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14 July 2025
Ohio Man Sentenced for Cocaine Trafficking and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man, Anthony Wynn, 33, was sentenced on Monday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 384 months in prison, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to testimony at trial, in August 2020, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being driven by Wynn to investigate a possible DUI. During the stop, officers located two bags of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana on Wynn’s person. Officers also found a loaded firearm in the glove box and a digital scale in the center console. An additional loaded firearm was found in the trunk. Wynn possessed the firearms to protect himself, drugs, and drug proceeds during his drug trafficking activities. Also, Wynn was aware at the time of his arrest that he had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Wynn was previously convicted of facilitation of robbery and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance in Campbell County Circuit Court in 2010; and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, and two counts of first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, heroin, in Kenton County Circuit Court in 2015.
Under federal law, Wynn must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 6 years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the conviction.
The case was referred to the ATF by the Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. The investigation was conducted by ATF and Covington Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Joel King.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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New Port Richey Woman Charged with FEMA FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Shelby Sigler (34, New Port Richey) with fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits. If convicted, Sigler faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between November 2023 and January 2024, Sigler knowingly made false and fraudulent statements and representations to obtain money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) when submitting an application for assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program as a result of Hurricane Idalia.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement related to any man-made or natural disaster can report it by visiting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www. justice. gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Multiple Defendants Charged in Cockfighting and Illegal Gambling OperationRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury charged multiple defendants for conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and operate an illegal gambling business, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges James Shawn Murphree, 48, of Blountsville, Alabama, Denny Gonzalez-Guzman, 30, of Albertville, Alabama, Kasten Finis Murphree, 22, of Blountsville, Alabama, Kelby Shawn Murphree, 27, of Blountsville, Alabama, and Kimberly Ann Evans, 48, of Hayden, Alabama, with conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act and the Prohibition on Illegal Gambling Businesses.
According to the indictment, a cockfight is a contest where roosters fight each other. The fights are supervised by a referee, and the fight ends when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue fighting. Typical cockfights employ weapons that are attached to the backs of the roosters’ legs. Owners and operators of cockfighting arenas, called “pits,” hold organized fights where people can fight their trained roosters against other roosters in cockfighting tournaments called “derbies.” In a derby, large numbers of cockfighters pit their roosters against one another for entertainment. Spectators gamble on the outcomes of the cockfights, and the owners of the roosters stand to gain financially through their own wager, an arrangement where the derby winners receive a pre-determined portion of the derby entry fees, or through the enhanced value of their winning roosters.
The indictment alleges that between March 2025 and June 2025, Kimberly Evans, James Murphree, Kasten Murphree, and Kelby Murphree conspired to organize multiple cockfighting derbies in Blountsville, Alabama. Attendees paid $40 to watch the fight. Competitors who entered roosters in the derbies paid an entry fee between $700 and $1,000. The winner of the derby would receive a share of the prize pool money.
The Gulf of America (“GoA”) Homeland Security Task Force, in partnership with United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, conducted this long-term investigation. The GoA Homeland Security Task Force is comprised of authorities from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. This investigation and operation received significant support from the United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Jonathan S. Cross are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Monterey County Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Mario Jose Villagrana was sentenced today to 80 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and manufacturing firearms without a license. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila handed down the sentence.
Villagrana, 30, who previously resided in Pacific Grove, was charged in a three-count information on Nov. 7, 2022. On Feb. 10, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possessing multiple firearms, manufacturing firearms, and possessing with intent to distribute approximately 1.45 kilograms of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Feb. 15, 2022, law enforcement searched Villagrana’s residence and found eight firearms, numerous firearm magazines and ammunition, tools to manufacture firearms, 13,439 “M30” pills containing fentanyl, and $23,105. The firearms that law enforcement recovered included assault rifles, ghost guns, and a Glock pistol, converted to fire ammunition fully automatically, with an extended 30-round magazine. Villagrana, who had multiple prior felonies, was on state parole at the time he committed these offenses.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Davila also sentenced the defendant to a four-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $300 special assessment. Villagrana was immediately remanded back into custody to begin serving his sentence.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Topper made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong prosecuted the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA, ATF, and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy, Robbery, and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Lance L. Bermudez, 34, of Honolulu, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick K. Watson to 360 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, racketeering conspiracy, and Hobbs Act Robbery. Bermudez is the last defendant to be sentenced for his role in the Miske Enterprise.
As part of his 2022 plea agreement, Bermudez admitted that he and other members of the Enterprise participated in a murder-for-hire conspiracy with codefendant Michael J. Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Bermudez agreed to commit the murder for $60,000 and laid in wait outside of the victim’s home on multiple occasions, waiting for the right opportunity to kill the victim. The murder did not ultimately occur because Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Bermudez also admitted to taking part in multiple attempted murders where he shot victims from his vehicle. Further, Bermudez admitted to burning a van at Miske’s direction that Bermudez later discovered was utilized in the abduction and murder of 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. Bermudez also admitted to committing several armed robberies of Honolulu area drug dealers and then selling the stolen drugs to others in the community.
Bermudez was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024.
Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases.
“You terrorized this city and this county to a greater extent than anyone I can remember,” Judge Watson advised Bermudez during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Bermudez responsible. Judge Watson called out the “brazenness” and “unprecedented” nature of Bermudez’s acts of violence, noting that he had never seen the same level of violence even collectively among multiple coconspirators that here was attributed solely to Bermudez.
“For his grisly work in pummeling victims with his fists, Lance Bermudez was coined with the nickname, ‘The Hammah.’ Yesterday, Bermudez was at the business end of the federal justice hammer as U.S. District Chief Judge Derrick Watson sentenced him to a lengthy 30-year sentence for his violent role in promoting the nefarious and illicit activities of the Miske organization. Bermudez’s sentence is the final one to be handed down against the members of the Miske Enterprise and is the capstone of our investigation into the violent and corrupt activities of Michael Miske and his henchmen,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Our decade-long effort with our outstanding law enforcement partners has now resulted in the federal convictions of 20 Miske confederates who now can no longer victimize Hawaii’s citizens and communities. While the work against the Miske Enterprise is done, the people of Hawaii can rest assured that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our dedicated and resolute law enforcement partners at the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others, will continue to tirelessly hunt down and prosecute those who operate violent criminal enterprises in our state and endanger our citizens.”
“Mr. Bermudez was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of violence and racketeering activity involving murder-for-hire, armed robbery, and drug trafficking,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”
“Mr. Bermudez’s account of attempted murder-for-hire reminds us that even the worst crimes have a price,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI follows the money to uproot organizations that profit from violence.”
“Today's sentencing marks a significant step towards justice for the victims and the community terrorized by the Miske Enterprise. The severity of the crimes committed by Lance L. Bermudez underscores the necessity of our relentless collaborative efforts to dismantle such criminal organizations and ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in such egregious acts of violence and criminal conduct.”
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.
Mechanics Charged with Trafficking over a Ton of Methamphetamine from Auto Repair ShopRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Two DeKalb County auto mechanics face federal drug trafficking charges after agents seized approximately 2,500 pounds of methamphetamine from their vehicles. Daniel Santana-Lopez, 39, an illegal alien from Guanajuato, Mexico, was arraigned earlier today on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and illegal reentry by a removed alien. Jared Thompson, 41, of Snellville, Georgia, was arraigned on June 30, 2025, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime.
“These defendants, including a twice-deported illegal alien, allegedly tried to conceal a major methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in a local automobile repair shop,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through a tenacious investigation, our federal and local law enforcement partners rooted out the defendants’ operation in our continued effort to eliminate the scourge of drug dealing from our communities.”
“DEA’s mission remains the same: seize dangerous drugs before they reach our communities and bring to justice those criminals responsible,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will continue to aggressively pursue criminals that are harming our communities with dangerous drugs.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in Court: On October 23, 2024, law enforcement stopped Santana-Lopez after he drove away from a DeKalb County auto repair shop where he worked as a mechanic. During a search of Santana-Lopez’s vehicle, officers allegedly found approximately 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that Santana-Lopez was illegally in the United States, having been deported in 2014 and 2017, and had allegedly distributed methamphetamine on several previous occasions in June, July, and August 2024.
Approximately an hour after arresting Santana-Lopez, law enforcement stopped Thompson leaving the same auto repair shop, where he also worked as a mechanic. Inside of Thompson’s vehicle, officers allegedly found approximately 140 kilograms of methamphetamine and a firearm.
Santana-Lopez and Thompson were indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia on June 11, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, North Georgia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement with valuable assistance provided by the DeKalb County Police Department and DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Dwayne A. Brown, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Maryland IT Company Agrees to Pay $14.75M to Resolve Alleged False ClaimsRead the Press Release
Hill ASC Inc., doing business as Hill Associates, of Rockville, Maryland, agreed to pay at least $14.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act in connection with a General Services Administration (GSA) contract for information technology services.
This settlement relates to a contract under which Hill provided information technology services to federal agencies from 2018 to 2023 through GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. The MAS program provides the government with a streamlined process to buy commonly used commercial goods and services. GSA negotiates contract terms and other agencies can then buy goods and services from the contractor under that GSA MAS contract. The settlement resolves allegations that Hill billed federal agencies for labor of information technology personnel who did not have the experience or education required under the contract. In addition, it resolves allegations that, although GSA required technical evaluations for contractors who sought to offer highly adaptive cybersecurity services to government customers, and Hill had not passed such an evaluation, Hill submitted claims for such cybersecurity services and other services that were not within the scope of the MAS contract. Finally, it resolves allegations that Hill charged the government for unapproved fees, failed to provide government customers with required information about discounts for prompt payment, and included unallowable incentive compensation in a cost submission in connection with a new contract proposal.
Under the settlement with the United States, Hill has agreed to pay $14.75 million, plus additional amounts if certain financial contingencies occur. The settlement amount was based on the company’s ability to pay.
“Information technology contractors are expected to charge the government appropriately for their services,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to pursue cyber fraud and hold accountable those companies that knowingly fail to meet contractual obligations to the American taxpayers.”
“Federal agencies should get what they have paid for from GSA contractors, nothing less,” said GSA Deputy Inspector General Robert C. Erickson. “I appreciate the hard work of all the attorneys, auditors, and special agents involved in this investigation.”
“False claims and similar unfair advantage by contractors undermine the integrity of the contracting process and can result in significant adverse effects to vital security concerns,” said Treasury Deputy Inspector General Loren Sciurba. “Treasury OIG is committed to conducting and assisting other agencies to the utmost in investigations, audits, and other work to detect and prevent these violations of the public trust.”
“As the nation’s tax watchdog, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s contracting and procurement processes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jessica Cipolla of TIGTA’s Gulf States Field Division. “We remain steadfast in our mission to expose and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the IRS. Anyone doing business with the IRS or the Department of the Treasury is expected to operate with the highest levels of honesty and integrity. We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their continued collaboration and critical support in this investigation.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the GSA’s Office of the Inspector General, the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General, and TIGTA. The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova of the Fraud Section.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Man from Dominican Republic pleads guilty, sentenced for forging an alien resident cardRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jose Miguel Nunez Carmona, 30, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to forged or falsely made alien resident card. He was hen sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that on April 23, 2025, during an encounter with U.S. Border Patrol Agents, Nunez Carmona admitted to being in the United States illegally. He had in his possession a United States Permanent Resident Card as proof of his identity and lawful status in the United States. The card contained Nunez Carmona’s photograph and biographical information, along with a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) number. Agents physically examined the resident card and found it to be fraudulent because of the lack of security measures that these cards are typically equipped with, blurry water marks, low quality background imaging, and improper fonts. A records check revealed that Nunez Carmona had never been issued permanent residency in the United States and the USCIS number did not come back to any individual. Nunez Carmona admitted to agents that the resident card was fraudulent.
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.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Martin B. Coombs.
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Ladson Man Sentenced to 19 Years Federal Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joseph Daniel Bair, 40, of Ladson, has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for the attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Evidence obtained in the investigation showed that in early November 2021, members of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) conducted an undercover investigation targeting online sexual offenders. As part of this investigation, an officer created an undercover online persona of a 13-year-old girl.
Bair responded to the undercover officer’s online persona’s social media ad and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the undercover officer. In their conversations, Bair discussed his desire to engage in various sex acts with the purported 13-year-old girl. On Dec. 5, 2021, Bair drove from Ladson to a predetermined location in Charleston County to meet the girl, and to engage in illicit sexual conduct with her. When Bair arrived, he encountered law enforcement officers instead and was placed under arrest.
At the time of the offense, Bair was on the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry based on a 2009 state conviction for criminal solicitation of a minor. Law enforcement officers also discovered that Bair was reporting to sex offender registry officials that he lived in Charleston when in fact he lived in Ladson.
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Bair to 230 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), including the Department of Homeland Security, Mount Pleasant Police Department, and Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor is prosecuting the case.
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Kissimmee Businessman Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Edwin Rivera to four years in federal prison for theft of government property. The court also ordered Rivera to forfeit $1,987,457 which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Rivera pleaded guilty on January 16, 2025.
According to court documents, between October 2023 and July 2024, Rivera and his co-conspirators operated a scheme to steal government funds. As part of the scheme, Rivera stole the identity of large corporations and filed fraudulent tax returns with the IRS on behalf of those companies, causing the IRS to generate tax refunds and mail them to Rivera. Rivera then deposited the checks into bank accounts he and his co-conspirators controlled. As part of the scheme, Rivera and his co-conspirators attempted to steal nearly $10 million in government funds, and successfully obtained at least four fraudulent tax refunds for a total of $2,741,581.74.
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who attempt to exploit U.S Treasury refund checks meant for hard working taxpayers for their own private gain," said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Joel Weaver. “TIGTA's mission is to protect the integrity of our nation's tax administration system. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate federal laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.”
“If you think committing millions of dollars’ worth of fraud and stealing from the government would go unnoticed, you couldn't be more wrong,” said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents are the world's top financial crimes investigators, and they will find you, just like they found Edwin Rivera.”
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
Justice Department Releases Guidance on Implementing President Trump’s Executive Order Designating English as the Official Language of the United StatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice released Guidance to ensure compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224, which establishes English as the official language of the United States of America. Consistent with the Executive Order, the Department of Justice will lead a coordinated effort across federal agencies to minimize non-essential multilingual services, redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation, and ensure legal compliance with the Executive Order through targeted measures where necessary.
"As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division."
"President Trump’s Executive Order marks a pivotal step toward unifying our nation through a common language and enhancing efficiency in federal operations," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. "The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity.”
While leaving room for linguistic diversity that exists in private and community spheres, this Guidance will help streamline federal processes, reduce administrative burdens, and increase operational efficiency across agencies by removing extensive translation services and de-prioritizing multilingualism over English proficiency. Implementing the Executive Order will enhance social and economic integration, offer new Americans a vital pathway for civic engagement, and further bind Americans together with a shared language.
President Trump’s Executive Order rescinds Executive Order No. 13,166, signed by President Clinton on August 16, 2000. Executive Order No. 13,166 directed agencies to enhance access to federal programs for persons with limited English proficiency and required tailored guidance for recipients of federal funding—straining federal resources and impeding the assimilation of new Americans.
This is the latest Guidance issued by the Department of Justice to implement and administer President Trump’s agenda.
Read the Guidance HERE.
Independence Attorney Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., attorney has been sentenced to federal prison for evading payment of $794,540 in income taxes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey P. Ray today.
John C. Carnes, 70, pleaded guilty to tax evasion on Nov. 25, 2024, and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs. Carnes was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $794,540.
According to court documents, Carnes admitted that he willfully attempted to evade paying his personal income taxes for tax years 2012 through 2018. Carnes kept his income in his attorney trust accounts, then withdrew cash from his attorney trust accounts to pay for personal and business expenses. An attorney trust account is a bank account in which a lawyer has a fiduciary duty to hold property of clients or third persons, including prospective clients. It is for funds that are in a lawyer’s possession in connection with representation, separate from the lawyer’s own property.
Carnes had two trust fund accounts. He withdrew $444,527 in cash from one account from 2016 through 2019, and he withdrew $144,364 from the second account from 2013 through 2015. Carnes used the cash to gamble and pay personal expenses.
Carnes deposited $232,000 in fees received for services provided in the sale of the former Rockwood Golf Course property in November 2017 and the Missouri City Power Plant project, and other income, into his attorney trust accounts.
The total tax loss to the IRS for tax years 2012 through 2018, because of Carnes’s tax evasion, totaled $618,949. In addition, relevant conduct consists of unpaid federal income tax for the tax years 1990-1993, 1996-2003, and 2005, totaling $175,590. The total relevant conduct is $238,513, resulting in a total tax loss of $794,540.
From 2009 to 2020, the IRS continuously engaged in various forms of investigative and enforcement activity regarding Carnes’s outstanding tax liabilities.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rudolph R. Rhodes IV and Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Semaj Markes Leondre Figg, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to reports of shots fired at an 11th Avenue residence in Huntington, encountered Figg, and arrested him on an outstanding warrant. Officers executed a search warrant at the residence and seized approximately 30 grams of crack, 54 grams of fentanyl, a Glock 22C pistol and a Ruger-5.7 pistol. Figg admitted that he intended to sell the seized controlled substances.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-180.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Receiving Gratuities While Salaried Federal EmployeeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Timothy Lane Crowder, 44, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to unlawful receipt of gratuities. Crowder admitted to receiving approximately $24,525.33 from disability benefits awarded to veterans while he was a salaried employee of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 17, 2020, and July 26, 2023, Crowder was a Veterans Service Representative in Huntington when he assisted 13 veterans with preparing their claims for retroactive disability benefits. As part of his guilty plea, Crowder admitted that he received gratuities from the veterans of approximately 10 to 20 percent of their awarded benefits once their claims were approved.
Federal law bars a federal employee from receiving gratuities or shares of any interest in a claim against the United States. As a Veterans Service Representative employed by the VBA, it was illegal for Crowder to receive a gratuity from veterans he assisted with filing claims. Crowder admitted that he both knowingly and willfully assisted the veterans while knowing that the gratuities represented a share of their awarded disability benefits.
Crowder is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27. 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Crowder also owes $24,525.33 in restitution.
“It is never appropriate for a Veterans Service Representative of a federal benefits program to solicit payments from benefit recipients in exchange for assistance with their benefits,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “That is a betrayal of the public’s trust and undermines the integrity of these programs. Benefit recipients should always refuse to make any such payment and report any solicitation to the employee’s supervisor.”
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-187.
Hudson County Man Indicted for Investment Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Involving Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ. – A New Jersey man was arraigned on wire fraud and money laundering charges for a scheme to defraud elderly and other victims by misappropriating funds that the victims were told would be invested on their behalf or otherwise used for their benefit, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Antonio Petrosino, a/k/a Anthony Petrosino, 60, of Union City, New Jersey, was arraigned on July 9, 2025, before Senior U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler. Petrosino was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 18, 2025, with five counts of wire fraud (Counts One through Five) and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (Count Six). Petrosino was previously charged by complaint in January 2025 with one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From in or around January 2016 through in or around November 2024, Petrosino fraudulently induced the victims to transfer investment funds, mortgage payments, and other money to Petrosino. As part of the scheme to defraud, Petrosino held himself out to be a financial services professional to his victims and falsely led them to believe that he would invest the victims’ money in brokerage accounts and other investment products or otherwise use it for their benefit. To perpetuate his fraud, Petrosino provided one elderly victim with falsified investment statements that purported to show that she had hundreds of thousands of dollars deposited in various investment accounts in her name. Petrosino also made various statements to victims assuring them that their money had been invested or used as promised.
In reality, Petrosino failed to invest the victims’ funds or otherwise use victim monies for the victims’ benefit as promised. Instead, Petrosino misappropriated the money to pay for his personal expenses, including gambling, credit card payments, and rent on his luxury apartment unit. When confronted by victims about the status of the money they sent to Petrosino, Petrosino provided the victims and their family members false reassurances about the status of the victims’ funds to cover up his fraud. In total, Petrosino stole more than approximately $1 million from the victims.
The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All counts carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker; and the Wyckoff Police Department, under the direction of Chief David V. Murphy, with the investigation leading to Petrosino’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense Counsel: Michael Thomas, Esq.
petrosino.indictment.pdfHonduran National with Active Interpol Red Notice for Murder Is Arrested and Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Pedro Danilo Espinoza-Guiffaro (34, Honduras) on a criminal complaint charging him with being unlawfully present in the United States after being previously removed from the United States. If convicted, Espinoza-Guiffaro faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a targeted enforcement operation to arrest Espinoza-Guiffaro as he had an active Interpol Red Notice for Murder in Honduras. A surveillance team located Espinoza-Guiffaro in Duval County. During immigration processing, HSI agents learned that Espinoza-Guiffaro was previously ordered removed from the United States and actually removed from the United States in 2022 and 2024. There is no record Espinoza-Guiffaro ever applied for or received permission to return to the United States.
A complaint is merely a charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by HSI and FBI. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.
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).
Honduran National Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry After A Felony ConvictionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Luis Alonso Contreras-Rivera (32, Honduras) to 30 months in federal prison for illegal reentry after a felony conviction. Contreras-Rivera pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025.
According to court documents, Contreras-Rivera is a citizen and national of Honduras. He was previously removed from the United States on December 3, 2012, January 19, 2015, and November 2, 2018. On January 1, 2024, Contreras-Rivera was found back in the United States when he was arrested in Charlotte County for a state criminal offense. Contreras-Rivera had previously been convicted of illegal reentry into the United States on September 10, 2013, in the Western District of Texas. Contreras-Rivera has never applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.
This case was investigated by United States Border Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Darcey.
Honduran National Indicted for Re-Entry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MARCELO ORDONEZ-RIVAS (“ORDONEZ-RIVAS”), age 46, a native of Honduras, was indicted on July 10, 2025, for re-entry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, ORDONEZ-RIVAS, an illegal alien, was found in Jefferson Parish on June 18, 2025. In 2016, he had previously been convicted of violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326, Illegal Re-entry of Removed Alien, and sentenced. ORDONEZ-RIVAS was removed to Honduras on or about June 10, 2016.
If convicted, ORDONEZ-RIVAS faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Honduran National Arrested for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Bayros Aguilar-Ramirez (29, Honduras) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Aguilar-Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Aguilar-Ramirez is a citizen and national of Honduras. He was previously removed from the United States on November 23, 2016. Aguilar-Ramirez was found voluntarily back in the United States on July 13, 2025, when he was encountered by law enforcement in St Johns County. Aguilar-Ramirez has not received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to apply for readmission to the United States.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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).
Honduran Man Illegally in U.S. Pleads Guilty to Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Marvin Enrique Pena-Portillo, 38, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to possession of a firearm by a felon.
The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in April of this year and charged by information in June.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on April 15, 2025, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents arrested the defendant for immigration violations, Pena-Portillo had a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his waistband.
In August of 2024, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Pena-Portillo had pleaded guilty to carrying an illegal firearm in public and was sentenced to two years of probation for that offense.
Pena-Portillo is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Eckert.
Hamden Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTIAN PICHARDO, also known as “Swerve,” “Craig,” and “Bobby Shmurda,” 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Pichardo as a significant distributor of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in southwestern Connecticut. During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Pichardo, his associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, made controlled purchases of narcotics, and seized drugs from Pichardo, his associates, and drug customers. Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues and xylazine, a large animal tranquilizer. The investigation also revealed that Pichardo maintained a residence on Norman Street in Bridgeport to store narcotics.
On July 17, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment charging Pichardo and seven others with controlled substances offenses.
Pichardo has been detained since his arrest on August 5, 2024. On April 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other opioids.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Kenneth L. Gresham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Five Months in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford was sentenced today for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jose De Leon Ventura, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to five months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In May 2025, De Leon Ventura pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. De Leon Ventura was arrested in April 2025 and has remained in custody since.
De Leon Ventura was previously removed from the United States in December 2019, after being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in Yuma, Ariz. Sometime after his removal, De Leon Ventura unlawfully reentered the United States. Federal authorities became aware of De Leon Ventura’s presence in the United States following his arrest in August 2023 for operating under the influence of liquor and operating after a suspended license.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons prosecuted the case.
Grove Man Sentenced for Possessing and Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Grove man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country and Production of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Dakota Austin Clark, 24, to 240 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Clark will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In February 2023, Clark began communicating with a 14-year-old through social media. The investigation revealed that Clark coerced and enticed the minor child to produce sexually explicit photos. Law enforcement further discovered that Clark possessed hundreds of images that contained the sexual abuse of minor children.
Clark is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Grove Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Child NeglectRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Andrew J. Garasich, 29, of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for aggravated child neglect, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“The victim in this case was a two-month-old child who was horribly neglected by the Defendant and barely survived,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The child is now in a loving home but will face lifelong struggles because of the Defendant’s choices. This case shows that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who hurt children and, if they are convicted, we will seek long sentences in federal prison for them.”
“This sentencing is a result of the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our justice system to protect the most vulnerable members of our community—our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “There is no place in our community for those who harm children, and we will do everything we can to find and punish those who engage in this repugnant activity and seek justice for victims.”
“This case highlights the strong partnership between Army CID, the FBI, and the Department of Justice,” said Special Agent in Charge John McCabe of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Midcentral Field Office. “This sentencing reflects our dedication to justice for this young victim and sends a clear message that child abuse will not be tolerated within our ranks or in our communities."
Garasich, a former sergeant (E-5) in the United States Army stationed on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was a father of a two-month-old baby when, on December 30, 2022, Garasich severely burned his baby by bathing him in water so hot that the baby’s skin peeled off his body. The two-month-old baby did not receive medical treatment for five days after the bath. When the baby was finally taken to Houston County Community Hospital for medical treatment, Garasich did not accompany the baby to the hospital. Medical personnel immediately arranged for the baby to be life flighted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center due to the severity of his injuries, and they contacted the Erin, Tennessee, Police Department, which dispatched officers to the hospital to speak with witnesses about how the baby was injured. When the baby was assessed at Vanderbilt, in addition to partial to full thickness burns on the baby’s buttocks, perineum, lower extremities, and left elbow, medical personnel also noted a left parietal skull fracture.
Although Garasich does not have any prior criminal convictions, he has a prior case with the Department of Children’s Services involving another child in 2019.
Following his term of imprisonment, Garasich will be on supervised release for 4 years.
Garasich’s co-defendant, the child’s mother, will be sentenced on August 5, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI Nashville Field Office, Clarksville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison and Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case.
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Former State Employee Charged with Providing K2-Laced Paper to a Federal Prison Inmate; Inmate Indicted for Possessing K2Read the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bridgewater, Mass. woman and a federal inmate have been charged with providing and possessing a controlled substance in the form of a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as “K2,” at the federal prison FMC Devens. The inmate had been granted clemency on Jan. 17, 2025, reducing his 2022 federal prison sentence for drug distribution.
Tasha Hammock, 43, a former employee with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, is charged by Information with providing contraband to a prison inmate. Raymond Gaines, 45, an inmate at FMC Devens, has been indicted by a federal grand jury with possessing contraband by a prison inmate. In March 2025, Hammock and Gaines were charged by criminal complaint.According to court documents, on Jan. 25, 2022, Gaines was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. At the time he committed the offenses, he was on federal supervised release after serving a prison sentence resulting from a 2017 conviction for distributing cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. In both prior cases Gaines was alleged to be an associate of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, a street gang in Boston. On Jan. 17, 2025, Gaines received an Executive Grant of Clemency, reducing his current federal sentence to five years in prison.
It is alleged that on Aug. 18, 2024, Hammock, while visiting Gaines in the prison, surreptitiously passed K2-laced papers to Gaines, which he pocketed. At the time, Hammock was employed with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Hammock also allegedly previously handled money connected with the distribution of K2 to Gaines in FMC Devens and she allegedly received K2 at her residence for distribution into the prison. Court records allege that law enforcement obtained a cellphone that had been smuggled to an inmate in the prison (“Inmate A”). In September 2023, Inmate A allegedly sent messages on the cell phone to another person (“Person 1”), discussing obtaining K2 in prison. Inmate A allegedly told Person 1 that the drugs could be delivered to a particular address in Bridgewater - later determined to be Hammock’s residence - and that Inmate A’s “co” would arrange for the drugs to be brought into the prison from there.
As described in court documents, K2 presents a health problem at FMC Devens, where inmates have become sick from smoking paper believed to contain K2, as well as prison staff who have been exposed to the secondary smoke.
The charges of providing a prohibited object to a prison inmate, and receiving a prohibited object by a prison inmate, each carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston; and Ryan Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Regional Office of DOJ-OIG, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Special Investigative Services Unit at FMC Devens. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Federal Task Force Agent Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for CorruptionRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Antonio Pizarro Adorno, a former Puerto Rico Special Investigations Bureau (“NIE” as known in Spanish) officer who was assigned to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSI), was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé to 15 months in prison and three years of Supervised Release Term for corruptly concealing $170 during a law enforcement seizure.
On March 13, 2025, after a five-day jury trial, a federal jury convicted Antonio Pizarro Adorno. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on April 27, 2023, Pizarro Adorno, took $170 in cash seized by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), with the intent to impair its integrity and availability for use in an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives related to drug trafficking in a community in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, Public Corruption Unit investigated the case, with the collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy prosecuted the case.
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Female Teacher Arrested After Being Indicted for Sex Trafficking of Children in Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — On July 10, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging a woman from Bayamón with sex trafficking of children. Lizamarie Rivera-García, 42, was arrested today by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.
“These charges reflect the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct inflicted on her victims,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The sexual exploitation of children robs children of their freedom, dignity and sense of security. Such conduct is unacceptable in our society. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will use all the tools at our disposal to prosecute sex traffickers and to seek justice for the victims.”
“We cannot let our guard down! Our children are being sexually exploited by individuals in positions of public trust. Law enforcement agencies are committed to being the voice of these victims,” said Rebecca C. Gonzalez-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge. “HSI’s multidisciplinary team will guarantee that our children receive the necessary assistance to overcome this trauma, and our agents will make sure that these individuals are arrested, away from causing more damage. A female religion teacher that had the responsibility to guiding our children about principles and beliefs was actually developing a plan to sexually assault them. HSI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are committed to protecting our children. We will not let these acts happen on our watch.”
According to court documents, between December 2023 and October 2024, Lizamarie Rivera-García knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 15-year-old male minor to engage in commercial sex acts. Rivera-García is also accused with knowingly employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing the same 15-year-old male minor to engage in sexual activity; transporting the male victim in a commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States, with intent that the male individual engage in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense; and using internet instant messaging services and social media, to knowingly transfer and attempt to transfer obscene matter to an individual who had not attained the age of 16 years.
In addition, from in or about December 2023 to November 2024, Rivera-García knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 17-year-old male minor to engage in commercial sex acts.
If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: sex trafficking of a child - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to life in prison; transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity -- a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; and coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison. All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI San Juan is leading the investigation into this case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea, from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to [email protected]. Learn more about ICE HSI San Juan’s mission to increase public safety in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Employee Pleads Guilty to Possession of A Firearm by an Unlawful Drug UserRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Bryan Roger Byers (57, Jacksonville), a United States Postal Service employee, has pleaded guilty to being in possession of a firearm as an unlawful drug user. Byers faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents and proceedings, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Byers after a firearm he had purchased was recovered during a drug trafficking investigation. During that earlier investigation, a felon was found to be in possession of a firearm and admitted purchasing the firearm from Byers in exchange for crack cocaine.
Investigators located text messages, which reflected that Byers used sex workers to find buyers for his firearms. The buyers then exchanged drugs for the firearms. Records reflect Byers purchased at least 10 firearms over the last four years.
On April 2, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Byers’s home. Law enforcement officers seized seven firearms, multiple rounds of ammunition, and two suspected crack pipes from the home. The next day, Byers attempted to purchase another firearm. ATF agents arrested him for being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.
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).
Federal Charges Filed Against Williston Man for Armed Drug-TraffickingRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kendrick Jermaine Hills Jr., 22, of Williston, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for charges related to armed drug-trafficking. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Hills was arrested on July 10, 2025, and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida on the same day.
Hills was indicted for one count of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, and one count of carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.
Jury trial is scheduled for August 13, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor. If convicted, Hills faces up to life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Adam Hapner.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Extradited Colombian Entrepreneur Convicted in Miami of Conspiracy to Distribute Thousands of Kilograms of Cartel Cocaine for Import to the United StatesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida returned a guilty verdict against defendant Neder Valencia Julio for a multi-year conspiracy to distribute thousands of kilograms of cocaine, with knowledge that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
Based on the evidence at trial, Valencia owned several businesses along the coastal gulf of Colombia near the Caribbean Sea, including a resort-style hotel, an apartment complex, a boat transport business, and a fleet of speedboats. These businesses were all located in territory controlled by the Clan del Golfo (CDG), a Colombian paramilitary group, racketeering organization, and armed drug trafficking cartel. The CDG cartel was a highly organized criminal group that trafficked its own cocaine, selling to partners in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras, who would then sell the cocaine to Mexican cartels for eventual transport across the border of the United States. The CDG cartel also charged a per-kilogram tax for any other drug trafficking groups that moved cocaine through CDG territory in Colombia and Panama. In exchange for the payment of this tax, CDG would provide storage, security, and inventorying of the cocaine until the traffickers were ready to dispatch the cocaine for shipment.
On May 14, 2018, a Colombian military plane began tracking a speedboat that left from this region and was moving north along a known drug trafficking corridor. As the boat crossed into Panama’s territorial waters, a patrol boat from Servicio Nacional Aeronaval de Panamá (SENAN) was able to locate and begin pursuit of the speedboat. The speedboat crew tossed its cargo overboard and turned back towards Colombia. The crew escaped and the empty boat was seized by Colombian law enforcement. However, the SENAN patrol boat was able to follow the speedboat’s wake and recover 626 kilograms of bundled cocaine still afloat along its path.
Valencia provided the speedboat, organized and hired the crew, and met with CDG cartel leadership to plan and coordinate this May 2018 shipment of 1,050 kilograms of CDG cocaine. Valencia was personally present to oversee the loading and dispatch of the cocaine onto his speedboat.
Beyond the May 2018 shipment, Valencia served as a logistics and transportation coordinator for many more thousands of kilograms and millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine shipments, dating back to at least 2011. In 2012, Valencia participated in planning meetings with CDG cartel leadership and representatives of a Honduran narcotrafficking client of CDG, and then provided the boats and crew for a 1200-kilogram shipment of CDG cocaine to Honduras. In 2015, Valencia held the same role in a 1500-kilogram shipment to this same group in Honduras. In 2017, Valencia oversaw the loading and dispatch of a 1000-kilogram shipment from one of his speedboats, piloted by his crew. In February 2018, Valencia again oversaw the loading and dispatch of a 1400-kilogram cartel cocaine shipment from one of his speedboats, piloted by his crew.
Valencia continued to oversee the coordination, logistics, and transportation of cocaine shipments in 2019 and 2020. He was arrested in Colombia in 2021 and subsequently extradited to the United States.
The evidence at trial otherwise reflected that one of the branded stamps on the cocaine bricks from the May 2018 seizure had been linked to the CDG cartel, and that cocaine bricks bearing the same or similar branded markings had been seized in United States territory between 2017 and 2020, including in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Corpus Christi, Texas.
U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal presided over the trial. Valencia faces a maximum term of life imprisonment. The sentencing hearing has been set for September 23, 2025. Judge Singhal will sentence Valencia after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, announced the guilty verdict.
DEA investigated the case, with substantial assistance from law enforcement and armed forces in the Republic of Colombia, including the Fiscalía General de la Nación, the Colombian Navy, and the Republic of Panama, including SENAN. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable support during the proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Chattah and Sterling M. Paulson are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-CR-20273-AHS.
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Eighth Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to Prison for Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A former correctional officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Andrew Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to his plea agreement, Fleshman responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. When Correctional Officer Fleshman arrived at the pod, Q.B. was on the floor as force was being used against him. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officer Fleshman and other members of the conspiracy then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where, aided and abetted by each other, they struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Fleshman admitted that he and the members of the conspiracy struck and injured Q.B. to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod.
Fleshman pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk on November 2, 2023. That same day, former correctional officer Steven Nicholas Wimmer also pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Q.B. On May 8, 2025, Chief Judge Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison.
On November 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. On July 9, 2025, United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin sentenced Holdren to 20 years in prison and sentenced Walter to 21 years in prison. On July 10, 2025, Judge Goodwin sentenced Snyder to 19 years and seven months in prison.
In August 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. On June 9, 2025, Judge Goodwin sentenced Toney to six and a half years in prison. On July 10, 2025, Judge Goodwin sentenced Boothe to three years in prison.
On January 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, 2025, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 17 and a half years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-133.
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Eighth Former Correctional Officer Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
A former correctional officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Andrew Fleshman, 22, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison.
According to his plea agreement, Fleshman responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. When Correctional Officer Fleshman arrived at the pod, Q.B. was on the floor as force was being used against him. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officer Fleshman and other members of the conspiracy then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where, aided and abetted by each other, they struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Fleshman admitted that he and the members of the conspiracy struck and injured Q.B. to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod.
Fleshman pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on Nov. 2, 2023. That same day, former correctional officer Steven Nicholas Wimmer also pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Q.B. On May 8, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison.
On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. On July 9, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin sentenced Holdren to 20 years in prison and Walters was sentenced to 21 years in prison. On July 10, Judge Goodwin sentenced Snyder to 19 years and seven months in prison.
In August 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. On June 9, Judge Goodwin sentenced Toney to six and a half years in prison. On July 10, Judge Goodwin sentenced Boothe to three years in prison.
On Jan. 27, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 17 and a half years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Defense Contractor Berg Co. Agrees to Pay $3.3M to Resolve Allegations of Causing Fraudulent BidsRead the Press Release
Berg Companies Inc. (Berg) has agreed to pay $3.3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting, or causing the submission of, false claims under prime vendor contracts with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which the Department of Defense (DoD) uses to purchase goods and services.
Berg, based in Spokane, Washington, manufactures rigid wall shelters and sells them to the federal government, including through various prime vendor programs. In September 2019, Berg was acquired by Hunter Defense Technologies, Inc., which is a defense contractor that is based in Solon, Ohio.
Berg was a vendor to Noble Sales Co. Inc. doing business as Noble Supply & Logistics (Noble), which is a Boston-based prime contractor to DLA for Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) contracts for the European Command. Under the MRO contracts, the DoD can place orders for goods and services through Noble. Noble is then required to solicit bids from two independently competing vendors for transactions below $25,000 and from three independently competing vendors for transactions at or above $25,000. According to DLA, MRO contracts are “a partnership aimed at achieving infrastructure savings, inventory cost reductions and favorable product pricing through leveraged buying.”
Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Berg admitted that, from 2019 to 2021, Berg coordinated with Noble and two other Noble vendors to submit inflated quotes for Berg-made rigid wall shelters so that the other vendors would win the awards at inflated prices. In the first scheme, Berg admitted that it coordinated and submitted inflated quotes on two solicitations for the sale of 10 Berg-made rigid wall shelters that Noble awarded to a New Mexico-based vendor. In the second scheme, Berg admitted that it coordinated and submitted inflated quotes on 26 solicitations for the purchase of 29 Berg-made rigid wall shelters that Noble awarded to a Florida-based vendor. As a result of these schemes, the United States contends that the requirements were not competed as required by the prime vendor contract and the military customers were overcharged for the Berg-made rigid wall shelters.
“Bid rigging of this type inhibits competition on the products and on prices, thereby creating the risk that the government is purchasing inferior products at exorbitant prices,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reinforces the Department’s commitment in using the FCA to pursue anti-competitive fraud.”
“As evidenced in this settlement agreement, these contractors manipulated and undermined the fair and open bidding process designed to save our military and taxpayers money,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “We commend Berg for cooperating with the government to resolve this matter and taking responsibility for this conduct. As this settlement demonstrates, not only will my Office continue to use the False Claims Act to help root out fraud, waste and abuse involving taxpayer funds, but it will reward those that accept responsibility and cooperate with the government.”
“Collusion in government contracting erodes public trust, distorts fair competition, and drives up costs for taxpayers and service members,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “Such conduct undermines the integrity of the procurement process and betrays the public’s expectation that government funds will be used responsibly. This resolution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars, ensuring a level playing field for all businesses, and holding accountable those who seek to profit by manipulating federal contracting. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to defend the integrity of government procurement and safeguard the interests of the American people.”
“Today’s settlement announcement demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who undermine the integrity of the DoD contracting process,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS will use all available resources to hold accountable those who betray the trust of the American taxpayer by corrupting the DoD procurement system for personal gain.”
“GSA OIG will continue to work with its investigative partners to hold government contractors accountable for concealing relevant information that may affect the award or performance of government contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dattoria of the U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Division.
Berg cooperated with the government in this matter. As part of the settlement, Berg acknowledged and accepted responsibility for the facts that form the basis of this settlement.
This settlement resolves claims brought against Berg under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and to receive a share of the recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblowers, Mark G. Davis and Andrew G. Gunn, to receive a $561,000 share of the recovery. Davis is a U.S. Army veteran and former salesperson for one of the sub-vendors involved in the conspiracy allegation. Gunn is the managing director of a United Kingdom company that manufacturers storage equipment for United States military customers and sold its equipment through this prime vendor’s MRO contracts. The remainder of the matter remains under seal.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Mexico and District of Massachusetts, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Services, the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Cunniff of the District of New Mexico, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Ross and Brian LaMacchia of the District of Massachusetts.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Defense Contractor Berg Co. Agrees to Pay $3.3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Bid Rigging on Defense ContractsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Berg Companies, Inc., of Spokane, Washington, has agreed to pay $3,300,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by engaging in a bid rigging conspiracy with a government prime vendor and two sub-vendors – including Albuquerque-based Improve Group, Inc. – that caused fraudulent, non-competitive bids to be submitted to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). As a result, Department of Defense (DoD) customers were overcharged for rigid wall shelters manufactured by Berg.
Berg manufactures rigid wall shelters and sells them directly and indirectly to the federal government, including through various prime vendor programs. In September 2019, Berg was acquired by Hunter Defense Technologies, Inc. (HDT), which is a defense contractor based in Solon, Ohio. HDT manufactures integrated expeditionary products and solutions.
The DLA oversees several prime vendor contracts that it makes available to military customers to acquire a variety of products and services. At issue here are DLA’s Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) prime vendor contracts for the European Command. These contracts were operated by a prime vendor based in Boston, Massachusetts. Through these contracts, military customers in Europe could purchase supplies and equipment such as chemicals, electrical supplies, hardware, HVAC/refrigeration, prefabricated structures, and a variety of small tools. The goals of the MRO program are to achieve favorable product pricing through leveraged buying, infrastructure savings, and inventory cost reductions. To obtain the best price, the MRO contracts require the prime vendor, which is paid per transaction, to engage in a competitive bidding process, soliciting bids from at least two independently competing vendors for transactions below $25,000 and from at least three independently competing vendors for transactions at or above $25,000.
The United States alleged that from 2019 to 2021, Berg conspired with the prime vendor and two sub-vendors to rig bids on the MRO contracts for the European Command for the sale of its rigid wall shelters. More specifically, Berg admitted that it coordinated with the prime vendor and sub-vendors and submitted inflated quotes for Berg-made rigid wall shelters so that the sub-vendors would win the awards at inflated prices.
In the first scheme, Berg admitted that it coordinated and submitted inflated quotes on two solicitations for the sale of 10 Berg-made rigid wall shelters that were awarded to Albuquerque-based sub-vendor Improve Group.
In the second scheme, Berg admitted that it coordinated and submitted inflated quotes on 26 solicitations for the purchase of 29 Berg-made rigid wall shelters that were awarded to a sub-vendor that operated out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. As a result of these bid rigging schemes, the United States contends that the prime vendor did not engage in a competitive bidding process, that bids were not submitted by independently competing vendors, and that the collusion caused the prime vendor, sub-vendors, and Berg to overcharge the military customers.
Berg received cooperation credit under the Department of Justice’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in FCA cases. Berg cooperated with the government in this matter, conducted internal investigation, and voluntarily self-disclosed one issue that was not known to the government before.
“Collusion in government contracting erodes public trust, distorts fair competition, and drives up costs for taxpayers and service members,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “Such conduct undermines the integrity of the procurement process and betrays the public’s expectation that government funds will be used responsibly. This resolution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars, ensuring a level playing field for all businesses, and holding accountable those who seek to profit by manipulating federal contracting. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to defend the integrity of government procurement and safeguard the interests of the American people.”
“Bid rigging of this type inhibits competition on the products and on prices, thereby creating the risk that the government is purchasing inferior products at exorbitant prices,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reinforces the Department’s commitment in using the FCA to pursue anti-competitive fraud.”
“As evidenced in this settlement agreement, these contractors manipulated and undermined the fair and open bidding process designed to save our military and taxpayers money,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We commend Berg for cooperating with the government to resolve this matter and taking responsibility for this conduct. As this settlement demonstrates, not only will my Office continue to use the False Claims Act to help root out fraud, waste and abuse involving taxpayer funds, but it will reward those that accept responsibility and cooperate with the government.”
“Today’s settlement announcement demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who undermine the integrity of the DoD contracting process,” said Chad Gosch, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS will use all available resources to hold accountable those who betray the trust of the American taxpayer by corrupting the DoD procurement system for personal gain.”
“GSA OIG will continue to work with its investigative partners to hold government contractors accountable for concealing relevant information that may affect the award or performance of government contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dattoria of the U.S. General Services
This settlement resolves claims brought against Berg under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and to receive a share of the recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblowers, Mark G. Davis and Andrew G. Gunn, to receive a $561,000 share of the recovery. Davis is a U.S. Army veteran and former salesperson for one of the sub-vendors involved in the conspiracy allegation. Gunn is the managing director of a United Kingdom company that manufacturers storage equipment for United States military customers and sold its equipment through this prime vendor’s MRO contracts. The remainder of the matter remains under seal.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Mexico and District of Massachusetts, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Services, the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Cunniff and Auditor Phillip Stella of the District of New Mexico, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Ross and Brian LaMacchia of the District of Massachusetts, and criminal investigators from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
berg_settlement_agreement_7.10.25_fully_executed_redacted.pdfThe claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Defense Contractor Berg Co. Agrees to Pay $3.3 Million to Resolve Allegations of Causing Fraudulent BidsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Berg Companies, Inc. (Berg) has agreed to pay $3.3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting, or causing the submission of, false claims under prime vendor contracts with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which the Department of Defense (DoD) uses to purchase goods and services.
Berg, based in Spokane, Wash., manufactures rigid wall shelters and sells them to the federal government, including through various prime vendor programs. In September 2019, Berg was acquired by Hunter Defense Technologies, Inc., which is a defense contractor that is based in Solon, Ohio.
Berg was a vendor to Noble Sales Co., Inc. d/b/a Noble Supply & Logistics (Noble), which is a Boston-based prime contractor to DLA for Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) contracts for the European Command. Under the MRO contracts, the DoD can place orders for goods and services through Noble. Noble is then required to solicit bids from two independently competing vendors for transactions below $25,000 and from three independently competing vendors for transactions at or above $25,000. According to DLA, MRO contracts are “a partnership aimed at achieving infrastructure savings, inventory cost reductions and favorable product pricing through leveraged buying.”
Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Berg admitted that, from 2019 to 2021, Berg coordinated with Noble and two other Noble vendors to submit inflated quotes for Berg-made rigid wall shelters so that the other vendors would win the awards at inflated prices. In the first scheme, Berg admitted that it coordinated and submitted inflated quotes on two solicitations for the sale of 10 Berg-made rigid wall shelters that Noble awarded to a New Mexico-based vendor. In the second scheme, Berg admitted that it coordinated and submitted inflated quotes on 26 solicitations for the purchase of 29 Berg-made rigid wall shelters that Noble awarded to a Florida-based vendor. As a result of these schemes, the United States contends that the requirements were not competed as required by the prime vendor contract and the military customers were overcharged for the Berg-made rigid wall shelters.
Berg cooperated with the government in this matter. As part of the settlement, Berg acknowledged and accepted responsibility for the facts which form the basis of this settlement.“As evidenced in this settlement agreement, these contractors manipulated and undermined the fair and open bidding process designed to save our military and taxpayers money,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We commend Berg for cooperating with the government to resolve this matter and taking responsibility for this conduct. As this settlement demonstrates, not only will my Office continue to use the False Claims Act to help root out fraud, waste and abuse involving taxpayer funds, but it will reward those that accept responsibility and cooperate with the government.”
“Bid rigging of this type inhibits competition on the products and on prices, thereby creating the risk that the government is purchasing inferior products at exorbitant prices,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reinforces the Department’s commitment in using the FCA to pursue anti-competitive fraud.”
“Collusion in government contracting erodes public trust, distorts fair competition, and drives up costs for taxpayers and service members,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “Such conduct undermines the integrity of the procurement process and betrays the public’s expectation that government funds will be used responsibly. This resolution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars, ensuring a level playing field for all businesses, and holding accountable those who seek to profit by manipulating federal contracting. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to defend the integrity of government procurement and safeguard the interests of the American people.”
“Today’s settlement announcement demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who undermine the integrity of the DoD contracting process,” said Chad Gosch, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS will use all available resources to hold accountable those who betray the trust of the American taxpayer by corrupting the DoD procurement system for personal gain.”
“GSA OIG will continue to work with its investigative partners to hold government contractors accountable for concealing relevant information that may affect the award or performance of government contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dattoria of the U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Division.
U.S. Attorney Foley; AAG Shumate; D-NM USA Ellison; DCIS Southwest Acting SAC Gosch; GSA-OIG SAC Dattoria; and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian LaMacchia and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter, along with Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Cunniff of the District of New Mexico.Colorado Woman Sentenced After Using Deceased Person’s Identity to Cash Counterfeit ChecksRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – In March 2025, a federal jury convicted Sarai Jamila Nyasha Freeman, 41, of Aurora, Colorado, for two counts of Passing and Uttering Counterfeit Obligations and Securities, two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, and one count for Failure to Appear for her trial initially scheduled for December 2024.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Freeman to 48 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell further ordered Freeman to pay $2,826 in restitution.
In July 2024, Freeman was indicted after fraudulently using a deceased person's identity to cash two counterfeit U.S. Treasury Checks in 2020 in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, totaling a loss of $2,826. Freeman’s transactions in Sand Springs were part of a larger operation spanning across several states from Louisiana to Colorado, with Freeman also fraudulently cashing checks in at least Missouri and Arkansas. While on Pretrial bond, Freeman requested and was provided a plane ticket to accommodate her out-of-state travel for trial but failed to appear for trial. Freeman was arrested in Colorado by the U.S. Marshal Service for failing to appear at trial.
Three months before Freeman fraudulently cashed U.S. Treasury checks in this case, Freeman was arrested and charged in State Court after cashing four other fraudulent checks. Like her federal case, when released on State bond, she failed to appear, resulting in bench warrants for failing to appear.
Freeman will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Wal-Mart Global Investigations investigated the case, and the U.S. Marshals Service assisted in the arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.
Chinese-Owned Concrete Equipment Manufacturer to Pay over $2.8 Million to Resolve Allegations That It Submitted False Claims to Receive a Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that Schwing America, Inc., a Minnesota corporation, agreed to pay $2,894,739 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and, if the business spent the loan proceeds on qualified expenses, SBA would repay the loan and any accrued interest on the borrower’s behalf. Regulations provide various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the number of individuals the borrower and its affiliated entities employed and exclusions for certain types of businesses, like those that are owned by government entities. In their loan applications, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the PPP and that the information they provided was accurate.
Schwing America’s ultimate corporate parent is the Jiangsu Xuzhou State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, which is owned and controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China. Through common ownership, Schwing America is also affiliated with other companies in China, Europe, and elsewhere that employed thousands of individuals.
In applying for its PPP loan, however, Schwing America certified that it was eligible for its loan, and it received a loan in the amount of $1,932,800. SBA subsequently forgave $1,702,787.82 in principal and interest. The United States alleges that Schwing America was not a small business eligible for its PPP loan because Schwing America, together with its affiliates across the globe, employed more individuals than permitted by SBA’s size standard for its industry. The United States also contends that Schwing America was not eligible because it is owned by a government entity. Schwing America will pay $2,894,739 to resolve these allegations.
“Congress intended for the PPP to help small businesses, not companies that are part of large multinational corporations owned by foreign governments,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “Schwing America submitted false information to avoid the rules, and it will now repay the SBA plus a substantial penalty. The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to pursuing companies that defraud government programs.”
“The settlement in this matter reflects SBA’s commitment to identifying and pursuing those who perpetrated fraud on Covid relief programs to the detriment of small businesses” said Wendell Davis, SBA General Counsel. “Working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and our other law enforcement partners, SBA continues its enhanced efforts to uncover fraud and pursue recoveries wrongfully taken by the perpetrators.”
The settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam lawsuit was filed by GNGH2 Inc., which will receive $289,473.90 in connection with this settlement.
Together with the SBA, Assistant United States Attorney Michael Carter and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Lindsey Roberts represented the government in this matter. The settlement agreement states allegations only; Schwing America, Inc., does not admit liability for the allegations.
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California Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with $16M Hospice Fraud Scheme and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in defrauding Medicare of nearly $16 million through sham hospice companies and laundering the fraudulent proceeds.
According to court documents, Juan Carlos Esparza, 33, of Valley Village, schemed with others, including co-defendants Petros Fichidzhyan and Karpis Srapyan, to bill Medicare for hospice services that were not medically necessary and never provided. From July 2019 until January 2023, the defendant and his co-defendants operated four sham hospices, one of which, House of Angels Hospice, was owned by Esparza. The defendants controlled the other three hospices, even though the listed owners were foreign nationals. Fichidzhyan, Esparza, and Srapyan concealed the scheme by using foreign nationals’ personal identifying information to open bank accounts, submit information to Medicare, and sign property leases. They also controlled and used cell phones in the names of the foreign nationals in furtherance of the scheme. In total, Medicare paid the sham hospices nearly $16 million.
Fichidzhyan, Esparza, and Srapyan worked with others, including their co-defendants Susanna Harutyunyan and Mihran Panosyan, to launder the fraudulent proceeds. As part of the money laundering scheme, Esparza and his co-defendants maintained fraudulent identification documents and other documents associated with the sham hospices at the House of Angels office, and bank documents, checkbooks, and credit and debit cards in the names of purported foreign owners in a pair of residential properties. After defrauding Medicare, Esparza and his co-defendants moved the funds between various assets and accounts, including bank accounts in the names of shell companies, to conceal the scheme. Esparza spent $90,000 in fraudulent proceeds to purchase a vehicle.
Esparza pleaded guilty to health care fraud and transactional money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for healthcare fraud and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for transactional money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendant Petros Fichidzhyan previously pleaded guilty to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. In May, Fichidzhyan was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Co-defendant Mihran Panosyan pleaded guilty to money laundering last month and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 8. Co-defendant Karpis Srapyan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6. Co-defendant Susanna Harutyunyan pleaded guilty to money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17. Harutyunyan faces deportation.
The guilty plea today is the most recent conviction in the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to combat hospice fraud in the greater Los Angeles area. Last year, a doctor was convicted at trial for his role in a scheme to bill Medicare for hospice services patients did not need, and two other defendants were sentenced for their roles in a hospice fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Sarah E. Edwards, Allison L. McGuire, and Michael Bacharach of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara B. Vavere for the Central District of California is handling asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bakersfield Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty for His Role in $25 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Victor Cruz, 40, who was a tax return preparer in Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to helping Miguel Martinez, a Mexican national who was in the United States illegally, submit fraudulent individual federal income tax returns that claimed $25 million in refunds, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court records, from November 2019 through June 2023, Martinez led a scheme to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns that claimed millions of dollars in refunds and Cruz helped him carry out the scheme. Martinez used stolen identities to create fake businesses and report phony wage and withholding information for the businesses to the IRS. Martinez then submitted hundreds of individual income tax returns to the IRS in the names of individuals whose identities he had stolen, claiming that those individuals worked for the fake businesses and were owed tax refunds based on the phony wage and withholding information that had been reported. Cruz prepared and filed more than 500 of the fraudulent tax returns, which claimed more than $3 million in refunds. Cruz received thousands of dollars in fees from Martinez in exchange for his services.
The IRS actually paid out $2.3 million of the $25 million in refunds that was claimed by the fraudulent tax returns.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17, 2025. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Martinez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in federal prison.
Attorney Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Benjamin Crawford (47, Brandon) has pleaded guilty to distribution of child sexual abuse material. Crawford faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 25, 2025.
According to the plea agreement, Crawford, a local attorney, distributed child sexual abuse material over a social media application and possessed child sexual abuse material on his cellphone and laptop. Crawford has agreed to his phone and laptop, which were used in the commission of the offense.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Tampa and Tennessee. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.justice.gov/psc.
Ashland Man Indicted for Transportation, Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ashland man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on charges involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Brent Vreeland, 36, was indicted on one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 17, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. Vreeland has remained in federal custody since being arrested and charged by complaint on April 23, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Vreeland was flagged for secondary screening at Boston’s Logan Airport upon arrival from Reykjavik, Iceland in October 2024. It is alleged that during a review of Vreeland’s cell phone, images and videos depicting CSAM were found in his Telegram Messenger app. A subsequent forensic examination of the device allegedly revealed approximately 30 media files depicting CSAM in direct messages with other unknown Telegram users. It is further alleged that Vreeland received and distributed three such videos in October 2021, depicting the abuse of minor victims between the ages of four and 10 years old. In one exchange, Vreeland allegedly asked another user to trade CSAM files for “the youngest [they] hve [sic].”
The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Patrol, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Armed and Violent Drug Traffickers Operating in the Yakama Nation and Yakima Valley Facing Federal Charges, Thousands of Pounds of Drugs SeizedRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced that 13 people have been charged following the return of 12 indictments alleging more than a dozen charges against these defendants.
The arrests follow a long-term joint federal, local, and tribal investigation that began in 2024, concluding in June 2025, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Indian Affairs. The investigation targeted violent individuals and armed drug traffickers on the Yakama Nation and in the Yakima Valley with the goal to disrupt drug distributors operation both on and off the reservation.
“Fentanyl continues to be one of the most dangerous substances threatening our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. “Thanks to the hard work and tireless dedication of our tribal, state and federal law enforcement partners, working side by side with members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Yakima, offenders have been removed from our communities and families are safer today.”
To date, agents have seized 7,100 pounds of marijuana, 336 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly 25 pounds of cocaine, 7 pounds of fentanyl power, 4,704 fentanyl laced pills, $22,512 in drug proceeds, and 12 firearms.
According to unsealed charging documents, the following individuals have been charged in connection with the investigation. The United States anticipates bringing additional charges against other individuals identified during this investigation.
Angel Navarro Aleman, age 55, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams and More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine (three counts)
Jose Francisco Aguirre, age 56, pleaded guilty to Distribution of 50 Grams and More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine; sentencing in July 2025.
Jose Caudillo-Ascencio, age 23 charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Jesus Caudillo, age 31, charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Johnny Thomas Axtell, age 54, charged with Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fentanyl
Israel Nicolas Castaneda, age 37, charged with Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl
Samantha Rasberry-Besa, age 31, charged with Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Lonzell Hawk Lucei, age 37, charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Hollis Marion Woodward, age 70, pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, sentencing in September 2025.
Miguel Angel Alvarado-Munoz, age 45, charged with Alien in United States After Deportation
Ira Charles Pete, age 39, charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Edgar Jovnni Nunez Bocanegra, age 29, charged with Drug User in Possession of a Firearm; Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime
Fernando Gonzalez, age 38, charged with Possession with the Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation along with Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, ATF, Yakima Police Department, Wapato Police Department, Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department, and the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office.
25-CR-02035-RLP
25-CR-02016-RLP
25-cr-02064-MKD
25-CR-02046-RLP
25-CR-02013-SAB
25-CR-02034-SAB
25-CR-02050-MKD
25-CR-02041-RLP
25-CR-02058-SAB
25-CR-02036-SAB
25-CR-02055-SAB
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
30-Year-Old Carolina Man Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago, a 30-year-old teacher from Carolina, Puerto Rico, was arrested on criminal charges related to child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Today, Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Pérez-Santiago.
On July 10, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago on charges involving the coercion and enticement of a minor, and transfer of obscene material to a 14-year-old female minor.
According to court documents, from February 2023 to February 2025, Pérez-Santiago used a cellphone, online instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity and transferred obscene material to her.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who exploits minors for sexual purposes,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Those who prey on children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge said: “This case demonstrates the importance of adult supervision on digital devices. A responsible father monitoring social media platforms discovered the sexually explicit conversations between a teacher and its student. This individual that also calls himself a minister of a church, exploited his role as an educator and spiritual guide to approach a minor and engage in sexually explicit conversations. The defendant does not represent the amazing teachers of the Puerto Rico’s Department of Education who day to day, work with us to identify and report these predators. The perfect formula to protect our children is strong parental supervision, engaged personnel from the Puerto Rico’s Department of Education, and HSI’s Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force whose main mission is to keep our children safe from sexual predators.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI is in charge of the investigation.
If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: (1) coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; and (2) transfer of obscene material to a minor – up to 10 years in prison. All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to [email protected].
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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11 July 2025
Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 222 Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 222 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 3 through July 10.
Among the new cases, Karen Y. Ordonez-Granados and Ledy Veronica Ordonez-Granados aka Veronica Granados were both charged with one count of fraud or misuse of an immigration document. The two defendants were arrested as Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) conducted a court-authorized search warrant at Groomer’s Seafood of San Antonio on July 2. The search warrant had been authorized after HSI auditors discovered, through an investigation of Forms I-9, that 29 employees hired between 2016 and 2025 had presented fraudulent legal permanent resident (LPR) cards and fraudulent social security numbers at their time of hiring or rehiring. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that two of those employees were Karen Y. Ordonez-Granados and Ledy Veronica Ordonez-Granados. Both defendants allegedly stated they $150 for the fraudulent LPR cards and presented them when they applied for employment. If convicted they each face up to 10 years in federal prison and/or up to a $250,000 fine.
In Austin, Honduran national Jose David Sifuentes was encountered by ICE at the Caldwell County Jail where he was serving a five-year sentence for sexual assaulting a child. Sifuentes was arrested for the charge July 14, 2020, at which time ICE lodged a detainer. He was federally charged with illegal re-entry on July 7, 2025, having been previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras in 2019. Sifuentes was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on July 9.
Two Guatemalan nationals were arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry after they had just been removed from the U.S. in May. Diego Garcia-Godinez was allegedly located just over three miles east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry and has been deported three times, most recently to Guatemala on May 20, 2025. Jose Luis Cabrera-Lopez was allegedly found approximately .01 miles east of the Bridge of the Americas and has also been removed three times, the last being to Guatemala on May 14.
Samuel Meza-Escobedo, a Mexican national with nine prior removals, was also arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry. Meza-Escobedo was allegedly found just less than a mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry and has three prior illegal re-entry convictions. He was last removed from the U.S. to Mexico on Aug. 13, 2024.
Mexican national Daniel Sauceda-Borrego was arrested by Customs and Border Protection in El Paso after he allegedly presented identification documents under an assumed or fictitious name. A criminal complaint alleges that Sauceda-Borrego presented a Washington ID card bearing his photograph, name, and date of birth, along with a Social Security Card of another individual with the initials J.F.R. He was referred to Passport Control Secondary (PCS), where his fingerprints were scanned and revealed that he had been previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2011. The criminal complaint alleges that Sauceda-Borrego admitted that he was given a Texas Birth Certificate from an individual in Seattle, Washington, and had been using a different identity for approximately five or six years.
Tomas Velazquez-Jijon, a Mexican national, was arrested on July 7, after U.S. Border Patrol agents located him during a Greyhound bus inspection at the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol Checkpoint and allegedly discovered he was in possession of a fraudulent LPR card with his demographics printed on the card. A record check for the LPR card number resulted in a different name, date of birth, and citizenship. Agents also allegedly found that Velazquez-Jijon possessed a fraudulent Social Security Card. He was recently removed from the U.S. to Mexico for the first time on May 22, and is charged with one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and related documents, and false personation.
These 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), 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 additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
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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Violent Felon Sentenced for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Tariq Dazour Walker, 27, of Pensacola, Florida was sentenced to 120 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, on December 4, 2024, Pensacola Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at the Pensacola Village apartment complex. Multiple witnesses identified Walker as the shooter. Walker was a convicted felon at the time, with multiple prior felony convictions for robbery, grand theft auto, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Removing violent offenders from our communities remains a top priority of my office, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who terrorize our streets. I deeply appreciate the combined efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods safe, and my prosecutors will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the fight to protect our communities from violent criminals.”
Chief Eric Randall of the Pensacola Police Department said: “We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure the safety of Pensacola. Our collaboration with our local, state and federal partners is unwavering in the pursuit to keep our neighborhoods safe from armed felons.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sherriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pensacola Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
United Kingdom Citizen Extradited to Face Charges in $99 Million Wine FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, James Wellesley was arraigned following his extradition from the United Kingdom (UK), where he was arrested in 2022. In 2022, Wellesley, along with his co-defendant Stephen Burton, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy in connection with a scheme perpetrated through Bordeaux Cellars, a company he and Burton operated. Wellesley was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. Burton was extradited from Morocco in 2023 and is currently pending trial. Wellesley was ordered detained pending trial.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced Burton’s arraignment.
“Today’s arraignment sends a message to all perpetrators of global fraud schemes that my Office will work tirelessly to ensure they answer for crimes committed in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “We will not rest in our efforts to seek justice for victims of fraud.”
“James Wellesley and his business partner allegedly concocted an elaborate scheme defrauding investors out of millions of dollars to finance their own personal expenses. Their alleged deceit spread across years and continents,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Today’s arraignment signals to all criminals that the FBI will practice the same resolve in bringing perpetrators to justice.”
“James Wellesley and his co-conspirator are accused of masterminding their nearly $100 million international fraud scheme that exploited the unsuspecting public, including New Yorkers, for their own selfish enrichment. As alleged, the defendants claimed Bordeaux Cellars boasted a high-value wine stockpile and a clientele of ‘high-net-worth wine collectors’ – and in turn profited handsomely – all while they swindled investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel. “Let it be known, regardless of the nature of the transnational criminal scheme, HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to adapt and evolve to fight global and domestic financial crimes wherever and whenever possible.”
The indictment alleges that from at least June 2017 and continuing through February of 2019, the defendants posed as executives Bordeaux Cellars. The defendants solicited investors, including residents of the Eastern District of New York, at, among other places, investor conferences held in the United States and overseas. The defendants claimed to investors that Bordeaux Cellars brokered loans between investors and high-net-worth wine collectors that would be fully collateralized by high-value collections of wine. The defendants promised that investors would receive regular interest payments from the borrowers, and that Bordeaux Cellars would keep custody of the wine, securing the loans while the loans were outstanding. As alleged, these representations were lies, the “high-net-worth wine collectors” did not actually exist, and Bordeaux Cellars did not maintain custody of the wine purportedly securing the loans. Instead, the defendants used incoming loan proceeds to make fraudulent interest payments to investors and for their own personal expenses, resulting in $99 million dollars’ worth of misdirected funds.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Wellesley’s arrest and extradition from the UK. This Office thanks UK authorities for their assistance in this matter.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
STEPHEN BURTON
Age: 60
United KingdomJAMES WELLESLEY
Age: 58
United Kingdom
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-79 (PKC)U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 95 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 95 border-related cases this week so far, 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 July 6, Lorenzo Arturo Bernabe-Alejo, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the U.S. after a Border Patrol agent spotted him lying on the ground about a quarter mile north of the border near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. According to a complaint, the defendant was previously deported on June 26, 2025, at the Calexico Port of Entry.
- On July 7, Luis Fernando Ramos-Mendez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting. According to a complaint, a Customs and Border Protection officer found an undocumented Mexican immigrant hiding in a modified rear bench seat compartment near the trunk of the defendant’s car as he attempted to cross at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On July 7, Refugio Ramos Daniel, a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, a Customs and Border Protection officer found 198 packages containing 200 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a non-factory compartment in the bed of the defendant’s truck as he tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Also this week, 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 some of those cases:
- On July 7, Eliseo Gonzalez Chaidez, a citizen of Mexico who previously was convicted of a federal immigration and a drug trafficking crime that resulted in an eight-year sentence, was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in custody for illegally reentering the United States.
- On July 9, Francisco Ramirez, a Mexican national, was sentenced in federal court to 36 months in custody for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
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 July 11, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 57 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 7 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 42 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 30 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 infliction of bodily harm on a child, drug trafficking, and illegal reentry.
In one significant case, Rudy Garcia was sentenced to 19 years in prison for fentanyl trafficking and for using and discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. According to Garcia, during the drug deal, he saw the victim reach for a pistol. Feeling threatened, Garcia exited the vehicle, drew his shotgun, and fatally shot the victim.
In another case, Reymondo Mandonado was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 166 kilograms of cocaine after New Mexico State Police stopped him while he was driving a tractor trailer northbound from the international border. During a subsequent search of the tractor, officers discovered 166 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a hidden compartment in the floor of the trailer.
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.
Two Wellington Park Gang Members Sentenced in the Murder of 10-Year-Old Makiyah WilsonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Price, 30 and Antonio Murchison, 31, both members of the violent Wellington Park crew, were sentenced today for the murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Mark Price received 50 years in prison. Antonio Murchison received 72 years.
On Sept. 3, 2024, Price and Murchison were each found guilty of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, participation in a criminal street gang, obstruction of justice, and multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses.
The jury also found Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, guilty of obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation into the murder of Makiyah Wilson.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 16, 2018, Mark Price, Antonio Murchison, and three other individuals, drove to the Clay Terrace neighborhood armed with guns. Price, who was driving, briefly stopped to allow the other defendants to exit the vehicle. They opened fire on the Clay Terrace courtyard, indiscriminately firing more than 50 rounds. An innocent bystander, Makiyah was killed by random gunfire while she was sitting on the front stoop of her home. Several other people were wounded.
Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also commended Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Supervisory Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Clark, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Allen, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Maenylie Watson, Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert, USAO Criminal Investigator Neil D’Cunha, USAO Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, and Lead Paralegal Meridith McGarrity. A specific thank you to former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rich Barker, John Timmer and Melissa Jackson, Lindsey Merikas. Lastly, thank you to Chrisellen Kolb (Chief of the Appellate Section) and Nick Coleman (Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section) for their pre-trial assistance and support throughout the trial. Finally, they commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Natalie Hynum who prosecuted and tried the case.
Two Louisville Men Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Two Louisville men were sentenced on July 9, 2025, to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking in methamphetamine, metonitazene, and fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Bruce A. Mills, 34, and Frank H. Brown, 35, were both sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Both defendants were also fined $3,000. Mills and Brown conspired together between January 8, 2024, and May 9, 2024, to distribute 775.642 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 14.356 grams of metonitazene, and 34.84 grams of fentanyl. The execution of multiple search warrants by HSI and LMPD on May 9, 2024, October 21, 2024, and October 24, 2024, resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine, metonitazene, fentanyl, six firearms, multiple vehicles, and drug proceeds, including approximately $40,000 and jewelry.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the HSI and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Shannon prosecuted the case.
This conviction is 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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