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Wednesday 28 May 2025
Moore Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Daniel Tow, age 35, of Moore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and 87 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. The terms were ordered to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On December 10, 2024, Tow pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on June 6, 2024, law enforcement conducting a traffic stop discovered Tow in possession of 290 grams of fentanyl intended for distribution, a semi-automatic pistol, and eight rounds of ammunition. At the time of the stop, Tow had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Tow will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Monroe County Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy and Providing Contraband to a Federal PrisonerRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Vredenburgh, Alabama woman was sentenced today to 6 months on house arrest followed by 3 years on probation for conspiring to and providing contraband to a federal inmate.
According to court documents, Beverly Castophney, 38, plead guilty to conspiring with a jail guard, Reginald Thames, and federal inmate, Vincent Lambert, to introduce contraband to the Monroe County jail. Castophney was in a romantic relationship with Lambert. While Lambert was incarcerated, he and Castophney discussed leaving a package of contraband on Thames’ car in exchange for money. On January 19, 2023, Castophney was observed placing a package on a vehicle in the parking lot. Thames walked out to his vehicle and was intercepted by deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The package contained contraband cell phones, chargers, cigarettes and Adderall pills.
Earlier this year, Vincent Lambert was sentenced to 12 months to serve for Conspiracy and Possessing Prison Contraband. Reginald Thames was sentenced to 6 months to serve for Conspiracy and Providing Prison Contraband to a Federal Prisoner.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama the announcement.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mobile Woman Sentenced to a Year and a Day for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Kenneshia Davis of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced today to serve a year and a day in federal prison for filing fraudulent tax returns.
According to court documents, Davis, 41, operated Davis Tax Service with her cousin, Brandy Lynn Davis, at three locations in Mobile. Internal Revenue Service records show that Davis underreported her income by over $2 Million between 2015 and 2017. Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock sentenced Davis to serve a year and a day and ordered her to pay $67,975 in restitution. At the conclusion of her sentence, Davis will serve one year of supervised release.
“Kenneshia Davis avoided paying her fair share of taxes by concealing income from the IRS, which is a crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are committed to fostering confidence in the tax system with the law by investigating and bringing to justice those who evade their federal income tax responsibilities.”
Brandy Lynn Davis, who has also pleaded guilty to filing fraudulent tax returns, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry of an Alien after RemovalRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Julian Mesino Calletano, 54, an illegal alien residing in Hardeeville, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry of an alien after removal, following a conviction of an aggravated felony.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on an unknown date Calletano, a native and citizen of Mexico, illegally entered the United States at an unknown location. On June 7, 2010, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers encountered Calletano while he was incarcerated in Georgia, serving a 70-month sentence for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute at least 5 kilograms of cocaine. ICE officers determined Calletano was in the U.S. without being inspected, paroled, or admitted by an immigration officer and he was deported in November 2013 after serving his sentence.
Following his deportation, Calletano illegally entered the United States again, at an unknown location. He was again discovered by ICE officers, this time in the Jasper County Detention Center in Ridgeland, South Carolina in 2024. Calletano was also convicted in 2023 on a drug charge in Butte County, California.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Calletano to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Calletano will be ordered to be deported after serving his sentence.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor is prosecuting the case.
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Mexican National Allegedly Attempted to Smuggle over 135 Pounds of Illicit Drugs Through Eagle Pass, Indicted for 12 CountsRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment today charging a Mexican national with 12 counts for allegedly attempting to transport more than 95 pounds of cocaine, 26 pounds of methamphetamine and 14 pounds of heroin into the United States.
According to court documents, Wara America Castanon Campos, 39, attempted to enter the U.S. through the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on May 1. She was referred during a Customs and Border Protection inspection to an x-ray scan, during which officers allegedly discovered anomalies in the rear of the vehicle. Further inspection allegedly revealed a total of 56 packages concealed in hidden compartments in the rear floorboard area, the vehicle’s rear quarter panels, and the spare tire of the vehicle. The packages allegedly contained three separate substances that tested positive for heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. Castanon Campos was arrested and initially charged with importing a controlled substance.
Castanon Campos is now charged in an indictment with four counts related to cocaine trafficking, four counts related to heroin trafficking, and four counts related to meth trafficking. She made her initial court appearance May 2 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Cordova of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, she faces 10 years to life in prison for each count, a maximum fine of $10 million and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron today sentenced Robert Donoso (33, Orlando) to seven years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Donoso pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.
According to court documents, Donoso engaged in importing and distributing methamphetamine for a year leading up to his arrest in April 2024. In April 2023, Donoso received a vehicle shipped from California that contained approximately 15 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 pounds of marijuana that was concealed inside a hidden “trap.” On April 8, 2024, Donoso received a delivery of 11 kilograms of methamphetamine from Pherai Bogeajis and was detained by law enforcement. The next day, Bogeajis’s home was searched and agents located another 50 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than $700,000.
Bogeajis (35, Orlando) previously pleaded guilty for his role in the case and was sentenced in November 2024 to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, and the Oviedo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Mercer County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Witness Tampering Conspiracy in Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Leon Blankenship, 56, of Bluefield, was sentenced on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for obstruction of justice related to a sex trafficking prosecution.
On January 18, 2024, a federal jury found Blankenship guilty of interfering with the enforcement of federal sex trafficking laws and attempted witness tampering and found Blankenship and his wife, Laurel Blankenship, guilty of conspiracy to commit witness tampering following a one-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that from on or about April 4, 2023 through at least July 25, 2023, the couple conspired to influence the testimony of a witness in a federal sex trafficking case against Terry Leon Blankenship.
The witness was a 12-year-old girl who alleged that Terry Leon Blankenship had paid her for sexual activity with vapes and other items. Based upon those allegations, Terry Leon Blankenship was indicted on a charge of sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 14. Later, the minor victim recanted the allegation during the course of a West Virginia Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation that could have resulted in her being placed into foster care. In multiple recorded audio and video jail calls while Terry Leon Blankenship was incarcerated pending trial in the sex trafficking case, he and his wife had numerous conversations about ensuring that the minor witness maintained the recantation she had allegedly made to CPS. The recorded conversations included discussions about bribing the minor witness with an iPhone to ensure she stood by her recantation.
Citing evidence presented at an earlier hearing, the Court concluded at sentencing that Terry Leon Blankenship engaged in sex acts with the minor female, that her initial disclosure of his sexual abuse was credible, and that the later recantation was not. The Court also found that Terry Leon Blankenship obstructed justice by testifying falsely at the earlier hearing.
At the time of this offense conduct, Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 5, 2008. Terry Leon Blankenship was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison in that case, and was serving a lifetime term of supervised release at the time of the alleged sex trafficking offense and subsequent attempts at witness tampering.
“The evidence showed that Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender on supervised release for possessing child pornography when he repeatedly sexually abused a minor female over several months,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “He preyed on her and then conspired to escape accountability for his crimes by attempting to corruptly persuade the minor to recant her initial allegations.”
Laurel Blankenship, 58, of Bluefield, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025. Terry Leon Blankenship is scheduled for a revocation hearing on his alleged violations of supervised release on June 10, 2025.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-97.
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Man Sentenced to Seven-And-A-Half Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Victim in Marin HeadlandsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Esbin Ramirez-Garcia was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison for committing aggravated sexual abuse while on federal land. Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed down the sentence.
Ramirez-Garcia, 28, a national of Mexico, pleaded guilty on Feb. 25, 2025, to one count of aggravated sexual abuse in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a). According to the plea agreement, Ramirez-Garcia admitted that late in the evening on Aug. 2, 2024, while giving the victim, with whom he had a prior relationship, a ride from her workplace in his truck, he asked her to get back together with him. The victim refused to resume their relationship and asked to be let out of the vehicle, but Ramirez-Garcia grabbed her with his hand and continued driving, forcing her to accompany him.
Ramirez-Garcia deviated from the route to the victim’s home and drove his truck to a parking lot in the Marin Headlands, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Ramirez-Garcia forcibly placed his body on top of the victim’s body while she sat in the passenger seat and sexually assaulted her.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Acting Special Agent in Charge Betsy Smith made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Alsup also sentenced the defendant to a 10-year period of supervised release and ordered that he participate in a sex offense-specific treatment program, among other conditions. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Chen and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Wistar Wilson prosecuted the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery, Maureen French, and Fernanda Gonzalez. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch.
Man Convicted of 2012 Drug-Related Murder in HartfordRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal jury in New Haven today found MELKUAN SCOTT, also known as “Mel,” “Young God,” “Young,” and “YG,” 34, guilty of the drug-related murder of Serafin Velez, 27, in Hartford on February 16, 2012.
According to the evidence introduced during the trial, the murder was in retaliation for a failed marijuana transaction that cost Scott and others tens of thousands of dollars. Velez and an associate had brokered the marijuana deal with individuals in New York. After receiving the cash, the New York individuals gave Scott and his associates fake marijuana. After the failed transaction, Scott forced Velez into a vehicle and ultimately drove him to Waverly Street, where Scott and an associate shot and killed Velez.
The jury found Scott guilty of kidnapping resulting in Velez’s death, and with causing the death of Velez through the use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Scott faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
Scott, formerly of Hartford, has been detained in federal custody since April 2014 and recently completed a 13-year federal sentence for another offense.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham, Robert S. Ruff, and Christopher J. Lembo.
Latimer County Resident Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Willard Leroy Robbins, Jr., aka Bub, age 41, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with one count of Murder in Indian Country - Second Degree, punishable by up to life in prison.
The Information alleged that on April 10, 2024, Robbins unlawfully killed the victim with malice aforethought.
The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Robbins will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 7 ½ Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Toudeng Thao, 59, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 90 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine for distribution. Thao pleaded guilty to these charges on March 3, 2025.
On January 25, 2024, law enforcement arrested both Thao and codefendant Joua Thao during a traffic stop as they returned to La Crosse, Wisconsin, from Minnesota after picking up approximately 443 grams of methamphetamine for distribution. Thao and Joua Thao were previously married but were divorced at the time of the arrest. In the six months before his arrest, Thao distributed or possessed for distribution over 5 ½ kilograms of methamphetamine. Thao claimed to have received methamphetamine from multiple sources in Minnesota, California, Canada, and Mexico. He also claimed he supplied six drug distributors. Through a series of controlled purchases, Thao and Joua Thao sold a confidential informant a total of 203.9 grams of methamphetamine in La Crosse. Thao also possessed a firearm during one drug transaction and sought more firearms to traffic to his drug suppliers.
At sentencing, Judge Conley said he was struck by Thao’s statements rationalizing his turn to drug trafficking and found Thao’s minimal criminal history to be puzzling at best given his violent characteristics. Judge Conley noted Thao’s substantial drug dealing was serious enough on its own, but his involvement with firearms, threats of violence, and history of violence against his codefendant and family made him a serious risk to the community.
Joua Thao also pleaded guilty and on March 20, 2025, Judge Conley sentenced her to 5 years of probation for her role in assisting with the drug transactions.
The charges against Toudeng and Joua Thao were the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Drug Enforcement Administration, Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Prairie du Chien Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell Police Department, La Crosse Police Department, Onalaska Police Department, and Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.
Kansas Resident Charged with Assaulting Flight Attendant on Flight from Bradley International AirportRead 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JULIUS JORDAN PRIESTER, 24, of Wichita, Kansas, has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with a charge related to his assault of a crew member on a flight from Bradley International Airport last night.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2025, Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 that departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 p.m. bound for Chicago. Thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester stood up, began to take off his shirt, then ran to the back of the plane yelling “Help me.” He then grabbed a flight attendant (“the victim”), who was seated, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forcefully brought the victim to the ground. Priester then attempted to drag the victim up the aisle. With the assistance of intervening passengers, Priester was returned to his seat where he continued to act erratically and made incoherent statements. The captain declared an emergency and the flight was diverted back to Bradley Airport. After the plane landed safely at Bradley, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.
Priester appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford. He is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for May 30.
The complaint charges Priester with interference with flight crew members and attendants, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald A. Ennis, 43, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $513,072.28 in restitution for two counts of wire fraud. Ennis admitted that he filed false insurance claims to obtain $347,237.70 after setting fire to his residence and defrauded a volunteer fire department of $153,728 while serving as its finance and operations manager.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2018 Ennis purchased a residence on Ridgeview Way in St. Albans with assistance from a mortgage company that required him to insure the residence for loss. Ennis obtained a residential insurance policy with a maximum value of $161,100 for the dwelling and $120,825 for its contents. Ennis paid an annual premium of approximately $979.35 for the policy, which had effective dates from November 8, 2020, through November 8, 2021. The policy covered losses for multiple contingencies including fire, and explicitly excluded intentional acts of loss or damage by Ennis.
Ennis admitted that he intentionally set fire to his residence on February 15, 2021. The fire department responded but could not extinguish the fire, which consumed the residence and left it and its contents a total loss. Ennis falsely reported the fire to his Indiana-based insurance company as an accident later that day and began the process of filing a claim. Ennis admitted that he placed a series of claims electronically from February 21, 2021, to March 19, 2021, fraudulently claiming losses from the fire. Ennis further admitted that he obtained $347,237.70 from the insurance company as a result of this wire fraud scheme. The fraudulent insurance funds were deposited in Ennis’ bank account.
From at least 2009 through 2022, Ennis worked for a volunteer fire department serving the Tornado area of Kanawha County. As its finance and operations manager, Ennis had access to the fire department’s North Carolina-based bank debit card and regularly acted as its accountant. Ennis admitted that from some time prior to March 19, 2020 through about September 18, 2022, he fraudulently obtained $153,728 of the fire department’s funds through a series of ATM withdrawals and dozens of unauthorized online purchases with its debit card for his personal benefit.
“This prosecution sends an important and firm message that those who commit arson for financial gain will be prosecuted and brought to justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The fire put others at risk – first responders as well as neighbors. The defendant also deprived the volunteer fire department of vital funds.”
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner-Special Investigations Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-129.
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KC Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
James Paden, 63, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, May 27, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. Paden was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
On Nov. 18, 2024, Paden pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On Feb. 22, 2024, investigators of the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department executed a search warrant on Paden’s residence after a confidential informant purchased tablets labeled “M30”, which contain fentanyl, from Paden on three occasions. Investigators found a total of over 60 grams of fentanyl, 22 grams of cocaine, and 1 gram of methamphetamine. Investigators also found a Smith & Wesson, .38 caliber revolver, a Taurus, G2 Millenium, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a privately manufactured 9mm semi-automatic pistol with no serial number, with a Louis Vuitton design, and $1,000 in cash.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Intoxicated driver guilty of being alien illegally in possession of firearmRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 20-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Corpus Christi has been convicted of being an alien who unlawfully possessed a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Josias Eliseo Ulloa-Pavon had been driving under the influence of alcohol before crashing Feb. 18.
Upon arrival at the scene, authorities found Ulloa-Pavon pinned inside the fully overturned vehicle. No other cars were in the vicinity. Ulloa-Pavon had red bloodshot eyes, a strong odor of alcohol and appeared unsteady on his feet, swaying as he stood. They removed him from the vehicle and placed him under arrest.
A search revealed a magazine containing six rounds of ammunition in his pocket. Ulloa-Pavon admitted he had a Bersa Model Thunder .380 caliber pistol in his car which law enforcement located and seized.
Ulloa-Pavon had admitted during a previous interaction with law enforcement to being from Honduras and not lawfully in the United States.
U.S. District Judge David Morales will impose sentencing Aug. 27. At that time, Ulloa-Pavon faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bird prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Inmate Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Assault with a Deadly Weapon in U.S. Penitentiary AtwaterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff sentenced Delonte Williams, 37, of Washington, D.C., Tuesday to 33 months in prison today for assault with a deadly weapon in the U.S. Penitentiary at Atwater, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2024, Williams chased another inmate around a cell block while holding a knife-like, jail-made weapon. Williams, along with another inmate, used his jail-made knife to stab the victim, which wounded him and required him to seek medical attention.
Williams’ co-defendant, Jarvell Kent, is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Sherriff on June 23, 2025.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes prosecuted the case.
Independence Man Charged with Cocaine Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been charged in federal court with possessing over two kilograms of cocaine and illegally possessing three firearms.
Jacob N. Dodge, 26, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. on Tuesday, May 27. The complaint charges Dodge with participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The complaint alleges investigators attempted to arrest Dodge on May 23, 2025 after a controlled drug evidence purchase. Members of the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department Tactical Unit attempted to initiate a high-risk car stop utilizing a Vehicle Intervention Tactic, also known as a “VIT”. Dodge maneuvered his vehicle out of the VIT and fled at a high rate of speed. Three tactical vehicles attempted the VIT maneuver again, and Dodge purposely struck the occupied police vehicles with his vehicle. Police successfully disabled Dodge’s vehicle in the front yard of a residence and arrested Dodge. Investigators executed a federal search warrant on Dodge’s residence and searched Dodge and his vehicle after he was arrested.
Investigators found over 2 kilograms of cocaine, 290 kilograms of marijuana, 251 kilograms of THC wax, 852 kilograms of THC vapes, 125 kilograms of THC syrup, 44 kilograms of THC edibles, 24 kilograms of miscellaneous THC items, 35 kilograms of THC resin, 5 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms, 250 kilograms of psilocybin mushroom bars, and 46 grams of LSD. Investigators also found $78,943 in cash and 6 firearms.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Independence, Missouri Police Department, and the Johnson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Illinois Woman Sentenced for Prescription Drug DiversionRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Colona, Illinois woman was sentenced today for diverting prescription drugs from nursing and senior living facilities where she was employed as an administrator.
According to public court documents, Cassandra Marie Strube, 40, obtained prescription pills from at least five healthcare facilities between at least September 2021 and November 2022. Strube obtained fentanyl patches, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone by stealing them from the facility’s narcotics emergency kits and locked medication carts and rooms.
Strube received a three-year term of probation. Strube was also ordered to pay $1,975.61 in restitution, a fine of $5000, and a $200 special assessment.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (DIAL/MFCU) investigated this case.
Illinois Man Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Joseph Sanchez, 33, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation for participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in or around August 2021, Sanchez was living in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. A foreign national who worked at a convenience store near Sanchez’s residence offered to pay Sanchez if he found a woman willing to marry the foreign national so he could obtain lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a Green Card. Sanchez ultimately agreed to the request in exchange for $10,000 in cash. The understanding was that $5,000 would be paid upon the marriage being final, and another $5,000 would be paid once the foreign national received his Green Card.
Sanchez arranged to have his sister-in-law marry the foreign national. Sanchez told his sister-in-law about the purpose of the arrangement and the financial benefits associated with it. The sister-in-law had only occasionally interacted with the foreign national, as a customer at his convenience store. The sister-in-law and Sanchez had no social connections to the foreign national beyond frequenting the convenience store.
In September 2021, Sanchez’s sister-in-law and the foreign national were married in White Sulphur Springs. In March 2023, Sanchez traveled with the sister-in-law and the foreign national to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the trip was for the sister-in-law and the foreign national to attend an interview with U.S. immigration officials to trick those officials into believing the marriage was entered into in good faith and that the relationship between the sister-in-law and the foreign national was genuine. The scheme was unsuccessful, and the foreign national’s application was denied.
The foreign national, Aakash Prakash Makwana, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025, to aggravated identity theft. Makwana, 29, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, admitted that he included the name and signature of a residential property manager without the individual’s authorization when he falsified a lease agreement as part of the marriage fraud scheme. Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025.
The sister-in-law, Kalee Ann Huff, pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, to marriage fraud and perjury. Huff, 28, now living in Fairbury, Illinois, admitted to her role in the marriage fraud scheme and to testifying falsely before a federal grand jury about material facts relating to the government’s investigation. Huff is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-198.
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Illinois Man Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Joseph Sanchez, 33, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation for participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in or around August 2021, Sanchez was living in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. A foreign national who worked at a convenience store near Sanchez’s residence offered to pay Sanchez if he found a woman willing to marry the foreign national so he could obtain lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a Green Card. Sanchez ultimately agreed to the request in exchange for $10,000 in cash. The understanding was that $5,000 would be paid upon the marriage being final, and another $5,000 would be paid once the foreign national received his Green Card.
Sanchez arranged to have his sister-in-law marry the foreign national. Sanchez told his sister-in-law about the purpose of the arrangement and the financial benefits associated with it. The sister-in-law had only occasionally interacted with the foreign national, as a customer at his convenience store. The sister-in-law and Sanchez had no social connections to the foreign national beyond frequenting the convenience store.
In September 2021, Sanchez’s sister-in-law and the foreign national were married in White Sulphur Springs. In March 2023, Sanchez traveled with the sister-in-law and the foreign national to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the trip was for the sister-in-law and the foreign national to attend an interview with U.S. immigration officials to trick those officials into believing the marriage was entered into in good faith and that the relationship between the sister-in-law and the foreign national was genuine. The scheme was unsuccessful, and the foreign national’s application was denied.
The foreign national, Aakash Prakash Makwana, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025, to aggravated identity theft. Makwana, 29, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, admitted that he included the name and signature of a residential property manager without the individual’s authorization when he falsified a lease agreement as part of the marriage fraud scheme. Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025.
The sister-in-law, Kalee Ann Huff, pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, to marriage fraud and perjury. Huff, 28, now living in Fairbury, Illinois, admitted to her role in the marriage fraud scheme and to testifying falsely before a federal grand jury about material facts relating to the government’s investigation. Huff is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-198.
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Illegal alien serial felon sent to prison for third unlawful reentryRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history and multiple prior removals has been sentenced once again for illegally reentering the United States without permission, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Humberto Lara Molina pleaded guilty Feb. 13.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Molina to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In imposing the sentence, the court noted that his criminal history raises serious concerns, stating that if he kept coming back, he would be spending much more time in prison.
Molina has a lengthy drug, weapons and immigration criminal history including two other illegal reentry convictions, one in 2007 and another in 2015. He was also convicted of dealing cocaine in Indiana and unlawful sale of firearms in Illinois. He has also been previously ordered removed from the United States on multiple occasions.
Authorities removed Molina most recently in November 2021. However, law enforcement discovered him at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint Dec. 12, 2024. He was one of seven individuals being transported farther north by human smugglers in a tractor-trailer.
Molina will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Young Min C. Burkett prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Victoriano Ponce-Garcia, age 53, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Coal County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Coalgate Police Department.
The Indictment alleged that on April 11, 2025, Ponce-Garcia, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed on two separate occasions without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Ponce-Garcia will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Hugo Resident Sentenced for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cory Lamont Bostic, aka Cory L. Neal, age 48, of Hugo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
On January 8, 2025, Bostic pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 7, 2023, Bostic knowingly and intentionally distributed approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Bostic will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Heart Butte sex offender sentenced to over 20 years in prison for abusing multiple childrenRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Heart Butte man who sexually assaulted several minors while being required to register as a sex offender was sentenced today to 272 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Bradley Joseph Guardipee, 27, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of commission of a sex offense by a registered sex offender.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in July 2024, Jane Doe 3 disclosed she was sexually assaulted by Guardipee in 2022, when she was 11 years old. She said she was home sick from school and was left alone with Guardipee at a home in Heart Butte. She was taking a nap in another child’s bedroom while the other kids were at school. She woke up in pain to find her legs open and Guardipee on top of her penetrating her vagina with his penis. She reported she knew at least four other girls who were sexually abused by Guardipee. Forensic interviews followed and six girls disclosed some type of abusive touching by Guardipee.
Jane Doe 1 reported being sexually abused by Guardipee since she was about three years old. She recalled that on March 6, 2024, when she was 12 years old, she and Guardipee had taken his grandfather to dialysis in Browning. After they dropped his grandfather off, Guardipee told her she could drive and to sit on his lap. Guardipee grabbed Jane Doe by her arms and forced her onto his lap. Guardipee touched her on the breast and under her underwear, digitally penetrating her.
At the time of the March 2024 assault of Jane Doe 1, the defendant was required to register as a sex offender, though he never complied with that requirement. Guardipee was required to register after being convicted by a guilty plea on May 22, 2023, to sexual assault in Cascade County District Court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Hassan Chokr Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms after Antisemitic Tirade Against Parents and Preschoolers at Local SynagogueRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Hassan Chokr, a convicted felon and resident of Dearborn, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm after possessing multiple firearms inside a gun store, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced. Joining in the announcement was Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Chokr aggressively targeted Jewish parents and their preschool children at a local synagogue in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. After unleashing a menacing antisemitic tirade against them, he lied and attempted to buy to several firearms at a Dearborn gun store.
In December 2022, Chokr, 37, drove through the parking lot of a Jewish synagogue as parents walked their preschoolers into the building, yelling profanities and attacking their support for Israel. After being asked to leave, Chokr drove to a gun store in Dearborn. While there, he possessed a Landor Arms, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun; a Del-ton, 5.56mm rifle; and a Glock, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He held each firearm, and at times pointed it and pulled the trigger. After deciding to purchase the three firearms, Chokr lied about his eligibility to possess firearms by indicating that he had never been convicted of a felony offense when in fact, he had been convicted of a felony several years prior. While awaiting the results of the background check, Chokr indicated that he would “even the score” and use the guns for “God’s wrath.” He ultimately was denied the purchase of the firearms after the background check.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “The federal government must do everything in its power to stem the rising tide of antisemitism. Chokr’s attempt to purchase several deadly firearms in an apparent attempt to follow through on his menacing threats against parents and preschoolers as they walked into a place of worship represents every American’s worst nightmare. And we will not allow anyone to terrorize our Jewish neighbors. We are committed to protecting every American and their right to live and worship free of fear.”
Chokr will be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey on September 24, 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national, illegally residing in New Bedford, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Mario Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025. Lopez was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025.Lopez was deported from the United States on Dec. 8, 2010 after an assault conviction in Maryland. In 2022, after his removal, Lopez attempted to return to the United States twice but was denied entry. Thereafter, Lopez unlawfully reentered the United States on an unknown date.
In November 2023, Lopez was arrested by local law enforcement in Westport on an open warrant. Lopez was later arrested in March 2024 in New Bedford for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, open and gross lewdness and an open container violation. He was arrested again in New Bedford, in December 2024 for operating under the influence of liquor, leaving the scene of property damage, negligent operation and other charges.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in this case provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Greece pawn shop owner pleads guilty for his role in retail theft ring involving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandiseRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dominic Sprague, 41, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce. According to the plea agreement, Sprague faces up to 72 months in prison when sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between December 2021 and October 17, 2024, Sprague, who was the owner and operator of the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop in Greece, engaged in a conspiracy with larcenists, Amanda Reeves, Shabon Banks, Chad Lewis, Jr., and pawn shop manager James Civiletti, to buy and sell stolen goods.
As part of the scheme, Reeves, Banks, and Lewis stole new-in-box items from store shelves on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, both alone and in concert with one another. They then sold the stolen goods to the pawn shop, which was managed by Civiletti, for a fraction of their actual retail value. The pawn shop then resold the stolen merchandise on eBay at much higher prices, resulting in significant profits. In total, the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop purchased 37,936 stolen new-in-box items from Reeves, Banks, and Lewis on more than 670 occasions, for which they were paid $290,000.00, which was approximately 25% of the actual retail value of the stolen items. This resulted in actual losses to the victim-retailers of approximately $1,160,000.00.
Banks, Reeves, Lewis and Civiletti were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025, before Judge Wolford.
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Great Falls man sentenced to prison for strangulation and child abuseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who assaulted a woman and her child on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced yesterday to 31 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Lane Thomas Lamere, 37, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of strangulation and one count of felony child abuse.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on Friday, January 12, 2024, Lamere broke into the residence of Jane Doe 2, who was home with her three-year old daughter, Jane
Doe 1. Lamere dragged Jane Doe 2 to her back bedroom and choked her. Jane Doe 1 walked into the room while this was happening. When Lamere saw Jane Doe 1, he grabbed her head and put her into a headlock. Jane Doe 2 was able to get away, but Lamere would not let go of Jane Doe 1. When Jane Doe 2 could not get Lamere to let go of her daughter, she ran next door to get help from her neighbor, who called the police as they ran back to Jane Doe 2’s house.
When Jane Doe 2 and her neighbor returned to the house, Lamere was in the bathroom attached to the bedroom atop Jane Doe 1. The neighbor recalled seeing him bite Jane Doe 1 on her face. The neighbor also recalled Lamere squeezing Jane Doe 1, pulling her hair, and covering her nose and mouth. Both the neighbor and Jane Doe 2 tried to pull him off Jane Doe 1 and even struck him with a snow shovel, but he did not release Jane Doe 1.
Law enforcement bodycam footage shows the neighbor hysterically crying for help, but Lamere remained in the back bathroom on top of Jane Doe 1. When he refused to follow law enforcement orders to get off Jane Doe 1, an officer tased him. The officer then removed Jane Doe 1 from beneath Lamere. EMTs arrived and transported Jane Does 1 and 2 to Northern Montana Hospital. Jane Doe 1 was treated for various contusions to her body as well as bite marks to her arm and face.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Gary Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Commit MurderRead the Press Release
HAMMOND--Devonte Hodge, 29 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and using a firearm to commit murder following a 6-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Hodge was sentenced to life in prison for using a firearm to commit murder. He was also sentenced to 480 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin. Both sentences are to run concurrently.
According to documents in the case, in the summer of 2016, Hodge and others conspired to sell and sold cocaine and heroin from a residence located in Gary, Indiana. Additionally, on October 8, 2016, Hodge shot and killed a victim who was sitting in a car in Gary, believing the victim was cooperating with law enforcement about the drug conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the FBI/GRIT Task Force and ATF/HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the Hobart Police, the Indiana State Police, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and the Gary Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Joel Mathur.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Paycheck Protection Program Loan FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Gurjeet Bath, 37, of Fresno, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of theft of government property, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Bath and other family members operated two trucking businesses: G.S. Bath Inc. and Complete Transportation Solutions (CTS), operating in Fresno County. In 2020 and 2021, Bath applied for and received three PPP loans totaling over $1 million. To obtain the loans, Bath knowingly falsified records to inflate his businesses’ employees and their wages. Bath then used approximately $600,000 of those funds to purchase two parcels of agricultural land in Fresno County.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case.
Bath is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Oct. 6, 2025. Bath faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of children and distribution and receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, Monico Erich Gastelo, 43, of Fresno, sexually exploited children using different methods. For example, in January 2019, Gastelo created a social media account where he claimed to be an 18-year-old boy. Gastelo then used the account to converse with at least one minor and request sexually explicit content from them.
“Today’s plea should serve as a reminder of the Justice Department’s commitment to securing justice for victims of online child sexual exploitation,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I am grateful for the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors who continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who harm children.”
“Not only did this defendant revictimize abused children depicted in the images, but attempted to victimize actual children within his orbit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual predators.”
“Today's guilty plea represents our agents’ and analysts’ continued focus on targeting predators who exploit children online,” said Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco. “Through collaboration with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department and the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, we will make every effort to identify, locate, and arrest these criminals to help prevent the harm that they cause to our children. We appreciate the prosecutorial work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in furtherance of this investigation.”
Between Jan. 1, 2020, and March 23, 2020, Gastelo communicated with other individuals who were sexually attracted to children on Wickr, Snapchat, and Telegram. He sent and received multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on these platforms. Forensic review of Gastelo’s phones showed that he had over 1,500 images and videos of suspected CSAM.
Gastelo’s conduct escalated in May of 2020. A minor victim reported to law enforcement that he had been sexually exploited online and that an individual, who was later identified to be Gastelo, had added him on Snapchat. Gastelo sent over a dozen images of his penis to the minor victim and insisted that the minor victim send back CSAM of himself.
Gastelo pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison up to 30 years in prison on the sexual exploitation count and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison up to 20 years in prison on the distribution and receipt count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Fresno County Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Fresno Man Indicted for Possessing Fentanyl Powder and FirearmsRead the Press Release
Henry Joseph Garcia, 49, of Fresno, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on May 13, 2025, Garcia possessed more than 400 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it to another person. Garcia also possessed two loaded firearms, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Garcia faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Freight Forwarding Company Executive Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging Massive Scheme to Avoid Customs Duties PaymentsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The chief financial officer (CFO) at a Downtown Los Angeles-based shipping company has been arrested on a 22-count federal grand jury indictment charging him and the company’s CEO with using fraudulent documents, shell companies, bribes to public officials, and kickbacks to Mexican drug cartels to smuggle billions of dollars’ worth of goods from the United States into Mexico, repeatedly lying to U.S. customs officials and defrauding Mexico out of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of duties owed, the Justice Department announced today.
Ralph Olarte, 55, of Glendale, the CFO of Sport LA Inc., was arrested late last night at Los Angeles International Airport. He is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Also charged in the indictment is Humberto Lopez Belmonte, 53, of Mexico City, who was arrested and arraigned on Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court. Lopez pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and a July 21 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered Lopez released on $100,000 bond.
Olarte and Lopez are charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States. Both defendants and their company, Sport LA Inc., also are charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States, three counts of knowingly submitting false and misleading export information, five counts of wire fraud for false information submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud against Mexico, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and seven counts of international promotional and concealment money laundering.
Sport LA is charged with three counts of making false statements to a government agency. The other defendant companies – H&R Logistics Inc. and Olarte Transport Service Inc. – are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the indictment returned on April 30 and unsealed Tuesday, Olarte and Lopez, from at least 2013 to the present, operated a lucrative international shipping enterprise. Through shipping companies they controlled, Olarte and Lopez smuggled billions of dollars’ worth of goods from and through the United States into Mexico. Many times, they concealed the nature of the shipped goods, some of which contained contraband.
The companies allegedly submitted millions of false and misleading statements to U.S. customs officials, used shell companies in Mexico to shield their true customers, and created and presented false documents – including sham certificates for paid Mexican import taxes. They also bribed Mexican customs officials, paid kickbacks to drug cartels – including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) – to operate the scheme and smuggled bulk cash into the U.S. to avoid reporting requirements.
Olarte and Lopez then laundered the proceeds of their scheme back from the true Mexican customers, through the shell companies, and ultimately into the companies’ U.S. bank accounts.
As a result of the conspiracy, Olarte and Lopez personally received millions of dollars in illicit proceeds.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Olarte and Lopez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud- and money laundering-related count, up to five years in federal prison for each smuggling- and false statements-related count, and up to two years in federal prison for each count of knowingly submitting false and misleading export information.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), CBP, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating this matter.
The cases announced today were investigated by HSI’s El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
The Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Founder of Haitian Orphanage Sentenced to 210 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Boys in His CareRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On May 23, a Colorado man was sentenced to 210 years in prison for sexually abusing numerous children at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Karl Geilenfeld, 73, most recently of Littleton, founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys — a home for orphaned, impoverished, and otherwise vulnerable children in Haiti — in 1985 and operated it for more than two decades. During this time, Geilenfeld repeatedly traveled from the United States to Haiti, where he sexually abused the boys entrusted to his care. He also physically and emotionally abused the children in the home, including through physical assault and other forms of punishment.
In February 2025, a federal jury convicted Geilenfeld of one count of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place between 2005 and 2010. Each of the six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct relates to a separate victim who was a child at the time of the offense.
At trial, these six victims testified about the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Geilenfeld and the devastating impact it had on them, as did other victims — now adults — who were not the subject of the charged offenses. Victims and witnesses also described the physical abuse Geilenfeld inflicted on his victims and the manipulation that he employed to keep his operation running and financially supported by others.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and FBI investigated the case.
Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacee Monk for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and Eduardo Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20008.
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Former NYCHA Superintendent Sentenced to One Year in Prison After Trial Conviction for Bribery and Extortion OffensesRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that COREY GILMORE, a former superintendent for the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”), was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for soliciting and accepting approximately $32,000 in bribes from contractors in exchange for awarding repair contracts or approving repair work worth at least approximately $215,000. GILMORE’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who also presided over a one-week trial at which GILMORE was convicted of bribery and extortion under color of official right.
“Corey Gilmore abused his position at NYCHA to demand bribes from contractors for his personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The women and men of this Office are committed to pursuing those who abuse the public’s trust.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, statements made in court, and evidence presented during trial:
NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country, providing housing to New Yorkers across the City and receiving over $1.5 billion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) every year. When repairs or construction work at NYCHA housing require the use of outside contractors, services must typically be purchased via a bidding process. However, when the value of a contract was under a certain threshold, designated staff at NYCHA developments, including superintendents, could hire a contractor of their choosing without soliciting multiple bids.
GILMORE, who held multiple superintendent positions at NYCHA developments in the Bronx between 2016 and 2023, demanded and accepted cash in exchange for NYCHA contracts. He required contractors to pay bribes in order to be awarded the contracts. GILMORE typically demanded approximately $1,000—between 10% or 20% of the contract value—depending on the size of the contract. In total, GILMORE demanded and accepted approximately $32,000 dollars in bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts or approving payment on previously awarded contracts worth approximately $215,000.
Of the 70 individual NYCHA employees charged with bribery and extortion offenses who were arrested in February 2024, 63 have pled guilty, and three have been convicted after trial. GILMORE is the third of the NYCHA employees convicted after trial to be sentenced. The cases of the four remaining defendants, who are each presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, remain pending.
If you believe you have information related to bribery, extortion, or any other illegal conduct by NYCHA employees, please contact [email protected] or (212) 306-3356. If you were involved in such conduct, please consider self-disclosing through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at [email protected].
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In addition to the prison term, GILMORE, 47, of West Haverstraw, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,000 and forfeit $32,000.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the HUD Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, which work together collaboratively as part of the HSI Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, as well as the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Fiddelman, Catherine Ghosh, Emily Deininger, and Matthew King are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Braden Florczyk.
Former Deputy Superintendent of the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office Arrested and Charged with ExtortionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Deputy Superintendent at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged extortion scheme to force subordinate employees to perform free labor at his residence.
Thomas Brady, 53, of Norwood, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of extortion and three counts of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion. Brady was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.
According to the charging documents, from 2021 through May 2023, Brady served as the Assistant Deputy Superintendent (ADS) for Jail Operations at NCSO. Brady was promoted in May 2023 to Deputy Superintendent. It is alleged that, between December 2021 and mid-November 2022, Brady utilized his official position and authority as an ADS to order two NCSO maintenance officers (Maintenance Officers A and B), who were subordinate in position to Brady, to perform home repairs at his residence during and after work hours.
During the first instance, in late 2021, Brady allegedly ordered Maintenance Officer A to install a new showerhead at Brady’s residence. Because of Brady’s position and authority as an ADS at the NCSO, Maintenance Officer A feared that if they refused Brady’s request, Brady would use his official position and authority to negatively affect Maintenance Officer A’s job position at NCSO – including the possibility of causing Maintenance Officer A to lose their preferred shift schedule, position and/or employment at the NCSO.
It is alleged that Maintenance Officer A complied with Brady’s order and Brady drove Maintenance Officer A to his residence to install the showerhead, during NCSO work hours. Brady then allegedly drove Maintenance Officer A back to NCSO to continue their workday.
During the second instance, on or about Feb. 13, 2022, which was a Sunday, Brady allegedly contacted Maintenance Officer A to fix his water heater. It is alleged that Maintenance Officer A was unavailable that day; however, the following morning, Maintenance Officer A allegedly drove to Brady’s residence, instead of going to work at NCSO, to fix Brady’s water heater. Specifically, after arriving at Brady’s residence, Maintenance Officer A allegedly disconnected the existing water heater in Brady’s basement, carried the water heater to their truck and drove the water heater and Brady to Home Depot. There, Brady allegedly purchased a new 50-gallon water heater, which Maintenance Officer A carried to their truck, drove back to Brady’s residence, carried the into Brady’s residence and connected. Afterwards, Maintenance Officer A allegedly drove to NCSO to finish their shift.
It is further alleged that, between October 2022 and mid-November 2022, Brady ordered Maintenance Officer B to his residence to fix the heating system. Because of Brady’s official position and authority as an ADS at the NCSO, Maintenance Officer B allegedly feared that if Maintenance Officer B refused Brady’s request to help fix the heating system, Brady would use his official position and authority to negatively affect Maintenance Officer B’s job position at NCSO – including the possibility of causing Maintenance Officer B to lose their preferred shift schedule, position and/or employment at the NCSO.
Maintenance Officer B allegedly complied with the order, and on or about Oct. 6, 2022, drove to Brady’s residence to troubleshoot his heating system during NCSO work hours.
It is alleged that, after Brady had subsequent problems with his heating system and contacted Maintenance Officer B to replace the circulator pump. On or about Oct. 15, 2022, Maintenance Officer C allegedly learned that Brady was looking for Maintenance Officer B and the two exchanged the following text messages:
On two occasions between Nov. 1, 2022 and Nov. 2, 2022, Maintenance Officer B allegedly returned to Brady’s residence – with Maintenance Officer C assisting – where they drained the hot water system, removed the old circulator pump and installed the new circulator pump
The charge of extortion provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Coach and Child Predator Sentenced for Sexual Crimes Against Three Minor ChildrenRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Brandon Earl Presley, 30, of Bixby, for two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country, and one count each of Production of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography. Judge Hill ordered Presley to serve 264 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Upon his release, Presley will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Presley is a child predator who used his position as a coach to groom and seek out minor children through social media. His actions were undetected until someone had the courage to report him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to encourage parents and teens to learn about the dangers of social media.”
Law enforcement began investigating a tip that Presley had sex with a 14-year-old on a college campus during a high school track meet. The tip included a photo of Presley from social media and described how Presley would often hang out in his car or help at high school track practice or meets.
While investigating the tip, law enforcement discovered a photo Presley took while sexually abusing an unknown minor child. Law enforcement found the location of the minor child and discovered that the child was only 13 years old. Presley chatted with the minor child through social media. When the minor child was at home alone, Presley showed the minor child pornography for “education,” coerced the minor child to engage in sexual activity, and photographed it. Court records show that Presley admitted to sexually abusing the minor child, taking a photo of the sexual abuse, and keeping the photo.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Presley had other minor victims.
In the summer of 2022, Presley found another 13-year-old minor victim online through social media. He lied to the minor victim, stating he was 18 years old. Presley attempted to coerce the minor child to engage in sexually explicit activity. Court records show that Presley admitted to abusive sexual contact with the minor child.
Presley further admitted to abusive sexual contact and sexual abuse of a 15-year-old minor victim in 2019, which led to his termination as an assistant football coach. He approached the minor at school, groomed and coerced her using social media. When Presley convinced the minor child to meet, he showed her a video of himself engaging in sexual activity to “teach” the minor. He repeatedly told the minor not to tell anyone.
Presley is a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bixby Police Department, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Norman Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon, Alicia Hockenbury, and Elliot Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Former Alabama Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation and Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
A former Killen, Alabama, Police Department (KPD) officer was sentenced today in the Northern District of Alabama to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman while on duty and for receiving sexually explicit photos of a minor.
According to documents filed in connection with this case, on Nov. 12, 2023, KPD Officer Jarrod Gailen Webster violated the civil rights of a woman after initiating a traffic stop on the woman’s vehicle. Webster asked the woman to step out of her vehicle and asked her what she wanted to do to “get out of this.” When the woman told Webster that she was not going to do anything for him, Webster handcuffed the woman and sexually assaulted her.
Further, between June 2016 and October 2018, Webster communicated with a minor by phone, and he asked the minor to produce and send him sexually explicit images. The minor victim sent multiple photos to Webster at his request, at least one of which constituted child sexual abuse material.
Webster pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of sexual exploitation of children on March 4, 2025.
“Jarrod Webster forcibly assaulted a woman after a traffic stop, and exploited a minor to receive sexually explicit images,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This was a gross abuse of his authority as a police officer and a betrayal of the public trust. I am proud of our DOJ Civil Rights team for holding him accountable.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “I commend the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that Webster was held accountable for his actions.”
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with significant responsibility and are therefore held to a higher standard,” said Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “Today's sentencing clearly demonstrates there are serious consequences when someone tarnishes the badge by breaking the law. Jerrod Webster brought shame to the badge by committing the horrific crimes of sexually assaulting a woman in his care and receiving sexually explicit images of a minor. His sentencing confirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they are sworn to protect.”
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Five New Jersey Pharmacies Agree to Pay $1.935 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Billing for Drugs Not DispensedRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five pharmacies located in Jersey City, Bayonne, and Elizabeth have agreed to pay $1,935,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that they never dispensed, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreements, inventory records showed that the below listed pharmacies did not purchase enough medications from wholesalers to fill the prescriptions billed to the federal health care programs.
- 2818 JFK Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through January 24, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 518 Summit Care Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through March 28, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 1850 Greenville Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $133,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through April 11, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 327 Alexandria Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $101,000 to resolve allegations that from March 26, 2020, through April 2, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 516 Broadway Care Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $101,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through April 4, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
“All pharmacies that bill federal programs must ensure accurate billing and may not bill for medications they never dispensed. The Office will continue to pursue entities that fail in their essential responsibilities and engage in fraud, waste, or abuse.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Abuse Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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alexandria.agreement_0.pdf broadwaycare.agreement.pdf greenville.agreement.pdf jfk.agreement.pdf summitpharmacy.agreement.pdfFive Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that five Oklahoma residents were sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal law.
The leader of the drug trafficking organization, Christopher Adam Banschbach, age 39, of Holdenville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Drug Conspiracy on February 22, 2024. Banschbach’s four co-defendants each pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of possession with intent to distribute and were sentenced at hearings held between July 11, 2024, and May 22, 2025.
- Ricky Edward Hall, age 30, of Covington, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 324 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
- Joshua Levi Kendrick, age 43, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 235 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
- Brittany Marie Cagle, age 35, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 168 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
- Christina Gail Pool, age 43, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
According to investigators, between March 2022 and November 2022, while serving time on state charges at the Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville, Oklahoma, Banschbach coordinated and directed the distribution of approximately forty-five kilograms of methamphetamine. Non-incarcerated members of the conspiracy obtained the methamphetamine from various locations and distributed it in Muskogee and other locations.
The charges arose from an investigation led by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Muskogee Police Department and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by designation, the Honorable Keith Starrett, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by designation, and the Honorable William P. Johnson, Senior U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico, sitting by designation, presided over the hearings. All defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Father and Son Plead Guilty to Defrauding Sports Park BondholdersRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER pled guilty to securities fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with their scheme to defraud municipal bond investors. The defendants pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky and will be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan at a later date.
“Randy and Chad Miller’s fraudulent actions resulted in nearly total losses for investors,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As today’s guilty pleas make clear, this Office remains committed to protecting the integrity of the public finance system and holding accountable those who exploit investors’ trust. This case demonstrates the strength of our partnership with the FBI, whose diligent investigation uncovered the defendants’ fraud.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the Superseding Information, public filings, and statements made in court:
RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER defrauded investors in municipal bonds used to fund the development of a major sports complex in Mesa, Arizona called Legacy Park. In connection with the initial $250 million bond offering in August 2020 and supplemental bond offering in June 2021, the defendants lied to potential investors about the interest sports organizations and other potential customers had in using or relocating to Legacy Park. The defendants and their associates forged and altered purported “binding” letters of intent and other documents from those potential customers to make it appear that the customers were committing to holding many events at Legacy Park, with a significant number of spectators, and agreeing to pay large fees – all far beyond what the organizations were considering, if they were considering Legacy Park at all. In some instances, RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER signed and directed others to sign customers’ names without the customers’ knowledge or permission. At other times, the defendants copied and directed others to copy the signatures of other customers onto the fabricated letters, again without the customers’ knowledge or permission. As part of their scheme, the defendants forged documents on behalf of numerous persons and organizations, including an organization that promotes sports for disabled athletes.
RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER presented the fraudulent documents to prospective bond investors and incorporated them into their solicitation materials by claiming that Legacy Park would be 100% occupied at opening and would generate nearly $100 million in revenue in its first year of operations, more than enough to cover the bond payments.
After the Legacy Park bonds were sold to investors, RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER profited personally from the bond proceeds raised. Legacy Park opened in 2022 and failed shortly thereafter, defaulting on its bonds in October 2022 and filing for bankruptcy in May 2023. The project was later sold in bankruptcy for less than $26 million. Of those proceeds, less than $2.5 million went to repay the approximately $284 million owed to Legacy Park bondholders.
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RANDY MILLER, 70, and CHAD MILLER, 41, both of Phoenix, Arizona, pled guilty to one count of securities offering fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison. As part of their guilty pleas, money judgments in the amounts of $7,289,134.89 and $4,798,980.19 were entered against RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER, respectively.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Shahabian and Courtney L. Heavey are in charge of the prosecution.
us_v._randy_miller_and_chad_miller_superseding_information.pdfFairfield Man Indicted for Failure to Pay over $2 Million in Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 41-count indictment against Warren Soto Delfin, 54, of Fairfield, charging him with failure to pay more than $2 million in trust fund taxes to the IRS, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, between January 2018 and December 2022, Delfin owned and operated five home health care businesses that accumulated more than $2 million in employment taxes. The employment tax liabilities stem from amounts Delfin withheld from his employee’s paychecks. Instead of paying the employee withholdings to the IRS as required under the law, Delfin retained them and made purchases of luxury items including a Lamborghini, jewelry, and real estate.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Delfin faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charged count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Evansville Duo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Death of a Toddler and Non-Fatal Overdose of an InfantRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Arcinial Montreal Watt, 36, and Jazmynn Alaina Brown, 27, both of Evansville, have been sentenced for their roles in a fentanyl dealing operation that resulted in the death of a three-year-old girl.
Watt has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. Watt has also been ordered to pay $6,007 in restitution.
Brown has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and evidence presented during Brown’s sentencing hearing, between August and October of 2021, Watt obtained at least 400 grams of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and stored them in a bedroom he shared with his girlfriend, Jazmynn Brown. Brown sub-leased the room in a shared residence on East Sycamore Street in Evansville, where she lived with two other women and their four children—ages 4, 3, 18 months, and 2 months. Pills were sold and divided for sale by Brown inside the residence.
On October 26, 2021, the three older children accessed the bedroom where the pills were stored and removed a plastic bag containing fentanyl pills prepared for sale. The pills spilled, exposing the children to direct contact. Although Brown recovered some of the pills, several remained unaccounted for.
The three-year-old girl who came into contact with the pills was pronounced dead the following morning as a result of fentanyl poising. The 18-month-old girl was taken to the hospital, where she was placed on a NARCAN drip and survived her fentanyl poisoning.
During the investigation, agents seized over 5,750 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills marked M30, more than $25,000 in cash, and a firearm. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.
“This heartbreaking case underscores the devastating consequences of fentanyl trafficking—not just for those who use these drugs, but for innocent children caught in the crossfire,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The loss of a young life is a tragedy that no family should endure, and those who recklessly endanger others by distributing these deadly substances must be held fully accountable. We remain unwavering in our commitment to protecting our communities and pursuing justice for the most vulnerable among us.”
“The sentencings of Mr. Watt and Ms. Brown are righteous. This case is a heartbreaking example of individuals who recklessly stored Thousands of illicit fentanyl pills in their residence, leading to the tragic poisoning death of one child and the overdose of another. The victims in this case were innocent children. The DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, remains committed to keeping our communities safe and holding drug traffickers fully accountable,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Michael Gannon.
The Evansville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crime Task Force also provided invaluable assistance. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy Kemper, Lauren Wheatley, and Todd S. Shellenbarger, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kristian R. Mukoski, who prosecuted this case.
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Estacada Man Faces Federal Charges for Trafficking 270 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— An Estacada, Oregon, man is facing federal charges today after he was caught transporting 270 pounds of methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon.
Anthony Barrera, 29, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing methamphetamine and cocaine with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, during an investigation of an alleged drug trafficker, later identified as Barrera, investigators learned Barrera rented a vehicle and traveled to California to pick up large quantities of drugs to distribute and sell in Oregon.
On May 24, 2025, officers located Barrera driving the rental vehicle northbound on Interstate 5 and followed him to a rest area near Roseburg, Oregon, where Barrera was arrested without incident. Agents executed a federal search warrant on the rental vehicle and seized 270 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of cocaine, which were concealed in the backseat and cargo area of the vehicle. Later the same day, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Barrera’s residence where they seized two firearms hidden under the floor of a closet.
Barrera made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Multnomah County Dangerous Drug Team (DDT). It is being prosecuted by Charlotte Kelley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The Multnomah County DDT is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, Gresham Police Department, the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ecuadorian National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S. after Sex Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBERTO MUY, 35, a citizen of Ecuador, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2006, Muy was admitted to the U.S. using a fraudulent visitor visa under the alias of a Peruvian citizen. In June 2012, Muy was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court in Torrington of sexual assault of a minor in the second degree, and was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 15 months, and 25 years of probation. In June 2013, Muy was removed to Ecuador.
It is further alleged that Muy illegally reentered the U.S. and, on November 9, 2024, was arrested by the Torrington Police Department and charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drug. On March 18, 2025, he was sentenced in state court to two years of incarceration for violating his state probation related to his 2012 conviction, and a concurrent two days of incarceration for the 2024 motor vehicle offense. He is currently in state custody.
If convicted of illegal reentry, Muy faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Department of Justice Takes Action to Enforce Title IX in California to Protect Girls’ SportsRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – The Justice Department today sent letters of legal notice to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Jurupa Unified School District, and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) that it is opening an investigation to determine whether Title IX, a landmark federal civil rights law, is being violated by AB 1266, a state law permitting males to participate on female sports teams at state schools.
The investigation is to determine whether California, its senior legal, educational, and athletic organizations, and the school district are engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of sex.
The letters of legal notice were sent at the time the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in federal court in support of a lawsuit filed by and on behalf of girls’ athletes to advance the appropriate interpretation of Title IX to ensure equal educational opportunities and prevent discrimination based on sex in federally funded schools and athletic programs.
The statement of interest is part of a national effort by the President, the Attorney General, and the Justice Department to oppose the deprivation of women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.
“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education. It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “This Division will aggressively defend women’s hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities.”
“The law is clear: Discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal and immoral,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office and the rest of the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect girls’ sports and stop anyone – public officials included – from violating women’s civil rights.”
According to the allegations in the lawsuit, Save Girls’ Sports, et al. v. Thurmond, et al., AB 1266 – passed by the California State Legislature and codified in the California Education Code – conflicts with Title IX. AB 1266 unlawfully permits males to participate on female sports teams and to use female spaces, resulting in unfair and unsafe environments for women and girls.
The lawsuit alleges that this California statute “is harming hundreds – if not thousands – of female students by removing opportunities for female athletes to be champions in their own sports, robbing them of podium positions and awards, and creating unsafe and intimidating environments in their bathrooms and locker rooms.”
The plaintiffs include K.S., a ninth-grade female cross-country athlete and T.S., an 11th-grade female cross-country athlete and team captain, both of whom attend Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.
T.S. was removed from her position of the girls’ varsity cross-country team to make room for a biological male athlete who did not consistently attend practices and failed to satisfy many of the team’s varsity eligibility requirements. As a result, T.S. missed the opportunity to compete at a high-profile meet, lost the right to compete on the varsity level, and missed the opportunity to compete with elite fellow athletes to be recruited by universities and receive other forms of recognition.
The biological male who replaced T.S. on the girls’ varsity cross-country team recently had transferred from another local high school after breaking that school’s all-time cross-country record for the girls’ cross-country team.
The lawsuit further alleges that the Riverside Unified School District, Martin Luther King High School’s principal, and its assistant principal and athletic director violated the constitutional rights of T.S. and K.S. when it ordered them to stop wearing t-shirts protesting T.S.’s removal from the team.
The plaintiffs are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief related to the defendants’ speech policy and rules governing participating in girls’ sports.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard Park of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section is handling this matter.
To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at (800) 253-3931.
DC Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Mail and Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Dajuan Taylor, 24, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Washington Division.
According to the guilty plea, between July 2018 and November 2021, Taylor and his co-conspirators stole, altered, and fraudulently negotiated approximately 53 checks. Through the scheme, Taylor and his co-conspirators attempted to steal at least $497,766.80 from the victims. Taylor used various social media platforms — such as Instagram — to recruit individuals to give him their account information to advance this conspiracy.
Some people knowingly participated in the scheme while others were unaware that the co-conspirators were using their bank accounts to negotiate the stolen checks. Taylor then used information and paraphernalia associated with the fraudulent transactions to recruit additional bank-account holders to further this scheme.
Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for each count. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, at 11:30 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended USPIS for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Court appoints Ganjei as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Nicholas J. Ganjei has taken the oath of office to remain as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX).
Former acting Attorney General James McHenry named Ganjei as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Jan. 29.
Pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, the Attorney General has the authority to name a U.S. Attorney to serve on an interim basis for up to 120 days. After that time, the district court will appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until the confirmation of his or her eventual successor. Ganjei recently received the unanimous vote of the judges of the Southern District of Texas, re-appointing him as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District.
“I am honored by the district court’s vote of confidence in my leadership of this great office,” said Ganjei. “There is much unfinished business for SDTX to address, from leading the fight to secure our southern border, to ensuring our streets are safe from drugs and violent crime. I am grateful to remain at the helm of the Southern District as we continue to deliver for the American people.”
Chief Judge Randy Crane recently administered the oath of office in front of an audience of U.S. Attorney’s Office staff and court personnel.
Ganjei is a former longtime federal prosecutor who previously served as acting U.S. Attorney and First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. He joined the Department of Justice in 2008 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) on the U.S. – Mexico border. As an AUSA, Ganjei prosecuted organized crime, immigration, narcotics and human trafficking cases as well as fraud, public corruption and white-collar matters.
Before joining the department, Ganjei clerked for the Honorable Richard Allen Griffin and Ralph R. Erickson and has taught on the subjects of civil, criminal and constitutional law at both the collegiate and law school levels.
Immediately prior to his SDTX service, Ganjei was chief counsel to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution where he oversaw all legal matters related to criminal justice, border security, judicial nominations, antitrust, intellectual property and religious liberty.
As U.S. Attorney, Ganjei has been and will continue to be chief law enforcement officer for one of the busiest districts in the United States.
Under Ganjei’s leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
Convicted Felon Who Fired Gun Outside Crowded S.F. Bar Sentenced to Three Years and Nine Months for Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Fernando Aguilera was sentenced yesterday to 45 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed down the sentence.
Aguilera, 37, a national of Honduras, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 18, 2023. On Feb. 12, 2025, Judge Alsup found Aguilera guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) after a bench trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Aguilera took a gun out of his waistband on two occasions at a crowded bar in San Francisco. He then left the bar and fired into the air two separate times with people and cars nearby. When law enforcement arrived, Aguilera fled from the police before being apprehended in the garden area of a nearby residence. Law enforcement found a firearm with the wrong caliber bullet stuck in the chamber next to Aguilera and ammunition in his bag. At the time of his arrest, Aguilera had four prior felony convictions for being an accessory, being a prohibited person with ammunition, and second-degree burglary.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Alsup also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant has been in custody since the offense.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Davidson and Sophia Cooper prosecuted the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and San Francisco Police Department.
Construction Manager Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Embezzlement and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSE GARCIA was sentenced to 27 months in prison for committing two lengthy fraud crimes—a $4.5 million embezzlement crime and a $2.1 million tax evasion crime. In the embezzlement scheme, GARCIA had a lucrative no-show job with a technology company from 2012 to 2019. GARCIA did no work for the technology company, but GARCIA’s co-conspirator, a technology executive, approved millions in payments to GARCIA and GARCIA’s shell entities. In the tax evasion scheme, GARCIA neither filed tax returns nor paid income taxes from 2011 through 2019. GARCIA previously pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and tax evasion before U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho, who imposed today’s sentence. Three other members of the embezzlement conspiracy have also pled guilty to date.
“Jose Garcia engaged in a lengthy embezzlement scheme that involved a no-show job, fraudulent billings, and largescale cash kickbacks,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Garcia then doubled-down and sought to conceal his embezzlement activities by committing another crime – tax evasion. In all, Garcia stole millions at the expense of hard-working, tax-paying Americans. He then used the proceeds of his frauds to fund a lavish lifestyle. For these brazen crimes, Garcia has been sentenced to prison.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the Superseding Information to which GARCIA pled guilty, and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
The Embezzlement Scheme
From approximately May 2010 through February 2019, GARCIA’s co-defendant, Mark Angarola, spearheaded a large fraud scheme to unlawfully enrich himself and his co-conspirators (the “Conspirators”) by submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent invoices and expenses to an information technology (“IT”) services company (the “Contractor”), at which Angarola was employed in a senior position. In total, the embezzlement scheme caused a loss of more than $7 million. GARCIA received the majority of the scheme’s fraud proceeds: $4,554,950.
Angarola was a New York-based Global Account General Manager at the Contractor. He was responsible for managing the Contractor’s relationship with a particular client, which was a subsidiary of a global financial institution (the “Client”). The Contractor had a service contract with the Client, pursuant to which the Contractor provided IT support services to the Client at locations across the U.S. The Contractor subcontracted certain of this work to a technology solutions company (the “Subcontractor”). Pursuant to the agreement between the Contractor and the Subcontractor (the “Subcontract”), the Subcontractor provided certain IT support services directly to the Client in the place of the Contractor. Angarola was responsible for oversight of the Subcontractor’s performance on the Subcontract, which included approving payment to the Subcontractor on invoices submitted for work purportedly performed and expenses purportedly incurred in the Subcontractor’s performance on the Subcontract.
Angarola abused his position to fraudulently enrich himself, his family, and his friends. For instance, he arranged for the Subcontractor to hire certain of his family members, friends, and subordinates, despite the fact that these individuals lacked apparent qualifications to perform deskside IT work. He arranged for the Subcontractor to hire, among others, his wife (a homemaker); his former college roommate (a police sergeant); and his close friends, including GARCIA (a construction manager) and GARCIA’s wife (a schoolteacher). Thereafter, various Conspirators falsely reported to the Subcontractor that they had performed work under the Subcontract and incurred business expenses. The Subcontractor submitted invoices to the Contractor for the hours purportedly worked and business expenses purportedly incurred by several of the Conspirators, and Angarola, in turn, caused the Contractor to pay the Subcontractor on these fraudulent invoices. The purported business expenses incurred by several Conspirators, and ultimately paid for by the Contractor at the direction of Angarola, included restaurant meals, hotel stays, transportation fees, a cruise, and gentlemen’s clubs. In fact, the expenses were personal expenses and were not reimbursable under the Contractor’s policy.
GARCIA was a central beneficiary of the embezzlement scheme and received the majority of the fraud proceeds. These fraud proceeds were paid in part to GARCIA personally, and in part to his shell entities. GARCIA did no work whatsoever for the Contractor or Subcontractor, but invoiced the Subcontractor, month after month, requesting payment for purported “Management Fees.” For instance, at different points in the scheme, GARCIA requested monthly payment of $36,000, $45,000, $51,000, or $60,000. Angarola approved these payments to GARCIA on behalf of his employer, the Contractor. In return, GARCIA paid Angarola cash kickbacks exceeding $1 million. GARCIA participated in the embezzlement scheme despite having fulltime, gainful employment elsewhere as a consultant and project manager in the construction industry.
Financial records reveal that GARCIA spent fraud proceeds on, among other things, private school tuition, rent, luxury travel, luxury items, gym memberships, and sports memorabilia. For instance, GARCIA paid for stays at luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton (in four different cities), the Waldorf Astoria, and the Plaza. And GARCIA spent more than $50,000 on luxury items, including expensive purchases at Cartier, Hermes, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Burberry, Bianca Jewelers, a glass blower in Venice, and a violin shop specializing in Stradivarius models.
Tax Evasion
From 2011 through 2019, GARCIA also committed tax evasion, resulting in a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) of approximately $2,116,605. For this nine-year period, GARCIA neither filed tax returns nor paid income taxes. As such, GARCIA failed to report to the IRS the income he derived from the embezzlement scheme as well as the income he derived from other business interests and sources. GARCIA used shell entities to conceal his receipt of income, including by creating such entities, diverting income to such entities, and using entity bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses.
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In addition to his prison term, GARCIA, 53, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. GARCIA was also ordered to forfeit $4,554,950 and pay restitution in the amount of $7,007,055.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; the IRS-Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office; and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, along with the Justice Department’s Tax Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Neff, Timothy V. Capozzi, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Almonte of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution.