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Friday 6 June 2025
Monroe Michigan Man Arrested for Calling-In Hoax Bomb Threat for a Flight at Detroit Metro AirportRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Monroe, Michigan, resident was arrested on a criminal complaint for calling Spirit Airlines and reporting a fake bomb threat for a flight departing from Detroit Metropolitan Airport yesterday, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Charged was John Charles Robinson, 23.
According to the affidavit, on June 5, 2025, at approximately 6:25 am, an individual later identified as Robinson, used a cellphone to call into Spirit Airlines and conveyed false information about a bomb threat to Flight 2145 departing from Detroit Metro bound for Los Angeles. During the call, Robinson stated in part, “I was calling about 2145… because I have information about that flight,” and “there’s gonna be someone who’s gonna try to blow up the airport,” and “there’s gonna be someone that’s gonna try to blow up that flight, 2145.” After giving a description of an individual, he then stated: “they’re going to be carrying a bomb through the TSA,” and “they’re still threatening to do it, they’re still attempted to do it, they said it’s not going to be able to be detected. Please don’t let that flight board.” The flight was immediately canceled, and the flight’s passengers and crew were deplaned. Bomb sniffing dogs and FBI agents were deployed to sweep the airplane. No bomb or explosives were found.
Agents soon learned that Robinson was booked on Flight 2145 but missed the flight and was told at the gate that he needed to rebook. FBI agents subsequently arrested Robinson when he returned to the airport to depart on another flight bound for Los Angeles.
U.S. Attorney Gorgon said, “No American wants to hear the words ‘bomb’ and ‘airplane’ in the same sentence. Making this kind of threat undermines our collective sense of security and wastes valuable law enforcement resources.”
“Anyone who threatens to bomb an aircraft and endanger public safety will be swiftly investigated and brought to justice,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The alleged bomb threat prompted a coordinated response by our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force, in partnership with the Wayne County Airport Authority Police Department and the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service, leading to the arrest of John Robinson as he attempted to board another flight at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. We remain committed to protecting the public and confronting those who seek to spread fear in our communities.”
Robinson appeared in federal court in Detroit this afternoon and was released on bond. His next court appearance will be June 27 for a preliminary examination.
The charges in a complaint are merely allegations. A defendant remains innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by special agents from the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hank Moon and Douglas Salzenstein are prosecuting the case.
Michigan City Fentanyl Trafficking Conspirators SentencedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Four men have been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to various fentanyl drug and gun related charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Tyler Wood, 23 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and illegal use of a communications facility.
Clinton Rouse, 24 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
Justin Hervey, 27 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced to 125 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Raquan Perry, 23 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to documents in the case, Wood, Rouse, Hervey, and Perry worked together to distribute fentanyl pills throughout Michigan City over a period of approximately 10 months, between October 2023 and July 2024. During the spring of 2024, Wood and Rouse lived with a supplier from Michigan who obtained tens of thousands of pills from the Detroit area that were transported to Michigan City to be sold to buyers with the assistance of sub-distributors such as Hervey and Perry. Law enforcement seized approximately 10,000 of these fentanyl pills during its investigation.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Michigan City Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office, and the DEA North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was 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.
Mexican National and California Man Charged Following Seizure of over 45 Kilograms of Fentanyl Pills and PowderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose Angel Gonzalez-Carrillo, 46, of Modesto, California, and Ethyel Aldahyr Ontiveros-Flores, 25, of Mazatlan, Mexico, were arrested on the evening of June 2, 2025, and charged by criminal complaint for conspiring to distribute over 36 kilograms of fentanyl pills, and over 9 kilograms of fentanyl powder.
On June 2, 2025, Gonzalez-Carrillo coordinated the sale of approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills to a purported third party in Phoenix, Arizona. Ontiveros-Flores delivered the initial batch of pills, as well as a second delivery of over 90,000 pills later that same day, which was also coordinated by Gonzalez-Carrillo. After the second delivery, law enforcement officers arrested both Gonzalez-Carrillo and Ontiveros-Flores. During a subsequent search of property belonging to Ontiveros-Flores, law enforcement officers discovered over 200,000 additional fentanyl pills, as well as nine packages containing fentanyl powder, each weighing approximately one kilogram.
A conviction for possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl for distribution carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years, up to life.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The DEA is conducting the investigation in this case, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, the City of Goodyear Police Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Arizona State University Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-8318-JZB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-089_Carrillo, et al.# # #
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.Mexican National Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Found Guilty of Illegally Reentering the United States After RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal jury in Portland found Nelson Pablo-Morales, 32, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Beaverton, Oregon, guilty Thursday for illegally reentering the United States.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in 2015, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers learned of Pablo-Morales’ unlawful presence in Oregon after he was arrested by local authorities for reckless driving and driving under the influence of intoxicants in Beaverton. In May 2017, Pablo-Morales was removed from the United States by order of an immigration judge. In February 2025, Pablo-Morales was arrested again by ICE officers in Washington County, Oregon.
On March 12, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a one-count indictment charging Pablo-Morales with illegal reentry.
Pablo-Morales faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced on June 9, 2025, before a U.S. District Judge.
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mexican Man Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Ausencio Flores Salazar, 34, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Flores Salazar is currently in immigration custody and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on June 11, 2025.
According to the charging document Flores Salazar was deported to Mexico in 2019. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, Flores Salazar unlawfully reentered the United States. He was allegedly encountered on or about May 12, 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 Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office 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.
Marathon County Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Leading Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Joshua L. Lake, 32, Stratford, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 11 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a felon. This prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Lake pleaded guilty to these charges on February 26, 2025.
In early 2024, investigators with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force began investigating a group of individuals, led by Lake, who were distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in the Marathon County area.
On February 26, 2024, Lake sold 118 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at Lake’s residence in Stratford, Wisconsin. Other co-defendants completed additional controlled purchases of methamphetamine in March and April 2024. On April 15, 2024, Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force officers executed a search warrant at Lake’s residence. Officers found approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of cocaine, 2 rifles, over $25,000 in cash, drug ledgers, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia during the search.
Further investigation revealed that between January 22, 2024, and April 15, 2024, Lake distributed approximately 23 kilograms of methamphetamine and 6 kilograms of cocaine. Lake also delivered a firearm to a drug cartel contact in exchange for drugs. Lake admitted receiving the firearm in exchange for methamphetamine. Lake is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions.
At sentencing, Judge Conley described Lake’s conduct, including his drug trafficking and involvement with firearms, as egregious and said the quantity of almost pure methamphetamine found at his residence was stunning.
Three others were charged in connection with this drug trafficking organization. Mercadys Perkins was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentenced to 6 years in federal prison on April 17, 2025. Dustin Brunker was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentenced to 7 years in federal prison on April 24, 2025. Jessica Colby was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and sentenced to 2 ½ years in federal prison on May 1, 2025.
The charges against Lake were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Man Sentenced for Series of Armed Robberies Targeting Construction Workers in Trinidad NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Franco Rawlings Jr., 24, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for a series of armed robberies committed in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., between May and June 2023. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Rawlings pleaded guilty on August 30, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of armed robbery, one count of robbery, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The prison term was announced today by Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur. Following his term of incarceration, Rawlings will serve a period of three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Rawlings conspired with a co-conspirator to identify residential construction sites in the Trinidad neighborhood staffed by Hispanic workers—whom Rawlings and his co-conspirator referred to as “Migos” through text communication—to rob those workers at gunpoint.
On April 18, 2023, a victim working as a welder at a home in the 1400 block of Montello Avenue, NE, was approached in an alleyway by Rawlings, who pointed a gun at him and demanded money. Rawlings took the victim’s wallet, which contained $700 in cash.
On May 30, 2023, two victims were installing a deck at a home in the 1300 block of Montello Avenue, NE, when Rawlings and his co-conspirator entered through a rear gate. The armed men forced the victims into the basement, then to the ground at gunpoint. Once inside, the victims were robbed at gunpoint.
On June 27, 2023, three workers remodeling a home in the 1100 block of Owen Place, NE, were confronted by Rawlings and his co-conspirator. Rawlings pointed a firearm at the victims, ordered them to raise their hands, and, with his co-conspirator, stole U.S. currency before fleeing.
On June 28, 2023, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Rawlings’ residence in the Trinidad neighborhood and recovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun, along with clothing matching the clothing depicted in surveillance footage from various robberies. Rawlings was arrested the same day and has remained in custody since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Hampton and Wes Faulkner, who prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud and Making a False Statement to the GovernmentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Paul M. Hughes, 37, formerly of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 4, 2025 in federal court in Omaha for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and making a false statement to the government. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hughes to 48 months’ imprisonment for the drug charge and 54 months’ imprisonment for the false statement. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hughes’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Between March 2020 and May 2021 Hughes used his personal information and the alter egos “The Hughes and Company Foundation USA Coalition Company” and “The Hughes and Company Foundation USA Coalition- Virtual Infirmary” for the purposes of submitting false and fictitious information to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to obtain National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers.
Specifically, on March 21, 2020, Hughes prepared and submitted an electronic NPI Application that contained false information. CMS relied on the information to make its decision on issuing the NPI numbers. The NPI Application fraudulently represented that Hughes was a physician and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. Hughes was issued an NPI number by CMS temporarily. Hughes used the NPI number to submit fake prescriptions to various pharmacies.
Between March 17, 2021, and March 19, 2021, Hughes, listing a real doctor as the prescriber, electronically submitted a fraudulent prescription to a local pharmacy requesting at least one Schedule III Controlled Substance. When interviewed by law enforcement, Hughes admitted he submitted the fraudulent prescription to the pharmacy using the doctor’s name.
“Fraudulently obtaining and prescribing prescription medications under false pretenses shows a reckless disregard for public health and safety,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Wade Moon, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who attempt to knowingly misrepresent themselves as health care professionals to unsuspecting consumers and the government.”
“When individuals pretend to be legitimate health care providers to commit fraud, they undermine the public’s trust in our medical system and compromise the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Kansas City Regional Office. “HHS-OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who commit such fraud schemes are held fully accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing is the result of multiple state, local and federal components working together to remove an individual who committed egregious crimes,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei. “Paul Hughes falsified information, misled members of the community, and endangered lives. This investigation shows that no matter the length of time necessary, justice will be served for those who inflict harm in our communities.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Madison Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Arminius D. Jones, 49, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 87 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution. Jones pleaded guilty to these charges on March 21, 2025.
Between May 15, 2024, and July 1, 2024, Jones sold fentanyl pills to an undercover police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, on three occasions. On July 9, 2024, police searched his home in Madison and found approximately 7,000 fentanyl pills, money from Jones’s sales to the undercover officer, over $2,000 in additional cash, and multiple digital scales and drug ledgers. Police also found a handgun, a loaded extended magazine, and multiple boxes of ammunition within arm’s reach of the drugs.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson found that the level of drug dealing Jones engaged in surpassed supporting a substance abuse habit. He also found the gap in Jones’s criminal history exposed his vulnerability to returning to crime even after a long time. Judge Peterson was also very concerned about the dangers posed from dealing fentanyl in terms of its potential for addiction and overdose, and he expressed disappointment in the way Jones fed on the illnesses of others. Jones’s possession of a gun was an aggravating factor and showed he was aware of the potential for violence and that violence is a natural corollary when a gun is present.
The charges against Jones were the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, City of Madison Police Department, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.
Louisville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced on June 3, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison for numerous child exploitation offenses.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, made the announcement.
According to court documents Robert Razor, 57, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for one count of attempted online enticement of a minor, one count of online enticement of a minor, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
“We must and we will do everything we can to protect children of this Commonwealth from heinous acts of sexual exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Bumgarner. “Sexual predators should take note: under this Administration, we will bring the full force of the federal government against you when we learn that you have preyed upon our children.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by HSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Yannelli prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Oregon Elections Case Concerning States’ Obligations Under the National Voter Registration ActRead the Press Release
Note: View statement of interest here.
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in Judicial Watch v. Reed, No. 6:24-cv-1783 (D. Ore.) regarding the requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) for states to maintain and make available for public inspection records concerning list maintenance to ensure the accuracy of the official list of eligible voters.
The lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch alleges that the State of Oregon failed to comply with the state’s obligations under the NVRA to conduct a list maintenance program and to make the records concerning list maintenance publicly available. Advancing President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order to preserve and protect the integrity of American elections, the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces NVRA mandates.
“Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in Oregon are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “States have specific obligations under the list maintenance provisions of the NVRA, and the Department of Justice will vigorously enforce those requirements.”
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Viciously Assaulting a Man Inside His HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jaime Robles-Vasquez, 33, of Riverdale, MD was found guilty today by a Superior Court jury for assaulting a man in his home in October 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Robles-Vasquez was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed and related charges, following a five-day trial. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:30 a.m., on October 9, 2019, Robles-Vasquez went to the victim’s home in the 600 block of 4th Place, SW, grabbed a shovel from outside, and proceeded to smash the double pane glass door of the victim’s home. Once inside of the victim’s home, the defendant repeatedly struck the victim on his head and body with the shovel and bit the victim’s thumb. This interaction was all captured on a 911 call the victim made when he first saw the defendant in his backyard in the middle of the night. As a result of being struck on the head with a shovel, the victim sustained multiple injuries, including bleeding in his brain, which required emergency surgery to evacuate the blood. The victim’s wife was also home during this incident, and upon hearing the glass door of her home breaking, she locked herself in the bathroom and called 911.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katerina Qesari and Negar Kordestani.
Jamaican Woman Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Jamaican woman was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Tanya James, 53, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. James is currently in immigration custody and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on June 11, 2025.
According to the charging document, on or about May 12, 2025, James was found to have unlawfully reentered the United States after previously being deported in 2004.
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 Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office 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.
Illegal Aliens Face Federal Charges in Cobb County Methamphetamine Lab BustRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Juan Perez-Maldonado and Francisco Garcia Gomez, both illegal aliens from Mexico, appeared in federal court on June 4, 2025, following their arrests on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia Gomez and a third illegal alien from Mexico, Filemon Hernandez-Jijon, were also charged with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully present in the United States.
“Our law enforcement partners worked swiftly to disrupt a suburban drug lab, seize numerous firearms, and arrest two illegal aliens allegedly responsible for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Criminals who traffic illegal drugs in our communities will be identified, found, and prosecuted with deliberate speed.”
“DEA remains focused on keeping America safe and protecting the homeland from by removing dangerous drugs from our communities and bringing criminals to justice,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 3, 2025, DEA agents saw Filemon Hernandez-Jijon allegedly supply two kilograms of methamphetamine to a drug customer in the Smyrna, Georgia area. Law enforcement later observed Hernandez-Jijon traveling to and from a mobile home located in Marietta, Georgia.
Hours later, DEA agents executed a federal search warrant at the mobile home and encountered Juan Perez-Maldonado and Francisco Garcia Gomez there. A third person fled the scene. Inside the mobile home, agents discovered an active laboratory used to convert liquid methamphetamine into a crystal-like form, as well as at least 13 kilograms of what appeared to be the finished drug product. In addition, agents located two handguns, including one hidden in the tank of a toilet, and money remitter receipts bearing Garcia Gomez’s and Hernandez-Jijon’s names. Outside the home, agents recovered acetone, several empty coolers, and other materials commonly used to produce crystalized methamphetamine.
In connection with this investigation, agents executed another federal search warrant at an apartment in Smyrna. In a baby’s crib, agents located a bag containing a loaded Glock pistol, two additional loaded firearm magazines, and identification for Perez-Maldonado. Elsewhere in the apartment, agents found a Springfield XD firearm and a mechanical press used to press powder into kilogram bricks.
The investigation further revealed that Perez-Maldonado and Hernandez-Jijon had been previously deported and removed from the United States.
Hernandez-Jijon is currently a fugitive. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Hernandez-Jijon, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided from the Marietta-Cobb-Smyrna Narcotics Unit and the DeKalb County Police Department – HIDTA Task Force.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schwarzl and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebeca M. Ojeda are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6000. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Carlos Mendoza-Padilla, aka Marvin Antino, aka Carlos Ivan Mendoza-Padilla, aka Carlos Ivan Mendoza, a Honduran national unlawfully present in Carter County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by up two years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.
The Indictment alleged that on May 4, 2025, Mendoza-Padilla, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed on two separate occasions without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.
Mendoza-Padilla will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Homestead Felon Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Possession of Machinegun and Other Firearm and Drug Trafficking Offenses While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Homestead, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 35 years of imprisonment, to be followed by six years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Erik Addison, 29, on June 5, 2025.
“Erik Addison’s blatant disregard for the law and the safety of the community—evidenced by shooting at a police officer and engaging in a shootout in broad daylight, all while on federal supervised release for a prior conviction—demonstrates the need to have dangerous criminals like Addison off of our streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “This sentence is a testament to the dedication of our law enforcement partners in helping to bring violent traffickers such as Addison to justice. It also serves as a reminder that our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day in service to our communities.”
“Stopping criminals like Erik Addison from endangering our communities is a top ATF priority,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Armed with a pistol with a machinegun conversion device, and carrying fentanyl and heroin, he seriously endangered his neighborhood. Working with our local partners and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are making our communities safer every day.”
According to information presented to the Court, on May 8, 2023, investigators attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle Addison was driving. When the lights and sirens of one of the law enforcement vehicles were activated, Addison reversed his car and struck at least one of the law enforcement vehicles behind him, then accelerated forward, striking another police vehicle and nearly hitting a detective who was on foot, and then drove away, hitting at least one civilian vehicle as he fled.
Across a bridge, Addison and his passenger both exited and fled the vehicle by foot, with Addison grabbing his firearm from the rear of the vehicle before running. A Homestead Borough police officer spotted Addison fleeing and followed the defendant in his marked police vehicle, observing that Addison had a firearm and repeatedly ordering Addison to drop the gun. Each time, Addison defied the officer’s order to drop the gun and eventually, rather than complying, fired at the officer. Judge Ranjan, as part of the sentencing proceedings, determined that Addison had the specific intent to kill the officer when firing at him.
After shooting at the officer, Addison continued to flee with his firearm, turning the firearm toward another police officer before that officer struck Addison with his vehicle and pinned him against the wall of a building. Addison only then dropped the firearm, which was determined to be Glock semiautomatic pistol with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock switch, installed on the rear of the slide. A search of Addison’s vehicle located a black bag in the rear passenger footwell, which contained approximately 28 bricks of heroin and fentanyl, as well as a loaded 9mm extended magazine.
Following his arrest for the offenses, Addison was incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail. On several occasions, officials at the jail found the defendant in possession of synthetic cannabinoids, which is prison contraband.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Douglas C. Maloney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the numerous law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Addison. The agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Homestead Police Department, West Homestead Police Department, and Edgewood Township Police Department. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti also commended the work of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood (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.
Henryetta Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joshua Devn Page, age 34, of Henryetta, 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 Page with knowingly possessing two firearms on December 18, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Henryetta Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.
Page will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national residing in Waltham has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Mynor Lopez-Lopez, a/k/a Mynor Alexander Lopez, 37, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Lopez was arrested by immigration authorities on May 7, 2025. He will appear in federal court in Boston on June 26, 2025.
According to the indictment, Lopez was deported from the United States on March 24, 2009. It is alleged that, sometime after his 2009 removal, Lopez illegally reentered the United States without permission.
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 Jennifer Zacks 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.
Guatemalan Citizen Indicted for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Wilson Cesar Velasquez-Escalante, age 33, a Citizen of Guatemala, was indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about November 4, 2024, Velasquez-Escalante was encountered in Franklin County after previously being removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Velasquez-Escalante had been removed from the United States on December 4, 2017, through Brownsville, Texas, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charged offense is two years imprisonment, one year of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Machinegun at HospitalRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Henry County resident who had a stolen Glock 9mm handgun with a loaded 30-round extended magazine capable of converting to a fully automatic weapon while at the Labor and Delivery unit of a hospital was sentenced to serve more than five years in prison—above federal sentencing guidelines—for his crime.
Terrell Monquez Searcy, 21, of McDonough, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 66 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self on June 4. Searcy previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a machinegun on March 21, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Holding people found in possession of machineguns and with illegal conversion devices accountable for breaking federal law remains a top priority in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “This case exemplifies how law enforcement and prosecutors work together to effectively remove illegal firearms and other dangerous destructive devices from the streets in order to make our communities safer.”
“Machinegun conversion devices are fueling a deadly uptick in gun violence, turning routine firearms into weapons of war," said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Thomas Crawford of the Atlanta Field Division. "This case is yet another example of why ATF is committed to aggressively identifying and removing these illegal devices from our communities."
According to court documents, the stipulation of facts and other statements made in Court, Monroe Police Department officers were dispatched to Piedmont Walton Hospital on Aug. 17, 2023, after a nurse observed Searcy in a Labor and Delivery room with a handgun, which is prohibited in the hospital. When hospital security came to the room, Searcy admitted he did have a handgun and that he put it under the couch cushion. He gave the firearm—a Glock Model 17 9mm handgun with a loaded 30-round extended magazine—to security and remained in the room. Hospital security noticed that a full auto sear pin appeared to have been attached to the rear of the slide, making the firearm a machinegun, prompting the call by hospital security to police. Police ran the serial number on the firearm and found out it was reported stolen from Walton County, Georgia. Searcy was taken into custody.
ATF agents tested the firearm and confirmed it did function as a machinegun. Further investigation revealed that Searcy, a rapper known as Quez 2RR, had showcased a pistol with what appeared to be a machinegun conversion device in music videos on a YouTube channel. In a music video titled “Traffic,” Searcy rapped, “I pop out a switch on the back of my Glock” and “I put a switch on the back of my Glock, just to clean up the street when it’s time for that action.” At one point in the video, Searcy’s holding a pistol in his waistband with what appears to be a machinegun conversion device attached to the back.
Following the federal indictment charging Searcy with possessing a machine gun in August 2024, agents located Instagram messages between Searcy and a female law enforcement officer with the Clayton County Police Department. Between January and March 2023, Searcy asked the police officer to run his information to see if there were any warrants for his arrest. The police officer also provided information to Searcy regarding an active homicide investigation. During an interview with Clayton County Police Department detectives, the officer admitted to providing Searcy with information on an active homicide investigation and advising Searcy when she located active warrants for his arrest.
On Feb. 11, 2025, members of the ATF, McDonough Police Department and Henry County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at Searcy’s residence in McDonough, Georgia. Searcy and two other men were in the home along with several firearms. The defendant told agents that he had been living at the residence for a couple of months, that he slept with a Draco firearm under his bed and that the Glock 17 found in the living room belonged to him. ATF agents submitted test fires from both firearms to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to determine if either firearm had been used in other crimes. The Micro Draco recovered from Searcy’s bedroom returned with several NIBIN leads, including two from the DeKalb County Police Department. Both DeKalb County incidents indicated that the Micro Draco was used in a drive-by shooting in DeKalb County where four people, including two juveniles, were shot inside their homes. Each shooting occurred within just days of Searcy receiving information from the Clayton County police officer on the active Clayton County homicide where his friend was shot and killed.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case, with assistance from the City of Monroe Police Department, Clayton County Police Department, McDonough Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Dekalb County Police Department and the Piedmont Walton Hospital Security Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach prosecuted the case for the Government.
Gang Member Convicted by Jury for his Part in MurderRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Following a one-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted a member of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) — a violent street gang in Memphis — for his involvement in a gang-related murder, after deliberating for less than an hour.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Vincent Grant, also known as “V-Slash,” 41, of Memphis, was a high-ranking member of UVL, also known as The Ghost Mob — a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis and beyond to Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of UVL committed murders, burglaries, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief, the leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved.
As proven at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in a residential neighborhood in broad daylight. The gang sought retaliation that same night against a rival gang, the Traveling Vice Lords (TVL) whom they initially believed to have been responsible. Multiple UVL members drove to a known TVL hangout and engaged in a gun battle with the other gang. During the next few days, UVL conducted its own internal investigation and were informed that a fellow member was thought to be responsible for their Chief’s murder.
Five days after the Chief was murdered, on Jan. 15, 2019, the implicated member, the victim for this trial, was murdered at the hands of Grant and other UVL members. On Jan. 14, 2019, Grant, as a keeper of guns for the gang, provided guns to multiple gang members for the purpose of going on a “demo,” which is the gang’s term for committing violent acts. Then early the next morning at around 1:00 a.m., Grant and three other gang members drove the victim to an apartment complex, where two of them executed the victim with the guns Grant provided.
“This violent gang brutally executed one of their own and left the body on display as a warning that betrayal would not be tolerated,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their blatant disregard for human life — carrying out shootings in broad daylight and in residential neighborhoods—underscores the urgent need to confront and dismantle this threat to public safety. The Justice Department and the ATF turned this case from a cold case into a conviction, and we remain committed to working closely with law enforcement to tackle even the most challenging cases. Our warning to street gangs is clear: their violence will not be tolerated.”
“Gang violence is never isolated — it endangers entire communities,” said Acting Director Daniel Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “This gang’s brutal executions, carried out openly in residential neighborhoods in broad daylight, sent a chilling message of intimidation; but ATF and our law enforcement partners sent an even stronger one back: violence and fear will not prevail. We remained dedicated to protecting the community and unraveled this deadly conspiracy to ensure justice was done. We remain relentless in our commitment to dismantle gangs that threaten public safety, and we’ll continue to hold accountable, those who inflict violence in our communities.”
The jury convicted Grant of causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, that being murder in aid of racketeering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 19 and faces up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department, and United States Secret Service assisted in the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Lisa Thelwell and Christopher Usher of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
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Press Release Number: 25-586
Fresno Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Throwing Methamphetamine into Federal Prison YardRead the Press Release
Garrett Scott Wheelen, 33, of Fresno, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 12 years and seven months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
“Garrett Wheelen brazenly attempted to throw packages containing tobacco and methamphetamine into the prison yard of Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Federal prisons are tightly controlled, and the FBI works closely with its local, state, and federal partners to ensure anyone attempting to introduce contraband into a prison is held accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Wheelen arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota wearing a facemask, baseball cap, and hoodie to conceal his identity. In broad daylight, Wheelen ran to the prison fence and tossed four packages into the prison’s recreation yard. He was quickly apprehended after attempting to flee. The packages contained more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine. Wheelen was on supervised release from a prior federal felony charge at the time.
Initially, Wheelen’s plan was to stuff the narcotics inside red squirrel pelts to avoid detection by prison staff. In text messages, he discussed purchasing the pelts and sewing up the narcotics inside. Wheelen, however, abandoned this plan and ultimately tossed the narcotics over the fence without any such effort to disguise their nature.
Wheelen was also sentenced to a term of 2 years in prison for his violation of supervised release terms, to run concurrently to his sentence for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mendota Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting the case.
Fraudulent Billing Scheme Targeted in False Claims Act Complaint Against Physical Therapy PracticeRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) against Absolute Physical & Aquatic Therapy, LLC; Chipley Physical Therapy, LLC; Ruben Laurel; and Lorrie Laurel, announced U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Florida, alleges that the Defendants billed the Government for services that Defendant Lorrie Laurel, a physical therapist, performed while she was abroad.
Defendant Chipley Physical Therapy, LLC (“CPT”) provides outpatient physical and aquatic therapy services across the Florida panhandle in Chipley, Marianna, and Bonifay, and is owned and operated by Defendants Ruben and Lorrie Laurel. Defendant Absolute Physical & Aquatic Therapy (“APAT”) is a physical therapy billing company owned and operated by Defendant Ruben Laurel.
The government’s complaint alleges Defendants knowingly submitted false claims for payment in violation of the FCA by billing the government for services while Defendant Lorrie Laurel was out of the country and on cruises in Mexico, Jamaica, Aruba, and the Bahamas between July 2019 and March 2024. More specifically, the complaint alleges Defendants submitted 613 claims for payment to the United States for services Defendant Lorrie Laurel allegedly performed at CPT while she was abroad.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This lawsuit demonstrates our firm commitment to hold healthcare providers accountable for fraudulent billing and fulfills the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to aggressively root out fraud, waste, and abuse. Healthcare providers who are fraudulently charging the federal government for medical services not rendered will be vigorously pursued by our office.”
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Ariel Bowen v. Absolute Physical & Aquatic Therapy, LLC, et al., Case No. 5:21-cv-236-TKW-MJF (N.D. Fla.), and is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Ann Couch and Marie Moyle for the Northern District of Florida.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Four men sentenced for conspiracy to traffic counterfeit Adderall on darknet marketplace sitesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three New York men and a New Jersey man have been sentenced to prison for conspiracy to create a counterfeit substance and distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Gregory Castillo-Rosario, 32, of Brooklyn, New York; Joseph James Vasquez, 33, of Brooklyn; Joshua William Vasquez, aka Fredrico Sanchez and Luis Santos, 32, of Jackson Township, New Jersey; and Rafael Antonio Roman, 35, of Brooklyn, manufactured and distributed thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills that contained meth. They distributed the pills through three identified darknet marketplace (DM) drug vendor aliases: MrJohnson, NuveoDeluxe, and AllStateRx.
The conspirators operated the vendor pages, posted listings for controlled substances, processed orders, packaged controlled substances using methods designed to evade law enforcement detection, and shipped the counterfeit pills to customers nationwide via the U.S. Postal Service. Payment from customers typically came in the form of cryptocurrency.
The counterfeit Adderall were round, orange pills, debossed with "b974" on one side and "30" on the other to appear to be generic Adderall. The pills did not contain the active ingredients of the pharmaceutically manufactured drug, however, and instead contained meth. The conspirators advertised the counterfeit pills as Adderall, and while the NuveoDeluxe vendor page explicitly advertised its pills as containing meth, the AllStateRx and MrJohnson pages did not.
The conspirators purchased meth over the darknet and used high-speed grinders to grind it into powder form. The conspirators also bought binding materials, mechanical pill presses, and pill press attachments to transform the meth into counterfeit Adderall pills.
After a series of controlled buys, on Feb. 21, 2024, law enforcement searched a commercial facility used by the conspiracy that was leased and operated by members of Roman's family as well as the residences of Joshua Vasquez and Roman. At the facility, investigators recovered two pill presses used to make the pills, three high-speed grinders used to grind bulk meth, and approximately 39,996 counterfeit pills.
At Joshua Vasquez’s residence, investigators found $298,108 in cash, and Vasquez had $15,726 on his person at the time of his arrest.
At Roman's residence, investigators recovered approximately 34,593 counterfeit pills, a handgun, three loaded ammunition magazines, and approximately $34,820.
Analysis of the vendor pages’ sales showed the three vendor pages were responsible for over 13,000 sales of counterfeit Adderall pills nationwide. When added to the pills seized as part of the investigation, analysis showed the conspiracy was responsible for at least 320 kilograms of counterfeit Adderall pills either manufactured for distribution or distributed across the United States.
Joshua Vasquez pled guilty on April 24, 2024. On July 25, 2024, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Joseph Vasquez pled guilty on April 15, 2024. On Aug. 8, 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Roman pled guilty on May 30, 2024. On Nov. 14, 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Castillo-Rosario pled guilty on Jan. 3, 2024. He was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Emily Odom, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Carter prosecuted the case.
The investigation was supported by the Justice Department’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team’s Operation RapTor, a global initiative to disrupt the sale of illicit narcotics on the darknet.
The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Howell Township Police Department, Marlboro Township Police Department, Asbury Park Police Department, Freehold Borough Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Wall Township Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department, Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Arlington County Police Department, and New York Police Department provided significant assistance in the investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:24-cr-76 (Joseph Vasquez), 1:24-cr-83 (Joshua Vasquez), 1:24-cr-114 (Roman), and 1:24-cr-276 (Castillo-Rosario).
Founder of O.C.-Based Non-Profit Charged in 15-Count Indictment Alleging He Bribed County Supervisor in $12 Million SchemeRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The founder of a now-shuttered non-profit organization has been indicted on federal charges alleging he bribed then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Hoang Do to obtain approximately $12 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related funds, pocketed the bulk of that money, then laundered it to avoid detection by law enforcement, the Justice Department announced today.
Peter Anh Pham, 65, of Garden Grove, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, six counts of concealment money laundering, and one count of bribery.
Also charged in the indictment is Thanh Huong Nguyen, 61, of Santa Ana, who is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of concealment money laundering.
Pham is considered to be a fugitive from justice. Nguyen’s initial appearance and arraignment are expected to occur on Monday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
“These two defendants are charged with conspiring with a corrupt politician to pad their pockets while the nation suffered under the weight of COVID-19,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to prosecute individuals who cashed in on government aid intended to help those impacted by the largest public health emergency in a century.”
“This conspiracy was a house of cards built on lies, betrayal, and insatiable greed,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Today’s indictments are another critical step in ensuring accountability – and consequences – for those who conspired to use the County of Orange’s COVID-19 funds as their personal ATMs – and to return those stolen funds to their rightful owners – the community for which these funds were originally intended.”
According to the indictment that was returned on Wednesday and unsealed today, Pham was a friend and associate of Do, 62, of Santa Ana, who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 2015 until his resignation in October 2024. In that role, Do was one of five supervisors on the Board, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget.
Do pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, when he will face a sentence of up to five years in federal prison.
From June 2020 to October 2024, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to vote for millions of dollars in county funds to be allocated in his district, subject to disbursement at his sole discretion. Do then steered county contracts and grants to Pham and Nguyen, the indictment alleges.
For example, in June 2020, Do voted to approve an agenda item that, in part, allocated $5 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic-relief funding to a county nutrition program. As part of this agenda item, Do authorized himself a budget of $1 million to develop that nutrition program in his district, which he could distribute without further approval from the rest of the Board. Eight days after Do voted to approve the agenda item, Pham founded the Huntington Beach-based non-profit organization Viet America Society (VAS).
Pham, through VAS, and Nguyen, through a Garden Grove-based group called Hand-to-Hand Relief Organization Inc. (H2H), entered into contracts and beneficiary agreements with the county. In many of these contracts, VAS and H2H falsely represented that they would reimburse the county for any funds not spent for the contract’s intended purpose. In each of the beneficiary agreements, VAS and H2H falsely certified that all funds would be used solely for the grant’s intended purpose.
In exchange for Pham’s bribes in the form of payments to his two daughters, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to advocate for VAS and H2H so county employees would approve contracts and beneficiary agreements between the county and these organizations. Do and his staff – including his chief of staff – edited the terms of those contracts and agreements to make them more favorable to Pham and Nguyen. Through the influence of Do and his staff, the county wired funds to Pham and Nguyen.
After receiving county funds, Pham and Nguyen transferred most of the money to other entities they controlled. They then spent large portions of the funds to pay personal expenses such as rent and bills, to pay off debts owed by their other businesses, and to make personal investments such as purchasing commercial and residential real estate. Pham and Nguyen also used county funds to bribe Do through payments to his daughters.
Pham also used county money to pay the eventual wife of Do’s chief of staff, under the guise that she was providing consulting services to VAS. Do’s chief of staff then used his position in Orange County’s government to help VAS and H2H obtain county contracts, edited the contracts’ terms to make them more favorable to VAS and H2H, and helped those organizations fulfill reporting requirements and get paid.
When required to submit invoices to the county to account for how the money was being spent, Pham and Nguyen submitted false documents, claiming to have used all the funds – all solely for legitimate purposes and according to the contracts’ terms.
To disguise the funds’ source, Pham and an associate caused checks from county funds to be written to a Westminster-based company called D Air Conditioning Co. LLC. This company then issued checks from its corporate bank account to Pham, Pham’s associate, and one of Do’s daughters.
In total, Pham and Nguyen unlawfully acquired approximately $12 million in county funds through this conspiracy.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of the charges, Pham and Nguyen would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, each wire fraud count, and each money laundering count. Pham also would face up to 10 years in federal prison for the bribery count.
The FBI, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Rosalind Wang of the Orange County Office, Assistant United States Attorney Tara Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorney Anthony J. Schlehner of Orange County District Attorney’s Office are prosecuting this case.
Fort Scott man charged with trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Jeffery Michael Roark, 56, of Fort Scott is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel 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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Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Aaron StandsAndLooksBack, a/k/a Aaron Woodman, 42, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty June 4, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, StandsAndLooksBack admitted that between December 2020 and December 2023, he and others conspired to distribute at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Evidence also showed that StandsAndLooksBack obtained, by buying or stealing, methamphetamine to distribute to others. StandsAndLooksBack also admitted that he stole sizable amounts of methamphetamine from his mother and resold the methamphetamine to others in the Fort Dodge, Iowa area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. StandsAndLooksBack remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. StandsAndLooksBack faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Iowa Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Sentenced to Prison for Bid Rigging and Conspiracy to MonopolizeRead the Press Release
The former owner of fuel truck supply companies was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to 12 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his leadership role in conspiracies to monopolize, rig bids, and allocate territories for fuel truck contracts that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west. The conduct lasted at least eight years.
Ike Tomlinson pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiring with Kris Bird, the owner of another fuel truck company to rig bids in each other’s favor. Both individuals pleaded guilty to the charges from the federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the fuel truck services industry.
“This sentence sends a message that bid rigging—particularly bid rigging affecting federal agencies—will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Defendant’s conspiracies struck at the heart of the competitive process. They damaged essential taxpayer-funded services critical to protecting the American public and its property from wildfires while profiting at the expense of American taxpayers. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to ensure that individuals who cheat and deprive their communities of these essential services are incarcerated.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who manipulate markets and undermine fair competition will be held accountable,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division. “Antitrust violations harm consumers, distort markets and erode trust in our economy. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to investigate and disrupt all forms of corporate fraud.”
“Competition is critical for fair and efficient federal contracting,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Suffredini of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). “GSA OIG special agents and our partners are committed to pursuing those who engage in any form of procurement fraud.”
According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated their bids to inflate prices and to determine who would have priority to receive business from the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies in the event of a wildfire in a specific geographic area. These bids gave the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators had predetermined who would receive priority from the Forest Service. The co-conspirators further coordinated to exclude and punish potential competitors to further maintain the success of their conspiracy. Tomlinson participated in the conduct from 2015 through 2023.
The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division's San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.
In addition to today’s criminal sentence, on July 10, 2024, the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, entered into a civil settlement with Ike Tomlinson and other related entities and individuals who agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve civil claims related to allegations that they obtained government contracts through bid-rigging and the submission of false SAM Certifications, submitted false claims for helicopter operations support trailers, wrongly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan, and other conduct.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General investigated the civil case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert B. Firpo and Civil Chief James Schaefer are handling the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.
Former Franklin County jail deputy pleads guilty to civil rights violationRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to depriving an inmate of his civil rights. Matthew Carey, 28, of Grove City, admitted to depriving an individual of their right to be free from a deputy’s deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm, while acting under color of law.
According to court documents, in March 2022, Carey intentionally disclosed a pretrial detainee’s pending charge of rape of a minor to Gmier McCall, another pretrial detainee. Carey knew that disclosing the victim’s charges created a substantial risk that he would be assaulted by others in the jail, and in fact inmates did assault the victim.
Carey faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. McCall previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deprive the victim of his civil rights and also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
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Former Franklin County Jail Deputy Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
A former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, today to depriving an inmate of his civil rights. Matthew Carey, 28, of Grove City, admitted to depriving an individual of their right to be free from a deputy’s deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm, while acting under color of law.
According to court documents, in March 2022, Carey intentionally disclosed a pretrial detainee’s pending charge of rape of a minor to Gmier McCall, another pretrial detainee. Carey knew that disclosing the victim’s charges created a substantial risk that he would be assaulted by others in the jail, and in fact inmates did assault the victim.
Carey faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. McCall previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to deprive the victim of his civil rights and also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Former Chief Financial Officer Pleads Guilty to Theft in Connection with Health CareRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The former Chief Financial Officer of Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) pleaded guilty Thursday for stealing money from PSMFC’s health benefit trust account.
Pamela J. Kahut, 67, of Wilsonville, Oregon, pleaded guilty to theft in connection with health care.
According to court documents, Kahut, as Chief Financial Officer of PSFMC, had access to and controlled PSMFC’s health benefit trust account that was created to pay benefits, fees, and other charges for PSFMC employees covered under its self-funded health care benefit program.
On September 21, 2020, Kahut wrote a check in the amount of $2,812.85 from the health benefit trust account to pay for her spouse’s participation in PSFMC’s long-term care insurance program.
In total, between October 2014 and September 2020, defendant stole approximately $211,083 from PSMFC’s health benefit trust account. Kahut used the funds to pay for her spouse’s long-term care annual premiums, pay off her pension loans, and to pay her credit card bills.
Theft in connection with health care fraud is punishable up to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. The charge may also result in a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense.
Kahut will be sentenced on September 3, 2025, before a U.S. District Judge.
This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
First week of June sees more than 200 charged in SDTX cases in relation to enforcement efforts along southwest borderRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A total of 202 cases have been filed from May 30-June 5 in immigration and border security matters, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The filed cases include seven involving human smuggling. A total of 129 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 63 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes.
One such person charged this week is Luis Humberto Gonzalez-Sanchez who was arrested for allegedly harboring 16 illegal aliens in his home in Mercedes. The criminal complaint alleges he harbored over 100 aliens in the last six months for whom he was paid $150 each. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
Also facing new criminal charges are six Mexican nationals, all of whom had been previously convicted of illegal reentry into the United States and sentenced to terms ranging from 15-46 months in federal prison. However, their charges allege authorities had found them in the Rio Grande Valley after once again unlawfully returning without any permission to do so. Oscar Vicente Perez-Lopez, Juan Manuel De La Cruz-Mejia, Jose Luis Tostado-Flores, Jesus Morales-Vargas, Jose Patricio Rios-Rojas and Juan Manuel Alvarado-Gonzalez had allegedly been previously removed on varying dates between 2015-2023 and now face up to 20 years in prison, upon this conviction.
In addition to the new cases, an illegal alien from El Salvador was sentenced for assaulting law enforcement. Authorities conducted a traffic stop in November 2024 in Rio Grande City when Oscar Adilio Sanchez-Rivera notified them of his alien status. As a Border Patrol (BP) agent attempted to place him in a vehicle, Sanchez-Rivera attempted to evade arrest, punched the agent in the face and caused an additional injury that required surgery. He will now serve 36 months in prison.
“The defendant here managed to turn a simple removal case to a multi-year federal sentence,” said Ganjei. “Let this case be an example to others who may wish harm on police or federal agents; assaulting law enforcement will not be tolerated.”
Also announced was the sentencing in Houston of an illegal alien for stealing a U.S. citizen’s identity. In imposing the 40-month sentence, the court noted the seriousness of the offense and that Carlos Bedolla Sanchez’s previous penalties did not do enough good or make him repentant. The investigation revealed Sanchez began using the victim’s identity in approximately March 2009 to obtain state driver’s licenses and other U.S. identification, including a passport.
Following a two-day jury trial in Corpus Christi, a Houston trucker was convicted of transporting illegal aliens. A lawful permanent resident since 1989, Armando Balladares-Prado had pulled up to the BP checkpoint south of Falfurrias and seemed nervous. His vehicle was completely empty but had a seal and lock on it as if there was a full transport load in the back. Authorities soon found two individuals hidden underneath the bed of the sleeper compartment. Both were determined to be citizens of Guatemala illegally present in the United States. Balladares-Prado told the aliens to get under the bed and instructed them on what to say if law enforcement discovered them. He now faces a federal prison sentence and possible loss of his status in the United States.
In Laredo, two men also learned their fate for their roles in an extensive human smuggling conspiracy and operating stash houses in Laredo and Poteet. Manuel Capetillo and Michael Diaz are attributed with smuggling over 65 aliens, including adults and children as young as six, who came from multiple countries as far south as Guatemala. Over several months, Capetillo recruited drivers, scouts and caretakers to bring aliens in from countries in Central America and transport them throughout the southern and central areas of Texas. Capetillo received an 85-month-term of imprisonment, while Diaz was ordered to serve 70 months. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the inhumane conditions in which the aliens were transported and that Capetillo and Diaz had made a business out of smuggling aliens. “You thought of these people as cattle,” he said.
Another sentencing in McAllen saw an illegal alien heading to prison for 37 months for trafficking over $1 million in cocaine. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Rolando Banda-Lucero did not have status to be in the country and got involved in narcotics trafficking for money.
Also finalized this week was an adult male pretending to be a minor as he illegally entered the country. On Feb. 2, Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed to be an unaccompanied minor so he could be housed in a special facility. The investigation revealed Cotto-Navarro was actually an adult posing as a minor. He was sentenced and now expected to face removal proceedings.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Robbing Bank in Lake County, Ill.Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a man of robbing a bank in Lake County, Ill.
FRANCISCO MARTINEZ entered a First Midwest Bank branch in Round Lake, Ill., on Dec. 20, 2021, and handed the teller a folded piece of paper that read, “40k, 30 seconds, no tricks, go now.” Martinez then raised his shirt, showing what appeared to be the handle of a firearm tucked into his waistband. Martinez briefly grabbed a customer and threatened to take her with him from the bank. The teller complied with Martinez’s demands and handed him cash before Martinez fled the bank.
Martinez, 32, of Des Plaines, Ill., was arrested in June 2022 and has remained in law enforcement custody since then. Martinez committed the robbery while on court-supervised release following a prior bank robbery conviction.
On Monday, the jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted him of one count of bank robbery, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Aug. 29, 2025.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the Round Lake Beach, Ill. Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The government has been represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jimmy Arce, Adam L. Rosenbloom, and Caitlin S. Walgamuth.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Fort Campbell Soldier for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on April 15, 2025, charging a Fort Campbell soldier with enticement and sexual exploitation of a minor.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Chief Brian Laird of the Paducah Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Cameron Lawrence, 23, was charged with one count of enticement of a minor, two counts of attempted enticement of a minor, and two counts of sexual exploitation of children.
The defendant made his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on June 3, 2025. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, Lawrence faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the Paducah Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Executive at Investor Relations Firm and Two Associates Plead Guilty to Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that ROBERT YEDID, ANDREW KAUFMAN, and MARK JACOBS pled guilty to participating in a five-year insider trading scheme to reap illegal profits from stock and options trading based on inside information about several health care company clients of the investor relations firm where YEDID was employed. Together, YEDID, KAUFMAN and JACOBS made more than $500,000 in illicit gains through this scheme. JACOBS pled guilty today before U.S. Chief District Judge Laura Taylor Swain. YEDID and KAUFMAN pled guilty before Chief Judge Swain on May 29, 2025.
“Robert Yedid betrayed the trust of his employer and its clients by stealing confidential information and passing it to two friends, Andrew Kaufman and Mark Jacobs, to make unlawful, profitable trades based on inside information,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This Office is committed to prosecuting securities fraud and ensuring that insiders and their friends can’t cheat their way to profits. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to police the financial markets and hold those accountable who misuse nonpublic information for personal gain.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Robert Yedid abused his authority as a former investor relations director and provided his friends with material nonpublic information to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit profits. By betraying the trust placed in his position, Yedid established an unlawful financial advantage for his insular social circle that was not afforded to all investors. May today’s plea serve as a deterrent to any individual who exploits confidential trading information for personal benefit.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
Between 2019 and 2024, YEDID, KAUFMAN, and JACOBS engaged in a scheme to trade in stocks and options based on material nonpublic information about several publicly traded health care companies, in violation of the duties of trust and confidence that YEDID owed to his employer, an investor relations firm, and to the companies.
YEDID was a director at an investor relations firm that provided public relations services to health care companies, including BioDelivery Sciences International Inc. (“BDSI”), CinCor Pharma (“CinCor”), Inotiv (“Inotiv”), Inspire Medical Systems (“Inspire”), Nano-X Imaging Ltd. (“Nano-X”), and OncoCyte Corp. (“OncoCyte”). In this role, YEDID had access to the content of upcoming press releases, which often contained highly sensitive, non-public, and potentially market-moving news, such as earning reports, regulatory approvals, clinical trial results, and merger and acquisition announcements. YEDID owed a duty of trust and confidence to his employer and its clients and was prohibited from misusing or disclosing the firm’s confidential information for personal gain or to benefit others.
Beginning in 2019, YEDID knowingly and willfully tipped his friends, KAUFMAN and JACOBS, with valuable, nonpublic information of upcoming corporate announcements involving at least six client companies. That confidential information included advanced notice of an upcoming merger for BDSI; clinical trial results for healthcare products being developed by OncoCyte and CinCor; and quarterly earnings announcements for Inspire, Nano-X, and Inotiv.
YEDID understood and intended that the information he provided to KAUFMAN and JACOBS would be used to execute securities trades before the information became public. As expected, KAUFMAN and JACOBS executed trades based on YEDID’s tips. In many cases, KAUFMAN and JACOBS traded aggressively in the securities of the companies, often purchasing shares or options just days before major announcements were made. Together, KAUFMAN and JACOBS traded in stocks and options on at least 17 different occasions based on YEDID’s tips. KAUFMAN generated profits of more than $480,000, and JACOBS generated profits of more than $35,000. In exchange for the tips, KAUFMAN shared half of his illegal profits with YEDID by giving him cash in envelopes during various meetings in New York City.
In November 2024, FBI agents approached YEDID, KAUFMAN, and JACOBS as part of this investigation. Shortly after being contacted by the FBI, KAUFMAN intentionally deleted spreadsheets he maintained that listed the illegal profits he made through trading based on YEDID’s tips. KAUFMAN deleted these records in order to impede and obstruct the FBI’s investigation.
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YEDID, 67, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
KAUFMAN, 68, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of obstruction of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
JACOBS, 77, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
YEDID is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief Judge Swain on September 12, 2025, at 2:30 p.m; KAUFMAN is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief Judge Swain on September 18, 2025, at 11 a.m; and JACOBS is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief Judge Swain on September 19, 2025, at 11 a.m.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Rothman is in charge of the prosecution.
u.s._v._yedid_kaufman_and_jacobs_information.pdfEight Charged in Federal Crackdown on Treasury Check FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Eight individuals have been charged as part of an ongoing investigation into the theft of U.S. Treasury tax refund checks in Massachusetts.
According to the charging documents eight defendants in communities throughout Eastern Massachusetts have allegedly been involved in the theft of tax refund checks, totaling more than $8.8 million in 2023 and 2024. As alleged, each of the U.S. Treasury checks the defendants stole represented a tax refund or tax credit due to a bona fide taxpayer, but had been altered to be payable to shell companies the defendants controlled. Each defendant allegedly deposited one or more fraudulent checks at banks or credit unions in and around Metro Boston. The following defendants are charged in separate indictments:
- Gino Rosario Tyler Alexander Allegra, 31, of Brockton, charged with theft of $861,646 in government funds;
- Eric Banks, 70, of Quincy, charged with theft of $1,173,482 in government funds;
- Jesse El-Ghoul, 31, of Leominster, charged with theft of $1,355,863 in government funds;
- Nnamdi Opara, 30, of Woburn, charged with theft of $700,767 in government funds;
- Gurprit Singh, 34, of Framingham, charged with theft of $2,547,508 in government funds;
- Amarpreet Singh, 33, of Framingham, charged with theft of $536,214 in government funds;
- Lonnie Smith-Matthews, 33, of Hyde Park, charged with theft of $150,000 in government funds and bank fraud of $232,588; and
- Domingo Villari, 49, of Framingham, charged with theft of $1,288,575 in government funds.
Banks, El-Ghoul, G. Singh, Opara, Smith-Matthews and Villari are in federal custody and will appear in Federal Court in Boston later today. Allegra and A. Singh remain at large.
“As alleged, these defendants stole millions in tax refunds owed to hardworking Americans and used Massachusetts businesses and community banks to defraud the U.S. Treasury,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Would-be thieves should understand that taking government money is not a victimless crime. If you cash or deposit a refund check that you know is not yours, you will be prosecuted. This office and its law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud and abuse in the federal tax system.”
“Today’s arrest demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting all instances of Treasury check theft,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “The theft and altering of Treasury checks is a growing issue that impacts all Americans. IRS-CI will continue to work diligently to bring all those who prey on American taxpayers to justice.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who attempt to exploit U.S Treasury refund checks meant for hard working taxpayers for their own private gain," said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter. “TIGTA's mission is to protect the integrity of our nation's tax administration system. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate federal laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible."
The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley; IRS Acting SAC Demeo; Treasury Inspector General SAC Carpenter; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Needham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kriss Basil and Brian Sullivan of Foley’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Drug Supplier from Lowell Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced on June 4, 2025 in federal court in Boston for conspiring with gang members to traffic methamphetamine pills made to look like the legitimate pharmaceutical product, Adderall.
Brian Gingras, a/k/a “Cheech,” 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In January 2025, Gingras pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
Gingras was a drug supplier in an extensive distribution network involving Asian Boyz gang member, Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez.” Between May 2022 and September 2022, Gingras delivered over 5,000 counterfeit Adderall pills – which were referred to as “Ads,” “Addies,” or simply, “A’s” – to Phim on numerous occasions. Phim then sold the pills to an undercover federal agent for more than $18,000. Chemical testing confirmed that the pills contained a dangerous compound of methamphetamine and caffeine.
During a search of Gingras’ residence, hundreds of additional counterfeit “Adderall” pills as well as counterfeit “Xanax” pills and a pill press were discovered. The search also revealed that Gingras maintained a storage unit where he kept a loaded firearm and over 30 kilograms of counterfeit “Adderall” pills made with caffeine only, bags of suspected marijuana as well as boxes of THC extract and edible products.
Phim was sentenced by Judge Gorton in May 2025 to 10 years in prison.
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 today. 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 prosecuted the case.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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.
Dominican National Sentenced to 10 years on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Acting U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Ery Rivera Palmer, 39, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 75 kilograms of cocaine and three firearms.
According to court documents, on August 28, 2024, at approximately 2:30 p.m., while patrolling the area of Haulover Bay, St. John, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine (CBP-AMO) agents, along with Border Patrol (BP) agents, detected two males walking the beach trail towards the beach at Haulover Bay. One male was carrying an assault-style long gun. Minutes later, the males were observed carrying three black duffel bags up the trail towards a small parking area. A lone gray Acura RDX was then seen leaving the area. Federal agents, with the assistance of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), were able to locate the vehicle suspected of containing the two males seen walking the trail. The vehicle was stopped. Rivera Palmer was one of two occupants in the car who matched the description of the two men seen on the trail. As federal agents approached the vehicle, two assault-style rifles were seen on the rear passenger floorboard. A third firearm, a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine, was found on the driver side floorboard. Neither of the two assault-style rifles had serial numbers. In the rear of the vehicle, agents recovered three duffle bags containing 61 brick-like packages containing approximately 75 kilograms of cocaine.
The investigation was conducted by CBP-AMO, BP, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of FBI and VIPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Payne prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
This effort was 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.District of Arizona Charges 199 Individuals with Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 31, 2025, through June 6, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 199 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 74 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 104 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 18 cases against 20 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one individual for assaulting a Border Patrol Agent.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Norberto Rueda-Mancinas: On May 31, 2025, a Border Patrol agent encountered Norberto Rueda-Mancinas walking about three miles southeast of San Miguel, Arizona. When Rueda saw the agent, he tried to run. After a short chase, the agent caught up to Rueda, and Rueda threw his backpack at the agent, hitting him in the head and causing the agent's night vision goggles to cut his face. The backpack was loaded with food and water and weighed approximately 10 pounds. Rueda was arrested and determined to be a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. He had been previously removed from the United States on April 11, 2025. Rueda was charged with Assaulting a Federal Officer and Illegal Reentry. [Case Number: MJ-25-00620]
United States v. Fabian Ramirez-Childs and United States v. Pena-Losada: On May 31, 2025, Border Patrol agents received an alert for a vehicle that was reportedly loaded with suspected illegal aliens. Agents located the vehicle and initiated a stop. As the vehicle yielded, the passenger door opened and two subjects exited and ran into the desert. The driver then sped away, leading agents on a chase for approximately two miles before yielding. The driver was identified as Fabian Ramirez-Childs, a U.S. citizen. The passenger who had remained in the vehicle was determined to be a citizen of Bangladesh, illegally present in the United States. Agents tracked and located the two subjects that had run from the vehicle, and both were determined to be Mexican citizens who were illegally present in the United States. The driver, Ramirez-Childs, was charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. [Case Number: MJ-25-00623]
United States v. Cesar Ivan Bencomo Varela: In 2021, Cesar Ivan Bencomo Varela submitted an application for a U.S. Passport at the U.S. Post Office in Show Low, Arizona. In his application, Bencomo Varela claimed to be “Joseph David Olivas,” a United States citizen. Bencomo signed the application packet, swearing under oath that the information on the application was true, and that the photograph attached to the passport application was a true likeness of him. An investigation revealed that Bencomo Varela had been using the Olivas identity since 2015 to obtain employment in the United States. On June 3, 2025, Bencomo Varela was indicted on one count of False Statement in Application or Use of Passport and one count of aggravated identity theft. [Case Number: CR-25-08098]
United States v. Blanca Esthela Favela-Coronel: On June 3, 2025, Blanca Esthela Favela-Coronel was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Blanca Esthela Favela-Coronel had been previously removed from the United States in 2014 after being convicted of two counts of felony Attempted Sale of Dangerous Drugs (Methamphetamine) in the Superior Court of Arizona, Coconino County. Favela-Coronel was sentenced to two years of incarceration on each count, to be served concurrently with one another. [Case Number: 25-08325MJ]
Criminal complaints and indictments are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-090_June 6 Immigration Enforcement
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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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Depew man charged with entering secure area at the Buffalo Niagara International AirportRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that that James R. Muench Jr., 45, of Depew, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with entering an aircraft area at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport by forcefully ramming his vehicle through a closed security gate and entering the secure aircraft operational area of the airport. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 20, 2025, Muench, driving a pickup truck, breached perimeter access Gate 1 at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport by forcefully driving up to the gate, intentionally crashing and ramming it multiple times, before bending the gate. After breaking through, he then drove to the aircraft operational area without authorization, evading the security procedures or restrictions in place. The vehicle was observed driving through various secure parts of the airport to include the airfield, aircraft taxiways, the passenger ramp where commercial aircraft are usually docked when transporting passengers, and the airport runway where aircraft take off and land. Vehicle access to all these areas is highly regulated. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority police responded to the scene, located Muench, and took him into custody.
Muench made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Del City Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison after Setting Fire at Metro RestaurantRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DANIEL JOB, 38, of Del City, has been sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison for arson, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on July 27, 2024, crews with the Del City Fire Department (DCFD) responded on reports of a structure fire at a local restaurant. At the business, DCFD encountered and extinguished a small fire near one of the doors of the building, and crews smelled what they believed to be gasoline. Surveillance video taken inside the restaurant showed a subject, later identified as Job, approach the door where the fire was set and bend over and placed something on the ground, just before the fire ignited. After investigators identified Job as a suspect, they executed a search warrant at Job’s home and discovered a backpack with a hydration bladder filled with gasoline. On September 4, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Job with arson.
On December 17, 2024, Job pleaded guilty, and admitted he intentionally set fire to the restaurant.
At the sentencing hearing on June 5, 2025, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Job to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the dangerous nature of the offense involving intentionally setting a fire to the structure of a business.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Del City Fire Department, and the Del City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan J. West prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Machine Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rashaw Henry, 30, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday in Superior Court for being in possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Henry was found guilty at trial, on January 24, 2025, of unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a machine gun, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel sentenced Henry to 60 months of incarceration; however, all but 24 months of the time was suspended on the condition that Henry successfully complete two years of supervised probation.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, on March 21, 2024, MPD officers were monitoring the unit block of M Street NE, when an officer observed Henry in possession of approximately one pound of marijuana. When officers arrested Henry, they recovered a Glock 23 handgun from his waistband. The Glock was equipped with a conversion switch that turned the semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun. The Glock was loaded with 18 rounds in a 22-round capacity magazine and one round in the chamber.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne Cotter and William Gandy, who prosecuted the case.
Colchester, Vermont Man Sentenced to 49 Months for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 30, 2025, Samuel Blatt, 33, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 49 additional months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Blatt has been detained in the custody of the State of Vermont since his arrest on March 15, 2024. Judge Reiss also ordered that Blatt pay $14,100 in restitution. Blatt previously pleaded guilty to the March 5, 2024, robbery of the Union Bank in Johnson, Vermont.
According to court records, between February 28, 2024, and March 14, 2024, Blatt committed the robberies of four banks in Vermont, and attempted the robbery of a fifth bank. On February 28, 2024, Blatt entered the M&T Bank in Essex, Vermont and handed the teller a note demanding money, stating that he wanted $100 bills with “No dye packs,” “No bait money,” and “Fast.” Blatt obtained approximately $1000 from M&T Bank. On March 5, 2024, Blatt entered the Union Bank in Johnson, Vermont and handed the teller a note which stated, “Give me all $100’s, $50’s, $20 bills fast, no dye packs.” During the robbery, Blatt stated to bank employees in effect, “This is not a joke, you know what to do, give me all your money.” Blatt obtained approximately $5,300 from Union Bank. On March 13, 2024, Blatt entered a Community Bank in Burlington, Vermont, stated that he was robbing the bank and handed a bank employee a note that stated, “Give me all $100-, $50-, and $20-bills, no dye packs. Fast.” Community Bank employees did not comply with Blatt’s demands, and he left the bank. On March 13, 2024, Blatt entered the TD Bank in Winooski, Vermont, and displayed a note to the teller that stated in effect that he wanted $20’s, $50’s and $100’s but no dye packs. Blatt obtained approximately $600 from TD Bank. On March 14, 2024, Blatt entered the North Country Federal Credit Union in Alburgh, Vermont. Blatt asked a teller, “Can I cash a check if I don’t have an account here?” When the teller told Blatt no, he handed the teller a note and asked “What about this one?” The note stated, “Give me all the 100’s, 30’s and 20’s you have!!!” Blatt obtained approximately $7200 from NCFCU.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Essex Police Department, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department, the Williston Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Owyang and Jason Turner. Blatt was represented by Assistant Federal Defender Sara Puls.
Co-leader of large-scale narcotics & human trafficking rings sentenced to 30 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A leader in a case with 23 defendants involved in narcotics and human trafficking conspiracies was sentenced in federal court here today to 360 months in prison for drug, gun, human trafficking and money laundering crimes.
From 2008 until June 2022, Cordell Washington, 38, of Pickerington, ran a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Columbus with co-defendant Patrick Saultz. Their operations also included sex trafficking, labor trafficking, fraud and money laundering.
A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school. In October 2022, the government added 12 defendants and 28 new charges.
Court documents detail that the drug trafficking organization brought large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, alprazolam and marijuana into Columbus. These drugs were sold or used to coerce individuals into sexual activity for some members of the drug ring and their profit.
As part of this case, local, state and federal law enforcement officers have executed more than 20 search warrants at various locations throughout Central Ohio and seized more than $1.7 million in drug proceeds. For example, while executing a search warrant at a local storage unit, law enforcement officials discovered approximately one million dollars in bulk United States currency. Searches of additional residences yielded 47 firearms, diamonds, Rolex watches and additional bulk amounts of cash.
The drug trafficking organization sold drugs to customers out of more than 20 Columbus residences and distributed larger amounts to regional drug traffickers who then trafficked those narcotics to places such as West Virginia and the Northern District of Ohio. Saultz began the drug trafficking organization by distributing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine from his residences on Vida Place and South Hague Street in Columbus as early as 2008.
Most of the drug dealing took place within 1000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School in Columbus at a residence on South Burgess. For example, one of Washington and Saultz’s numerous subordinates sold approximately $18,000 worth of narcotics per day from the location on South Burgess.
The case also involves the overdose death of at least one individual and the violent death of a second victim.
As part of his plea in April 2024, Washington admitted to labor trafficking male drug addicts. The defendant provided the men with their drug of choice after the men completed construction or cleaning projects at residences owned by the drug trafficking organization. The men were recruited by Washington and some completed the work for him under serious threat of harm.
Washington would provide the addicts with advances on small amounts of drugs so that they were well enough to perform physical labor. If Washington was not pleased with their work product, he would not complete the final drug payment and would threaten violence against them.
Washington used numerous methods to launder the group’s drug trafficking proceeds, including establishing front businesses that purported to be rental, repair and construction companies.
As of today, 18 of the 23 defendants have been sentenced, including six defendants who were sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. Saultz was sentenced in March 2025 to 30 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Jared Murphy, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department and the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team.
This investigation was initiated as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
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Citizen of Mexico Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Higinio Mendez-Salazar, age 52, Citizen of Mexico residing in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged yesterday by Criminal Information with Illegal Reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about May 15, 2025, Mendez-Salazar was found in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The Criminal Information also alleges that Mendez-Salazar had been removed from the United States through Hildalgo, Texas, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Pennsylvania State Police. Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 2 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Cherokee, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Lance Paul White, 33, from Cherokee, Iowa, pled guilty on June 5, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to possession of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, White admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography. After a CyberTip was received regarding White’s Gmail account, law enforcement established that White had possessed and viewed several graphic videos depicting child pornography. Law enforcement traced the internet activity back to White’s address in Cherokee, Iowa. White engaged in a consensual interview with officers at his home and admitted that he possessed child pornography, and several electronics were seized. Forensic analysis of White’s electronic devices revealed dozens of videos and images of child pornography, as well as several AI or cartoon photographs and videos of child pornography. Evidence further showed that the materials involved prepubescent minors and portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. White remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. White faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and Cherokee Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4076. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cerro Gordo County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Dustin Burkhardt, 36, from Rockwell, Iowa, was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine June 5, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on September 29, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Burkhardt. Law enforcement observed an open container in the vehicle and conducted a probable cause search. Law enforcement located and seized a glass pipe in the center console and a backpack from the front passenger footwell. Inside of the backpack was another pouch which contained four zip-top baggies containing 137.12 grams of pure methamphetamine. Burkhardt admitted that all of the methamphetamine seized belonged to him and he intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person or persons.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Burkhardt remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Burkhardt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa DCI Laboratory and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3015. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Career Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nicole Ann Kettler, 41, of Grayling, Michigan was sentenced to 139 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced.
According to court records, Kettler was travelling to Portland, Oregon on a regular basis to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl for distribution in Idaho. On May 2, 2024, Kettler was pulled over for a traffic violation in Nampa, Idaho. During the traffic stop, officers observed drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. A canine trained in the detection of the odor of controlled substances positively alerted on the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered approximately 4,300 fentanyl pills, more than a half-pound of fentanyl powder, more than a quarter-pound of methamphetamine, and a variety of other controlled substances. After Kettler was arrested, she admitted to investigators that she frequently travelled to Portland to purchase significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl for distribution in Idaho. Kettler has two prior convictions for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Kettler to serve five years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Idaho State Police Department, the Oregon State Police Department, and the High Desert Drug Task Force, which led to Kettler’s arrest and subsequent charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.
The High Desert Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. They are supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
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Canadian National Pleads Guilty to Possessing 90 Pounds of Ecstasy Intended for DistributionRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A Canadian citizen has admitted to having possession of 90 pounds of a Schedule I controlled substance, typically used as a party drug, which he intended to further distribute.
According to court documents, on Aug. 7, 2024, a U.S. Border Patrol agent observed a compact sport utility vehicle with Canadian license plates parked in a service plaza parking lot near the interstate 80/90 Ohio turnpike in Sandusky County. After the agent ran a check on the license plates, it was found that the vehicle entered the U.S. from Canada on Nov. 21, 2023. The agent proceeded to have a consensual encounter with the driver, Dontavius Forbes, 27, to inquire about his visitation status since the vehicle’s last entry into the country was more than 180 days prior. During the consensual search of the SUV, agents observed what appeared to be aftermarket modifications to the rear cargo area. In the rear cargo floor panel agents discovered a hidden compartment packed with 20 vacuum sealed packages containing a crystal-like substance. Upon further search of the vehicle, a second hidden compartment was also found which provided access to the other compartment containing the suspected illegal drugs. A field test of one of the packages tested positive for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). MDMA is more commonly known as ecstasy or molly, and typically used by adolescents and young adults as a “party drug” because it lowers inhibitions, according to DEA.gov. Agents also seized nearly $3,000 in U.S. currency from the vehicle.
During the investigation, the packages recovered from the vehicle were submitted to a forensic laboratory for analysis which confirmed the accuracy of the field test indicating the presence of MDMA.
On June 6, 2025, Forbes pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance for which he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 16, 2025.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
California Attorney Guilty of Federal Contempt Charge for Failing to Ensure Distribution of Settlement Funds to Relatives of Victims of Lion Air Flight 610Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A California attorney has pleaded guilty to a contempt of court charge for willfully disobeying a court order that called for settlement funds to be distributed to relatives of victims killed in the crash of Lion Air Flight 610.
DAVID R. LIRA, 65, of Pasadena, Calif., entered the plea on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland in the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Rowland set sentencing for Oct. 8, 2025.
Lira worked for the California personal injury law firm Girardi Keese, which represented five clients who were relatives of passengers killed in the 2018 crash in the Java Sea. Girardi Keese filed lawsuits in federal court in Chicago against the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing Co., and settled the suits in 2020. In connection with the settlements, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin ordered that the settlement funds, which included a total of $7.5 million for four of the clients, be sent to each client as soon as practicable. Although Boeing wired the settlement funds for those four victims into Girardi Keese’s client trust account, Lira admitted in a plea agreement that he knew for several months that the firm failed to distribute the money to the clients, in contravention of Judge Durkin’s order.
During those months, Lira admitted that the victims demanded their money but were not paid, and that there was nothing about the Covid-19 pandemic that precluded the firm from paying the money. Lira confronted another attorney at the firm, THOMAS GIRARDI, who was also Lira’s father-in-law, and demanded that Girardi pay the money to the clients, Lira’s plea agreement states. Lira admitted in his plea that he knew Girardi had misappropriated the money and that Lira was willfully violating Judge Durkin’s orders.
Lira ultimately resigned from the firm. The Lion Air Victims eventually received their settlement funds following a hearing before Judge Durkin when another law firm’s insurer paid the amount that Girardi had misappropriated.
Girardi, 86, of Seal Beach, Calif., was convicted last year by a federal jury in Los Angeles of embezzling millions of dollars in settlement funds from other clients. In connection with Girardi’s sentencing in that case, prosecutors in Los Angeles apprised the Court about Girardi’s misappropriation of settlement funds in the Lion Air matter. Girardi was sentenced earlier this week to more than seven years in federal prison.
Lira’s guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten, Emily Vermylen, and Thomas Peabody.
“The willful failure to ensure distribution of settlement funds compounded the grief and anguish of the clients who lost loved ones in the Lion Air crash,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Attorneys who violate the trust of their clients and breach the fiduciary duty that is paramount to the practice of law will be held accountable.”
“The FBI stands committed to protecting victims of crime and holding those who have violated federal laws accountable, no matter how much time may have passed,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “The FBI is thankful for our continuing partnerships with law enforcement and our prosecutorial partners who have ensured justice in this case.”
u.s._v._lira_no._23_cr_54-3_-_plea_agreement.pdf