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Monday 2 June 2025
Honduran Man Arrested After Crashing a Barricade at Naval Air Station PensacolaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Orly Moises Garcia Hernandez, 34, of the country of Honduras, has been charged in federal court with Illegally Entering a Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property, and Resisting or Impeding Arrest of a Federal Officer. The charges were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court documents allege that, on May 25, 2025, Garcia Hernandez crashed into a barricade outside a checkpoint at the gate of Naval Air Station Pensacola and then ran from military forces onto NAS Pensacola to escape capture. Garcia Hernandez was ultimately caught at gunpoint after a foot pursuit. If convicted, Garcia Hernandez faces up to 18 months’ imprisonment and deportation from the United States.
The case involved a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Navy. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Edgar Enrique Pineda-Ardon, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 42 days in prison and one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Earlier in the hearing, Pineda-Ardon pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
In 2014, Pineda-Ardon was apprehended near the U.S.-Mexico border, claimed asylum and was released on bond. While awaiting his asylum hearing, Pineda-Ardon was arrested for Indecent Assault & Battery. That case was dismissed for lack of prosecution; however, Pineda-Ardon’s claim for asylum was ultimately rejected and he was removed from the United States in November 2019.
Sometime after his November 2019 removal, Pineda-Ardon illegally reentered the United States without permission. Federal authorities became aware of Pineda-Ardon’s presence in the United States when he was arrested twice in Waltham. He was apprehended by immigration authorities in April 2025.
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 today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Greensboro Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Possessing and Conspiring to Steal High-End Motor VehiclesRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa man has been sentenced for possessing and conspiring to steal over $800,000 in high-end motor vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Jamarus D. Hoskins, 30, of Greensboro, Alabama, to 60 months in prison for conspiring to steal at least 18 high-end motor vehicles, and to 97 months in prison for receiving or possessing stolen motor vehicles. The sentences will run concurrently. Hoskins was convicted by a jury in November 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, between December 2020 and January 2023, Hoskins was the ringleader of an organized conspiracy to steal high-end motor vehicles from private citizens and car dealerships at various locations across the United States. Hoskins directed members of the conspiracy to steal vehicles and replace the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) with fake VINs. The vehicles were registered with the Alabama Department of Revenue using fraudulent out-of-state titles, and Hoskins sold them for cash at below market price. Hoskins and his co-conspirators stole multiple vehicles, including a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk from a victim in Michigan, a Chevrolet Corvette from a victim in Tennessee, three Ford trucks from a dealership in Tennessee, and a Chevrolet Camaro and several vehicle tags from another dealership in Tennessee.
“Jamarus Hoskins and his co-conspirators terrorized car dealerships and innocent victims across the United States for years,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Hoskins and his crew thought the fast cars they stole and sophisticated techniques they used would help them escape responsibility for their crimes. They were wrong.”
“I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort our team put forth to ensure this defendant was brought to justice and can no longer terrorize or threaten the hardworking citizens and businesses in our country,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham Division. “This case serves as another example of our U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners working together to identify, dismantle, and disrupt organized criminal networks while effectively holding reckless criminals accountable. Let it be clear: the rule of law is not optional.”
The FBI investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney L. Plyler and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward “Ted” Canter prosecuted the case.
Grand Jury Returns Indictments for Illegal Re-Entry via Texas National Defense Area, 138 New NDA Violators Arrested in the Western District, Convictions for the Month Exceed 340Read the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A federal grand jury in El Paso returned indictments last week for defendants alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States through the Texas National Defense Area (NDA). The NDA was established April 30, 2025, along the U.S.-Mexico border from area bordering New Mexico, through El Paso County, to an area near Fort Hancock.
Among those indicted is Mexican national Leonel Sotelo-Santillan, who was arrested after allegedly entering the NDA illegally on May 2. Sotelo-Santillan was first charged in a criminal complaint on May 8. He is a convicted felon with two 2015 convictions for domestic abuse battery and theft in Louisiana, as well as a felony conviction in June 2024 for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Dec. 28, 2024.
Another Mexican felon, Rafael Cabrera-Barron, is a thrice-deported felon and was convicted in 2007 for sexual assault of a child in Weld County, Colorado. His most recent removal from the U.S. to Mexico was April 25 through El Paso.
Ramon Benigno Mancinas-Rodriguez, also a Mexican national, has been removed from the U.S. eight times—the last one being Nov. 5, 2024—and has been granted three voluntary returns. His criminal history includes three illegal entry misdemeanors, a conviction for assault on a federal officer, and one illegal re-entry felony conviction in November 2023.
Some of the indicted defendants, like Cuban national Aldanay Caridad Carricarte-Grillo, Guatemalan national Carlos Tomas-Cristostimo, and Salvadoran national Juan Carlos Lopz-Uriasan, have one prior removal in their immigration history.
The 16 defendants are each indicted for one Title 8 United States Code (USC) 1326 felony charge and one 50 USC 797 misdemeanor charge. If convicted, these individuals can face terms of imprisonment for up to 20 years if previously convicted of an aggravated felony, up to ten years if previously convicted of a felony and otherwise and up to two years in federal prison.
Additionally, 138 new NDA-related immigration cases were added to the federal district’s docket and over 220 defendants pleaded guilty throughout the week, raising May’s total of NDA-related convictions in the Western District of Texas to more than 340.
Title 50 USC 797 is among the federal statutes that establish criminal penalties for unlawful intrusions into areas designated as National Defense Areas. It refers to the willful violation of defense property security regulation, which, pursuant to lawful authority, was approved by the Secretary of Defense—or a military commander designated by the Secretary of Defense—for the protection or security of Department of Defense property.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
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).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former East Hartford Resident Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that NICHOLAS BURNHAM, 33, of East Hartford, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, Burnham was convicted in state court for possession of child pornography in the second degree. His probation for that offense was terminated in 2018 after he was convicted of possession of child pornography in the first degree. In 2023, Burnham began serving a term of special parole. On December 17, 2024, believing that Burnham was using an unauthorized electronic device, Burnham’s parole officers and the Connecticut State Police searched his residence and seized three cellphones. Preliminary forensic analysis of the phones revealed more than 2,000 images and videos depicting child sex abuse. Burnham used Telegram and other encrypted messaging applications to trade child sex abuse material with others, and also accessed numerous webpages to view and download child sex abuse material.
Burnham has been detained in state custody since December 17, 2024. He made his initial appearance in Hartford federal court on May 30, 2025.
The complaint charges Burnham with receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and with possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Burnham’s prior state convictions.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Correction’s Division of Parole and Community Services, and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Scientific Services.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Five-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a Restricted PersonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Michael Anthony Rangel, 43, of Ogden, Utah, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment after a federal jury found him guilty of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
In addition to the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr. sentenced Rangel to three years’ supervised release.
According to evidence presented at trial, and statements made at Rangel’s sentencing hearing, in July 2022, during a traffic stop, Rangel, knowing he was a convicted felon and restricted from possessing a firearm and ammunition, possessed a stolen Taurus PT111 G2 pistol. The firearm and associated ammunition were seized by law enforcement.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated by Ogden Metro Gang Task Force.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Branden B. Miles and Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Fentanyl distributor linked to three fatal overdoses imprisoned for 27 yearsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Fredrick Douglass Shelton pleaded guilty Feb. 13.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now ordered Shelton to serve 324 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court recognized the families of the deceased and commented on the disturbing fact that after the deaths, Shelton continued to sell fentanyl with a verbal warning to customers that the drugs are strong. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hoyt noted Shelton’s history of drug dealing and conduct during this offense which made him question whether there is anywhere Shelton could be safely housed.
“The defendant’s conduct in this case vividly illustrates his utter disregard for human life and the safety of others,” said Ganjei. “Not only was his fentanyl trafficking linked to three overdose deaths, but he also left a 10-month-old baby alone, surrounded by guns and drugs (including fentanyl), while he was out dealing. With today’s sentencing—made possible by collaboration with our partners—this dangerous individual is now off the street for decades to come, and Houstonians are safer for it.”
The investigation began following evidence linking three fatal fentanyl overdoses to Shelton. He had sold large quantities of highly potent fentanyl to numerous individuals in the Houston area.
As Shelton left his residence to conduct yet another drug transaction, law enforcement conducted a search at his residence. They found large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, narcotics packaging equipment and firearms strewn throughout the residence in a disorderly fashion, including on counters, scales and the floor.
Authorities also discovered Shelton had left his 10-month-old child in the residence alone and exposed to the narcotics.
Shelton will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI Houston Field Office and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Montgomery County Narcotics Enforcement Team and sheriff’s offices in Montgomery and Harris Counties. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet prosecuted the case.
Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed, and conspired to distribute, fentanyl was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on May 30, 2025. Alexander Sebastian, age 30, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 31, 2025, guilty plea to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearing showed that from December 2020 and February 2024, he and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute pills containing fentanyl across Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, and that he took part in the distribution of over 20,000 pills. Sebastian admitted that, in October 2022, as part of the conspiracy, he knowingly participated in the distribution of pills containing fentanyl to another who then died from a fentanyl overdose.
Sebastian was sentenced in Sioux City, Iowa, by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sebastian was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. He was further ordered to pay the family of the victim $7,000 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. Sebastian is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Felon who Possessed Drugs for Distribution and a Firearm Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Chicago man who possessed and distributed controlled substances and also possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.
Ra-Melle Lewis Williams, age 53, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a December 23, 2024 guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Williams had a prior conviction for attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. In April 2023, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, they located methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, along with a firearm.
Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Williams was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Williams is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR- 02028.
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Española Man Sentenced for Trafficking Drugs, Possessing Illegal Firearms and ExplosivesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Española man was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison following a series of law enforcement actions that uncovered illegal firearms, narcotics, and unstable explosives.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on August 1, 2023, Pojoaque Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop on a sedan with expired registration driven by Mario James Valdez, 35. Inside the car, officers located two loaded “ghost guns,” one of which was outfitted with a non-functioning machinegun conversion device, a loaded and stolen handgun, fentanyl, additional ammunition, a police scanner, 377 blue pills marked M30 and 42 grams of crack cocaine. Valdez was released after serving one day in custody.
On September 15, 2023, Valdez was arrested again for shoplifting and on an outstanding state warrant. During this arrest, officers found fentanyl, Xanax, crack cocaine, and ammunition on Valdez’s person. In recorded jail calls between October 15 and 18, 2023, Valdez discussed having additional firearms and sticks of dynamite stored at a house in Española, warning of their instability and danger.
On October 20, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Española residence. In Valdez’s bedroom, officers discovered six sticks of deteriorating dynamite, a shotgun, and an AR-style rifle. Additional rifles, including those referenced in the jail calls, were found in another bedroom.
6 sticks of dynamiteDue to the hazardous condition of the dynamite, law enforcement destroyed it for public safety. As a previously convicted felon, Valdez was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition and explosives.
Valdez pleaded guilty to possession to intent to distribute cocaine base, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and being a felon in possession of explosive material. Upon his release from prison, Valdez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Pojoaque Police Department, New Mexico State Police and Española Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Hirsch is prosecuting the case.
Ellison C. Travis Appointed Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
Ellison C. Travis has been appointed by President Trump as the Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana. Mr. Travis replaces April M. Leon, who has held the position since February 2025.
Mr. Travis stated, “I am honored that President Trump has appointed me Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana. Our office will work every day with our federal, state, and local partners to execute Operation Take Back America, reduce violent crime, and enforce federal law in our district.”
Mr. Travis served as Executive Assistant United States Attorney since July 2023. He previously served as Acting United States Attorney in 2021, as well as First Assistant United States Attorney from 2018-2023. Previously, he was with the Louisiana Department of Justice for over twenty years. During his tenure with the Louisiana Department of Justice, Mr. Travis served as the Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Criminal Division (2017-2018), as an Assistant Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (2002–2017), and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division (1997–2002). Mr. Travis also served as an Assistant District Attorney (1990–1996). During his thirty-five years in public service, he prosecuted all manner of criminal matters, including violent crimes, financial crimes, and public corruption. Mr. Travis helped author and pass legislation to penalize those who commit electronic abuse of persons with infirmities and those who commit public program fraud. He also represented the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the state Legislative Task Force on Medicaid Fraud Prevention.
Mr. Travis received his J.D. from Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and his B.A. in Economics from Louisiana State University.
Dulce Man Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor involving the use of force.
According to court records, on or about September 13, 2023, Cisco Cruzito Pinto, 38, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, engaged in sexual contact with a minor who was between the ages of 12 and 16 at the time. When the victim resisted, Pinto used force to maintain control.
Pinto will be detained pending sentencing. At sentencing, Pinto faces any term of years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Pinto will be subject to a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Nicholas J. Marshall are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
View the Plea Agreement (Pinto).pdfDominican National Sentenced to Ten Months in Prison for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Omaily Sanchez Taveras, 36, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced on May 30, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy, to ten months imprisonment for illegally smuggling aliens. The sentence follows a two-day jury trial in which a federal jury found Taveras guilty of smuggling ten illegal aliens from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico.
According to court records, on October 13, 2024, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations in St. Thomas received information that a vessel appeared to be loading illegal aliens in Fortuna Bay, on the western end of St. Thomas. Agents traveled to the area and eventually located and observed an anchored vessel, dead in the water, close to an island known as West Cay. On board the vessel were eleven illegal aliens, including the vessel’s captain, Taveras. Of the ten passengers, four were from the Dominican Republic, four were from Romania, and two were from Brazil. They all paid Taveras to take them to Culebra.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and CBP-MIA. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everard E. Potter and Denise George.District Man Indicted on First-Degree Murder for 2024 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Morris Stokes, 70, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned today on the charge of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), stemming from the August 6, 2024, slaying of Maurice Rowe, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stokes was indicted by the grand jury on the sole charge of first-degree murder on May 14, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 4:00 a.m., on August 6, 2024, Stokes approached Mr. Rowe while armed with a metal pole and knocked him to the ground. The defendant continued to hit Mr. Rowe multiple times in the head and body. Mr. Rowe was rushed to the hospital, where medical staff concluded that he sustained six large lacerations to his head, fractures in both legs, a facial fracture and a brain bleed. Mr. Rowe passed away as a result of his injuries on October 14, 2024. The Office the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that Mr. Rowe’s death was a homicide, caused by complications from blunt force injuries. The murder weapon and the clothing worn by the defendant during the assault were recovered from the defendant’s apartment by MPD Officers during a search warrant.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
D.C. School Teacher Charged with Federal Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Devonne Keith Brown, 56, of the District of Columbia, was arraigned today on a federal child pornography charge, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
According to the FBI, Brown was employed at a school in Northeast Washington, D.C. and may have also been involved with a local youth track club.
Brown is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. He made an appearance today in U.S. District Court and was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 4, 2025.
According to court documents, Brown is alleged to have solicited the production of child sexual abuse material from a minor in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
brown_complaint_signed.pdfConvicted Felon Who Resisted Arrest Sentence to Federal Prison for Unlawful Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who possessed a gun that he displayed in public and then resisted arrest was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison.
Jason Harris, age 37, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 30, 2024, guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that on July 26, 2024, Harris possessed a loaded handgun. Harris took the gun out while a fight was occurring between other individuals. Cedar Rapids police officers arrived and saw Harris with the gun in his pants. As the officers approached him, Harris said “nope” and attempted to flee. Officers caught him quickly, but he continued to resist and reach for the gun. Harris has prior felony convictions for driving under the influence and felon in possession of a firearm.
Harris was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Harris was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Harris is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-cr-77.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Controller of Law Enforcement Union Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (“IRS-CI”), announced today that DENNIS OSTERMANN, a former Sergeant with the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), pled guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. income tax return. OSTERMANN pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate District Judge Ona T. Wang. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
“At the direction of a senior union official, Ostermann reported payments as 'legal fees' when they were not,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “We all share the responsibility for reporting income and expenses accurately on our tax returns, and no rank or position exempts any person or organization from these obligations.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. said: “Ostermann misrepresented the movement of funds, lied on his taxes and betrayed the confidence of union members. He violated the trust of his position as controller for a law enforcement union and as a return preparer. With today’s guilty plea, Ostermann is now taking responsibility for his criminal acts, and he will now face the consequences.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
OSTERMANN served as Controller of a union that represents all current and former sergeants of the NYPD (the “Union”). OSTERMANN also served as a partner of HB Consultants Inc. (“HBC”).
In 2018 and 2019, OSTERMANN paid $150,000 from HBC’s bank account to a third party on behalf of the former President of the Union. OSTERMANN then prepared HBC’s U.S. income tax returns, and falsely reported that the $150,000 payment was for legal fees. This false information not only disguised that OSTERMANN had used HBC-funds to make payments on behalf of the former President of the Union, but also fraudulently reduced the tax liability of HBC and its partners, including OSTERMANN.
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OSTERMANN, 68, of East Rockaway, New York, pled guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. income tax return, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. OSTERMANN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Schofield on August 29, 2025.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the IRS-CI and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Rothman is in charge of the prosecution.
Coalinga Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Juan Carlos Ruiz Jr., aka “Goer”, 26, of Coalinga, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and firearms trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Ruiz distributed more than 4 kilograms of methamphetamine and sold 19 firearms over several occasions. Ruiz is also a felon and documented Bulldog gang member.
Ruiz joins several other co-defendants that have now been sentenced to prison.
- On March 31, 2025, Javier Alfonso Lopez Lopez was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
- On Jan. 6, 2025, Sostenes Quintero Lopez was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine.
- On June 24, 2024, Angel Sanchez was sentenced to 14 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and firearms trafficking with Ruiz, who is his cousin.
- On Sept. 25, 2023, Alma Sanchez was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine to Ruiz, who is her son.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Coalinga Police Department, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit (HIDTA), and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Clovis CPA Sentenced to Prison for Stealing over $800,000 from a BankRead the Press Release
Kenneth Gould, 69, formerly of Clovis, was sentenced to one year in prison for stealing more than $800,000 from a bank, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today.
According to court records, Gould was a CPA and operated a payroll services company in Clovis. From October 2017 through March 2018, he initiated several fraudulent electronic payments from one of his clients’ accounts to his payroll company’s account at the bank. While the payments were pending, the bank credited significant portions of the funds to Gould’s account. Gould then quickly withdrew those funds in cashier’s checks. The bank later realized that there were insufficient funds to cover the payments, denied the payments, and attempted to recover its money. But it was too late. Approximately $830,000 of the credited funds was already gone.
Gould gave the stolen money to the client from whose account he initiated the fraudulent payments because he had loaned that individual money and was hopeful that the individual would one day pay him back. The client then gambled the money away.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Clewiston Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Antowan Jabaar Cain (45, Clewiston) to 12 years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Cain to forfeit the firearm used during the offense. Cain pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.
According to court documents, on December 12, 2024, Cain sold a firearm and methamphetamine in Hendry County.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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.
Centre County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in prison for Production of Child Pornography and Online EnticementRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Louis Bradley Wetzel, age 41, of Howard, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to 360 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release on charges related to the production of child pornography and online enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Chief Judge Brann also ordered Wetzel to pay $50,000 in restitution to the victims.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, pursuant to an ongoing investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in Williamsport, Wetzel was found to be in possession of a trove of child sexual exploitation material during a search warrant conducted at his home in December of 2023. A forensic review of his digital devices revealed conversation between Wetzel and a 12-year-old minor in which he coerced the child to produce and distribute, to him, child pornography. Wetzel also purported, during chats, to have the ability to offer up children for sale to other adults to engage in sexual acts for money.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti 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.
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California Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day for Federal Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that NIPUN DESAI (“DESAI”), formerly of Hammond, La., but now a California resident, age 56, was sentenced to 12 months plus one day by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter for making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program.
According to court records, on or about January 25, 2021, DESAI made false statements to an approved lender in order to obtain an SBA backed PPP loan in the amount of $146,947.50 for a hotel in Metairie, LA. At the time of the loan application, DESAI’s hotel was permanently closed and had no employees or payroll.
In addition to incarceration, which is to be divided between time in the Bureau of Prisons and home incarceration, DESAI was sentenced to 2 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay the SBA approximately $234,000 and the Louisiana Workforce Commission $26,000. He also paid a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 and a fine of $25,000.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee’s Office (Region 5) in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
California Man Involved in Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and launder money was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison.
Francisco Murillo, age 31, from San Bernardino, California, received the prison term after a December 20, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Murillo was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for sending methamphetamine from California to Iowa through the United States Postal Service. Murillo and others in California sent packages containing methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service to several addresses in Cedar Rapids. Murillo’s co-conspirators in Iowa sent the cash proceeds from the distribution of controlled substances back to California in packages that listed fake names and return addresses.
Murillo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Murillo was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Murillo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force. The DEA Task Force consists of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-91.
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Brazilian National Sentenced to Seven Months Imprisonment for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced that Joice Iara Costa De Souza, a 28-year-old woman from Brazil, was sentenced on Thursday, May 29, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy, to seven months imprisonment for illegally reentering the country after she had been deported.
According to court records, De Souza was previously deported from the United States on November 22, 2019, after pleading guilty to illegally entering the United States. On March 12, 2020, De Souza was arrested at the Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook, St. Thomas. De Souza admitted that she did not have proper documentation to enter or remain in the United States.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection Marine Interdiction Agents (CBP-MIA). Assistant United States Attorney Denise George prosecuted the case.Bluefield Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – April Elick, 43, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Elick obtained $84,000 in COVID-19 loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and converted loan proceeds for her personal use.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Elick obtained two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $14,520 in April 2021, after claiming the funds were for her home healthcare business to help cover payrolls and other qualifying expenses. Elick also received a $61,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) authorized by the CARES Act in January 2022 and successfully applied to increase that COVID-19 business relief loan by $8,700 in April 2022.
As part of her guilty plea, Elick admitted that she knew she could use the loan proceeds only for purposes specifically allowed by those CARES Act programs. Elick further admitted that she used loan fund for personal expenses, including approximately $30,560 through cash withdrawals, approximately $16,350 in digital wallet transfers and $8,290.11 in purchases for goods and services in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to adversely impacted eligible businesses and sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals, and also authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption.
Elick is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Elick also owes $97,802.59 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman and J. Parker Bazzle II have prosecuted the case.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-56.
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Atlanta Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Crack Cocaine, Fentanyl, and HeroinRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — Demetrius Stepp, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts of distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on three occasions in April and May 2022, a confidential informant working with Myrtle Beach Police Department purchased narcotics from Stepp. On each occasion, Stepp claimed to sell the confidential informant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine. Lab testing later revealed that the substances sold by Stepp were not crack cocaine and heroin, but crack cocaine and fentanyl. Additional investigation showed that for years, Stepp had been involved in trafficking crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin throughout Horry County, often making multiple drug sales per day.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Stepp to 70 months imprisonment, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Matthew Ellis are prosecuting the case.
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Arcadia Felon Given Five-Year Consecutive Sentence for Selling Firearms to Undercover ATF AgentRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Roger William Clayton (41, Arcadia) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. This sentence will run consecutively to a nine-year sentence Clayton is currently serving in Florida state prison for methamphetamine trafficking. Clayton pleaded guilty on January 14, 2025.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2022, Clayton sold five firearms to an undercover ATF agent in Arcadia. Clayton directed the undercover agent to meet him near Southwest Lettuce Lake Avenue and County Road 761, where Clayton revealed the firearms for sale. The firearms included a Ruger Mini-14 .223 caliber rifle, a Mauser 6.5 caliber rifle, a VZ24 6.5 caliber rifle, a Tokarev 7.62mm caliber pistol, and a Romarm-Cugir 7.62mm pistol. Clayton advised the undercover agent that he could also facilitate the sale of suppressors or silencers and “ghost guns” – also known as privately manufactured firearms which cannot be traced. At the time, Clayton had multiple prior felony convictions including grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, trafficking in stolen property, possession of a place for the purpose of trafficking, fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, and robbery. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael J. Buchanan.
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.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Cyberstalking Multiple WomenRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after a pattern of persistent digital harassment targeting multiple women over a nine-month period.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, between June 2022 and March 2023, Phillip Gonzales, 39, stalked and harassed three women using anonymous texting applications and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. Over this nine-month period, Gonzales sent the victims graphic sexual messages, expressed rape fantasies, threatened the victims, and demonstrated knowledge of their personal information.
FBI agents obtained subpoenas for subscriber information for several of the numbers which returned registration IP addresses tied to a residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During the time period the crimes were committed, the only people living at this address were Gonzales and his father.
On May 11, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at the residence and seized a number of electronic devices. A review of the devices revealed at least four additional women who were believed to have received messages from Gonzales to include threats of rape and murder.
On September 6, 2023, Gonzales was charged with cyberstalking and remanded to third party custody pending trial. As a condition of his release, Gonzales was strictly limited to one monitored phone and required approval for any device with internet access. Gonzales was later found to be in possession of two unauthorized internet-capable phones which he had used to send unwanted and potentially harassing messages to two women. This violation led the court to revoke his release and order his detention, citing his demonstrated inability to comply with court-ordered restrictions.
Subsequently, Gonzales pleaded guilty to three counts of cyberstalking. Upon his release from prison, Gonzales will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Moghadam prosecuted the case.
Saturday 31 May 2025
Southfield Doctor Convicted of Fraudulently Obtaining $1.7M PPP LoanRead the Press Release
DETROIT – On May 29, 2025, a federal jury convicted Dr. Reginald Eburuche of Southfield of bank fraud, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Dr. Eburuche was found guilty of fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in July 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, for his start-up business Renovis Healthcare. According to evidence presented at trial, after being unsuccessful in obtaining a line of credit for this new business venture in 2019, Eburuche looked to the PPP program as a source of potential seed-funding—$1.7M at 1% interest. In order to get that money though, he grossly inflated the number of employees and the average monthly payroll for his fledgling company. In support of his application, he also created and uploaded fraudulent tax documents, meant to make it appear as though his stated headcount and salary expenditures were legitimate. A large portion of the funds were frozen and seized in advance of trial.
“When a licensed professional choses fraud over integrity, the harm runs deeper than dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “Dr. Eburuche stole money meant to keep workers afloat during a time of crisis. This Office will continue to pursue those who exploited these programs for personal gain.”
“Dr. Reginald Eburuche’s conviction for Bank Fraud represents not only an abuse of taxpayer dollars but a betrayal of public trust during a time of national hardship,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I commend the dedicated efforts of our Oakland County Resident Agency members and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose contributions were vital in concluding this case. We remain fully committed to collaborating with our community and law enforcement allies to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who exploit government relief programs for personal financial gain.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carl Gilmer-Hill and was investigated by special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office also thanks the Small Business Administration and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for their support.
Friday 30 May 2025
United States Secures the Extraditions of Individuals Accused of Violent and Other Serious Crimes from Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius,Read the Press Release
Extensive coordination between the Justice Department and law enforcement authorities in Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Panama, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom (UK) resulted in the extraditions in April and May of dozens of individuals. The defendants returned to the United States are alleged to have committed crimes — including child sexual abuse and rape, murder, hate crimes, assault, narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, alien smuggling, cybercrime, money laundering, fraud, aggravated robbery and extortion — in a number of U.S. states and federal districts, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.
The fugitives extradited to the United States include:
Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, a Georgian national and alleged leader of a white supremacist group, was extradited from Moldova to face charges in the Eastern District of New York for soliciting hate crimes and planning a mass casualty attack in New York City. As the alleged leader of the white supremacist group “Maniac Murder Cult,” an international, racially motivated violent extremist group that adheres to a neo-Nazi ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and other groups that it deems “undesirables,” Chkhikvishvili allegedly traveled to Brooklyn in 2022 and actively solicited acts of mass violence with a person who was, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, an undercover FBI employee. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili allegedly began planning a mass casualty attack to take place on New Year’s Eve, which would involve an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. In January 2024, as alleged, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the undercover FBI employee to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn.
Liridon Masurica, also known as @blackdb, 33, a national of Kosovo and alleged administrator of an online criminal marketplace, was extradited from Kosovo to face charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and fraudulent use of 15 or more unauthorized access devices in the Middle District of Florida.
Adrian Alberto Cano Gomez, also known as Andrea, 45, a national of Colombia and an alleged member of the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a designated foreign terrorist organization, was extradited from Colombia to face charges in the Southern District of Texas of narco-terrorism and distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Colombia.
Aler Baldomero Samayoa-Recinos, also known as Chicharra, 58, a national of Guatemala and alleged leader of a prolific Guatemalan drug trafficking organization, was extradited from Guatemala to face charges in the District of Columbia of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms of cocaine for importation to the United States.
Daniel Flores, 49, a national of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face charges of first-degree murder for the 1995 killing of two brothers, both U.S. Marines, ages 22 and 19, in Cook County, Illinois.
Manuel Alejandro Vasquez, 47, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face a charge of murder in Ventura County, California. Vasquez’s two co-defendants were convicted in 1999 and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1998 murder of a man in his home over an alleged unpaid debt. Vasquez fled to Mexico before charges could be filed against him.
Tyler Buchanan, 23, a UK national, was extradited from Spain to face charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in the Central District of California. Among other crimes, Buchanan and his co-conspirators allegedly stole cryptocurrency worth millions of dollars following phishing attacks on over 45 companies based in the United States, Canada, and the UK.
Felix Manuel Mejia-Gonzalez, 33, a Dominican citizen, was extradited from the Dominican Republic to face charges of fentanyl trafficking in the District of New Hampshire.
Samuel Steven Huggler, 28, a U.S. citizen, was extradited from Spain, to face charges relating to the alleged murder and attempted murders of three of his siblings in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Huggler is charged with aiding, inducing, or causing murder, three counts of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of aiding, inducing, or causing attempted murder, and possession of an altered firearm.
Michel Patrick Desalles, 54, a Mauritian national, was extradited from Mauritius to face a charge of murder in the second degree in the State of New York. Desalles allegedly choked his employer to death with zip ties and immediately fled the United States in 2017.
Juan Miguel Roman-Balderas, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face two charges of murder in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Roman-Balderas is alleged to have stabbed to death his 28-year-old ex-girlfriend in April 2014 in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Rody L. Wilcox, 50, a U.S. citizen, was extradited from Georgia to face charges of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 years of age filed in Latah County, Idaho. Wilcox allegedly sexually assaulted a six-year-old child on multiple occasions in 2023. In 2024, Wilcox fled Idaho while on bond. Through OIA’s cooperation with the FBI, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Georgian authorities, Wilcox was arrested in Georgia on Aug. 16, 2024, while en route to the Russian Federation.
Miguel Angel Urbano-Vazquez, 48, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face charges of aggravated first-degree murder and rape in Pierce County, Washington. Urbano-Vazquez is alleged to have raped four victims between March and October 2002, one of whom he is also alleged to have murdered in the course of rape.
Gilberto Gutierrez, 46, a citizen of El Salvador, was extradited from El Salvador to face charges of rape, child abuse, and related sex offenses in Wicomico County, Maryland. Gutierrez allegedly repeatedly sexually abused two girls under the age of 10 years old between approximately 1999 and 2004.
Ramon Manriquez Castillo, 68, a dual U.S. and Mexican citizen; Edgar Rodriguez Ruano, 29, a Mexican citizen; Fernando Javier Escobar Tito, 48, an Ecuadorian citizen; and Anderson Jair Gamboa Nieto, 30, a Colombian citizen, were surrendered by Guinea-Bissau to face drug trafficking charges in the Southern District of Florida. The co-defendants are alleged members of a transnational drug trafficking organization comprised of several cartels in Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela, and they allegedly conspired to distribute large quantities of cocaine through Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Guinea-Bissau using a U.S.-registered airplane, with a U.S. citizen onboard, from about November 2023 to September 2024. They are also charged with distributing cocaine in these countries using an airplane with a U.S. citizen onboard.
Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak, 35, a Ukrainian national, was extradited from Spain to face charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, extortion, and related activity in connection with computers in the Eastern District of New York. According to the charges in the Eastern District of New York, Stryzhak is one of the administrators of the Nefilim ransomware gang.
The fugitives extradited by the United States include:
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, a Canadian citizen, native of Pakistan, and convicted terrorist, was extradited to India to stand trial on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 160 people, including six Americans, and wounded hundreds more.
Aaron Seth Juarez, 26, a U.S. citizen, was extradited to Mexico to be prosecuted for femicide for the 2019 killing of his approximately 31-year-old stepmother, whose body he allegedly buried in the backyard of her Tijuana home.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), along with the U.S. Marshals Service, provided significant assistance in securing the defendants’ arrests and extraditions. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California and the Eastern District of California litigated with OIA the successful outgoing extradition cases for Rana and Juarez, respectively. OIA and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions from Colombia. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) also provided assistance with the extraditions from Guatemala and Kosovo. The Justice Department thanks and acknowledges the instrumental role of its law enforcement partners in Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Panama, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom for making these extraditions possible.
An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Virgin Islands Man Charged with Making Interstate Threats and StalkingRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Todd Hoyte, 54, of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, with making interstate threats and stalking. Hoyte was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 1, 2025, in Saint Thomas. Hoyte initially appeared in federal court in the U.S. Virgin Islands where he was ordered detained.
Hoyte entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment in the District of Vermont on May 29, 2025 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Hoyte continue pretrial detention during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, between July 29, 2024 and September 25, 2024, Hoyte left numerous
voicemails for Victim-1, who worked in Vermont. The voicemails which were harassing, threatening, and intimidating, were made from outside of Vermont. Hoyte left the voicemails on Victim-1’s work phone, Victim-1’s voicemail box, and the voicemail box of the Vermont Department of Public Service. The voicemails included threats to injure Victim-1.The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Hoyte is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Hoyte faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment on each count if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and Zachary Stendig. Hoyte is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Emily Kenyon.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 135 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 135 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On May 28, Leonardo Arturo Sandez Leal, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry discovered 110 packages of methamphetamine weighing 125 pounds, and 10 packages of cocaine weighing 27 pounds, concealed in the rear quarter panels, floor, seats and center console of the vehicle the defendant was driving.
- On May 23, Jorge Luis Perez-Florez and Rumualdo Morales-Perez, both Mexican nationals, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the defendants were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard off Point Loma with multiple undocumented Mexican nationals aboard their boat. Morales-Perez was previously deported to Mexico on March 20, 2025, through Laredo, Texas.
- On May 29, Noel Lopez Uribe, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the U.S. According to a complaint, a Border Patrol agent discovered the defendant hiding near some brush in Otay Mesa. Lopez Uribe was most recently removed from the U.S. in April 2025.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On May 30, Raul Diaz, a citizen of Colombia, was sentenced in federal court to six months in custody for attempting to re-enter the U.S. illegally. He was previously convicted in November 2014 of embezzling nearly $114,000 of public money.
- On May 30, 2025, Temo Duble-Chaparro, a Mexican national with no permission to enter the United States, was sentenced to 18 months in custody for illegal reentry of a removed alien, to be followed by a four month consecutive sentence for violating the conditions of his supervised release. This was the defendant’s fourth federal immigration conviction in as many years. He previously had been convicted of alien smuggling and illegal reentry.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, 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), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending May 30, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 51 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 9 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 79 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 13 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug possession and firearms offenses.
In one significant case, Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem, a citizen of Egypt who was lawfully in the U.S., was charged by criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm after he pulled a firearm out of his vehicle at a gas station and pointed it at a homeless man who was not threatening him.
In another case, Valerie Perez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for operating an alien stash house. Family members of the aliens contacted authorities after Perez demanded additional payment to release the aliens. The aliens were also threatened with physical harm if additional payments were not received. At the time of her arrest, Perez was on supervised release for a prior alien smuggling conviction.
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.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. 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 District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton Announces Selection of White Plains Division ChiefsRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the selection of Jeff C. Coffman and Benjamin Klein as Chiefs of the Office’s White Plains Division, as well as the retirement of Perry Carbone, Chief of the Office’s Criminal Division, who previously served with distinction as Chief of the White Plains Division.
Mr. Coffman joined the Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division in 2018, following five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of New York and one year as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia. Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Mr. Coffman worked at the law firm of Trout Cacheris, PLLC and co-founded and managed a small law firm in Washington, D.C. Mr. Coffman received Bachelor of Science degrees from Virginia Tech and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. After graduating from law school, he clerked for the Hon. James C. Cacheris of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Mr. Klein joined the Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division in 2021. Before becoming a prosecutor, Mr. Klein worked at the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Mr. Klein received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, and a J.D. from the Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of The Yale Law Journal. After graduating, Mr. Klein clerked for the Honorable Thomas M. Hardiman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
“I am pleased to announce the selection of Jeff Coffman and Ben Klein as co-chiefs of the Office’s White Plains division,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Jeff and Ben will bring a wealth of prosecutorial talent and experience to lead the critically impactful work of the division. Together with our agency partners, they will drive our commitment to safety and fairness for millions of New Yorkers. On behalf of the hundreds of women and men of the Southern District who have benefited from working with Perry Carbone, I say thank you, Perry, for your commitment to justice and your devotion to the Office and your colleagues. Perry has been a consummate prosecutor for decades and has admirably spent his career as a selfless advocate for public safety. We all thank Perry for doing so much good for so many. I am also especially grateful to Margery Feinzig, Deputy Chief of our Criminal Division, who stepped in as Acting Chief of the White Plains Division during this transition. Her steady leadership, professionalism, and tireless commitment ensured that the White Plains Division continued to function at the highest level. We are fortunate to have had her at the helm.”
Two St. Thomian Men Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Acting U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that two St. Thomian
men, Romeo Walter, 42, and Kenan Thomas, 38, were both sentenced on Thursday, May 29, 2025,
by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 15 years imprisonment for illegally
possessing four firearms on April 8, 2020. The sentences follow a 4-day jury trial after which a
federal jury found both men guilty of possessing firearms as felons, in violation of federal law, and
unauthorized possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of territorial law.
According to court documents, on April 8, 2020, at around 2:00 p.m., Virgin Islands Police
Department (VIPD) officers were patrolling the Hospital Ground neighborhood in St. Thomas due
to recent shootings, including a homicide near the area earlier the same day. VIPD officers entered
the Jah Yard area and pursued a group of individuals that included Walter and Thomas, after the
group ran as officers approached. Surveillance video captured a group of four males, including
Walter and Thomas, climbing over a railing and onto the patio of a neighborhood home with two
black bags. The surveillance video showed Thomas passing a handgun from his waist to codefendant
Akeem Julien, who then placed the gun into a black duffle bag. The surveillance video
further showed defendant Thomas leaving the patio with two bags, heading in one direction, while
Julien and Walter left in the opposite direction. A fourth co-defendant, Nijontea Walker, left shortly
after the other three. VIPD officers chased Thomas to a small house in Jah Yard. Thomas was
arrested and the two bags were seized. One bag contained an AK-47 firearm with an obliterated
serial number; a Glock 20, 10 mm handgun; and a Glock 21, .45 caliber handgun. A black backpack
contained an AR-15 firearm. VIPD officers also seized over 250 rounds of ammunition from the
bags. Each firearm was loaded with numerous rounds of ammunition. Walter, Julien, and Walker
were all identified by the surveillance video.
Judge Malloy sentenced Romeo Walter to 71 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of
supervised release, on the federal conviction, and 15 years in prison on the territorial conviction, to
be served concurrently.
Judge Malloy sentenced Kenan Thomas to 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised
release on the federal conviction, and 15 years in prison on the territorial conviction, to be served
concurrently.
Co-defendant Akeem Julien pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number
and was sentenced to 30 months in prison on November 21, 2024.
Co-defendant Nijontea Walker pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial
number and was sentenced to 30 months in prison on September 19, 2023.
The investigation was conducted by the VIPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives (ATF), with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Kyle Payne and Natasha Baker 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.
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Two Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Illegally Reentering the U.S. after Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Two illegal aliens have pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. They are Alejandro Mejia Rios, who used the aliases Rigoberto Bonilla-Mejia, and Juan Carlos Espinoza-Bonilla, 45, an illegal alien residing in North Charleston, and Cesar Santana Salazar, who used the aliases Miguel Santana-Hernandez, and Cesar Santana, 43, an illegal alien residing in Florida.
Evidence from the investigation presented during the guilty plea showed that Mejia Rios is a citizen of Mexico who has been removed or deported from the United States six times, beginning in 2006 and continuing through 2019. He was convicted of illegal reentry and served prison sentences before being deported each time.
He illegally reentered and was arrested in Beaufort for driving under the influence and failure to stop for a blue light on Oct.1, 2023. He was released on bond before an immigration detainer could be lodged. He was again arrested, on March 18, 2024, for open container, driving without a license and driving under suspension in Jasper County. He was again released on bond before an immigration detainer could be lodged. On Feb.10, he was arrested for assault and battery 3rd degree in Jasper County.
Santana Salazar was arrested by City of Beaufort Police officers on Jan. 25, for driving without a license and driving under the influence. He has prior federal convictions for illegal reentry and has been removed from the United States six times between 2007 and 2021.
United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted the three guilty pleas and will sentence each defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Mejia Rios faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be deported after serving his sentence. Santana Salazar faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and will also be deported after serving his sentence.
These cases were a 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.
These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell is prosecuting the cases.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Veronica Hill, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office, [email protected], (803) 929-3000
Two Foreign Nationals Indicted for Plot to Silence U.S. Dissident and Smuggle U.S. Military Technology to ChinaRead the Press Release
Federal grand juries in Milwaukee and Los Angeles each returned indictments charging two foreign nationals, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the United Kingdom and a U.S. lawful permanent resident, with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking (Los Angeles) and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act (Milwaukee).
“As alleged, the defendants targeted a U.S. resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on U.S. soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defense systems. We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.”
“The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People’s Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America,” said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. “The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China. I want to commend the good work of the FBI and our partners in the U.S and overseas in putting a stop to these illegal activities.”
Allegations in the Central District of California
According to court documents, beginning in October 2023, Cui and Miller enlisted two individuals (Individual 1 and Individual 2) inside the United States to carry out a plot to prevent the Victim from protesting President Xi’s appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November 2023. The victim had previously made public statements in opposition to the policies and actions of the PRC government and President Xi.
“The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticized the Chinese government and its president,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.”
Unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, Individual 1 and Individual 2 were affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI.
In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit, Cui and Miller directed and coordinated an interstate scheme to surveil the victim, to install a tracking device on the victim’s car, to slash the tires on the victim’s car, and to purchase and destroy a pair of artistic statues created by the victim depicting President Xi and President Xi’s wife.
A similar scheme took place in the spring of 2025, after the victim announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of President Xi and his wife. In connection with these plots, Cui and Miller paid two other individuals (Individual 3 and Individual 4), approximately $36,500 to convince the victim to desist from the online display of the statues. Unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, Individual 3 and Individual 4 were also affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI.
Allegations in the Eastern District of Wisconsin
According to court documents, beginning in November 2023, Miller and Cui solicited the procurement of U.S. defense articles, including missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People’s Republic of China from two individuals (Individual 5 and Individual 6).
In connection with the scheme, Cui and Miller discussed with Individuals 5 and 6 ways to export a cryptographic device from the United States to the People’s Republic of China, including concealing the device in a blender, small electronics, or motor starter, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong. Cui and Miller paid approximately $10,000 as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the United States and a wire transfer to a U.S. bank account.
***
If convicted, Cui and Miller face the following maximum penalties: five years in prison for conspiracy; five years in prison for interstate stalking; 20 years in prison for violation of the Arms Export Control Act; and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
The FBI is investigating the case. The United States is coordinating with Serbian authorities regarding the pending extraditions of Cui and Miller from Serbia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ryan and Amanda B. Elbogen for the Central District of California, Benjamin Taibleson for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Trial Attorneys Leslie Esbrook and Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the cases, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Foreign Nationals Indicted for Directing Interstate Stalking and Harassment Scheme and Conspiring to Procure Sensitive U.S. Military TechnologyRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Bilal Essayli, United States Attorney for the Central District of California announced that federal grand juries in Milwaukee, WI and Los Angeles, CA each returned indictments charging two foreign nationals, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the United Kingdom and a U.S. lawful permanent resident, with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking (Los Angeles) and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act (Milwaukee).
“As alleged, the defendants targeted a U.S. resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on U.S. soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defense systems. We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.”
“The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People’s Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America,” said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. “The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China. I want to commend the good work of the FBI and our partners in the U.S and overseas in putting a stop to these illegal activities.”
Allegations in the Eastern District of Wisconsin
According to court documents, beginning in November 2023, Miller and Cui solicited the procurement of U.S. defense articles, including missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People’s Republic of China from two individuals (Individual 5 and Individual 6).
In connection with the scheme, Cui and Miller discussed with Individuals 5 and 6 ways to export a cryptographic device from the United States to the People’s Republic of China, including concealing the device in a blender, small electronics, or motor starter, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong. Cui and Miller paid approximately $10,000 as a deposit for the cryptographic device via a courier in the United States and a wire transfer to a U.S. bank account.
Allegations in the Central District of California
According to court documents, beginning in October 2023, Cui and Miller enlisted two individuals (Individual 1 and Individual 2) inside the United States to carry out a plot to prevent the Victim from protesting President Xi’s appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November 2023. The Victim had previously made public statements in opposition to the policies and actions of the PRC government and President Xi.
“The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticized the Chinese government and its president,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.”
Unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, Individual 1 and Individual 2 were affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI.
In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit, Cui and Miller directed and coordinated an interstate scheme to surveil the Victim, to install a tracking device on the Victim’s car, to slash the tires on the Victim’s car, and to purchase and destroy a pair of artistic statues created by the Victim depicting President Xi and President Xi’s wife.
A similar scheme took place in the spring of 2025, after the Victim announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of President Xi and his wife. In connection with these plots, Cui and Miller paid two other individuals (Individual 3 and Individual 4), approximately $36,500 to convince the Victim to desist from the online display of the statues. Unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, Individual 3 and Individual 4 were also affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI.
If convicted, Cui and Miller face the following maximum penalties: five years for conspiracy; five years for interstate stalking; twenty years for violation of the Arms Export Control Act; ten years for smuggling.
The FBI is investigating the case. The United States is coordinating with Serbian authorities regarding the pending extraditions of Cui and Miller in Serbia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Taibleson for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and David Ryan and Amanda B. Elbogen for the Central District of California, along with Trial Attorneys Leslie Esbrook and Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the cases, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
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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Transient Man Sentenced for Three Counts of Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A transient man was sentenced today for three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Christian Douglas Cook, 36, to serve 120 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in October 2022, the victim was walking his dog outside a hotel when Cook approached him. Court records show that Cook appeared to be under the influence and struck the victim on the hand with a bottle for no reason, causing him to bleed. The hotel manager witnessed the incident. The victim returned to his hotel room, grabbed a baseball bat, and confronted Cook. Cook produced a knife and lunged at the victim and his girlfriend. Both told responding officers that they believed Cook was trying to stab them.
Police arrested Cook and transported him to the hospital for medical treatment. Cook made continuous threatening comments about killing the victim once released from jail. He also referred to the victim's race in a derogatory manner. Officers noted that Cook threatened to head butt the police officers and “take that charge.” He further stated that he stabs people and gets away with it.
In February 2023, during a second assault, Cook went into a bar, causing trouble, and was asked to leave the property. Instead of leaving, Cook pulled a knife from his backpack and approached a customer. That customer hit Cook’s arm, causing Cook to release the knife. Cook then pulled a second knife and stabbed another customer in the right shoulder blade. Cook called 911, stating he had injuries from stabbing the victim. Court records show that while being booked at the jail, Cook said to officers, “Do you know the stand my ground law? I should have killed all of them. I have done it before and gotten away with it.”
During a third assault in December 2023, the victim was in the parking lot of his girlfriend's apartment. Cook approached the car and began banging on the windows, asking for money or cigarettes. The victim stepped out of the car, and Cook started to hit the victim in the head several times. The victim realized he was bleeding and drove himself to the hospital. At the hospital, the victim learned that he was stabbed multiple times throughout his body, including the head, neck, back and upper torso. The victim and his girlfriend identified Cook in a photo lineup. When Tulsa Police officers found and arrested Cook, he possessed several knives.
Cook is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Emily Dewhurst prosecuted the case.
Title Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jonathan Yasko (46, Winter Springs) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Yasko faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the court documents, Yasko owned or controlled various title companies that conducted real estate settlement services and issued title insurance policies on behalf of title insurance underwriters. Each of Yasko’s title companies was required to deposit the funds it received from the lenders, buyers, and homeowners into an escrow account to segregate these monies from its own funds. The title companies were also legally required to disburse the lender’s funds in the manner specified in the instructions sent by the financial institutions. Yasko’s title companies also had a fiduciary duty to the financial institutions and were required to act in the best interests of the party providing the funds, rather than using these funds for its own self-interest.
From January 2021 through August 2023, Yasko engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions using interstate wires. As part of his scheme, Yasko promised to keep the financial institution’s funds segregated in escrow accounts prior to closing in according with Florida law. He also promised to disburse the financial institution’s funds that were sent via interstate wire transfers in accordance with the financial institution’s closing instructions. Yasko initiated fraudulent interstate wire transfers of the lender funds from the segregated escrow accounts to other escrow accounts that had insufficient funds to conduct separate closings and initiated fraudulent interstate wire transfers of lender funds from the segregated escrow accounts to Yasko’s title company operating accounts for illicit purposes such as paying off personal credit cards, home renovation expenses, and payments to personal credit cards. Yasko embezzled the mortgage lenders funds, which prevented the real estate settlement from taking place. As a result, the title insurance underwriter paid out settlements to the victim financial institutions. Several of the botched real estate closings involved mortgage loans purchased or owned by Freddie Mac.
In exchange for his role in the scheme, Yasko also received ill-gotten title insurance premiums. Yasko has agreed to forfeit $201,004.57, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Three Defendants Sentenced and Another Pleads Guilty for Roles in Transnational Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Three individuals from Pennsylvania, Washington, and Arizona were sentenced, and another individual from Ohio pleaded guilty, in federal court on May 28, 2025, on charges of violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws in relation to a transnational drug trafficking organization (DTO), Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
The sentences imposed by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan were:
Defendant
AgeResidence
Sentence
James Pinkston34New Kensington, Pennsylvania220 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised releaseAlicia Parks26Kent, Washington84 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised releaseMarco Armenta24Phoenix, Arizona12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised releaseAccording to information presented to the Court, on various dates from in and around August 2021 to in and around June 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pinkston and Parks conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Similarly, from in and around August 2022 to January 2023, Armenta conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl. The defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others. Additionally, the Court was advised that, in and around March 2023, Pinkston possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of cocaine, and, from in and around April 2022 to March 2023, conspired to commit money laundering by using a payments app to receive and initiate payments for drug transactions.
The Second Superseding Indictment alleges that the operation imported from Mexico millions of fentanyl pills, kilograms of fentanyl powder, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and dozens of kilograms of cocaine that then were distributed and sold throughout the United States. Pinkston served as the western Pennsylvania connection to the Phoenix DTO responsible for importing the drugs from Mexico.
In addition to the sentencings, another defendant in the case—Diamond Williams-Dorsey, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio—pleaded guilty before Judge Ranjan to Count One of the Second Superseding Indictment. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around July 2022 to August 2022, Williams-Dorsey conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl. Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for November 4, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
With this week’s three sentencings and guilty plea, 20 of the 35 defendants charged in the Second Superseding Indictment have now pleaded guilty in the case, with nine having been sentenced thus far.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Tonya S. Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, 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).
Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Participating in Cross-State Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Three individuals from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey pleaded guilty in federal court this week to charges of violating federal narcotics laws in connection with a cross-state drug trafficking ring, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 27 individuals charged through a Superseding Indictment unsealed in March 2023 for their participation in a cross-state narcotics conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, crack, and heroin.
Pleading guilty this week before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan were:
Plea DateDefendantAgeResidenceMay 28Robert Hurst46North Royalton, OhioMay 28Melissa Frain36Indiana, PennsylvaniaMay 29Kevin Thomas48Newark, New JerseyIn connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that, in and around October 2022 to March 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hurst conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and a quantity of a mixture of crack. Similarly, from in and around September 2021 to January 2022, Frain conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute quantities of mixtures of cocaine, fentanyl, and crack. From in and around October 2022 to March 2023, Thomas conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of cocaine and a quantity of a mixture of crack. The defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others.
Hurst was one of the managers of the New Kensington-based drug trafficking group. Hurst primarily resided in Cleveland, Ohio, but maintained a premises in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, which served as a distribution point for the organization. Hurst exercised decision-making authority on behalf of the organization and dictated who could be supplied with the group’s drugs.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencings for September 17, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
With this week’s guilty pleas, 22 of the 27 defendants charged in the Superseding Indictment have now pleaded guilty in the case, with 14 defendants having been sentenced thus far. Included in those sentencings is Misti Durante, 40, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, who Judge Horan sentenced this week to time served for her role in the conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Three Charged with Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Kansas City, Mo. individuals have been charged for their role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Kajuan M. Jackson, 40, Christopher D. Baird, 40, and Skyler B. Sledd, 26, were charged in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Wed., May 28. The complaint was unsealed and made public following their arrests and initial court appearance.
The complaint alleges that Jackson, Baird, and Sledd sold tablets labeled “M30”, which contain fentanyl, to an undercover investigator between June 1, 2024, and May 22, 2025.
Sledd is currently on state felony supervision through Missouri Probation and Parole for possession of a controlled substance.
Jackson faces additional charges for possessing firearms and machineguns in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of firearms.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jackson has prior felony convictions for identity theft; possession of an opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant; criminal possession of a weapon by a felon; two counts of possession of a controlled substance; and tampering with a motor vehicle.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years’ imprisonment in federal prison without parole.
Possession of machineguns in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole.
The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Baker and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri Western Interdiction Drug Task Force, and the United States Postal Service.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Three Admit to Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three people have admitted to working in a large-scale drug operation in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Juan Carlos Suarez-Lugo, age 55, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Alexis Alvarado, age 38, of Ranson, West Virginia, each pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Mauricio Antonio Alvarado-Flores, age 38, a citizen of El Salvador, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and illegal reentry.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Suarez-Lugo, Alvarado, and Alvarado-Flores were working together and with others to sell drugs for the drug trafficking organization.
Suarez-Lugo, Alvarado, and Alvarado-Flores each face at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison for the drug charge. Alvarado-Flores faces up to two years in prison for the illegal reentry charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force was the lead investigative unit. Other investigative agencies that assisted include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Juan, and Philadelphia Field Offices; United States Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Service; Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisville and Chicago Divisions; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Martinsburg Police Department; Ranson Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; West Virginia Air National Guard; Mineral County Sheriff's Office; Grant County Sheriff's Office; Hampshire County Sheriff's Department; Keyser Police Department; Northwest Regional Drug Task Force, Virginia; Pennsylvania State Police; Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania; Winchester Police Department, Virginia; Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Virginia; Virginia State Police; Sunnyvale Police Department, California.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
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).
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Temple Terrace RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Kavar Young (32, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit that robbery, and brandishing a firearm during the robbery. Young faces up to 20 years in prison on both the robbery and conspiracy counts. For the firearms count, he faces a minimum sentence of seven years, up to life, imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence. A date for sentencing has not yet been set. One of Young’s co-defendants, Leanna Bryant (28, Tampa), previously pleaded guilty.
According to court documents and proceedings, in August 2023, Young conspired with others to commit robbery. Specifically, on August 12, 2023, Young robbed a Temple Terrace convenience store, during which he brandished a firearm, pointing it at the victim’s head while demanding money from the register. Young also pointed the firearm at a second employee of the store and a store customer.
Young’s DNA was found on a potato chip bag inside the store that he had touched. His DNA was also found on a firearm located during the investigation that is visually consistent with the firearm used in the robbery.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Temple Terrace Police Department, the Lakeland Police Department, and the North Port Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
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.
Stolen Identity, Bank Fraud, and Armed Drug Distribution Net Defendant 60 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Lorenzo Lewis, 28, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison after being found guilty of defrauding banks by doctoring and depositing stolen checks, distributing marijuana, and illegally possessing a firearm.
At the time of his arrest, Lewis was using a stolen identity to rent an apartment in the Kalorama neighborhood, paying for it with funds from a stolen checking account, and using the apartment to distribute marijuana and operate his fraud scheme, all while armed with a semi-automatic assault pistol modeled after an AK47.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Acting U.S. Marshal Ron Carter of the District Court for the District of Columbia.
Lewis was found guilty by a federal jury on Feb. 28, 2025, of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on October 3, 2023, Deputy United States Marshals and FBI agents executed an arrest warrant for Lewis at an apartment building on the 2400 block of 17th Street NW. Law enforcement breached the front door of the apartment with a battering ram and took Lewis into custody. During a security sweep the officers observed evidence of fraud in plain view.
The Marshals obtained a search warrant and recovered a Maryland driver’s license, three Visa debit cards, and numerous bank checks issued to persons other than Lewis. They also recovered stolen U.S. Postal Service uniforms in Lewis’ bedroom. In addition, the Marshals recovered two laptop computers, three different types of printers, check paper, check writing software, 24 ounces of marijuana, small mylar bags, a digital scale, two loaded 9mm handgun magazines, and a Century Arms Micro Draco 7.62 x 39mm semi-automatic assault pistol loaded 25 rounds of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Marshals also obtained a search warrant for Lewis’ electronic devices and Instagram account. The United States’ trial evidence included photos and videos of Lewis holding firearms, including a Micro Draco assault pistol, pictures of stolen checks, pictures of marijuana advertised for sale, and numerous conversations related to marijuana distribution and bank fraud. According to the court documents, more than 10 individuals were victims of Lewis’s stolen check scheme, which involved the theft of checks worth more than $275,000.
Lewis has trials pending in D.C. Superior Court, the District Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the United States District Court for the District of Maryland for similar conduct.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force, the FBI Washington Field Office, and Arlington County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
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Spokane Dermatologist Agrees to Pay $1.4 Million to Resolve Claims of Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 FundsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office announced William Philip Werschler, age 66, of Spokane, Washington, along with his businesses Spokane Dermatology Clinic, Premier Clinical Research L.L.C., and 3rd and Sherman Plaza L.L.C., have agreed to pay $1,400,000 to resolve claims under the False Claims Act related to alleged mis-spending of funds intended to benefit struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. EIDL funds were to be used solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury to a business caused by the COVID-19 disaster, such as paying payroll, health insurance premiums, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. EIDL funds were not to be used for personal purposes or to obtain real property or to refinance indebtedness which was incurred prior to the disaster event is a prohibited use of EIDL funding.
According to the settlement agreement, beginning no later than April 2020 and continuing until at least July 2022, Werschler applied for EIDL loans for his businesses: Spokane Dermatology Clinic, Premier Clinical Research, and 3rd and Sherman Plaza L.L.C.
Shortly after receiving EIDL funds, Werschler made personal purchases of a 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 and a 1997 Porsche Carrera for a total of $252,375.00. Werschler also used $553,143 to purchase two properties across from his Spokane Dermatology Clinic. The purchase of personal automobiles and real property are both contrary to the proper use of EIDL funds. The global resolution entered into by Werschler and his companies also resolved related criminal charges.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations, the FBI, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
The settlement agreement can be viewed at the link below.
settlement_agreement.pdfShooter Gets 21 Year Prison Term for 2022 Murder of Woman Crossing Street in Broad DaylightRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Johnwann Elliott, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on May, 30, 2025, to a total of 21 years in prison for the 2022 murder of Nikia Young, 37, in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On December 16, 2024, Elliott pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed and attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 21-year prison sentence, the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan of the D.C. Superior Court ordered Elliott to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:59 a.m., on March 15, 2022, Elliott exited a Metro bus at Minnesota Avenue and White Place Southeast and walked southwest toward the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and 23rd Street Southeast. At the same time, Nikia Young and an individual with initials T.G. were walking northeast on Minnesota Avenue toward the same intersection. As Ms. Young and T.G. crossed 23rd Street, Elliott walked up to them in the crosswalk and, in broad daylight, used a 380-caliber handgun to shoot Ms. Young from a close distance. Elliott fired seven times and struck Ms. Young five times—once in her face, three times in the chest, and once in the right hip. Elliott then fled the scene on foot, running and catching the same Metro bus that he had exited approximately two minutes earlier.
At the time Elliott committed these offenses, he was on release pending trial in D.C. Superior Court for the unauthorized use of a vehicle and was on supervised release after serving a prison sentence for a robbery conviction in the same court. Elliott was arrested on May 19, 2022, inside of a hotel in Northeast Washington, D.C. and has been in custody since.
This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst investigated and indicted the case.
Roanoke Man Sentenced to 188 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Yesterday, William Edwards, 37 years old, of Roanoke, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Edwards was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 7 years of supervised release. Restitution will be imposed at a later date.According to documents in the case, on or about October 18, 2023, Edwards distributed child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Lagrange Police Department, and the Roanoke Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Rhode Island Man Charged with Assaulting Border Patrol Agents by Discharging Machine GunRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on May 29, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Brenden Sackal, 32, of Rockville, Rhode Island, with assaulting federal officers with a deadly weapon, possessing and discharging a machine gun in furtherance of the assault on federal officers, possessing an unregistered machine gun, and possessing a machine gun lacking an identification number as required by the National Firearms Act. Sackal’s federal arraignment date has not yet been set. Sackal also faces charges related to the shooting in Caledonia Superior Court.
According to court records, Sackal is alleged to have assaulted five U.S. Border Patrol agents with a deadly weapon by discharging a privately manufactured 5.56 caliber AR-type pistol, on July 14, 2024. This AR-type pistol is alleged to have been a machine gun, which the National Firearms Act requires to be registered and bear a serial number. Sackal’s weapon was not registered and did not bear a serial number.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Sackal is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted of all counts in the superseding indictment, Sackal faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years, and up to imprisonment for life. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Vermont State Police. Acting United States Attorney Drescher stated “Anyone who discharges a firearm at a federal law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I commend the U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department personnel who pursued and apprehended Sackal on July 14, 2024.”
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Sackal is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.
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).