speed in a residential area. Because of the reckless driving and risk to the community, the agents ended their attempt to arrest him.
On June 6, 2025, the agents again attempted to locate Vivanco-Reyes. Just after 9:30 am, agents with HSI, ERO, the U.S. Border Patrol, and CBP AMO were able to locate a work truck associated with Vivanco-Reyes’s apparent employer. The work truck was towing a trailer on Cascade View Drive on Camano Island, Washington. Using three different vehicles, the federal agents attempted to block the north and southbound lanes so that Vivanco-Reyes could be taken into custody. When the agents activated their lights, the truck and trailer accelerated right at the one of the vehicles, hitting it on the front passenger side. Ultimately the truck and trailer crashed head-on into another government car that was a short distance down the road. The truck continued on, driving into a ditch and hitting a power pole. Vivanco-Reyes tried to flee on foot but was taken into custody.
Two of the agents who were injured in the collisions were taken to area hospitals.
Assault on a federal agent with a deadly weapon is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Fredy Herrera-Castro (44, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. If convicted, Herrera-Castro faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on May 30, 2025, Herrera-Castro was found to be voluntarily in the United States after having previously been removed from the United States on five prior occasions. Herrera-Castro had not received consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. Additionally, Herrera-Castro was previously convicted of illegal reentry in 2019 and 2020.
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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
The 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).
Metairie Resident Sentenced for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that CARSON RIESS (“RIESS”), age 41, of Metairie, Louisiana, was sentenced on May 27, 2025, to 60 months imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). Additionally, RIESS was ordered to pay $172,500 in restitution to numerous victims as well as a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the case against RIESS stemmed from an online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). On May 20, 2024, HSI special agents, along with members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, executed two federal search warrants at RIESS’ Metairie home. HSI agents seized a computer from RIESS’ residence during the search, confirmed this laptop contained Child Sexual Abuse Material, and subsequently arrested RIESS and charged him with the receipt of CSAM. HSI’s investigation revealed RIESS received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Memphis Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years for Trafficking 17-Year-Old Female to Perform Commercial Sex ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DOMINIQUE PEEPLES (“PEEPLES”), age 28, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on May 28, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), 1591(b)(2), 1594(a), and 2.
According to court documents, PEEPLES brought a seventeen-year-old female (“Minor Victim”) from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas, and required her to engage in commercial sex acts. During this time, PEEPLES was aware of Minor Victim’s age. PEEPLES advertised Minor Victim on websites commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money and kept all or most of the proceeds from her work. PEEPLES waited in a vehicle and watched Minor Victim while she solicited commercial sex “dates.” Minor Victim worked under PEEPLES’ supervision between August of 2020 and her escape in mid-January 2021. After Minor Victim ran away, PEEPLES posted a video on social media in which he boasted about exploiting Minor Victim and pointed firearms at the screen.
U.S. District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced PEEPLES to seventeen (17) years in prison. PEEPLES was also sentenced to ten (10) years of supervised release after release from prison. Judge Vance further ordered PEEPLES to pay $120,000 in restitution to Minor Victim, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. PEEPLES will also have to register as a sex offender.
This case was part of a broader investigation involving defendants JEREMY TALBERT and MACEO ROBERTS, both of whom have pleaded guilty for related sex trafficking crimes. In February 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBERTS to 22.5 years of imprisonment for conspiring to traffic three minors and two adults. In March 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Africk sentenced TALBERT to 18 years for trafficking a fourteen-year-old minor to New Orleans.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
McCurtain County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kendall James Hopper, age 61, of Smithville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to fifteen years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment charged Hopper with knowingly possessing one lever-action rifle on January 2, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
Hopper will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Maricopa Man Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Second-Degree Murder of a Tohono O’Odham Police OfficerRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Carlos Maximilliano Galvan, 44, of Maricopa, Arizona, was sentenced on June 4, 2025, by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 44 years in prison. Galvan previously pleaded guilty to one count of Second-Degree Murder.
On August 27, 2020, Tohono O’odham Police Officer Bryan Brown responded to a 911 call from the Desert Diamond Casino in Why, Arizona, about an individual who had crashed his vehicle into a handicapped parking sign outside of the casino. The individual then reportedly assaulted two casino employees by striking the truck they were sitting in with his vehicle. When Officer Brown arrived at the scene, he got out of his police cruiser and was confronted by Galvan, who approached him aggressively while brandishing a broken bottle. As Officer Brown stepped around his vehicle to avoid Galvan, Galvan jumped into the police cruiser and drove toward Officer Brown and a United States Border Patrol Agent who had arrived at the scene to assist. The Border Patrol Agent was able to move out of the way, but Galvan struck Officer Brown with the police cruiser, killing him.
While fleeing from the scene of the murder, Galvan drove the police cruiser across the center lane of the highway and intentionally hit the vehicles of two Border Patrol Agents who were on their way to the scene to assist law enforcement.
“The FBI will not waiver in our commitment to ensure those who commit acts of violence against members of law enforcement will be held accountable and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown. “Today is for Officer Bryan Brown, and his loved ones and colleagues. We hope this sentence brings a degree of comfort to Officer Brown's family and colleagues.”
“The defendant attacked not just Officer Brown, but our entire system of justice,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Disrespect for law enforcement escalates, as it did here with a deadly consequence, which is why any assault on a law enforcement officer cannot be tolerated. Our great sorrow goes out to Officer Brown’s family, loved ones, and fellow officers. He demonstrated the ultimate dedication to duty, and we honor him.”
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson Office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Kreamer Hope, Alicia Renee Quezada, and Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-01566-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-091_Galvan# # #
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.Major Mexican Narcotrafficker Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Mexican national who operated as a high-level cocaine trafficker was sentenced today to 232 months in prison for directing an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Jorge Humberto Perez Cazares, also known as Cadete, 41, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was a leader and organizer of a transnational drug trafficking organization that was responsible for shipping multiple tons of cocaine from Central America into Mexico for further distribution into the United States, specifically Los Angeles. Perez Cazares used violence to protect his narcotics shipments and worked with a close affiliate of the co-leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
“Jorge Humberto Perez Cazares was a major Mexican narcotrafficker responsible for shipping multiple tons of cocaine from Central America into Mexico for distribution in Los Angeles,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Drug traffickers like Perez Cazares use violence to profit off bringing poisonous drugs into the United States with no regard for the welfare of our citizens. Today’s sentence demonstrates that the Department of Justice will not rest in bringing drug trafficking leaders to justice.”
“This sentence marks the downfall of a trafficker who fueled violence and addiction on both sides of the border,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to target the command structure of these cartels and dismantle their operations.”
“Jorge ‘Cadete’ Perez Cazares wasn't just moving multi-ton quantities of cocaine — he was fueling a criminal empire. Perez Cazares funneled substantial amounts of narcotics into the United States and profited off the pain of addiction,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “The government proved he was no middleman — he was a leader. And now, justice is delivering a sentence worthy of the destruction he caused."
In February 2014, U.S. law enforcement targeted Perez Cazares’s Los Angeles-based distribution network, raiding three stash houses and seizing $1.4 million in cash and more than 70 kilograms of cocaine. Around the same time, Perez Cazares personally negotiated a deal with a Guatemalan drug trafficker for over $23 million in cocaine. Days later, he was arrested by Guatemalan authorities while traveling in a truck with 514 kilograms of cocaine. In June 2016, he was arrested again in Mexico pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest warrant and extradited to the United States on July 30, 2021.
In April 2024, shortly before trial, Perez Cazares pleaded guilty to the sole count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The DEA Miami Office and DEA Guatemala Country Office provided critical assistance. Perez Cazares’s capture and extradition were made possible thanks to key international coordination between the Government of Guatemala, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section 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 other transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Madison County Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offender Registration and Supervised Release ViolationsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – On May 28, 2025, Floyd Wood, 57, of DeRuyter, New York pled guilty in United States District Court to failure to register an email account in violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and also admitted violating conditions of his federal supervised release. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and United States Marshal David McNulty made the announcement.
Wood, a federally convicted sex offender, admitted that he created and maintained an email account without reporting it to the Sex Offender Registry, as required by law. He also admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release by not reporting the email account, and falsifying reports about it, to the United States Probation Office. Wood also admitted that he violated conditions of supervised release by possessing an unreported and unmonitored internet-capable phone, on which the email was discovered.
The failure to register offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Wood also faces up to an additional 5 years for violating the terms of his supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Sex offenders who surreptitiously use the internet in violation of law, and in violation of court-imposed conditions of supervision designed to mitigate their threat to society, will be prosecuted by my office to the fullest extent of the law.”
The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case with assistance from the United States Probation Office. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Guns, Drugs, Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes after he was recorded illegally selling numerous guns, thousands of methamphetamine pills and machineguns.
Billy Chan, a/k/a “Juju,” 20, pleaded guilty on June 6, 2025 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of transfer and possession of a machinegun. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2025.
On five different dates in Lowell between March 2023 and June 2023, Chan sold three handguns, four machinegun conversion devices and approximately 2,000 pills marketed as “Adderall,” to undercover law enforcement. Laboratory testing confirmed that the “Adderall” pills were homemade methamphetamine pills pressed with caffeine and designed to look like the genuine pharmaceutical product. Chan trafficked the counterfeit pills with an alleged co-conspirator who was a member of the Asian Boyz gang. The investigation revealed that, in 2023, Asian Boyz gang members and associates had access to a plentiful supply of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, which they distributed widely across the Merrimack Valley region.
During a recorded meeting with a cooperating source, Chan said he worked at a machine shop, could make the machinegun conversion “switch” devices himself and gave instructions and demonstrations on how to install the “switches” on a pistol. A few days later, Chan sent the source a video of a person shooting a fully automatic handgun into the air, with the message: “I let my boys test the switch.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant in the case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Multi-State Polydrug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Nearly Two Decades in Prison for Drug Conspiracy, Illegal Possession of Firearms and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine.
Joseph Correa, 35, was sentenced by on Friday, June 6, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley to 18 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2024, Correa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and other controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Correa was a target of a long-term investigation into a network of fentanyl and cocaine distributors based in and around Lawrence. The investigation showed that Correa obtained fentanyl from local suppliers, and that he and co-defendants and brothers Jose Martinez and Luis Martinez regularly traveled to Puerto Rico to purchase wholesale quantities of cocaine, which they mailed to addresses in New England for redistribution in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Correa employed co-defendants, as well as an uncharged co-conspirator, to store and process drugs at their residences and to distribute drugs on his behalf. Correa was regularly intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps discussing distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and obtaining, possessing and using firearms. He and co-defendant Mayi Rosario conspired to launder drug proceeds via various financial transactions and purchases. During the course of the investigation, fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine and drug proceeds were seized from Correa and his associates and from packages mailed by or for Correa. On Dec. 15, 2021, Correa was arrested in Caguas, Puerto Rico. At the time of his arrest, Correa was holding a loaded firearm that had a Glock slide and a privately manufactured grip, and that had been converted into a fully automatic weapon.
In May 2024, Jose Martinez was sentenced to 90 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In February 2025, Luis Martinez was sentenced to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. In August 2024, Rosario was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be followed by one year of home detention and 26 months of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Justice Department Sues Coffee House for Refusal to Serve Jewish CustomersRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here.
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Fathi Abdulrahim Harara and Native Grounds LLC, the owners of the Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants discriminated against Jewish customers, in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation.
“It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through our vigorous enforcement of Title II of the Civil Rights Act and other laws prohibiting race and religious discrimination, the Justice Department is committed to combatting anti-Semitism and discrimination and protecting the civil rights of all Americans.”
The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that defendants discriminated against Jewish customers through policies and practices that denied them the full and equal enjoyment of the Jerusalem Coffee House’s services, accommodations, and privileges. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that on two separate occasions, Harara ordered Jewish customers — identified because they were wearing baseball caps with Stars of David on them — to leave the coffee house. During one incident, an employee told a Jewish customer who was trying to make a purchase, “You’re the guy with the hat. You’re the Jew. You’re the Zionist. We don’t want you in our coffee shop. Get out.” During another incident, Harara accused another Jewish customer who was with his five-year-old son of wearing a “Jewish star,” being a “Zionist,” and supporting “genocide.” Harara repeatedly demanded that the customer and his son leave and falsely accused them of “trespassing” to the Oakland police. Neither customer stated anything about their political views to Harara or any other employees while at the coffee house.
The lawsuit also alleges that, on the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, the Jerusalem Coffee House announced two new drinks: “Iced In Tea Fada,” an apparent reference to “intifada,” and “Sweet Sinwar,” an apparent reference to Yahya Sinwar, the former leader of Hamas who orchestrated the attacks on Israel. The lawsuit further alleges that the coffee house’s exterior side wall displays inverted red triangles, a symbol of violence against Jews that has been spraypainted on Jewish homes and synagogues in anti-Semitic attacks.
Under Title II, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division can obtain injunctive relief that changes policies and practices to remedy the discriminatory conduct. Title II does not authorize the division to obtain monetary damages for customers who are victims of discrimination.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report discrimination in places of public accommodation that violates Title II by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online.
Huntington Man Sentenced for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Mark Radford, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced today to time served and 15 years of supervised release, including six months on home detention, for possession of child pornography. Radford must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 3, 2020, law enforcement officers seized Radford’s cell phone. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed approximately 22 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Radford admitted to downloading the images from the internet. Radford further admitted that some of the images depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 3:22-cr-61.
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Harrison County Man Admits to Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Leonard Bailey, III, age 41, of Stonewood, West Virginia, has admitted to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Bailey was found with 32 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm in Harrison County.
Bailey is facing at least five and up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Stonewood Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Burlington has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Odvin Natael Chavarria-Lopez, 30, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to the indictment, Chavarria-Lopez was deported from the United States in July 2015. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, the defendant unlawfully reentered the United States and was encountered on May 6, 2025.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fourth Alleged Conspirator in 2023 Armored Truck Robberies Arrested in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was arrested Sunday on criminal charges related to his alleged role in two armored truck robberies that occurred in 2023.
According to court documents, Achanti Christopher Tyrese Gunn aka Bonzi, 25, allegedly conspired with three co-conspirators in an armed robbery scheme in which the co-conspirators would rob armored trucks at gunpoint, taking United States currency and other items before fleeing in a getaway vehicle.
Gunn was indicted May 7 and arrested June 8. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, Gunn faces up to 20 years on the conspiracy and the Hobbs Act robbery charge and seven years to life on the brandishing charge consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
Co-defendants Daquwan Reshay Richardson, 30, Jeremiah Jerome Richardson aka Juice, 22, and Jordan Raekwon Jones aka Murda Maxx, 30, were already in custody and named in a previously filed indictment. Daquwan Richardson was arrested Aug. 21, 2023; Jeremiah Richardson was arrested July 11, 2023; and Jones was arrested Nov. 5, 2024. All four defendants face various combinations of the same charges.
U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Founder of Sexual Wellness Company “OneTaste” and Former Head of Sales Convicted of Forced Labor ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a federal jury convicted Nicole Daedone, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of OneTaste, Inc. (OneTaste), a sexual wellness education company, and Rachel Cherwitz, the company’s former head of sales, of forced labor conspiracy in connection with their coercive scheme to obtain the labor and services of certain OneTaste employees. To achieve their goal, the defendants and their co-conspirators subjected the victims to economic, sexual, emotional, financial, and psychological abuse, as well as surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation. The verdict was returned after a five-week trial before United States District Judge Diane Gujarati. When sentenced, Daedone and Cherwitz each face up to 20 years in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “I commend the witnesses who testified at trial notwithstanding the trauma that they experienced at the defendants’ direction. It is my hope that the just conclusion of this process will bring them closure, and that future charlatans think twice about exploiting human beings in this manner.”
“Today's verdict sends a clear message— controlling your labor force by relying on lies, manipulation, and abuse is a crime. The victims in this case were offered sexual empowerment and wellness as a pathway to healing past trauma, but instead received various forms of abuse and manipulation on behalf of Daedone and Cherwitz for the financial benefit of OneTaste. The FBI will continue to ensure those responsible for forced labor schemes are made to answer for their crimes,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
OneTaste was a privately held company founded by Daedone in 2004. Its principal place of business was San Francisco, California, and it operated at various locations within New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, and London. OneTaste promoted itself as a sexually focused wellness education company that offered hands-on classes on “orgasmic mediation” (OM), which involved stroking a woman’s genitals for 15 minutes. OneTaste generated revenue by providing courses, coaching, OM events, and less-publicized courses in other sexual practices in exchange for a fee.
As proven at trial, between 2006 and May 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz obtained the labor and services of multiple young women who had turned to OneTaste for healing and spirituality by coercing them to perform labor, including sexual labor, for the defendants’ benefit. OneTaste advertised that its courses and teachings could heal past sexual trauma and dysfunction. Daedone and Cherwitz used abusive and manipulative tactics designed to control OneTaste members by making them emotionally and psychologically dependent on OneTaste, including encouraging them to incur debt by opening lines of credit to finance the expensive courses, subjecting them to constant surveillance in communal homes, collecting sensitive information about their prior trauma and sexual histories, depriving them of sleep, and subjecting them to sexual abuse.Once they had secured the loyalty and indebtedness of certain OneTaste members, Daedone and Cherwitz engaged in abusive employment practices. They directed OneTaste members to work long hours seven days per week with little or no compensation; that work included manual labor and the provision of sexual services. For example, Daedone and Cherwitz coerced their victims to sexually service OneTaste’s current and prospective investors, clients and employees for the financial benefit of the company. Three witnesses testified about how they were coerced into becoming a “handler” for OneTaste’s initial investor, who was also Daedone’s boyfriend, which required them to live with him, perform demeaning sex acts at his direction, and cook for him. Multiple other witnesses testified that they were coerced under threat of termination, demotion, ostracism, and financial and spiritual ruin by Daedone and Cherwitz into performing various sex acts with OneTaste’s potential clients and investors. In 2017, Ms. Daedone sold OneTaste—a company built on the backs of coerced and unpaid or substantially underpaid labor—for $12 million.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla C. Bensing, Kaitlin T. Farrell, Nina C. Gupta, and Sean Michael Fern are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Liam McNett and Marlane Bosler.
The Defendants:
NICOLE DAEDONE
Age: 57
New York, New YorkRACHEL CHERWITZ
Age: 44
Philo, CaliforniaFounder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged with Evading Sanctions and Export Controls, Defrauding Financial Institutions, and Violating the Bank Secrecy ActRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a 22-count indictment was unsealed charging Iurii Gugnin with wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, failing to file suspicious activity reports, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. Gugnin, a resident of New York and citizen of Russia, allegedly used his cryptocurrency company “Evita” to funnel more than $500 million of overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges while hiding the source and purpose of the transactions. Gugnin was arrested this morning and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. The defendant was ordered detained pending trial.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General, the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Harry Chavis, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (BIS-OEE) announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, Gugnin came to the United States and set up a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency start-up, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and defraud U.S. financial institutions,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will vigorously prosecute those who abuse the U.S. financial system in furtherance of criminal activity, particularly when it undermines national security.”
Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section for their assistance with the investigation.
“The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” stated Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to bring to justice those who imperil our national security by enabling our foreign adversaries to sidestep sanctions and export controls.”
“Iurii Gugnin, a Russian national, allegedly served as a financial intermediary to sanctioned Russian entities by covertly laundering more than $500 million in illicit transactions through U.S.-based accounts and cryptocurrency exchanges,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Gugnin’s alleged scheme manipulated our nation’s financial infrastructure to benefit our nation's adversaries. The FBI remains committed to apprehending any individual who seeks to circumvent export controls, defraud our country, and jeopardize our national security.”
“It’s alleged Gugnin used deception and fraud to cover up a financial trail that showed him moving more that $500 million through U.S. banks on behalf of foreign clients. He supposedly evaded U.S. sanctions, lied to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, manipulated invoices to hide Russian contacts, and violated the Bank Secrecy Act – all while leaving an internet search trail to show he knew he was breaking the law. Through a complex investigation conducted by federal law enforcement, Gugnin now faces prosecution for this multi-million-dollar scheme and its impending consequences,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
“Export control violations are often intertwined with a range of serious criminal activities, including illicit finance and transnational organized crime. The Office of Export Enforcement remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who compromise our national security by violating U.S. export laws,” stated Special Agent in Charge Carson.”
As alleged in the indictment, Gugnin is the founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of U.S-based Evita Investments, Inc. (Evita Investments) and Evita Pay, Inc. (Evita Pay) (collectively, Evita). Gugnin used both companies to enable foreign customers—many of whom held funds at sanctioned Russian banks—to provide him with cryptocurrency, which he then laundered through cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts. Gugnin ultimately converted the funds into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies and then made payments through bank accounts in Manhattan on behalf of his foreign customers. In the process, the sources of the funds were obscured, disguising the audit trail and hiding the true counterparties to the transactions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, Gugnin used Evita to facilitate the movement of approximately $530 million through the U.S. financial system, most of which he received in the form of a cryptocurrency stablecoin known as Tether, or “USDT.”
To effectuate the scheme, Gugnin defrauded various banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through which he converted funds and made wire transfers. Gugnin repeatedly lied to these banks and exchanges, telling them that Evita did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities. In fact, many of Gugnin’s customers were located in Russia, and he facilitated payments in funds held at sanctioned Russian banks, including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, and JSC Tinkoff Bank. Gugnin maintained personal accounts at two sanctioned Russian banks, JSC Alfa-Bank and PJSC Sberbank, with which he transacted while residing in the United States. Gugnin also facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive electronics, including an export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, and laundered funds from a Moscow-based supplier to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology company. To conceal his activities, Gugnin regularly obfuscated invoices by digitally “whiting out” the names and addresses of his Russian customers.
Gugnin also failed to implement Evita’s own purported anti-money laundering program and failed to file suspicious activity reports, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act. Although Gugnin represented to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that Evita followed rigorous anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements, in practice he flouted those requirements, as well as the requirement to file reports of suspicious activities with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Gugnin ultimately registered Evita Pay as a money transmitter with FinCEN and the state of Florida but did so by making materially false statements to the state of Florida about Evita Pay’s business. Gugnin used that fraudulently obtained state license to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf.
In the course of his scheme, Gugnin conducted web searches that confirmed his awareness that he was breaking the law, including searches for “how to know if there is an investigation against you”; “evita investments inc. criminal records search”; “Iurii Gugnin criminal records”; “money laundering penalties US”; and “penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods.” He also visited website pages titled, respectively “am I being investigated?”; “signs you may be under criminal investigation”; and “what are the best ways to find out if you’re being investigated and what can someone do when they think they might be under investigation.”
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, Gugnin faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the bank fraud counts; 20 years’ imprisonment for the wire fraud, IEEPA, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts; 10 years’ imprisonment for failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and failure to file suspicious activity reports; and 5 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud the United States and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Skurnik is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Emma Tavangari, along with Trial Attorney Dallas Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
IURII GUGNIN (also known as “Iurii Mashukov” and “George Goognin”)
Age: 38
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-191 (NRM)
Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged with Evading Sanctions and Export Controls, Defrauding Financial Institutions, and Violating the Bank Secrecy ActRead the Press Release
A 22-count indictment was unsealed today charging Iurii Gugnin, also known as Iurii Mashukov and George Goognin, 38, a resident of New York and citizen of Russia, with various offenses related to using his cryptocurrency company Evita to funnel more than $500 million of overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges while hiding the source and purpose of the transactions.
According to court documents, Gugnin is charged with wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, failing to file suspicious activity reports, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. Gugnin was arrested and arraigned today in New York.
“The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to bring to justice those who imperil our national security by enabling our foreign adversaries to sidestep sanctions and export controls.”
“As alleged, Gugnin came to the United States and set up a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency start-up, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and defraud U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will vigorously prosecute those who abuse the U.S. financial system in furtherance of criminal activity, particularly when it undermines national security.”
“Gugnin’s cryptocurrency company allegedly served as a front to launder hundreds of millions of dollars for sanctioned Russian entities and to obtain export-controlled technology for the Russian government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Let this serve notice that using cryptocurrency to hide illegal conduct will not prevent the FBI and our partners from holding you accountable.”
As alleged in the indictment, Gugnin is the founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of U.S-based Evita Investments Inc. (Evita Investments) and Evita Pay Inc. (Evita Pay) (collectively, Evita). Gugnin used both companies to enable foreign customers — many of whom held funds at sanctioned Russian banks — to provide him with cryptocurrency, which he then laundered through cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts. Gugnin ultimately converted the funds into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies and then made payments through bank accounts in Manhattan on behalf of his foreign customers. In the process, the sources of the funds were obscured, disguising the audit trail and hiding the true counterparties to the transactions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, Gugnin used Evita to facilitate the movement of approximately $530 million through the U.S. financial system, most of which he received in the form of a cryptocurrency stablecoin known as Tether, or “USDT.”
To effectuate the scheme, Gugnin defrauded various banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through which he converted funds and made wire transfers. Gugnin repeatedly lied to these banks and exchanges, telling them that Evita did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities. In fact, many of Gugnin’s customers were located in Russia, and he facilitated payments in funds held at sanctioned Russian banks, including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, and JSC Tinkoff Bank. Gugnin maintained personal accounts at two sanctioned Russian banks, JSC Alfa-Bank and PJSC Sberbank, with which he transacted while residing in the United States. Gugnin also facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive electronics, including an export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, and laundered funds from a Moscow-based supplier to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology company. To conceal his activities, Gugnin regularly obfuscated invoices by digitally “whiting out” the names and addresses of his Russian customers.
Gugnin also failed to implement Evita’s own purported anti-money laundering program and failed to file suspicious activity reports, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act. Although Gugnin represented to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that Evita followed rigorous anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements, in practice he flouted those requirements, as well as the requirement to file reports of suspicious activities with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Gugnin ultimately registered Evita Pay as a money transmitter with FinCEN and the state of Florida but did so by making materially false statements to the state of Florida about Evita Pay’s business. Gugnin used that fraudulently obtained state license to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf.
In the course of his scheme, Gugnin conducted web searches that confirmed his awareness that he was breaking the law, including searches for “how to know if there is an investigation against you”; “evita investments inc. criminal records search”; “Iurii Gugnin criminal records”; “money laundering penalties US”; and “penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods.” He also visited website pages titled, respectively “am I being investigated?”; “signs you may be under criminal investigation”; and “what are the best ways to find out if you’re being investigated and what can someone do when they think they might be under investigation.”
If convicted, Gugnin faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the wire fraud, IEEPA, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts; a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and failure to file suspicious activity reports; and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Dallas Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former state worker pleads guilty in scheme to steal nearly $900,000 in state tax dollarsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 48-year-old Olympia resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal nearly $900,000 from his former employer – the State of Washington – announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Matthew Randall Ping pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return. Ping is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on September 9, 2025.
According to the charging information and the plea agreement, Ping began working for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) in 2009. By 2017 he had been promoted to the role of Management Analyst and served as the department’s credit card custodian. Between 2019 and 2023, Ping used a sophisticated scheme to abuse his credit card access so he could embezzle at least $878,115 from the state agency.
The plea agreement and charging information detail how Ping hid the fraud from his employer. Ping opened accounts with payment processors and gave the accounts display names that indicated the accounts were associated with legitimate OAH business vendors. Between 2019 and 2021, Ping secretly charged more than $330,000 to OAH credit cards as purported payments to these vendors. In fact, the money went to accounts Ping controlled. In 2021, Ping set up an account via a different payment processor and continued the fraud, stealing approximately $530,000 in additional funds from OAH. Ping also used OAH credit cards to buy $17,359 in personal items from Verizon and Walmart.
Ping also circumvented state procedures designed to detect credit card fraud. For example, OAH required that Ping’s co-workers review and approve Ping’s credit card transactions, but Ping would provide false or incomplete lists of transactions during that review process. After the review, Ping would add in his fraudulent charges and upload and approve payment himself without the required oversight on his fraudulent transactions. He also took steps to manipulate the accounting data to make it more difficult to determine that he had violated protocol by uploading, reviewing, and approving his own transactions
In all Ping secretly executed 210 transactions with the phony vendors he created for a total loss to the state of $860,756. The improper charges on his state issued credit card total $17,359, bringing the total loss to the State of Washington to $878,115.
The embezzlement was first discovered by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Ping resigned his position in 2023 when the theft was discovered.
Even as he was embezzling, Ping failed to report the stolen funds on his income tax returns. For tax years 2020-2023, the resulting tax loss totals $240,247. Ping has agreed to pay full restitution to the state and to the IRS for his tax obligation.
The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) worked with the Auditors Office on the criminal investigation.
The case is being Prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
Former President of Allentown Title Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Title Insurance Underwriter, Clients, and U.S. GovernmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Louis Belletieri, 43, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl on two counts of wire fraud, charges arising from his scheme to defraud a title insurance underwriter and clients and his fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”).
In May of this year, the defendant was charged with those offenses by information.
As detailed in court documents, Belletieri was the president of Allentown-based Security Settlement Services of Pittsburgh d/b/a Legacy Title (“Legacy Title”), which he purported to operate for the purpose of providing title and real estate closing services to clients in connection with real estate transactions.
In or about November 2013, the defendant, as Legacy Title’s president, entered into a contract with a title insurance underwriter, in which the underwriter appointed Legacy Title as its agent for the purpose of issuing title insurance commitments, policies, endorsements for Pennsylvania properties.
Legacy Title and Belletieri maintained an escrow account to receive funds in connection with these and other client real estate transactions. The money from customers, mortgage lenders, and others was typically transferred electronically into Legacy Title’s escrow account.
Belletieri should have maintained the funds in the escrow account for the purpose of conducting real estate transactions and disbursing funds as appropriate and for the purpose for which they were entrusted, such as to pay off mortgages, pay taxes, obtain title insurance, and pay for other expenses in connection with real estate transactions.
As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, he instead used the funds in the escrow account for personal reasons, including, among other things, to place online sports bets.
During the course of the scheme, Belletieri regularly made and caused to be made electronic transfers of funds to and from the escrow account to, from, and among Legacy Title’s business operating account, his personal bank account, his credit card account, and online sports betting platforms.
From in or about March 2020 through in or about September 2023, Belletieri made electronic transfers of funds from the escrow account to his personal account totaling approximately $6,434,500, and from the escrow account to the business operating account totaling approximately $2,460,190, many of which were not for legitimate business purposes.
Belletieri took numerous steps to conceal his fraud upon his clients and the title insurance underwriter, including by submitting a fraudulent application to the SBA on behalf of Legacy Title to defraud the SBA and obtain funds via the EIDL program. In connection with this application, the defendant entered into fraudulent loan agreements with the SBA, falsely agreeing that he would use the proceeds of the loan solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the SBA disbursed the EIDL funding to Legacy Title and Belletieri pursuant to his fraudulent application, Belletieri used significant portions of the proceeds for personal uses, rather than as working capital for Legacy Title. As a result, the defendant caused the SBA to disburse a total of approximately $825,000 due to his fraud.
Belletieri is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency with assistance from the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Boscia and Rebecca J. Kulik.
Former Orange County Supervisor Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Bribery Scheme Involving More Than $10 Million in COVID FundsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former politician who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to a charity affiliated with one of his daughters.
Andrew Hoang Do, 62, of Santa Ana, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna, who scheduled a restitution hearing for August 11.
Do pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
“Elected officials have a sworn duty to put their constituents’ interests ahead of their own,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Public money intended to assist aging and ailing pandemic victims instead filled the coffers of Do, his family, and insiders. I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their work on this important case and for helping to remove a corrupt politician from his seat of power.”
“As a county supervisor, Andrew Do transformed the County of Orange into an ATM available to his insiders, his loved ones, and himself, withdrawing millions of dollars to buy houses, lavish dinners, and expensive wine while the elderly, the sick, and the vulnerable who depended on Andrew Do were left to fend for themselves,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “We, along with our federal partners, are continuing to peel back the layers of conspiracy to hold every thief accountable and return those stolen monies to the communities to which they belonged.”
“Mr. Do abused his powerful position as a county supervisor to profit personally at the expense of individuals in need, as well as the residents of Orange County, who deserve honest leadership,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to pursue corrupt public officials whose actions erode trust in government.”
From February 2015 until his resignation in October 2024, Do was one of five supervisors on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget. As supervisor for the First District, Do represented the cities of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and Westminster.
Beginning in 2020, in exchange for more than $550,000 in bribes, Do voted in favor of and directed millions of dollars in COVID-related funds to the Viet America Society (VAS), a charity affiliated with his daughter. Do directed and worked together with other county employees to approve contracts with – and payments to – VAS. Do further admitted he acted corruptly and abused his position of trust as a county supervisor.
Shortly after receiving the COVID-related public funds from the county government – funds that were intended to provide meals to the elderly and disabled – VAS from April 2021 to February 2024 paid a business identified in court documents as “Company #1” $100,000 or more per month, which totaled approximately $3,804,000. In September 2021, VAS increased its payments to Company #1 from $100,000 to $108,000 per month. Company #1 then began paying Rhiannon Do – Do’s daughter – $8,000 per month, totaling by February 2024 approximately $224,000.
In addition to the $8,000 monthly payments that Company #1 had made to Do’s daughter, in July 2023, Company #1 also transferred a total of $381,500 from the funds it had received from VAS to an escrow company. In July 2023, Do’s daughter used the escrow account funds to purchase a home, in her name, in Tustin for $1,035,000. As part of that transaction, a mortgage for more than $600,000 was obtained by a loan application that contained false information and with fabricated documents. Do’s daughter has admitted in court documents that her conduct was criminal and violated federal and state law.
The $381,500 from Company #1 that his daughter used to purchase the Tustin house in 2023 was a disguised bribe to Do. An additional $100,000 in payments sent to his other daughter, including three $25,000 checks from Company #2 – an air conditioning company that had been paid by VAS – also were bribes to Do.
Some of the bribe funds that had been funneled to his daughters were spent for his direct benefit. For example, during 2022, a total of $14,849 of funds that had been funneled to Do’s daughters was used to make property tax payments for properties in Orange County owned by Do and his wife. Approximately $15,000 was used to pay for one of Do’s credit card bills.
Do knew that VAS was not providing all the meals for which the county had paid VAS. Instead, much of the funds were used for the benefit of insiders, including to buy real estate in the name of both Do’s daughter and Company #1, bribe payments to both of Do’s daughters, payments to other conspirators, payments to other companies affiliated with VAS’s listed officers, and through hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash withdrawals.
Do forfeited assets connected to the bribery scheme, including the Tustin property his daughter purchased in 2023. As part of his daughter’s related diversion agreement, she forfeited the Tustin property. The plea agreement requires Do to pay full restitution, including the bribe money he and his daughters received. In August 2024, the government seized more than $2.4 million from VAS’s and Company #1’s bank accounts.
Do resigned from the Orange County Board of Supervisors as part of a related agreement with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA). He also agreed to forfeit any pension credit for the time where he participated in the bribery conspiracy.
The FBI; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of the Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; and the United States Department of Education Office of the Inspector General investigated this matter.
This matter is being jointly prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office and OCDA. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss, Rosalind Wang, and Tara Vavere of the United States Attorney’s Office and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorney Anthony J. Schlehner of the OCDA.
Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in Orange County is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s email tip line at https://tips.fbi.gov and/or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for failing to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Q.B. died as a result of the officers’ assault. Ashley Toney, 25, was sentenced to 78 months in prison.
According to her plea agreement, then-Correctional Officer Toney acknowledged that she responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Toney and other officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. and then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where multiple officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone, as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Toney admitted that she had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B. but chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so.
Toney pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on Aug. 8, 2024.
“This former corrections officer violated her duty as a law enforcement officer, and the public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I thank our Civil Rights Division prosecutors and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who saw these cases through appropriate sentencing.”
“The defendant’s inaction led to the death of a 37-year-old man, and afterwards she attempted to shield herself and fellow officers from being held accountable for his death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia. “Through her criminal conduct, the defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system she swore to uphold. I commend the Civil Rights Division for their outstanding advocacy in this case.”
Six corrections officers were charged in this case. In November 2024, three of those defendants — Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters — each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. In August 2024, Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, Walters, and Boothe are scheduled for July 9.
On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 210 months.
Prior to their respective indictments, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. On May 8, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to 108 months. Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Volk on July 14.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for failing to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Q.B. died as a result of the officers’ assault. Ashley Toney, 25, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, then-Correctional Officer Toney acknowledged that she responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Toney and other officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. and then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where multiple officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone, as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Toney admitted that she had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B. but chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so.
Toney pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on August 8, 2024, to deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in physical injury.
“This former corrections officer violated her duty as a law enforcement officer, and the public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “I thank our Civil Rights Division prosecutors and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who saw these cases through appropriate sentencing.”
“The defendant’s inaction led to the death of a 37-year-old man, and afterwards she attempted to shield herself and fellow officers from being held accountable for his death,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Through her criminal conduct, the defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system she swore to uphold. I commend the Civil Rights Division for their outstanding advocacy in this case.”
Six corrections officers were charged in this case. In November 2024, three of those defendants — Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters — each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. In August 2024, Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, Walters, and Boothe are scheduled for July 9, 2025.
On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, 2025, Lester was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison.
Prior to their respective indictments, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. On May 8, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison. Fleshman is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2025.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-124.
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Former CEO of Crescenta Valley Investment Firm Sentenced to over 3 Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Charging Clients Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The founder and former CEO of an investment firm that specializes in debt instruments was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for falsifying financial records to fraudulently inflate the value of the funds he managed, allowing him to charge investors millions of dollars in unauthorized fees.
Brendan Ross, 52, of La Cañada Flintridge, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered him to pay $5.9 million in restitution.
Ross pleaded guilty in August 2022 to one count of wire fraud.
In 2012, Ross founded Direct Lending Investments LLC (DLI), a La Cañada Flintridge-based investment firm. He served as the firm’s sole owner and CEO until his resignation in March 2019.
By the summer of 2017, the firm had more than $1 billion in assets under management. According to the indictment, Ross directed DLI to invest the funds’ assets in, among other things, a company that loaned money to small businesses and retailers. The DLI funds made money when the loans performed, meaning that the borrowers made timely payments. Rather than disclose some of the loans were not performing, Ross falsified monthly reports to make it appear borrowers were making payments. The “payments” came from fee rebates given by the company originating the loans.
By lying about the true status of the loans, Ross caused DLI to overstate the value of these loans on the funds’ books and fraudulently inflate the funds’ value. Specifically, Ross caused the monthly asset values of the funds to be cumulatively inflated by more than $300 million over the course of about four years. By fraudulently inflating the value of the funds, Ross was able to collect millions of dollars in fees he otherwise would not have been able to charge to clients.
To further his scheme and help conceal it, Ross arranged for the sale of approximately $55 million of the loans to a third-party buyer in the summer of 2017. Ross once again inflated the value of these loans by lying about their status, falsely telling the buyer that borrowers had been making payments on many of these loans.
“These losses reflect intense financial hardships, including the decimation of retirement and investment accounts, as well as negative professional and reputational consequences suffered by many of the investors…and even DLI employees who were defrauded by [Ross],” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
The FBI investigated this matter. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil complaint against Ross in August 2020, provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Five Plead Guilty in Kissimmee Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Luis Ruben Martinez Calderon (26, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Martinez Calderon is the final defendant to plead guilty in this case.
Name
Date of Plea
Charges
Maximum Penalties
Luis Ruben Martinez Calderon
(26, Kissimmee)
June 5, 2025Drug conspiracyMinimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prisonQuamain Alique Barber
(34, Kissimmee)
April 30, 2025Drug conspiracy
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prison
Minimum 5 years, up to life in federal prison to run consecutive
Bernardo Antonio Brea
(31, Kissimmee)
April 22, 2025Drug conspiracy
Possession of firearm by convicted felon
20 years in federal prison
15 years in federal prison
Aisha Nicolle Sanchez (25, Kissimmee)May 20, 2025Drug conspiracyMinimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prisonEvelyn Calderon (57, Kissimmee)May 13, 2025Drug conspiracyMinimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prisonAccording to the plea agreements filed in the case, Martinez Calderon regularly supplied retail dealers such as Barber from his apartment in Kissimmee, where he lived with his girlfriend, Sanchez. In January 2025, Barber sold cocaine to an undercover officer, and immediately drove to Martinez Calderon to be resupplied.
6:25cr47, USA v. Martinez Calderon et alThe investigation also revealed that Martinez Calderon supplied Barber with cocaine that Martinez Calderon stored with his mother, Evelyn Calderon, who resupplied him when needed. Sanchez helped to recover a suitcase with at least two kilograms of cocaine from the mother’s home for Martinez Calderon to distribute. In late January 2025, Martinez Calderon worked with Brea to obtain cocaine for Barber to distribute.
On February 6, 2025, when a series of arrest warrants were executed, Brea and Barber were found to be in possession of firearms. Brea was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of felonies, including possessing a firearm as a convicted felon to which he pleaded guilty one week before he was found in possession of a firearm by federal agents. Barber’s firearm was recovered along with bags of cocaine prepared for distribution.
6:25cr47, USA v. Martinez Calderon et alThis case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Kissimmee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Five Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in Global Digital Asset Investment Scam Conspiracy Resulting in Theft of More than $36.9 Million from VictimsRead the Press Release
Five men have pleaded guilty for their roles in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims of an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia.
According to court documents, Joseph Wong, 33, of Alhambra, California; Yicheng Zhang, 39, of China; Jose Somarriba, 55, of Los Angeles; Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente, California; and Jingliang Su, 44, of China and Turkey, were part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims, believing they were investing in digital assets, to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators and that laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets.
As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas would contact U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services and gain the victims’ trust. The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, those funds were stolen and not invested at all. Instead, more than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited. Somarriba, He, and Su directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Somarriba and He founded Axis Digital and opened the Deltec Bank account. Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds.
Wong managed a network of money launderers in Los Angeles who registered shell companies, opened U.S. bank accounts, and wired victim funds to international bank accounts. Zhang opened and operated two U.S. bank accounts used to launder victim proceeds.
Zhang and Wong pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Zhang has been in custody since May 2024. He, Somarriba, and Su pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business. He, Somarriba, and Su each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Su has been in custody since November 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li, a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis and former resident of Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov. 12, 2024 and May 13, 2024, respectively.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
USSS’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Tamara Livshiz of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maxwell Coll, Nisha Chandran, and Alexander Gorin for the Central District of California are prosecuting these cases.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov.
Former Baton Rouge City Parish Contractor Sentenced to 86 Months for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Blake Joseph Steiner, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 86 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution of child pornography. The Court further sentenced Steiner to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made during his plea, Steiner initiated a conversation on a mobile application group chat with an undercover agent (“UCA”). Steiner hoped to gain access to a group that was dedicated to sharing and trading child pornography. To gain access, Steiner first sent the UCA a video of himself and the date to verify his identity. In another effort to gain access to what he thought was an online child pornography group, Steiner sent a video of a girl under 12 years old being raped by an adult male. Steiner further admitted to the UCA that he managed another child pornography group online and that he engaged in hands-on conduct involving a minor.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Drug Trafficker Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Dispatcher-Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Portland drug trafficker was sentenced to federal prison Friday for possessing fentanyl on multiple occasions.
Yesmin Miseal Medina Vargas, 20, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Oregon, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in February 2023, Medina Vargas was identified as a leader of a dispatcher-based drug trafficking organization in the Portland area. Medina Vargas was responsible for taking orders from customers and coordinating drug deliveries.
In February 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a search warrant on Medina Vargas’ residence and seized more than 20 pounds of fentanyl, body armor, ammunition, and cellular phones.
Medina Vargas resumed drug trafficking and several months later, in August 2023, Medina Vargas arrived at a controlled buy in Tigard, Oregon, with a minor in his vehicle. Medina-Vargas and the minor were arrested, and agents seized approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills.
On September 12, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Medina Vargas with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On November 5, 2024, Medina Vargas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. As part of his plea agreement, Medina Vargas admitted that he was part of a drug trafficking organization that caused an overdose death.
This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the FBI, Westside Interagency Narcotics Team, and Lake Oswego Police Department. It was prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
This case 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.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Brockton has been indicted for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Edwin Antonio Sanchez-Lara, 34, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to the indictment, Sanchez-Lara was removed from the United States in August 2019. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, the defendant unlawfully reentered the United States and was encountered on May 11, 2025.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.