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Monday 20 July 2026
Co-Founder of Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, Sentenced to Life in Prison for Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Other Drug-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY - Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan in federal court in Brooklyn to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his role as a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise — the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world — and for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) violations.
Zambada Garcia pleaded guilty on August 25, 2025, admitting to being a principal leader of the continuing criminal enterprise and to the RICO charge. As part of his plea agreement, the Court entered a $15 billion forfeiture money judgment against him at today’s sentencing.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Terry Cole, Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Frank Tarentino, Associate Chief of Operations (DEA), North East Region; John A. Condon, Acting Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office (FBI); Jason A. Reding Quiñones, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; and Justin R. Simmons, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas announced the sentence.
“Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good,” stated United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr. “He will spend the rest of his life in a United States prison, exactly where he belongs. This sentence was made possible by the tireless bilateral cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement who refused to let El Mayo’s years of evading justice become a permanent state of affairs. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of justice to the countless victims of the Sinaloa Cartel’s narcotics trafficking and violence.”
“Today, narco-trafficker El Mayo was sentenced to life in prison, marking the end of his reign over the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and deadly drug cartels in history. He will never again inflict carnage, corrupt public officials, or traffic deadly drugs into our communities that ruin Americans and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “El Mayo’s conviction is historic, and it reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations that threaten American lives. To those who remain: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and you, too, will face substantial time in prison.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to every cartel, every foreign terrorist leader: no matter how powerful you become or how long you evade justice, DEA will not stop pursuing you. For decades, Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García helped lead the Sinaloa Cartel – now designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization – fueling violence, corrupting public institutions, and trafficking fentanyl into the United States, where it has become a weapon of mass destruction that has claimed countless American lives. This outcome reflects the unwavering determination of DEA and our law enforcement partners, who never stopped pursuing this case. Justice does not have an expiration date, and neither does our resolve. We will continue targeting the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and every criminal organization that threatens the American people,” stated DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole.
“Today, the United States closes the book on one of the most violent and destructive criminal figures of our time — the most prolific drug trafficker in modern history: Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia,” stated HSI Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon. “For nearly two decades, HSI special agents and investigators interviewed countless witnesses, dissected every shred of evidence, and devoted themselves, through sleepless nights and early mornings, to making certain that 'El Mayo' and his co-conspirators would face justice on behalf of Sinaloa’s victims. Through the Homeland Security Task Force framework, HSI fused its global investigative reach, financial expertise, and border authorities with the invaluable capabilities of the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, and our Department of Justice counterparts. With this sentencing, HSI, together with our invaluable HSTF partners, has taken one of the world’s most dangerous criminals off the map permanently.”
“El Mayo's sentencing is a testament to the dedication of dozens of law enforcement officers and attorneys who labored over this case for decades," stated Jeffrey Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office'. “It’s also a victory for every American family who has lost a loved one to a drug overdose and every Mexican community that has lived in fear of cartel violence. In the wake of this sentencing, the FBI and our partners vow to continue to pour our collective resources into dismantling the cartel — bringing every faction leader, plaza boss, and assassin to justice.”
“Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades leading a cartel that poisoned American communities, corrupted public officials, and used murder and terror to protect its power. Today’s life sentence ensures that his reign of violence is over for good. This result reflects years of determined work by prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, who helped build and carry this case alongside our partners in Brooklyn, Texas, the Criminal Division, and federal law enforcement. No cartel leader is beyond the reach of American justice, and the Southern District of Florida will stay in the fight until the job is finished,” stated Jason A. Reding Quiñones, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
“The sentencing of Zambada Garcia to life in federal prison is a landmark moment in the fight against transnational criminal organizations,” stated Justin R. Simmons, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. “This Administration has made the total elimination of cartels a national priority because Mexican drug cartels are a multifaceted threat to the American way of life. Today’s sentencing is yet another example of our commitment to accomplishing that goal. The Western District of Texas is literally on the front lines of that fight, and our AUSAs and support staff will continue to wake up every day and do the next right thing on behalf of the American people just as they did in this case and so many cases like it.”
Zambada Garcia had faced indictments in six federal jurisdictions: the Eastern District of New York, United States v. Zambada Garcia, et al., 09-CR-466 (EDNY) (the “EDNY Indictment”); the Western District of Texas, United States v. Zambada Garcia, et al., 12-CR-849 (WDTX) (the “WDTX Indictment”); the District of Columbia (03-CR-34; 03-CR-331 (DDC)); the Northern District of Illinois (09-CR-383 (NDIL)); the Southern District of California (14-CR-658 (SDCA)); and the Central District of California (15-CR-566 (CDCA)).
Pursuant to a plea agreement, Zambada Garcia agreed to the transfer of the WDTX Indictment for plea and sentencing in the Eastern District of New York. Zambada Garcia was thus held accountable in the Eastern District of New York for the criminal conduct encompassing both indictments. The remaining indictments will be dismissed in the coming days.
The EDNY Indictment charged Zambada Garcia with being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise for conduct spanning January 1989 through January 2024. The WDTX Indictment charged him with RICO conspiracy for his participation in money laundering, murder, and drug conspiracies, as well as violations of state law for murder and kidnapping, for conduct between January 1, 2000 and April 11, 2012.
Zambada Garcia’s rise to power began with the Sinaloa Cartel’s inception and ended with his arrest in July 2024. Previously known as the Mexican Federation, the Sinaloa Cartel is a drug trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico, that since approximately the late 1980s has imported lethal quantities of narcotics — including, among others, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl — into the United States and laundered billions of dollars in drug proceeds back to Mexico.
The Sinaloa Cartel’s operations initially focused on cocaine distribution based on cooperative arrangements and close coordination with South American sources of supply and distribution networks. This changed in the 2000s when the Colombians, seeing increased law enforcement activity, started to abandon their U.S. distribution businesses in favor of permitting Mexican traffickers to invest in cocaine shipments at wholesale prices, which those Mexican traffickers would then distribute in the United States. As a result, Mexican traffickers and the Sinaloa Cartel began to take a more integral role in moving cocaine from Colombia into and throughout the United States. Under Zambada Garcia’s leadership, the Cartel also recently branched out into the production and trafficking of fentanyl, including by purchasing fentanyl precursor chemicals from Chinese companies and producing many thousands of kilograms of fentanyl in laboratories both in rural areas and major cities in Mexico for distribution in the United States.
The Sinaloa Cartel’s distribution networks also have supported money laundering efforts that have delivered billions of dollars in illegal profits generated from drug sales in the United States back to the Sinaloa Cartel. Increased profits allowed the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations to grow a large-scale narcotics transportation network involving the use of land, air, and sea transportation assets, which eventually led to the Sinaloa Cartel shipping multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, through Central America and Mexico, and finally into the United States.
Zambada Garcia has devoted his efforts over decades to growing, increasing, and enhancing the power of the Cartel, and to growing his individual power and position in the Cartel after his partner El Chapo was captured in 2016. Under Zambada Garcia’s leadership, the Cartel regularly used brutal violence, intimidation, and murder to silence potential witnesses and dissuade law enforcement from performing its duties. Zambada Garcia has operated with impunity at the highest levels of the Mexican drug trafficking world while being assured of his continued success and safety from arrest through his payment of bribes to Mexican government officials and law enforcement officers. He controlled those corrupt officials and officers who protected his workers and drug shipments as his drugs were transported across Mexico and into the United States. Numerous witnesses have testified, including at the trials of El Chapo and corrupt former Mexican Secretary of Public Security Genaro García Luna, that corruption at all levels was necessary to allow the Zambada Garcia’s criminal enterprise to function so effectively at such a large scale: from local police officers who escorted the drugs through Mexico, to corrupt officials who informed the Cartel of military actions, thwarted capture operations, and consulted with the Cartel about proceedings and investigations against it.
HSI, the FBI, and the DEA investigated the case.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Robert M. Pollack, Adam Amir, and Rebecca M. Urquiola are leading the prosecution for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Section is handling forfeiture matters. Assistant United States Attorneys Monique Botero and Andrea Goldbarg of the Southern District of Florida and Assistant United States Attorneys Antonio Franco and Kyle Myers of the Western District of Texas are leading the prosecution for their respective offices. Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich are leading the prosecution for the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, Central District of California, and Southern District of California provided substantial assistance.
This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The Defendant:
ISMAEL ZAMBADA GARCIA (also known as “El Mayo”)
Age: 76
MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 09-CR-466 (BMC) (S-5), 25-CR-262 (BMC)
Chicago Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who distributed controlled substances and who unlawfully possessed a gun was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Delmargo Dushawn Bruce, age 35, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a February 5, 2026, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence.
In a plea agreement, Bruce admitted he distributed controlled substances. On July 1, 2024, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bruce sold approximately 5.93 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin. On July 19, 2024, Bruce sold approximately 9.76 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. On August 1, 2024, officers searched Bruce’s home in Cedar Rapids. During the search, officers found a loaded handgun. Bruce was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from 2015 in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County.
Bruce was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Bruce was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of 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.
Bruce is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-63.
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Buffalo man pleads guilty to burning down the old PinkRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John W. Burns, 42, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to arson of a building used in interstate commerce before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In the early morning hours of June 17, 2024, the Buffalo Fire Department (BFD) responded to the scene of a fire at 223 Allen Street, a restaurant/bar known as The Old Pink. The building was engulfed in flames and was ultimately destroyed. Subsequent investigation by the Buffalo Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the fire had been set deliberately. Investigators recovered a blue propane plumbers torch from the rear of the building. Video evidence showed an individual in the rear of the building near the origin of the fire. The individual couldn’t be identified but appeared to be wearing a dark colored jacket with some sort of emblem on the left arm and green and white sneakers. The video evidence also shows that prior to the start of the fire, the individual brought two white garbage bags to the back of the building and was looking through the garbage totes. The individual is then seen walking away from the area of origin and a short time later, a visible fire can be seen.
Subsequent investigation determined that Burns was at the Old Pink earlier in the evening and had a confrontation with an individual formerly contracted to work security for The Old Pink. The former security officer told law enforcement that he had confronted Burns after a female patron complained that Burns had touched her inappropriately. Burns was asked to leave but refused. A fight ensued and Burns stated: “I’ll be back (expletive), I’ll burn that (expletive) down, ain’t nobody going to have a job.”
Investigators reviewed the security footage of the fight at The Old Pink with the owner of the Essex St. Pub, a restaurant located at 530 Rhode Island Street in Buffalo. The owner identified Burns as the individual who had the confrontation with the former security guard. The owner recognized Burns because he previously employed him at the Essex St. Pub.
Investigators also reviewed the security footage with two associates of Burns, both of whom identified him as the individual walking away from The Old Pink shortly after the fire began. Law enforcement interviewed one of the associates, who provided text messages that he received from Burns in the early morning hours of June 17, 2024. After describing what appeared to be the fight at The Old Pink, Burns stated, “Guerrilla mode on” and “Guerrilla BuffL9 is a go.” The conversation continued:
Burns: Bail me out if I don’t call you at noon. Therz a fund.
Time Stamp Mon, June 17 at 5:57 a.m.
Associate: You’re killing me bro trying to sleep
Associate: What is going on
Burns: Nothing. Made my bed. Gonna defend it to the death at this point
Associate: See that is the problem and I have no idea what you’re talking about. You don’t give me any details you just say things. what are you talking about? What bed what are you doing? What happened?
Burns: Call or signal. Text bad
Burns: Whatever they probably a footage
Burns: Really though I can’t just say all the things that will later be investigated here
Burns: I’m going to the er….
In the early morning hours of August 13, 2024, at 6:03 a.m., Burns was observed on video setting a fire in the parking lot of the Essex St. Pub, which was quickly extinguished by fire department members. Buffalo Fire Marshals determined that the origin of the fire was a pile of books that had been placed near the owner’s personal vehicle. The owner told fire investigators that he received a text message the previous night indicating that Burns had been denied entry to the pub due to disruptive behavior. The owner identified Burns on video as the person carrying a pile of books in his arms towards the rear parking lot, lighting the books on fire, and then leaving the area.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard P. Antoine. The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent-in-Charge; Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Michael J. Keane; Buffalo Fire Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel J. Pizarro; and Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Erika Shields.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2026, before Judge Arcara.
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Brooklyn, New York Man Sentenced for Maintaining a Drug Involved PremisesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for maintaining a drug involved premises.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Xisen Guo, 68, to time served and one year of supervised release. Guo pleaded guilty on January 13, 2025.
According to court records, Guo operated a marijuana grow at a residence on Main Road in Passadumkeag. Members of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department, together with members of Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a state search warrant at the location in February 2024. Investigators seized approximately 40 pounds of processed marijuana, $4,710 in U.S. Currency, and evidence of marijuana cultivation. During a post-arrest interview at the location, Guo admitted that, for a time, he had rented the property to a person who grew marijuana and that he had eventually taken over the growing activity himself. Further investigation revealed that Guo had acquired the property through a limited liability company and then used and maintained the residence for the purpose of growing and distributing marijuana between July 2020 and February 2024. The defendant paid the electrical utilities and property taxes on the property. The defendant also purchased equipment and materials used to grow marijuana at the property.
The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case.
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Brooklyn Adult Daycare Owner Sentenced to 57 Months for Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Brooklyn man surrendered to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons today to begin serving 57 months in prison in connection with his leadership of a $3.2 million Medicaid fraud and illegal kickback scheme at his social adult daycare (SADC) center. The defendant was also ordered to pay almost $3.2 million in restitution and to forfeit $1.5 million in fraud proceeds.
According to court documents, Eric Zhu, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, owned Prime Life Adult Day Care LLC (Prime Life). From approximately 2020 through 2025, Medicaid recipients were paid illegal cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for enrolling with Prime Life. Between 2020 and 2025, Prime Life fraudulently billed Medicaid approximately $3.2 million for SADC services that these Medicaid recipients never received. Medicaid paid approximately $3.2 million based on these false and fraudulent claims. Zhu used multiple business entities to launder the fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes to the Medicaid recipients, some of which was recovered during a search of Prime Life, as shown below.
“Eric Zhu exploited vulnerable Medicaid recipients by paying them illegal cash bribes to enroll in his adult day care program, then fraudulently billed Medicaid $3.2 million for services that were never actually provided,” said Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This scheme stole millions from American taxpayers and undermined a program meant to help those in need. Today’s surrender to federal authorities shows we are holding Zhu and other fraudsters like him accountable. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who defraud public health programs.”
Cash kickbacks paid in exchange for SADC services not provided.Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, HSI New York, and NYPD investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Patrick J. Campbell and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, 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.
Belizean Man Sentenced to 14 Months for Lying About Immigration Status While Attempting to Purchase FirearmRead the Press Release
RUTLAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on July 14, 2026, Reginald Adam Velasquez, age 34, a citizen of Belize, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 14 months’ imprisonment. Velasquez previously pleaded guilty to lying in connection with the attempted purchase of a firearm.
According to court records, Velasquez illegally entered the United States in 2022. After his illegal entry, Velasquez was paroled into the United States, but in early 2025, Velasquez failed to comply with the terms of his parole and his immigration proceedings were terminated. Approximately nine months later, in late 2025, Velasquez attempted to purchase a firearm from a federal firearms licensee in Vermont. During the attempted purchase, Velasquez filled out an ATF Form 4473 on which he knowingly lied about his immigration status. After Velasquez was arrested, additional investigation revealed that, during the Summer and Fall of 2025, Velasquez was engaged in drug dealing in Vermont, including trading a firearm for drugs.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Border Patrol, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn. Velasquez was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Augusta man sentenced to federal prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, Georgia: An Augusta man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison in federal court after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Martin Lindner, 52, of Augusta, was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography. Lindner was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $66,500.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Court documents and testimony show that in February 2025, Lindner received child pornography, including videos and images, depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Using his home computer, Lindner would receive the material via a peer-to-peer file sharing software.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of crimes that exploit and victimize children,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Protecting children from predators is one of our highest priorities and we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who engage in these reprehensible offenses.”
“The receipt of child pornography not only harms the young victims portrayed in those images, but it also fuels a heinous market,” said Matthew Ploskunak, Supervisory Senior Special Agent for the Augusta office of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who commit heinous crimes against minors.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons.
Armed Honduran National Who Sold Drugs in East Oakland and the Tenderloin Sentenced to Sixteen Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Maxfer Palma was sentenced Friday to 192 months in federal prison for one count each of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on premises where children were present or resided, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar handed down the sentence.
Palma, 30, a national of Honduras, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 20, 2023. On March 2, 2026, a jury found Palma guilty of the drug trafficking and firearms offenses for which he was sentenced. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Palma possessed more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 200 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl, other various controlled substances, a firearm, and ammunition. These items were found on April 11, 2023, when Oakland police searched Palma’s residence, where multiple children including two minors who appeared to be under the age of 10, were present.
Oakland Police Department officers searched Palma’s residence on April 11, 2023, after he was identified as a suspect in a violent home invasion in which multiple masked individuals forced their way into an Oakland residence and pistol-whipped two victims. A search of Palma’s cell phone and social media account uncovered evidence implicating Palma in the pistol-whipping. That evidence also showed Palma had been dealing drugs in Oakland and the Tenderloin of San Francisco for at least seven months prior to his arrest by federal law enforcement.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Tigar also sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Buszin and Emily Dahlke prosecuted the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA, the Oakland Police Department, and the San Francisco Police Department.
Alien Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Heri Abelardo de Leon Garcia, 32, of Mexico, pled guilty on Tuesday, July 7, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone made the announcement.
De Leon Garcia was arrested in 2012 for entering the country illegally and was subsequently deported. He was found in the country following a traffic stop in February 2026 and was arrested in May 2026.
“The previous administration’s failed border policies and weak approach to crime allowed countless illegal aliens to cross into our country,” said First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “The American dream is alive and well—so much so that this defendant broke our laws twice to come here. We are a nation of immigrants, but those seeking to enter must follow the legal pathways. This defendant chose not to and will now serve a term of imprisonment before facing deportation.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone said, “After previously being removed from the United States, this individual chose to disregard our nation’s immigration laws by illegally reentering the country. HSI remains steadfast in working with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate, prosecute, and remove those who violate our laws in order to protect the public and uphold the integrity of our immigration system.”
Senior District Judge Frederick J. Scullin sentenced de Leon Garcia to two months’ imprisonment. Following his sentence, de Leon Garcia is subject to be deportation following his sentence.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Walter prosecuted the case.
Albany Man Sentenced to Five Years for ArsonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Marcasey Ventour, age 28, of Albany, New York, was sentenced July 17, 2026, to five years in prison for starting a fire at the Samuel S. Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office made the announcement.
“Thanks to our partners at the Department of Veterans Affairs, this defendant will now spend the next five years in federal prison,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “Mr. Ventour showed reckless disregard for both staff and the veterans receiving care when he started this fire, and now will be held accountable.”
“This case underscores the VA OIG’s commitment to protecting veterans, VA employees, and federal property,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “We will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety and integrity of VA facilities.”As part of his guilty plea, Ventour admitted to having started a fire in a restricted storage area that caused $77,490 in damage to the facility. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Ventour is also required to pay restitution and must serve a two-year term of post-release supervision.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Air Force Captain Convicted for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man was convicted by a jury on July 17, 2026, for offenses arising from his illicit communications and conduct with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Gabriel Perez, 31, of Eastampton, New Jersey, was convicted of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor following a five-day jury trial that began on July 13, 2026 before United States District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2026.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In mid-August 2024, Perez, then a 29-year-old captain in the United States Air Force, communicated on an online social media platform with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. Within approximately 24 hours of learning the purported girl’s age, Perez expressed his interest in meeting her for sex. On August 28, 2024, Perez sent an obscene photograph of himself to the purported girl and arranged to meet her the next day to engage in unlawful sexual activity. On August 29, 2024, Perez drove to the pre‑arranged meeting location with condoms in his pocket and was arrested by law enforcement.
Perez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for his conviction for attempted enticement and coercion of a minor. He also faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his conviction for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Frazer credited law enforcement members with the Air Force Office of Special Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ryan Gribble, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Eastampton Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Matt Belgiovine and Richard Shephard of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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perez.supersedingindictment.pdfDefense counsel: Ray Mateo, Esq.
Friday 17 July 2026
Ypsilanti man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing child sexually abusive materialRead the Press Release
DETROIT – James Andrew Tallon, 42, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
From at least September 2023, until his arrest in February 2025, Tallon distributed thousands of images and videos containing child sexually abusive material to other subjects, including material that depicted infants and toddlers. The FBI’s investigation eventually showed that Tallon distributed child pornography to other subjects on every continent except for Antarctica.
Receipt and distribution of child pornography each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for first time offenders.
“If you sexually exploit children, expect to lose your freedom. This predator will spend the next 10 years in federal prison paying the price for his horrific crimes,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This defendant distributed thousands of horrific images and videos depicting the abuse of infants and toddlers, perpetuating unimaginable harm to innocent children around the world. I am grateful for the relentless work of our Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force, whose dedication stopped this offender and protected children from further victimization. The FBI will continue using every available resource to identify, investigate, and bring to justice anyone who exploits our children.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Zurek and Sean King
Wethersfield Woman Charged with Sexually Coercing Minor She Met OnlineRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, announced that AMILY COLON, 31, of Wethersfield, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging her offenses related to her alleged sexual coercion of a minor she met online.
As alleged in court documents, Colon, who identified herself as “Alice,” initiated an online relationship with a 13-year-old boy in New York (the “minor victim”). Communicating primarily through the Discord app, the conversations became sexually explicit, and Colon coerced the minor victim to send her a sexually explicit video of himself. In turn, Colon sent sexually explicit images and videos of herself to the minor victim. On June 26, 2026, Colon traveled to Long Island, picked up the minor victim, brought him to her residence in Wethersfield, and attempted to engage in sexual activity. Colon drove the minor victim back to Long Island the next day, dropping him off a few blocks away from his home.
The criminal complaint charges Colon with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and with transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Each offense carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life.
Colon appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was ordered detained.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven Child Exploitation Task Force, the FBI’s Long Island Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Suffolk County (N.Y.) Police Department, with the assistance of the Wethersfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis L. Beyerlein and Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for its assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Watertown Pharmaceutical Company to Pay Nearly $4.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – EyePoint, Inc., formerly EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (EyePoint), has agreed to pay $4,678,981 to resolve allegations that it paid kickbacks to Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) to induce the ASCs to purchase its drug, DEXYCU. This scheme, the government alleges, violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.
The government contends that EyePoint’s unlawful scheme took two forms between January 2019 and March 2023: illegal payments from EyePoint to ASCs through an “Assurance Program;” and illegal payments from EyePoint to ASCs via the provision of free DEXYCU samples.
The company, headquartered in Watertown, Mass., has admitted and accepted responsibility for the following facts. First, through its “Assurance Program,” EyePoint covered ASCs’ costs when federal insurance programs denied coverage of the drug, either by paying the ASCs cash or by providing them with free replacement DEXYCU. Second, EyePoint gave thousands of free samples to ASCs and the ASCs used the no-cost DEXYCU on patients whose commercial health insurance would not pay for the drug. The government alleges that EyePoint’s provision of no-cost samples induced ASCs to purchase and dispense DEXYCU reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE by eliminating the ASCs’ potential financial losses from commercial health insurers denying payment for DEXYCU.
“As we have for years, our Office will continue to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers accountable for paying illegal kickbacks,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Through these efforts, we protect patients by removing providers’ financial incentives to prescribe or dispense products that may not be medically necessary for the patient and protect the public from fraud, waste and abuse.”
“Kickbacks by pharmaceutical companies increase the cost of drugs used by patients and paid for by federal health care programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will hold accountable anyone who pays unlawful kickbacks.”
“Pharmaceutical companies that attempt to boost profits through unlawful kickbacks undermine the integrity of federal health care programs and betray the patients who rely on them,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). We will aggressively pursue any entity that seeks to corrupt medical decision making and will not hesitate to hold them accountable.”
“As alleged, EyePoint’s unlawful scheme compromised safeguards meant to ensure that treatment decisions are made in the best interests of patients, not corporate profits,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “This settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded health care programs, and we will use every enforcement tool available to address conduct that seeks to undermine those protections.”
In connection with the settlement, EyePoint entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Through separate agreements, Eyepoint will pay an additional $25,478 to certain participating states.
The claims against EyePoint were brought under the whistleblower or qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the FCA, private parties may sue on behalf of the government for false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The relator will receive $791,768.74 from the proceeds of the settlement. The lawsuit is captioned United States, et al. ex rel. AFCE, LLC v. EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc., No 21-cv-120171.
U.S. Attorney Foley, AAG Shumate, Acting Deputy IG Lampert and HHS-OIG SAC Coviello made the announcement today. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Sharobem of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit and Trial Attorney Margaret F. Thomas of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section.
Venezuelan National Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Yesterday, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Edixon Briceno Montilla was charged in a criminal complaint with the sexual exploitation of a minor. Montilla was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho and was ordered detained pending trial.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Pete Gizas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the arrest.
“As alleged, Montilla preyed on minors who he had access to, abused them for his own sexual gratification, and filmed their victimization,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Prosecuting those who victimize children is a priority for the Department of Justice, this Office, and our law enforcement partners.”
“Edixon Briceno Montilla’s alleged conduct represents a level of depravity that is difficult to put into words. As charged, he targeted innocent children entrusted to his proximity, sexually abused them for his own gratification, recorded that abuse, and did so while brazenly remaining in this country unlawfully — demonstrating a callous disregard for his young victims and the safety of our entire community. HSI New York is unwavering in our commitment to protecting vulnerable members of our communities from those who would exploit them, and we will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who targets children, wherever they may try to hide," stated HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Gizas.
As set forth in court filings and statements, Montilla was identified by law enforcement as the male adult who sexually abused a minor victim in a video depicting child sexual abuse that had circulated on the dark web. Law enforcement executed a judicially-authorized search warrant at Montilla’s residence in Brooklyn, New York, and recovered Montilla’s cellular telephone, which had additional videos that he had filmed and that depict his sexual abuse of another minor victim.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, the defendant faces a mandatary minimum of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison.
If you believe you were victimized by the defendant, or know someone who was, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations Tipline at 1-800-843-5678 or HSI Know2Protect: 1-833-591-5669.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Sussman is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
EDIXON BRICENO MONTILLA
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-MJ-142 (JRC)
montilla_complaint.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 111 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 111 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On July 11, Saul Castro Valenzuela was arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Castro Valenzuela was the captain of a white sport fishing vessel that was transporting 21 undocumented aliens. The vessel was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard as it entered Mission Bay. Sixteen of the passengers had previously been ordered removed from the United States and were arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation.
- On July 12, Salvador Lopez Chee, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 131 pounds of cocaine in the walls of his Ford F-150 truck when he applied for entry into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On July 15, Hector Bejerano-Bejerano (aka Bejarano-Bejarano), a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents encountered the defendant 2.5 miles north of the border and 5 miles west of the Tecate Port of Entry. Bejerano-Bejerano has three prior felony immigration convictions.
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 Adds 234 New Immigration Cases in Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 234 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 10 through July 16, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, two illegal aliens were arrested as the result of a stash house disruption in El Paso on July 13. A criminal complaint alleges U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station observed Jorge Lucero-Banda, an illegal alien from Mexico, and Diogenes Silva-Orozco, an illegal alien from Nicaragua, depart and later return to an apartment that had been under investigation for alien smuggling activities. A search of Silva-Orozco’s cell phone allegedly revealed numerous videos and photos depicting illegal aliens inside a separate residence where agents later encountered 14 illegal aliens. The complaint alleges Lucero-Banda served as a caretaker at the stash house as was paid $1,000 per week. Lucero-Banda and Silva-Orozco are charged with bringing in and harboring aliens.
Jorge Camacho-Olivas, an illegal alien from Mexico who has been previously deported eight times, allegedly attempted to enter the U.S. on Tuesday by eluding inspection from U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that the day after his most recent removal, CBP officers observed Camacho-Olivas moving on foot alongside a truck that was driving up to an inspection booth. He was then detained. Camacho-Olivas has a 15-year history of multiple illegal re-entry convictions and one conviction for alien smuggling.
Antonio Gomez-Raygoza, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested after he allegedly presented a copy of his Mexican Voters Registration Card to a CBP officer at the Paso Del Norte POE and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. A system query on his name revealed Gomez-Raygoza has been removed from the U.S. six times and has been convicted for illegal re-entry, auto theft and first-degree burglary.
An Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding and discovered the driver, Lester Josue Hernandez Flores, was an illegal alien from Honduras who has been previously removed from the U.S. six times. Hernandez was arrested and turned over to ICE custody. During an inventory search of Hernandez’s vehicle prior to impoundment, ACSO allegedly discovered a .45 caliber handgun with a magazine containing one round. Hernandez is now charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, faces up to 10 years in federal prison with a maximum $250,000 fine.
Alfonso Landin Garcia, an illegal alien from Mexico, was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Jail where he had been booked for evading arrest. Landin has three DUI convictions on his record and is now charged with illegal re-entry.
Also an illegal alien from Mexico, Efrain Dominguez Arenas aka Juan Hernandez Ramirez was transferred into ICE custody from the Bastrop County Jail. Dominguez has been removed from the U.S. six times and has three DWI convictions.
German Alejandro Contreras-Enamorado, an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Contreras-Enamorado has been deported three times and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in November 2020.
Illegal alien from Cuba, Yorman Reyes-Marin aka Mikel Rodriguez Masaguer, was arrested near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Reyes-Marin was deported for the first time in October 2025 yet has a lengthy criminal record that includes multiple assault convictions, including one aggravated assault conviction, along with disorderly conduct and trespassing.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the 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.
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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Two Essex County Men Charged in Fentanyl and Cocaine SeizureRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Essex County men were charged on Tuesday with trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine and firearm offenses in Newark, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Ramon Suero, 45, and Franklin Mambru, 39, both of Newark, New Jersey, were charged in a criminal complaint before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Suero is also charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Suero and Mambru trafficked multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics out of a residential building in Newark, New Jersey. Following an investigation, on July 14, 2026, Suero and Mambru were arrested after law enforcement executed a search on the building. Narcotics were found throughout the building. Law enforcement recovered approximately 16 kilograms of fentanyl and 900 grams of cocaine during the search, some of which were in a hidden trap compartment that was operated remotely by key fobs. Law enforcement also recovered a firearm equipped with a large capacity magazine containing approximately 51 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition.
The counts charging Suero and Mambru with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine each carry a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The count charging Suero and Mambru with maintaining a drug-involved premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500,000. The count charging Suero with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Finally, the count charging Suero with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, which must be served consecutively to any sentence imposed, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Botwinick of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel for Ramon Suero: Tatiana Nnaji, Esq.
Defense counsel for Franklin Mambru: Frederick R. Dunne, III, Esq.
sueroetal.complaint.pdfTwo Colombian Nationals Extradited from Colombia to West Michigan to Face Cocaine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that two Colombian nationals made their initial appearance in a federal court in Grand Rapids on Friday after they were extradited to the United States on Thursday.
According to the indictment, from November 2024 through June 24, 2025, Carlos Andres Rueda Ipia, also known as “Indio,” and Manuel Augusto Munoz Orozco, also known as “Gordo,” conspired with each other and other individuals to distribute and import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States from Colombia, and on March 13, 2025, distributed five kilograms or more of cocaine in Colombia, having reasonable cause to believe that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
“We worked with our international law enforcement partners to extradite these two men to face justice here because we want to send this message: if you send drugs into our community, we will come for you no matter where you are,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey. “I look forward to proving the guilt of these two defendants before a West Michigan jury.”
If convicted, Rueda Ipia and Munoz Orozco face a mandatory minimum of ten years and up to life in prison.
“Let this be a warning, if you choose to traffic cocaine into the United States, you should expect to be hunted down, arrested, and brought into an American courtroom—no matter where you try to hide,” said DEA Detroit Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon. “The DEA will relentlessly pursue transnational drug traffickers, dismantle their criminal enterprises, and ensure they face the full weight of the American justice system.”
“Drug trafficking on this scale crosses jurisdictions and international borders, and working with our federal and international partners is necessary to hold those responsible accountable,” said Kent County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Bryan Muir. “Having a KCSO detective assigned to the DEA Task Force gives us a direct role in these investigations, improves information sharing, and helps keep dangerous drugs out of West Michigan.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case, with domestic assistance from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand Rapids Police Department, and the Michigan State Police, as well as international assistance from DEA’s Offices in Bogota (Colombia) and Vienna (Austria), the Colombian National Police, the Austrian Bundeskriminalamt, and the Austrian Landeskriminalamt. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and Office of International Affairs worked with the government of Colombia to secure the arrest and extradition of the defendants from Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historical interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Topeka sex offender sentenced for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced to 151 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Joshua Craig Abel was also sentenced to five years in prison for a violation of supervised release. A federal judge ordered the sentences to run consecutive to one another.
According to court documents, a federal jury convicted Abel, 44, of Topeka of one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child pornography.
In April 2023, a person in the woods on private land found several storage containers covered with camouflage netting. Among the items in the containers were cellphones, computers, external hard drives, and mail addressed to Joshua Abel. Soon after the discovery, the contents were turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Forensic experts found over 28,000 images and 850 videos of CSAM.
Abel stood trial in December 2025, and a jury found him guilty.
Abel was previously convicted of distribution of child pornography in February of 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He was found to have distributed approximately 3,900 CSAM images in that case.
“After previously being prosecuted for distributing CSAM, Mr. Able tried to hide his stash of perverse material in the woods not caring that it could be stumbled upon by anyone,” said U.S Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Thankfully, a responsible person did the right thing by reporting the discovery to the proper authorities so this illegal activity could be brought to justice. If you see something, please say something to law enforcement.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Walton prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.###
Three Nashua Residents Arrested for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, in New Hampshire Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
Three Nashua Residents Arrested for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, in New Hampshire Homeland Security Task Force Investigation
CONCORD – Three individuals from Nashua have been charged with trafficking controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Rony Guzman-Encarnacion, 31, and Sabrina Cespedes, 27, both of Nashua, were arrested on a complaint yesterday and charged with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, as well as conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Bryan Guzman, 24, also of Nashua, was arrested yesterday and charged with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to charging documents and statements, Guzman-Encarnacion and Cespedes sold methamphetamine to law enforcement in a controlled drug purchase. Guzman is alleged to have sold fentanyl pills to law enforcement in a controlled drug purchase.
The details 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.
The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force is leading the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hudson Police Department, Nashua Police Department, and New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Tennessee Woman Charged with Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Memphis woman with preparing false tax returns for others and willfully failing to file her own tax returns.
According to the indictment, between 2021 and 2024, Lynette Hogue prepared and filed with the IRS false and fraudulent income tax returns for clients of the tax preparation business where she worked. These tax returns allegedly contained false and fraudulent items, which generated refunds the clients were not entitled to receive.
According to the indictment, Hogue willfully failed to file her own tax returns for these same years, even though she earned substantial income from her tax return preparation business and was required to file by law.
Hogue is charged with 29 counts of willfully aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns and four counts of willfully failing to file a tax return. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison for each false return count and one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Matthew C. Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Tennessee Woman Charged with Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Memphis woman with preparing false tax returns for others and willfully failing to file her own tax returns.
According to the indictment, between 2021 and 2024, Lynette Hogue prepared and filed with the IRS false and fraudulent income tax returns for clients of the tax preparation business where she worked. These tax returns allegedly contained false and fraudulent items, which generated refunds the clients were not entitled to receive.
According to the indictment, Hogue willfully failed to file her own tax returns for these same years, even though she earned substantial income from her tax return preparation business and was required to file by law.
Hogue is charged with 29 counts of willfully aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns and four counts of willfully failing to file a tax return. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison for each false return count and one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Matthew C. Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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CRM
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Tallahassee Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Communicating Threats to Injure ChildrenRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Demetrius Alpha Omega Murray, 33, has been sentenced to 64 months in federal prison as a result of his guilty plea to six-counts of interstate communication of threats to injure children. The threats caused the lockdown of three Tallahassee-area public schools, and the closing of the campuses on several other area public and private schools. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the quick investigative work by our local law enforcement partners, this dangerous individual was caught before he could act on the dangerous criminal threats he made, and this successful prosecution by my office ensures he will be kept behind bars where he belongs for several years. Anyone who makes violent criminal threats, especially directed toward innocent children, will face aggressive prosecution by my office.”
Court records show that on November 14, 2025, the defendant made contact with representatives of a California law firm that was attempting to collect the defendant’s defaulted business loan. During the contact, which included multiple telephone calls and emails, the defendant threatened to commit a school shooting if the firm continued its collection efforts, directing his threats at students at Kate Sullivan Elementary School. The threats were accompanied by a video that the defendant recorded as he sat in a parked vehicle beside the school playground, during which he directed his threats towards children playing nearby and brandished a 9-millimeter handgun to illustrate his threats were serious.
The threats to commit violence were quickly relayed to law enforcement in the Tallahassee area, including the Tallahassee Police Department and Leon County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in the lockdown of Kate Sullivan Elementary School, as well as Cobb Middle School and Leon High School, both of which are located in close proximity. Investigators were quickly able to locate the defendant in Gadsden County, where he was taken into custody by the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. Murray admitted to investigators he had made the telephonic and email threats and directed officers to the location of the handgun he had been pictured with earlier. Investigators recovered the handgun, which matched the weapon pictured during the video he had recorded while parked beside the Kate Sullivan playground.
“When someone threatens violence against our schools, we respond immediately and with every available resource,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “These cases create real fear for students, parents, and educators, and we will continue working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to identify those responsible and hold them accountable. I am incredibly grateful for the collaborative efforts that led to this sentence.”
As part of the sentence, upon release Murray will be required to serve three years on supervised release and undergo mental health evaluation and treatment.
The case was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin.
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 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Two Civil Complaints Filed in the Southern District of Mississippi as Part of National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi announces the filing of two civil enforcement actions against four defendants seeking civil and monetary penalties for their violations of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention Control Action of 1970 (“Controlled Substances Act” or “CSA”). The two civil complaints filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“These cases demonstrate that we will hold accountable those who exploit the rules implemented to protect against the diversion of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger. “Our office is committed to working with state and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute those who contribute to prescription drug abuse and health care fraud.”
The charges announced by U.S. Attorney Kruger are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. The Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: charges in 56 federal districts and involving 45 U.S. states and territories, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a $1.2 billion telemedicine scheme. Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; seize over $182 million in cash, houses, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and provide full spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
The Southern District of Mississippi, in particular, worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate and pursue these cases filed during the Takedown:
According to the filed civil complaint, defendant Clint’s Pharmacy, formerly owned and operated by defendant Clint Bane, located in Brookhaven, Mississippi, could not account for 11,853 controlled substance pills following on-site regulatory inspections. Each unaccounted pill constitutes a CSA recordkeeping violation. The United States alleges two claims: (1) refusal to comply with CSA record-keeping requirements, which carries a penalty of up to $19,246 for each violation and (2) unlawful dispensing of a controlled substance, which carries a penalty of up to $82,950 for each violation. This case is being handled by James E. Graves, III of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
The United States alleges in a second complaint, that defendant Rommel Asagwara, age 42, of Kansas City, Missouri, and owner of Lemmor Holdings, LLC d/b/a Dream Weight Clinic, negligently dispensed controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice. As alleged in the complaint, Asagwara, while operating Dream Weight Clinic, failed to keep controlled substances at the registered location and failed to maintain adequate records and inventory of over 433,000 controlled substances. The United States is seeking over $8 billion for each of the 433,000 unaccounted for pills and other CSA violations. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown are available on the Department’s website here.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Third Georgia Man Sentenced for Pharmacy Burglary and Possesion of Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – On July 16, 2026, a Riverdale, Georgia man was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment for his role in a pharmacy burglary and possession of stolen firearms.
According to documents and information presented to the court, Brian Garland, 35, and his two co-defendants, Glenn McDowell and Octavious Franklin, traveled from Georgia to Biloxi, Mississippi, where two of them broke into a pharmacy and stole multiple types of controlled substances, while the third acted as the getaway driver. In addition, they stole several firearms from the pharmacy before traveling back to Georgia.
Garland and his co-defendants were ultimately identified by law enforcement because in addition to the controlled substances and firearms, the defendants stole an old wallet belonging to the pharmacy owner. While on their way back to Georgia, Garland and his co-defendants attempted to use the pharmacy owner’s bank/credit cards to purchase gas at a gas station in Alabama. But, the cards did not work. Instead, they used one of Garland’s debit cards and then discarded the pharmacy owner’s wallet.
A good Samaritan found the pharmacy owner’s wallet, contacted the pharmacy owner, and made sure the wallet was returned to him. Within the wallet, the pharmacy owner found Garland’s debit card. Surveillance footage from the gas station allowed law enforcement to identify Garland and his co-defendants. The footage also tied them to the pharmacy burglary based on their clothing. Finally, law enforcement officers were able to obtain electronic evidence from multiple cell phones that tied all of the defendants to the offenses.
McDowell was previously sentenced to 169 months imprisonment. Franklin was also sentenced to 169 months imprisonment. All the Defendants were also ordered to pay over $80,000.00 in restitution to the victims of the offense.
U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge, John Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Biloxi Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.
Stash house operator convicted in smuggling for ransom schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old Bacliff resident has been convicted of kidnapping and hostage taking as well as harboring an illegal alien and conspiracy to do so.
The federal jury deliberated for about two hours before returning the guilty verdict against Cameron Jake Tucker following a three-day trial.
The investigation began May 14, 2025, after authorities responded to reports of an illegal alien who had escaped a Houston stash house, without shoes, money, a cellphone, and identification, alleging he had been held against his will.
At trial, the jury heard how Tucker assaulted the illegal alien with a revolver after his family could not pay additional smuggling fees, then confined him in a bedroom closet. The victim later escaped through a second-story window and led authorities to the stash house.
Tucker attempted to flee by running out the back door and climbing over a fence, but authorities soon apprehended him. A search of the residence revealed four firearms, including the revolver.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that the victim fabricated the events in an attempt to obtain immigration benefits, despite the fact that the victim did not receive any immigration benefits and was removed to Mexico. The jury did not believe these claims and found Tucker guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner presided over trial and set sentencing for Oct. 15. At that time, Tucker faces up to life imprisonment in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Tucker has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Hostetter and Jay Hileman 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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Smithfield man pleads guilty to illegally selling the firearm used in the campus shooting at Old Dominion UniversityRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, pled guilty today to dealing in firearms without a license in connection with the March 12 shooting at Old Dominion University (ODU), and with three counts of making false statements during purchases of firearms.
On March 12, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, committed a terrorist shooting at ODU in Norfolk during an Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) class, killing one victim and wounding two more.
According to court documents, a review of Jalloh’s cellphone revealed that one of the phone numbers most frequently contacted in the week prior to the shooting was Chapman’s, with the most recent call occurring minutes before the shooting. Law enforcement searched Chapman’s residence on March 13 and located ammunition consistent with ammunition used in the firearm recovered from the ODU shooting. The serial number of the firearm was partially altered or obliterated. Chapman stole the firearm from a vehicle in Newport News a year before the ODU shooting and sold it to Jalloh the night before the shooting.
USAO EDVA USAO EDVAJalloh was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. As a previously convicted felon, Jalloh could not legally purchase or possess firearms or ammunition.
In addition, according to court documents, in 2021, Chapman purchased three firearms that were recovered from crime scenes shortly afterward. Two were recovered from the scene of a homicide and another was recovered from a public intoxication arrest.
Chapman is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18 and faces up to 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Luke Bresnahan are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-34.
Significant federal prison sentences handed down for drug- and firearm-related chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Three Savannah men have been sentenced to prison following firearm- and drug-related plea agreements.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:
- Lafayette Wright Jr., 38, of Savannah, was sentenced to 190 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin. Court documents and testimony show that in June 2024, Wright attempted to mail a package through the U.S. Postal Service which contained 1,988 grams of heroin. U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted the package in transit from Phoenix to Port Wentworth, Georgia. During the investigation, fingerprints were discovered within the package and still-photo images identified Wright as the individual who mailed the package.
- Aquille Omar Johnson, 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and a $1,200 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. In March 2024, Savannah Police attempted to execute a search warrant of Johnson’s residence along with an arrest warrant for Johnson when he fled and attempted to discard a Glock .40 caliber pistol. The search warrant resulted in the discovery of another firearm, a Bonito 12-gauge shotgun along with multiple rounds of ammunition, as well as 448 grams of cocaine in the defendant’s room at his residence.
- James Adkins, 28, of Savannah, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and a $1,200 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In July 2025, Savannah Police responded to a shoplifting call at a Savannah-area Kroger supermarket and approached the defendant as the person matching the description provided by witnesses. Adkins attempted to flee and during the foot pursuit discarded a Ruger 9 mm pistol before surrendering to law enforcement officers.
There is no parole in the federal system. Under federal law, it is prohibited for previously convicted felons to possess firearms or ammunition.
“These sentences demonstrate the commitment this office and our law enforcement partners take to safeguard our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Drugs and guns are a threat to neighborhoods far and wide; and those who endanger the public will face significant consequences for their crimes.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Savannah Police Department assisted in the investigation of these cases. These cases were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson, John P. Harper III, Ryan E. Bondura, L. Alexander Hamner, and Makeia R. Jonese.
Shooter Gets 22 Years in Prison for June 2020 Killing of Father of FourRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamil Whitley, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court for the shooting death of 32-year-old Kevin Redd on June 11, 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Whitley was found guilty by a jury on May 12, 2026, on one count of second-degree murder while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The Honorable Danya Dayson sentenced Whitley to 22 years and six months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In its sentencing memorandum, the government asked the court for the top of the guidelines, which is 35 years and four months.
“Unfortunately, the sentence imposed today does not reflect the severe harm suffered by the four young children who will now grow up without their father,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “His actions caused extraordinary damage, and my office sought a substantially longer sentence because the brutality of this crime demanded it. The impact on Mr. Redd’s family—especially his children—will last a lifetime, underscoring that violent conduct of this magnitude deserves the strongest response our justice system can deliver. Whitley’s murder of Kevin Redd, a father of four, left a hole in our community that can never be repaired.”
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 11, 2020, the victim, Kevin Redd, stopped at the Shell Gas Station located at 4321 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. The gas station surveillance video captured Whitley arriving three minutes earlier as the passenger of a vehicle. The surveillance video captured both Whitley and Redd speaking to each other. Eventually, Whitley returned to the vehicle and was driven from the gas station while Redd remained.
Thirteen minutes later, Whitley returned to the gas station wearing a surgical mask. Whitley exited the vehicle and approached Redd, then returned to his car with the victim following behind him. Whitley entered the driver’s door and quickly pulled a small object from his pants. As the victim entered the passenger door the defendant sped off causing a vehicle to swerve to avoid hitting him and entered the alley leading to the rear of 4722 Jay Street, N.E. Seconds later, two gunshots rang out and Whitley was captured on surveillance video fleeing the area. Redd was found by responding officers, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
Whitley was arrested on August 25, 2021, and has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro, Assistant Director Cox and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
They also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle D. Jackson and Negar Kordestani, who prosecuted the case.
2021 CF1 004848
Seattle real estate investor sentenced to 20 months in prison for $4.7 million tax evasion schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 70-year-old Seattle real estate owner was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 months in prison for six counts of tax evasion and six counts of filing false tax returns, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Steven T. Loo was convicted following a nine-day jury trial in June and July 2025. The jury found that Loo failed to report income of more than $4.7 million. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King imposed a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
“Mr. Loo made a sustained, willful decision to evade taxes. The only thing that explains that is greed,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “A man who amasses $43 million in wealth can afford to pay his taxes -- just like the 85% of us who pay our taxes fully and on time.”
“While many small business owners strive for financial security, Mr. Loo spent years deliberately evading taxes to increase his personal wealth,” said Carrie Nordyke, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “This outcome ensures he is held accountable and required to meet his tax obligations.”
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Loo had an ownership interest in, and operated, multiple commercial real estate properties, in western Washington and California. Loo hired property management companies to manage the properties. Loo had the property management companies send profits from the properties to two bank accounts in the name of shell companies he controlled. Loo spent this money for his benefit and that of his family and friends, and also re-invested funds in various businesses he controlled. However, Loo did not declare that income -- over $4.7 million -- on his tax returns. Loo used shell companies and repeated transfers of funds to conceal the income from the IRS.
At trial, the government presented evidence detailing the eight properties operated by Loo via various limited liability companies (LLCs). The income from the LLCs was funneled into bank accounts associated with two specific inactive entities that were established in Washington in 1999. Loo did not report this income to the IRS. Loo failed to inform his tax return preparer of these funds that were income from his properties.
In fact, when his tax returns over a twenty-year period are viewed in totality, Loo claimed he owed no tax at all and claimed a net refund from the IRS. Prosecutors asked for a 51-month sentence saying Loo’s motivation was simple: greed. “Loo is living the American dream yet believes he has no obligation to pay the taxes that support our nation. Loo was not content with merely failing to report his income. Instead, he contrived a plan to hide his wealth from the IRS using shell companies and money-routing schemes. When Loo’s luck ran out and an IRS criminal investigator knocked on his door, he continued his deception by trotting out a fairy tale about using imaginary losses to offset his income.”
In addition to the prison sentence and $250,000 fine, Judge King ordered Loo to pay prosecution expenses of about $5,300.
Loo has already paid back taxes to the IRS of $1,603,686.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Sean Waite for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Regina Jeon of the Department of Justice Criminal Division.
Santa Fe Woman Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Embezzling from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Santa Fe woman was sentenced to more than nine years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Santa Fe electrical company.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, from approximately May 2017 through April 2020, Charity Felch, 48, embezzled at least $385,930 from her employer, Rodeo Electrical Services, by fraudulently paying herself and her husband, using company funds for personal expenses, and concealing the theft through fraudulent financial transactions. Felch also engaged in bank fraud by tendering fraudulent checks and committed aggravated identity theft and access device fraud by using another person's identifying information and financial accounts without authorization.
Felch exploited a position of trust granted by the owner of Rodeo Electrical Services, who had provided her employment and housing. The scheme nearly drove the company into financial ruin, delayed the victim's retirement plans, and caused significant financial, emotional, and physical hardship.
After pleading guilty to five counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of access device fraud, Felch continued to engage in deceptive conduct while on pretrial release. Court records show she repeatedly provided false information about her employment to Pretrial Services, the U.S. Probation Office, and the Court. A federal judge found her testimony regarding her employment history not credible and concluded that she had provided false information to supervising officers over an extended period.
Felch was sentenced to 111 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $385,930.19 in restitution to the victim. In imposing the 111-month sentence, which was at the top of the advisory guideline range, the Court cited the seriousness of Felch's conduct and the need to deter others from committing similar fraud offenses.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Office Fred J. Federici prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office brought a separate civil forfeiture action on April 15, 2022, seeking to forfeit assets seized in November 2021. Litigation in the civil proceedings is ongoing.
Registered Sex Offender Found Guilty of Attempting to Entice a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – David A. Girard, 70, of Robertsdale, Alabama, was found guilty by a jury in federal court of attempted enticement of a minor, traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of illicit sexual conduct, and committing a felony involving a minor while being a registered sex offender. The conviction was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This repeat sex offender has clearly shown that the only way to ensure the safety of our kids from his sexual predations is to keep him locked behind bars. The threats our kids face online are growing, but our excellent law enforcement partners are up to the task to stay one step ahead of predators, like this defendant, who seek to sexually exploit and victimize children. For our part, my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to ensure these sick individuals are removed from our communities for as long as possible.”
Evidence at trial demonstrated that in October 2025, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, along with other law enforcement partners, conducted an undercover operation directed at identifying people who were soliciting minors online for sex. On October 17, 2025, the defendant began talking with someone he believed was a fourteen-year-old child. He told the purported child the sexual acts he wanted to perform on the child and arranged a meeting location in Pensacola, Florida. When the defendant traveled to meet the purported child at the agreed upon location, he was arrested by law enforcement. Electronic evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant confirmed the defendant had, in fact, talked to the person he believed was a child and traveled to meet him.
Girard faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on Count 1, and up to 30 years’ imprisonment on Count 2. Girard faces a mandatory 10-year term of imprisonment on Count 3 consecutive to any sentence imposed on Count 1.
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Thomas S.P. Geeker.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Red Lake Man Sentenced to over Five Years’ Imprisonment for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Leland Whitefeather, Sr., 77, was sentenced to 66 months for the sexual abuse of a minor. Whitefeather was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Laura M. Provinzino on July 15, 2026.
Whitefeather, who was acting as a caretaker to the victims at the time, admitted to knowingly engaging in sexual acts with multiple minors, including at his home, within the boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation between 2009 and 2019. After his release from custody, Whitefeather will be placed on sex offender supervision for a period of five years.
“There’s not a higher priority for our office than protecting children. We will continue working closely with the FBI, the Red Lake Police Department, and all of our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who prey on the innocent,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“The FBI has no tolerance for child sexual abuse,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Leland Whitefeather, Sr. admitted to the sexual abuse of three children on multiple occasions during the span of over nine years. His sentence to federal prison is deserved. The FBI and our partners with the Red Lake Tribal Police work diligently every day to protect the community and the children of the Red Lake Nation. We hope this sentence can be part of the healing process for this defendant’s victims and their families.”
This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI and Red Lake Tribal Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Evan Gilead and Mary Riverso prosecuted the case.
Pensacola Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug & Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Marcellous Likely-McWilliams III, 27, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance involving marijuana; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am proud of the many successful prosecutions that my office has delivered under Operation Take Back America, as the Department of Justice devotes its full might toward removing violent, drug trafficking offenders, like this defendant, from our communities. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe, drug-free streets, and that is exactly what my office will deliver with continued aggressive prosecutions to back up the excellent work of our state and federal law enforcement partners on the front lines in the fight against crime.”
Court documents reflect that on February 4, 2026, the defendant, a convicted felon legally prohibited from possessing firearms, was arrested wearing a backpack that contained a Glock 9-millimeter pistol, an additional 50-round drum magazine holding live ammunition, 69.7 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and various identification documents. The defendant initially resisted arrest, requiring one deputy to seek medical treatment. After his initial arrest, the defendant was placed in a patrol vehicle where he covertly slipped his handcuffs to the front of his body. He later kicked a deputy, and attempted to push the deputy away from the patrol car door as he tried to flee from the patrol vehicle before being transported to jail.
The defendant faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute count; a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking count; and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brooke A. Lindsay.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
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 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Pennsylvania Doctor Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A doctor of internal medicine, Habib Bhatti, 44, of Barto, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to an information charging one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct, two counts of production of child pornography, and two counts of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, in December 2018, Bhatti sexually exploited two minor victims, near Philadelphia, by producing child pornography of them while recording it without their knowledge. In December 2024, he also traveled in interstate commerce, from Pennsylvania to California, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with two minor victims and to record it without their knowledge. Bhatti also pleaded guilty today to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Following his arrest in September 2025, investigators executing a search warrant found hundreds of images and videos of CSAM the defendant had produced or collected over the years.
Bhatti is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 29. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case with substantial assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kulik for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
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 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
PCP Trafficker Sentenced to 60 Months for Role in Wide-Ranging Narcotics ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Kenneth Watts, 59, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison in connection with his role in a conspiracy to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Watts was convicted by a federal jury on May 20, 2025, in U.S. District Court on one count of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP. In addition to the 60-month prison term, Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Watts to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court papers, a two-year investigation by federal and local law enforcement uncovered a narcotics trafficking network operating in the metropolitan area. The network distributed large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and PCP and relied on firearms to protect its operations and drug proceeds.
Watts’s role in the conspiracy centered on obtaining bulk shipments of liquid PCP from a supplier in California. On Sept. 23, 2020, Prince George’s County police intercepted a package containing six kilograms of PCP at a FedEx facility in Maryland. The package was addressed to a fictitious name at an address in Temple Hills, Maryland.
Officers conducted a controlled delivery to the address. After the package was dropped off, they observed Watts retrieve it and enter the residence. He emerged carrying a suitcase and drove away. He was pulled over a short distance from the house. Officers recovered the PCP from the suitcase in the truck bed. Laboratory testing confirmed the substance was approximately six kilograms of PCP.
A search of Watts’s cellphone revealed text messages with the California supplier, including the delivery address and a fictitious recipient name. His phone also showed he had messaged a co-conspirator asking him to call “asap” the day before the package arrived. Evidence showed the co-conspirator later contacted Watts when seeking to obtain PCP.
Co-defendant, James Kinard, 48, of Temple Hills, Md., also was found guilty by the jury on May 20, 2025, on the PCP conspiracy count, and additionally found guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Sentencing for Kinard is pending.
Three other co-defendants pleaded guilty before the case went to trial. Melvin Grayson, 52, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, more than 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and more than one kilogram of PCP and was sentenced to 120 months. Tyrone Ragland, 57, aka “Tech,” of the District, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram of PCP and was sentenced to 180 months. Charles Cunningham, 59, of the District, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 180 months in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Iris Y. McCranie.
Police recovered six kilograms of PCP from a suitcase Watts had stashed in the back of his vehicle.
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Omaha Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Tamara Ricceri-Wolf, 60, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 8, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for one count of wire fraud. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ricceri-Wolf to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ricceri-Wolf’s release from prison, she will begin a three-year term of supervised release. Judge Buescher ordered Ricceri-Wolf to pay restitution in the amount of $635,935.05.
An investigation conducted by the FBI determined that between 2018 and December 2022, Ricceri-Wolf, as the Financial Manager for an Omaha company, had access to the company’s financial information and bank accounts. Beginning in 2019 and continuing through at least 2022, Ricceri-Wolf devised a scheme to defraud or to obtain money from the Omaha company, which involved opening American Express credit cards in the name of both the company and company’s owner without knowledge or authorization. After opening the American Express credit cards, Ricceri-Wolf made personal purchases using the credit cards for her own benefit and without authorization. Ricceri-Wolf would use her position as a Financial Manager to make payments from the company’s bank accounts on balances associated with the American Express credit cards. Ricceri-Wolf caused to be made approximately 106 unauthorized payments to American Express totaling at least $538,428.26.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Police Department Dismantles Methamphetamine Conspiracy Located at Airbnb RentalRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Ricardo Gutierrez-Castillo, Eric Luviano-Cabrera and Heleodoro Luviano-Castillo were sentenced in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced all three to 168 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After their release from prison, all will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On January 2, 2025, investigators with the Omaha Police Department received a tip from the owner of a South Omaha Airbnb who observed suspicious behavior from the renters, including bringing in large pots and pans, large bags of what looked like salt, and fans. On January 3, investigators observed two individuals loading large totes from the Airbnb into a vehicle. Investigators stopped the vehicle and identified Gutierrez-Castillo, 25, of Elkin, North Carolina, as the driver. Inside the vehicle, 33 kilograms of pure methamphetamine were found in the totes.
After Gutierrez-Castillo was arrested, investigators took Eric Luviano-Cabrera, 41, and Heleodoro Luviano-Castillo, 41, both of Mexico and illegally present in the U.S., into custody. A search warrant on the Airbnb found a makeshift laboratory intended to separate methamphetamine concealed within other compounds. They also found an additional 15 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods said, “Methamphetamine is a toxic poison undermining the safety and strength of our communities, and the Omaha Police Department should be commended for tearing down this criminal organization and disrupting the flow of this hazard substance into Nebraska from Mexico.”
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
New York Woman Indicted for Bribing Federal Official at ICE Detention Center to Release Immigration DetaineesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On July 15, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Diana Kutateladze, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, with three counts of bribery of a Louisiana public official, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(1). Kutateladze faces up to 15 years in federal prison on each count.
According to court documents, on January 11, 2024, January 16, 2024, and May 28, 2024, Kutateladze allegedly offered money and other valuable items—including tequila, a $100 gift card, and $3,000 in online payments—to a public official in the Western District of Louisiana to influence his official acts. It is alleged that those offered bribes were made to influence the public official to disregard federal immigration laws and recommend the release of immigration detainees. The public official who received these bribes reported them to his supervisors, which resulted in this investigation.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
This case was investigated by Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Bordelon and LaDonte Murphy, with assistance from Legal Assistants Tanya Broussard and Christy Angelle.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for this matter is 1:26-cr-00273-o1.
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Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
[email protected]
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TERRELL KELLEY (“KELLEY”), age 34, was sentenced to a ninety-seven (97) month term of imprisonment on July 14, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan. KELLEY was ordered to pay a $600 mandatory special assessment fee and serve a six (6) year term of supervised release upon release from imprisonment, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, KELLEY previously pleaded guilty to three (3) counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, two (2) counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The aforementioned narcotics and firearms charges relate to three separate incidents, as follows. On August 20, 2020, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers attempted to arrest KELLEY on an outstanding warrant. After a standoff, KELLEY surrendered, and a search warrant was obtained for the residence where he was located. The search revealed $10,000 in cash, a Glock pistol, an extended magazine, assorted ammunition, 21 grams of crack, 8.51 grams of heroin, and 25 Tramadol pills. Due to previous felony convictions, KELLEY is prohibited from possessing a firearm. On December 16, 2021, NOPD officers observed KELLEY conducting multiple hand-to-hand narcotics transactions. KELLEY was apprehended and evidence of the narcotics transactions, including 1.1 grams of crack, plastic baggies, and cash were recovered. These items are consistent with street-level narcotics distribution. Finally, on February 3, 2023, NOPD officers again encountered KELLEY and found him to be in possession of a Glock nine-millimeter handgun, a total of 25 Tapentadol tablets, and $280 cash, all consistent with street-level narcotics distribution.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Role in Multi-State Prescription Fraud RingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – On July 8, 2026, Bryan Otero, age 38, of Wood Ridge, New Jersey, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to commit health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Otero’s sentencing followed the creation of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. The announcement was made by First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
Otero previously admitted that from April 2023 through October 2024, he worked with Cierra Washington and others to steal the personally identifiable information of Medicaid beneficiaries and use that information to fraudulently obtain prescription medications from pharmacies throughout the Northeastern United States. He further admitted that the conspiracy caused a loss of nearly $4 million to the New York Medicaid program and tens of thousands of dollars to pharmacies.
“Healthcare fraud drains critical taxpayer resources and undermines care for the patients who need it most,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone. “Under the leadership of President Trump and the Department of Justice’s Fraud Division, my office, alongside our partners, remains committed to holding accountable individuals like Mr. Otero, who attempt to defraud American taxpayers and prey on patients within our healthcare system.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli said, “Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime. It targets a vulnerable population demographic that relies on the assistance it provides. It also drives the cost of healthcare up for every American. This sentence proves the FBI will not stand by while fraudsters like Mr. Otero take advantage of invaluable government programs designed to help Americans who need it most.”
"This conspiracy was built on the theft and misuse of vulnerable beneficiaries’ personal information, and it inflicted significant losses on a program designed to deliver essential care," said Naomi D. Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Identity theft-based prescription fraud not only undermines public trust in Medicaid but also puts patients at risk when their information is exploited for criminal gain. HHS OIG remains committed to working with our partners to protect program funds, safeguard beneficiary information, and ensure that those who engage in schemes like this are held fully accountable."
To date, the government has successfully recovered over $1.1 million in assets from Otero, which will be applied to restitution to the victims of Otero’s crimes. Otero was also ordered to pay an additional $3 million in restitution and serve a term of supervised release of 3 years after he is released from prison.
Cierra Washington and another co-defendant, Raven White, have pled guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. White is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2026, and Washington is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2026.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and the New York State Comptroller’s Office are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikayla Espinosa and Nicholas Walter are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling and Selling Misbranded Erectile Dysfunction and Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nevada, man pleaded guilty today to smuggling misbranded prescription drugs containing sildenafil and tadalafil into the United States from India and selling them to stores in Nevada and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements made in court, David Ralph Webber owned and operated Passion Plus Enterprises Inc. and Whole Science Health. He was not a registered pharmaceutical manufacturer with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor was he licensed to administer prescription drugs or to be a wholesaler of prescription drugs.
Webber admitted that from at least 2018 to present he used his companies to import hundreds of thousands of misbranded prescription drug capsules and tablets containing sildenafil, sildenafil citrate, and tadalafil — the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis — into the United States. The prescription drugs were manufactured in India at facilities that were not registered with the FDA. To evade customs detection and enforcement, Webber falsely declared that the wire transfers to the manufacturers were for business management consultancy services. He paid a packaging company to falsely label the capsules “Ride,” “Kinky Kong,” “Stif,” “TBone,” and “Kinky Pink”; to list false ingredients; and to falsely claim that the drugs were “100% Natural” and did not require a prescription.
Webber then sold the misbranded prescription drugs to smoke shops, convenience stores, and adult novelty stores in Nevada and elsewhere throughout the southwestern United States. He also sold them online to consumers through a website he operated. In total, he made more than $1.9 million in revenue from his sales of misbranded prescription drugs.
Webber pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of introduction of a misbranded drug into interstate commerce and one count of mail fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 19, 2026, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. He faces the maximum statutory penalty of 23 years in custody. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Phoenix Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FDA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Kimberly Frayn are prosecuting the case.
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Nebraska Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Leonel DeLeon, 64, of Wahoo, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 10, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced DeLeon to 188 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After DeLeon’s release from prison, he will serve a 10-year term of supervised release.
DeLeon was charged as a result of his involvement with a Mexico source of supply of methamphetamine who supplies the Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, areas with methamphetamine via a local network of drug couriers. Between February 8, 2024, and June 21, 2024, law enforcement utilized cooperating witnesses who contacted the Mexican source and ordered quantities of methamphetamine. On May 29, 2024, after an order was placed with the source, Deleon delivered more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to a cooperating witness at an Omaha location. The investigation revealed that on four other occasions Deleon delivered additional quantities of methamphetamine to cooperators at Omaha locations.
On July 2, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Deleon’s Omaha apartment and seized 60 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, USPIS, the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, and assistance of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.
Morris County Man Sentenced to 288 Months in Prison for Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer, as well as Narcotics and Firearm Offenses, Including the Possession of Multiple Assault RiflesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County man was sentenced to 288 months in prison for the attempted murder of a federal officer, as well as narcotics offenses and possession of 18 firearms, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Maloy Amador, 44, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court following his guilty plea to a four-count information charging him with attempted murder of a federal officer, discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
“Attempting to murder a federal law enforcement officer is among the most serious crimes our office prosecutes. The men and women of federal law enforcement put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our communities, and this case—where the defendant fired a gun at a federal officer—is a stark reminder of just how dangerous and life-threatening that mission can be. Anyone who chooses to meet law enforcement with violence will face the full weight of the federal justice system.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“Mr. Amador pled guilty today to a number of charges, to include the most serious charge of attempted murder of a federal officer. In August 2025, while federal agents were executing a court authorized search warrant, Amador discharged his assault rifle at the officers with a projectile striking at least one of the officers in the vest. The FBI takes any degree of assault on a federal officer with the utmost seriousness and will see that justice is served,” said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
“This guilty plea underscores the grave danger our officers face when they put on the uniform,” said New York Director of Field Operations Frank Russo of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “During this operation, one of our CBP officers later discovered bullet fragments embedded in his protective vest—an alarming reminder of how close we came to a very different outcome. We are grateful he was not physically injured, and I commend his skill, composure, and bravery in going through that door in an extremely dangerous situation. CBP will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that those who target law enforcement are held fully accountable.”
“This is a reminder of the dangers that the men and women of law enforcement put themselves in on a daily basis to keep our communities safe,” stated DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “We are very fortunate that no members of law enforcement were injured or killed during this operation. In light of these dangers, we will continue to pursue those seeking to break the law.”
“ATF remains steadfast in its commitment to identifying and holding accountable anyone who commits violence against law enforcement officers or engages in criminal activity. This plea demonstrates our shared resolve and unified approach to protecting our communities. We will continue to work alongside our partners at all levels to combat threats to public safety.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On August 13, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Amador’s residence in Parsippany, New Jersey, in connection with a narcotics and firearms investigation. After law enforcement entered Amador’s residence, Amador fired a gun toward law enforcement. Following an extended exchange of gunfire between Amador and law enforcement, Amador eventually surrendered, and law enforcement placed him under arrest. At some point during the exchange of gunfire, Amador was struck in the arm. After Amador’s arrest, one of the officers who entered Amador’s residence discovered that a bullet had struck his agency‑issued electronic control device, leaving a hole in the device, and bullet fragments embedded in his ballistic vest. During a search of Amador’s residence, law enforcement recovered over two kilograms of narcotics and 18 firearms, including multiple assault rifles.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Amador to four years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited officers and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, New York Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Israel Colon; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle; the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll; and the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard Pantina.
This investigation 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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
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Defense Counsel: Laura Sayler, Esq.
Mississippi Man Sentenced for Conspiracy and Interstate Transport of Stolen VehiclesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TERRENCE ROBINSON a/k/a Brian Jacobs (“ROBINSON”), age 41, a resident of Carriere, Mississippi was sentenced on July 16, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit the interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBINSON to six months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, ROBINSON, and others, devised a scheme to create fake credit profiles to secure funding for auto loans. The credit profiles used both stolen and fake social security numbers, drivers’ license numbers, and dates of birth. Once they secured the loans, they would purchase vehicles at local car dealerships with no intention of paying back the loans, only to sell the vehicles for their personal enrichment, or use the vehicles for their personal enjoyment.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and Pearl River County Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Miami CPA Charged with Preparing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Miami-based CPA was arraigned in federal court on Wednesday on charges of preparing a false tax return for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a group of related companies that collectively operated a shipping business.
According to the criminal information, Luis E. Gonzalez, Jr. became an employee of the shipping business in 2019 and prepared tax returns for several of the shipping business’s companies and several members of the family that owned it. Gonzalez allegedly prepared false tax returns for one of the companies for the years 2021 and 2022, and for an employee of that business for the years 2021 through 2023. These false returns collectively underreported millions of dollars in income.
Gonzalez was charged with one count of aiding or assisting the filing of a false tax return. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Redding Quinones of the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nalina Sombuntham of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Mexican National Sentenced for 28-Year Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Marco Antonio Lopez Gutierrez, an illegal alien residing in Lancaster, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for a decades-long aggravated identity fraud scheme.
The defendant’s crimes involved an elaborate and extensive identity theft scheme that spanned approximately 28 years while living in three separate states. Gutierrez used the victim’s Puerto Rican birth certificate and social security number to obtain a U.S. Passport, multiple state drivers licenses, credit cards and even an FHA loan all under the victim’s information. In the mid-1990s the defendant was convicted of fraud, larceny, and assault and served time in a North Carolina state prison under the victim’s identity.
Gutierrez’s victim estimated that he spent thousands of hours contacting banks, law enforcement, and creditors before Gutierrez’s arrest trying to clear his name and establish that he was a victim and not a debtor.
Gutierrez’s scheme negatively affected his victim’s ability to borrow from financial institutions, prevented his victim from obtaining a state driver’s license, because one was already issued in his name, and Gutierrez caused his victim, a United States citizen, to be questioned by law enforcement on at least two occasions after Gutierrez falsely reported to the police that Gutierrez was the identity theft victim and that the victim had stolen his identity.
After Gutierrez was arrested on federal charges, he lied to the presiding United States Magistrate, and the United States Probation Office, about his identity, so that he could obtain appointed counsel at the taxpayer’s expense under the victim’s identity.
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Gutierrez to 48 months’ imprisonment. The Court also ordered Gutierrez to pay $79,010.44 in restitution to the victim of his crimes. Following his incarceration, he will be deported.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Diplomatic Security Services and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry B. McTigue prosecuted the case.###
Metairie Man Charged with Making False Statements to IRS Special AgentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EARL SCHMIT (“SCHMIT), age 75, of Metairie, Louisiana was charged on July 13, 2026, by bill of information with making false statements to IRS Special Agents, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
If convicted, SCHMIT faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years, a fine of up to $100,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following his release from prison, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.
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Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
There will be a press conference held on July 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at the offices of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa located at the Ho-Chunk Building in Sioux City, Iowa. United States Attorney Leif Olson will announce the results of the sentencings of Floyd Clifford Coates and Dennis Lawson that will occur earlier that afternoon. Coates and Lawson were linked to the death and disappearance of Sunny Sramek. Coates was convicted of various offenses related to drug trafficking, firearms, and obstruction of justice in federal court in November 2025 following an eleven-day trial. Lawson was convicted of threatening a witness.
Mr. Olson will be joined by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hitchcock County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office, the Goodland, Kansas, Police Department, and other agencies who contributed to the investigation and prosecution.
Event Details
When: Monday, July20, 2026
Where: Ho-Chunk Building, Suite 670, 600 4th Street, Sioux City, Iowa
Time: 4:00 p.m. (Note: Start time could be delayed by court proceedings.)
A press release will be provided and interview opportunities will be available.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.