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8 July 2025
Four Defendants Charged with Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officers, Other Offenses During Protests Near Local ICE OfficeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Four defendants made their first appearances in federal court today after committing various offenses—including assaulting federal officers and possessing a destructive device—during ongoing protest gatherings near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Riley Freeman, 26, of Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with the felony offenses of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Andrew Marcum, 22, of Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with the felony offense of assaulting a federal officer.
Jeremy Hummel, 27, of Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with the misdemeanor offense of depredation of government property.
Ian Joseph McCarthy, 35, of Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with the felony offenses of assaulting a federal officer and depredation of government property.
According to court documents and information shared in court, on July 4, 2025, several individuals gathered near an ICE office in South Portland where, for weeks, individuals have repeatedly targeted the building and federal law enforcement officers with threatening statements, discharging pepper spray, and throwing rocks, trash, and bricks.
At approximately 8:00pm, federal officers observed an individual defacing the ICE building guard shack with graffiti. As an officer began to pursue the individual, Marcum ran toward the officer and kicked the officer in the leg, causing the officer to trip.
At approximately 8:41pm, officers observed another individual, later identified as Hummel, defacing the ICE building with black spray paint.
At approximately 11:16pm, as federal officers cleared a group of people off federal property, Freeman threw an incendiary device towards the officers that detonated near them. Freeman attempted to flee but officers pursued him and Freeman was arrested.
The same evening, federal officers observed McCarthy using bolt cutters to attempt to damage a proximity card reader near the vehicle entrance of the building. McCarthy had also been observed removing and damaging the fiber optic cable system to the ICE building, interrupting internet and communication service for the building. While being placed under arrest, McCarthy kicked and punched several officers assisting in the arrest.
All four defendants made their first appearances in federal court Monday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They were released on conditions pending future court proceedings.
Felony assault of a federal officer is punishable by up to eight years in federal prison, and assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Felony possession of an unregistered destructive device and depredation of government property over $1,000 are punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. Depredation of government property under $1,000 is a class A misdemeanor and is punishable by up to one year in prison.
These cases are being investigated by the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). They are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Since June 13, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 22 defendants with offenses committed at the ICE building including assaulting federal officers, arson, possession of a destructive device, and depredation of government property.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Robbing Convenience Stores at GunpointRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Kevoun Najae Watts (22, Fort Myers) to 10 years in federal prison for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Watts to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offenses. Watts pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.
According to court documents, Watts admitted to robbing a gas station and a convenience store at gunpoint on July 31, 2024, in Fort Myers.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Plea AgreementFormer Loan Officer Charged and Agrees to Plead Guilty to Million-Dollar Heloc SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former loan officer was charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with defrauding his employer out of almost $1 million.
Brian Socha, 45, of Brookfield, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging document, Socha hacked into co-workers’ computers on over 20 occasions to covertly raise the credit limit and lower the interest rate on the home equity line of credit (HELOC) on the home he owned with his wife. Over a period of six years, Socha allegedly increased the HELOC credit limit from $135,500 to $995,000 and adjusted the HELOC interest rate from 7.25% to 1.99%.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Chief Operating Officer of Pain Care Centers SentencedRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. –The former chief operating officer and practice manager of several southwest Virginia pain clinics was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in federal prison for her role in healthcare fraud and drug conspiracies at the clinics.
Jennifer Adams, 52, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, served as the Chief Operating Officer of L5 Medical Holdings, a company doing business under the name “Pain Care Centers” that operated clinics in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg.
In November 2024, Adams pled guilty to helping conceal illegal prescribing and healthcare fraud at the clinics.
According to court documents, in 2014, despite having no medical training, a former mortgage broker and L5 Medical’s owner, John Barnes, purchased and operated Pain Care Center clinics. Among other things, providers at the practice prescribed opioids and opioid addiction treatment medications, including Suboxone. Adams, who also lacked medical training, helped Barnes run the clinics.
As part of her plea, Adams admitted to encouraging medical providers with L5 to follow the opinion of non-medical professionals in making medical decisions, including whether a patient should be treated for opioid addiction or for pain management, whether a patient should receive a prescription, and what type of drug should be prescribed.
Adams also admitted to knowing that one practitioner, Dr. Wendell Randall, was not providing medically legitimate care to patients. Court records show that L5 employees described Dr. Randall as a “quack” and “train wreck,” explained his files did not “justify continuing the medication” he prescribed to patients and questioned if “anyone check[ed] to see if he was real doctor.”
Adams acknowledged she knew L5 illegally used the prescribing credentials of some doctors – known as registration numbers – to prescribe Suboxone, a Schedule III drug used to treat patients with opioid addiction, even when the doctors had not seen the patients who received the prescriptions. Additionally, Adams helped implement drug testing policies at the clinics that improperly inflated bills to medical insurers.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of DEA Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General’s Philadelphia Region, Colonel Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan and Jason M. Scheff prosecuted the case.
Final Defendant Sentenced in National Methamphetamine & Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Alexis M. Sanford today announced that United States District Judge Jane M. Beckering sentenced Merria Wallace, 42, a resident of West Park, Florida with significant ties to Lansing, Michigan, to serve 120 months in prison for her role in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy. During sentencing, Judge Beckering characterized Wallace as a facilitator for a major drug trafficking organization, finding that she “was a really important part of this operation” – an operation responsible for distributing significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine throughout Michigan. Wallace is the final defendant to be sentenced in the case.
Wallace was the logistics manager for a conspiracy designed to import methamphetamine and cocaine to Michigan for sale. In her role, Wallace tracked packages containing approximately ten kilograms of methamphetamine sent to Michigan from California. She also booked flights for co-conspirators to fly thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to California and then return to Michigan with drugs, including cocaine. On multiple occasions, Wallace even traveled herself, transporting drug money on behalf of one of the conspiracy’s leaders, Jason Demyers. Overall, the organization distributed kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine in and around Detroit, Lansing, and Kalamazoo between August 2022 and July 2024.
“The sentences in this case are significant and effectively hampered this transnational drug trafficking organization, which spanned multiple states, including Michigan, Florida, Arizona and California,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexis Sanford. “Our office is committed to combatting these organizations, including sources of supply from other states or countries who are responsible for distributing significant quantities of drugs into our West Michigan communities. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to make our communities safer for everyone.”
During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately ten kilograms of methamphetamine, eight kilograms of cocaine, multiple pieces of real property used to facilitate the drug trafficking conspiracy, and jewelry valued at approximately $325,000 that constituted proceeds of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
In total, the United States charged fourteen defendants as part of the organization. Twelve of the defendants have pleaded guilty, while two have entered a pretrial diversion program. The Court has imposed the following prison sentences on the convicted defendants:
Name
Residence
Age
Sentence
Jason DemyersLansing, Michigan
Phoenix, Arizona
44324 monthsFranchot BarnesSouthern California47324 monthsJomo GradyKalamazoo, Michigan51210 monthsEvette WallaceKalamazoo, Michigan36110 monthsMark WilliamsSouthfield, Michigan54105 monthsJamar GoinsLansing, Michigan4578 monthsFranchot MeadowsBloomfield, Michigan2275 monthsIvan WilliamsSouthfield, Michigan3563 monthsLanise MoodyLansing, Michigan4240 monthsJonathan ConnerLansing, Michigan4337 monthsShirley StarksLansing, Michigan412 years of probationThe Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Lansing Police Department (LPD) began the investigation into Demyers’ drug trafficking organization in October 2022, in partnership with Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office.
“The results of this investigation highlight the relentless work the Drug Enforcement Administration and our state and local partners do daily to keep our communities safe, said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew P. Lawton. “With the assistance of the Lansing Police Department and the Michigan State Police, we have succeeded in holding those accountable for flooding our backyards with drugs and weapons. We will continue to prioritize the Mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration and bring those responsible for these crimes to justice. These severe sentences show that narcotics trafficking has grave consequences and should serve as a warning to the cartels and drug gangs alike.”
This prosecution, dubbed Operation Cold as Ice, was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie M. Carowan and Austin J. Hakes prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Felon who Conspired to Distribute Drugs and Possessed Firearms Sentenced to over Twenty-Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who conspired to distribute controlled substance was sentenced July 7, 2025, to more than 25 years in federal prison.
James Colquhoun, age 40, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 10, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony, carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between January 2024 and February 13, 2024, Colquhoun knowingly conspired with others to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Cedar Rapids area. On February 13, 2024, officers stopped Colquhoun’s vehicle and searched it. During the search, officers located over 500 grams of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, over $25,000, and a firearm. Colquhoun knowingly possessed those controlled substances with the intent to distribute them. After the traffic stop, officers searched Colquhoun’s hotel room where he resided. During the search of his hotel room, investigators located over 600 grams of heroin, over 50 grams of methamphetamine, and another firearm. In 2014, Colquhoun was convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa of distribution of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and carrying a firearm during and relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Colquhoun was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Colquhoun was sentenced to 336 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Colquhoun is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson, and it was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-00029-001.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts 4 in Sex Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 15-count indictment against four individuals from the Charleston area in connection with sex trafficking. The charges stem from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Charleston Police Department that uncovered sex trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy offenses, and related charges.
The individuals charged include:
- Johnathan Dais, 33, of Charleston, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; attempted sex trafficking of a child; use of a facility of interstate commerce to promote an unlawful activity; false statements; conspiracy to commit money laundering; and money laundering.
- Calvin Wolfe, 54, of Charleston, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
- Rose Stoner a/k/a Rose Wolfe, 50, of Charleston, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
- Alexis McInnis, 20, of Charleston, for use of a facility of interstate commerce to promote an unlawful activity; false statements; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2025, Dais, and at times his co-conspirators, Wolfe and Stoner a/k/a Wolfe, recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, and sex trafficked at least five victims by force, fraud, or coercion, including one minor victim. The indictment also alleges Dais and McInnis used facilities of interstate commerce to promote prostitution activity, and that they each made false statements to law enforcement during the investigation. Dais and McInnis are also charged with laundering the funds derived from such unlawful activities.
Sex trafficking carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Johnathan Dais, Calvin Wolfe, and Rose Stoner a/k/a Wolfe are currently detained pending trial, and Alexis McInnis was granted a $5,000 unsecured bond on July 7 by the Honorable Molly Cherry.
Authorities with Homeland Security Investigations and the Charleston Police Department are seeking information that may help identify additional victims exploited by these individuals. If you, or someone you know, was a victim, please provide a name and contact information to the following email address, with subject line referencing Johnathan Dais: [email protected].
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Orville is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fairbanks man sentenced to 22 years for distributing fentanyl resulting in a fatal overdoseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and, upon release, will serve five years on supervised release for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a local man in 2022.
According to court documents, beginning in May 2022 and continuing to July 2022, Edward Ginnis, 39, agreed with co-conspirators to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances in the Fairbanks area. Specifically, Ginnis distributed controlled substances to a co-conspirator, who then sold the substances to others. Ginnis’ actions were a small part of a larger drug trafficking enterprise allegedly being directed by an inmate in a California prison.
On June 7, 2022, Ginnis sent an overnight package containing money to a co-conspirator in California, paying in advance for a shipment of drugs intended for a co-conspirator in Fairbanks. On June 11, a package arrived for the co-conspirator in Fairbanks. Ginnis and the alleged leader of the enterprise had orchestrated this shipment. Drug ledgers found in the alleged leader’s prison cell indicate that the shipment contained “chocolate,” which was a term that members of the enterprise used for heroin. The alleged leader also arranged to have additional packages containing heroin sent to Alaska, and Ginnis received more packages on June 16 and 21, 2022.
Later in the day on June 11, 2022, Ginnis sent text messages to several distributors asking if they had potential purchasers. One of the distributors, the co-defendant in this case, allegedly offered to help sell drugs. On June 25, Adam Sakkinen, 32, an individual who struggled with heroin usage, messaged the co-defendant asking to purchase drugs. Around noon, the co-defendant allegedly agreed to sell drugs to Sakkinen and he sent the co-defendant $50.00 before messaging that he was on his way.
Later, at 12:58 p.m. that same day, local fire and emergency medical services responded to a single car accident on the side of a road in Badger. First responders found Sakkinen unconscious behind the wheel of a car with drug paraphernalia in his hands and near him. Law enforcement officials tested the paraphernalia, and it tested positive for fentanyl.
First responders administered six doses of Narcan to Sakkinen and he regained a pulse. Sakkinen was transported to two hospitals and was put on life support at a hospital in Anchorage. Sakkinen spent 11 days in the intensive care unit before he passed away. A sample of Sakkinen’s blood was sent for testing and lab results found that he had 20 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl in his bloodstream at the time of his death. Reports show that the average lethal level of fentanyl in the bloodstream is eight nanograms per milliliter.
On July 14, 2022, Ginnis was arrested in Fairbanks based on a violation of his state probation. He was in possession of fentanyl that he intended to distribute to others in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. He also possessed over $13,000 in cash.
On Jan. 18, 2025, Ginnis and a co-defendant were indicted on federal drug trafficking charges. On April 3, 2025, Ginnis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance resulting in death. His co-defendant is awaiting trial.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the law enforcement agencies that came together to investigate this crime and help bring justice to the family of the victim,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William Narus for the District of Oregon.
“Fentanyl traffickers choose profit over people when they sell drugs that lead to addiction and death,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This sentence holds Mr. Ginnis accountable for this choice and sends a clear message that the DEA and our partners will bring to justice those who seek to poison and destroy our communities.”
“The Alaska State Troopers are committed to working with our federal and local partners to bring dangerous drug traffickers to justice,” said Colonel Maurice Hughes, Director of the Alaska State Troopers. “Drug dealers have no place in our great state. This sentencing sends a clear message: if you traffic dangerous drugs in Alaska, law enforcement will find you, and you will face serious consequences for your actions.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or Acting U.S. Attorney Narus in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office, Alaska State Troopers, North Slope Borough Police Department, North Pole Police Department and Fairbanks Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins, Chris Schroeder and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Fort Walton Beach Woman Pleads Guilty to $200k Theft of Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Rhonda Lynn Lopez, 59, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to theft of government property. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
United States Attorney Heekin said: “By falsely claiming benefits she knew she had no right to receive, the defendant stole resources that were intended for those truly in need. I appreciate the hard work of our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and stop this criminal, and I want to make clear that my office will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who defrauds the government.”
Court documents reflect that in Lopez provided false information to the Social Security Administration (SSA) during her benefit reviews. Based on the information learned during the investigation regarding her assets and finances, SSA determined Lopez was not entitled to Supplemental Security Income payments beginning on or about May 28, 1998. As a result, she stole more than $206,000 from the United States Government.
Lopez faces up to 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The plea was the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
El Salvadoran with prior sex offense pleads guilty to illegally reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An illegal alien from El Salvador pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a felony.
Adiel Hernandez-Orellana, 39, was previously convicted in Arkansas of sexual assault.
In 2003, Hernandez-Orellana was arrested for unlawfully entering the United States. In 2004, he was ordered removed from the United States after failing to appear for an immigration court hearing. In 2010, he was convicted of sexual assault in Sebastian County, Arkansas, and sentenced to seven years in prison. Following his prison sentence, he was removed from the United States.
In March 2025, the defendant was detained at the Delaware County jail in Ohio for outstanding traffic warrants. He was then processed for the instant immigration offense of illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a felony.
Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has a prior felony conviction (or multiple prior misdemeanor convictions of certain types), the penalty is increased to up to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Transporting illegal aliens is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing a firearm as an illegal alien is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Dunklin County Man Sentenced to 128 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine SalesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who sold methamphetamine twice in 2023 to 128 months in prison.
Clayton E. Barnes, 53, of Kennett, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in April to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. He admitted selling 54.4 grams of meth for $600 on Aug. 17, 2023, to a confidential informant and a Missouri State Highway Patrol corporal in the parking lot of a Kennett store. Six days later, the corporal returned to the market and bought 102.62 grams of meth from Barnes for $1,300.
Barnes qualified as a career offender, having prior convictions that include a 2009 conviction for selling 8 grams of cocaine base and a 2020 conviction for selling 14 grams of meth.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, Sentenced for Federal Wildlife Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — who was featured in a popular Netflix documentary — was sentenced today to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and launder more than $500,000 for what he believed to be an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States across the Mexico border. Antle was also ordered to pay a $55,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release, and forfeit three chimpanzees and more than $197,000 to the government.
Two of Antle’s co-defendants were recently sentenced for their separate involvement in either the Lacey Act or money laundering conspiracy. A defendant in a related case recently pleaded guilty to illegally selling a newborn chimpanzee to Antle.
“Today’s sentence holds Doc Antle and his co-defendants accountable for activity they knew was unlawful and unethical,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “They illegally purchased and sold newborn endangered wildlife even as they laundered more than $500,000 in smuggling money — all while promoting themselves as conservationists.”
“Doc Antle portrayed himself as a conservationist. But in reality, he was a key player in the illegal chimpanzee trade, and he laundered more than half a million dollars through a complex web of deceit,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their work in bringing the defendant to justice for both of these federal crimes.”
“These sentences should send a clear message: the FBI and our partners will not tolerate those who attempt to violate our laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We remain firmly committed to investigating and holding accountable individuals whose illegal actions threaten our financial systems and put protected species at risk.”
“This case underscores the grave criminal threat posed by wildlife traffickers who not only exploit vulnerable species for profit but also use sophisticated money laundering tactics to conceal their crimes,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “Our special agents uncovered a complex network of illicit activity involving the trafficking of endangered animals — including baby chimpanzees and cheetahs — falsified documentation, and the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars through purported nonprofit organizations. These traffickers operated under the false pretense of conservation, betraying both the law and public trust. We remain unwavering in our commitment to dismantling such networks and bringing those responsible to justice.”
The wildlife conspiracy outlined various schemes Antle used to hide his illegal trafficking in endangered species, including requiring payments to be “donations” funneled through his non-profit, The Rare Species Fund; conducting transactions in bulk cash to hide their true nature; and creating false paperwork to hide the illegality of his wildlife transactions. The animals trafficked included baby chimpanzees, cheetahs, lions, and tigers, all of which are protected under both the Endangered Species Act and international treaties. The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants, including animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Antle’s co-defendant in the wildlife conspiracy, Jason Clay, was recently sentenced to four months in prison, four months home confinement, and to pay a $4,000 fine into the Lacey Act Reward Fund. In 2019, Clay illegally sold a juvenile chimpanzee to Antle in exchange for $200,000 in cash and a juvenile gibbon.
As for the money laundering conspiracy, Antle and a co-defendant laundered more than $500,000 in cash between February and April 2022 that were represented to be proceeds from an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States. Evidence presented to the court showed that Antle planned to conceal the cash he received by writing checks for what appeared to be construction-related services for Myrtle Beach Safari, which he owned and operated, and which was featured in the Netflix documentary. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre for-profit zoo that offers tours and private encounters with exotic wildlife.
Antle’s co-defendant in the money laundering conspiracy, Andrew Sawyer, was recently sentenced to serve two years of probation including eight months of home detention. He also forfeited nearly $185,000 to the government and a chimpanzee.
In a different Lacey Act violation case connected to Antle, Shaylynn Kolwyck-Peterson pleaded guilty last month to illegally selling a chimpanzee to Antle in 2022 for $200,000. The Kolwyck family owns and manages the private Sunshine Zoological Preserve LLC in north Florida. The facility is believed to be the only one in the United States breeding chimpanzees for private or non-scientific purposes.
The FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Concealing His Cryptocurrency Donations to ISISRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Jibreel Pratt, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to two counts of concealing cryptocurrency donations he intended to make to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.
According to the plea agreement, in February 2023, Pratt initiated a conversation with a Confidential Human Source (CHS) who Pratt believed was an ISIS member who could facilitate overseas travel to join ISIS. Over the next several months, Pratt communicated his desire to travel overseas to join ISIS and recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS’s leader. Pratt also provided ideas, information, documents and handwritten notes on a variety of subjects, including how ISIS could use drones and remote-controlled cars to deliver explosives, how ISIS could organize intelligence operations, and how ISIS could improve its air defense systems. And, in March and May 2023, Pratt sent cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) to the CHS, intending that the money would be used to help pay for the travel of other individuals who were purportedly traveling to join ISIS and/or to help fund an individual who Pratt believed would commit an act of violence in support of ISIS. Pratt concealed the nature and source of his Bitcoin transfers by using a privacy focused VPN and an app that encrypted private keys and transaction data.
“Jibreel Pratt has many talents. And he swore a binding oath to use them to help ISIS—a genocidal anti-American terrorist organization,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “Pratt meticulously plotted to support ISIS and covertly sent them money to further their evil works. We will find the terrorists operating in our shadows and bring them to justice.”
"Today’s guilty plea by Jibreel Pratt underscores the serious threat posed by individuals who attempt to support foreign terrorist organizations known for violence and human rights abuses,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting the American people from those who seek to carry out or orchestrate acts of terrorism. This outcome reflects the strength of our partnerships with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as well as the dedication of our Joint Terrorism Task Force. The FBI in Michigan will continue working relentlessly to disrupt any plot that threatens the security of our nation.”
Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2025. A conviction for concealing the financing of terrorism carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The parties agreed that a 9-year sentence is an appropriate resolution of the matter.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Salzenstein and Jennifer Burke, Trial Attorney, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Convicted Felon with 17 Firearms Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Latchman Singh (31, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Singh faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 25, 2025.
According to court documents, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office were executing a search warrant at Singh’s residence in connection with state auto theft charges when they discover that Singh, a previously convicted felon, had 17 firearms in his closet, bedroom and kitchen:
At least two of the firearms were stolen, one firearm did not have a serial number, and one of the firearms had a silencer attached to it. As a previously convicted felon, Singh is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Singh has agreed to forfeit the firearms and ammunition, which were involved in the offense.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
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.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to 69 Months in Fentanyl Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 26, 2025, Alexander Marcano, 33, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 69 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Marcano previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl on December 9, 2024.
According to court records, in the early hours of January 30, 2023, U.S. Border Patrol Agents patrolling in the area of North Troy, Vermont, approximately one-half mile from the U.S./Canada border, encountered a vehicle driving erratically and pulled it over. Marcano was the front-seat passenger of the vehicle. Border Patrol agents learned that Marcano had an extraditable warrant from Connecticut for a shooting, for which Marcano was later convicted of Assault 1st Degree – Serious Physical Injury. At the time of the traffic stop, Marcano was found to be in possession of more than 98 grams of fentanyl, over 41 grams of cocaine base, over 75 grams of cocaine powder, a loaded 9 millimeter pistol, over $20,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia indicative of drug distribution.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Vermont Drug Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Lasher and Corinne Smith. Marcano was represented by Ian Carleton, Esq.
Chinese state-sponsored hacker arrested on U.S. warrantRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Chinese national has been taken into custody for his alleged involvement in U.S. computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the reckless and indiscriminate HAFNIUM campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide.
Authorities took People's Republic of China (PRC) national Xu Zewei (徐泽伟) into custody in Milan, Italy, as he departed a plane from China at the request of the United States.
Xu is charged along with PRC national Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, in a now unsealed nine-count indictment returned in November 2023. They were both involved in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021 at the direction of officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB), according to the indictment.
The charges allege MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC's domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence and aspects of the PRC's political and domestic security. When conducting the computer intrusions, Xu worked for Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd., one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government, according to the charges.
“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” said Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”
“This arrest underscores the United States’ patient and tireless commitment to pursuing hackers who seek to steal information belonging to U.S. companies and universities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. “The Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for threatening our cybersecurity and harming our people and institutions.”
“While the world was reeling from a virus that originated in China, the Chinese government plotted to steal U.S. research critical to vaccine development,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “Xu Zewei, an alleged hacker acting on behalf of China's primary spy agency, targeted COVID-19 data using sophisticated cyber techniques and tradecraft. His landmark arrest by FBI Houston agents in Italy proves that we will scour the ends of the Earth to hold criminal foreign adversaries accountable.”
According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S. based universities and leading immunologists and virologists conducting ground-breaking research into COVID-19 vaccines, treatment and testing. The charges allege Xu and others reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu allegedly provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in SDTX. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the research university, according to the allegations. Xu later allegedly confirmed for the SSSB officer he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.
Beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely used Microsoft product for sending, receiving and storing email messages, according to the charges. Their exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was allegedly at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.”
In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS, which they and private sector cybersecurity leaders condemned as “indiscriminate,” “reckless,” “irresponsible” and “destabilizing.”
The charges allege victims of Xu’s exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were a university located in the Southern District of Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. According to the indictment, these web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang allegedly worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the university’s network, according to the charges, and on or about Feb. 28, 2021, updated an SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer, according to the allegations. The charges allege unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms allegedly included “Chinese sources,” “MSS” and “HongKong.”
The announcement of charges against Xu is the latest describing the PRC’s use of an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement. Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China allegedly cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach can result in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third-parties.
In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States left vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors.
Xu is charged with two counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to do which all carry possible prison terms of up to 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud and to committing identity theft as well as two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers. If convicted on any of those charges, he could receive up to five years, while intentional damage to a protected computer carries a maximum 10-year-possible sentence on either of two counts as charged. For the aggravated identity theft, he could receive another two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All convictions would also have the potential of up to $250,000 as a possible fine.
Zhang remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
The FBI’s Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation.
SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and John Marck and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Chinese national pleads guilty to falsifying material facts, is sentencedRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jiaxuemo Zhang, 30, of Arizona, pleaded guilty to falsifying, concealing, or covering up a material fact and was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Zhang was then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that Zhang is a Chinese national who had been studying at the State University of New York at Buffalo (U.B.) under an F-1 non-immigrant visa issued by the U.S. Department of State in 2021. In June 2021, Zhang applied for the visa at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, stating that he would be attending U.B. and would be majoring in aerospace engineering. However, Zhang failed to include that he had conducted research and studied at Beihang University in China, between approximately September 2017 and December 2019. Beihang University implements or supports the People’s Republic of China’s “military-civil fusion strategy.” Specifically, he conducted research in the Fluid Mechanics Key Laboratory of Education Ministry and the National Laboratory for Computational Fluid Dynamics. Individuals who have a current or prior affiliation with, among other schools, Beihang University, are prohibited from entering the United States by Presidential Proclamation 10043. The State Department would therefore have denied Zhang’s application for an F-1 student non-immigrant visa.
The plea and sentencing are the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Grimm, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Resident Agent-in-Charge Stephen Kaiser, and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
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Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Supplier Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who mailed thousands of fentanyl pills from Arizona to Cedar Rapids was sentenced July 7, 2025, to more than eight years in federal prison.
Anthony Chan Dixon, age 35, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 21, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that Dixon moved from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Phoenix, Arizona, prior to 2022. Beginning in 2022, and continuing through September 2023, Dixon shipped packages containing hundreds of fentanyl pills from Arizona to various fentanyl dealers in Cedar Rapids, totaling at least 4,500 fentanyl pills. Dixon had previously been convicted of two felony drug offenses.
Dixon was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dixon was sentenced to 106 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Dixon is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-00058-CJW.
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Carbon County Man Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jason Mika, age 44, of Lansford, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 3, 2025, to 120 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., for one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Mika previously pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Mika possessed over one pound of methamphetamine, several pounds of marijuana, drug packaging materials, over $22,000 in cash, and several firearms, that were found in his home in Lansford, during the execution of a search warrant by members of the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General, as well as other investigators on September 6, 2024.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, the Lehighton Borough Police Department, the Nesquehoning Police Department, the Lansford Police Department, the Franklin Township Police Department, and the Carbon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiate that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Canadian Man and Costa Rican Woman Plead Guilty to Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 13, 2025, Joshua Ian Fudge, 30, a citizen of Canada, and his wife Karen Melissa Rodriguez Valverde, 24, a citizen of Costa Rica, both pled guilty to criminal complaints charging them, with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities, and were sentenced to time-served. They each faced a maximum prison term of 6 months.
According to court records, at approximately 2:55 p.m. on June 12, 2025, electronic surveillance spotted two individuals with backpacks on “Pee Wee’s” bridge in Canaan, Vermont. “Pee Wee’s” bridge is approximately 150 feet from the U.S./Canada border and is commonly used to illegally cross into the United States. U.S. Border Patrol agents made contact with the individuals less than five minutes after the electronic surveillance alert. Fudge and Rodriguez Valverde provided identification to Border Patrol agents that confirmed that Fudge was a Canadian citizen and that Rodriguez Valverde was a citizen of Costa Rica who was a lawful permanent resident of Canada. Following a review of immigration records for Fudge and Rodriguez Valverde, Border Patrol agents discovered that on November 4, 2024, Fudge was deemed inadmissible and denied access to the United States at Newark International Airport after he stated to agents during pre-entry questioning that he had previously traveled to New Jersey to work with Rodriguez Valverde’s father and had been paid for that work. Fudge did not possess an immigrant visa that allowed him to work in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the efforts of the United States Border Patrol and United States Customs and Border Protection.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Turner. Fudge was represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq. Rodriguez Valverde is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.
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).
California Bay Area CEO Sentenced for Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for a decade-long scheme to avoid paying over employment taxes to the IRS.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John Comeau, of Santa Clara, was the CEO of Vivid Inc., a company that provided metal coating services to industrial customers in California and elsewhere. Vivid Inc. employed as many as 40 employees at any given time.
Comeau was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees and then paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
From the first quarter of 2010 through the fourth quarter of 2019, Vivid Inc. paid its employee a total of over $8.8 million in wages. During this period, Comeau collected and withheld taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees but did not pay over all the taxes owed to the IRS. He also caused false quarterly employment tax returns to be filed with the IRS, underreporting Vivid’s wages by more than $5 million.
To conceal his scheme, Comeau caused accurate tax forms to be issued to certain employees. These tax forms reported higher wages than the amounts Vivid had reported to the IRS. Comeau also issued tax forms, such as Wage and Tax Statement, Form W-2, to other Vivid employees that underreported their wages. When an employer underreports wages paid to their employees, it may negatively impact those employees’ Social Security benefits, as those forms are used by the Social Security Administration to compute benefits owed to an employee.
Instead of paying his taxes, Comeau used some of the funds to maintain a comfortable lifestyle that included a $3 million home and luxury cars.
In total, Comeau caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $1.1 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts for the Northern District of California ordered Comeau to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,153,948 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilham Hosseini for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case.
Body Armor Company Owner Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Vall Iliev, 70, of Stow, Ohio, has been sentenced to 63 months (5.25 years) in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent after he pleaded guilty in March to smuggling foreign-made body armor and then selling it to law enforcement agencies and other members of the public as legitimate, domestically-made certified products. Iliev was additionally ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Nugent also ordered him to pay approximately $5.2 million in restitution.
According to court documents and testimony, in May 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Blaine, Washington port of entry (POE) intercepted a Canadian-registered truck found to be carrying more than 200 ballistic body armor plates in boxes originating from China. The plates were hidden using a technique known as “Master Carton Smuggling,” which is typically used in attempts to evade detection by POE officials. The pre-packaged boxes were concealed within a larger shipping container and pre-addressed to be delivered to Iliev’s home or his businesses, Vallmar Studios and ShotStop, in Stow.
Vallmar Studios was used as a warehouse to process the armor before being sold to law enforcement agencies and the general public through the ShotStop website. The armor was touted as American made and marked with labels as being certified by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, which has published performance standards for ballistic-resistant police body armor for more than 50 years. Manufacturers and distributors are permitted to use the NIJ trademarked symbol if the products meet established standards for protection.
However, inspectors who examined the body armor found that none of the items from the Chinese manufacturers qualified to be NIJ-certified because approved manufacturers are only located within the United States. Federal investigators discovered that NIJ-certified and American-made labels on the armor were affixed to the products after arriving from China but before they were sold by ShotStop. Although the company’s advertising claimed that the products were NIJ-certified and made in Stow, Ohio, investigators learned that neither the Vallmar Studios nor the ShotStop facilities were equipped to manufacture body armor.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office alongside the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Duncan T. Brown for the Northern District of Ohio.
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Aug. 11, 2026
Restitution update:
The canvass for victims to join the restitution list for the criminal case closed and the order of restitution to that class is final.
As of earlier this year, both the state and federal civil cases have also been resolved and orders for restitution have been entered by the court.
Boca Raton Resident Pleads Guilty to Insider TradingRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Boca Raton resident pled guilty today in the Southern District of Florida to securities fraud based on an insider trading scheme that netted over $420,000.
According to court documents, during a July 4th gathering in 2020, Charles Lawrence Baugh, Sr. (“Baugh”), 60, learned of a pending partnership between Google LLC and ADT Inc. (“ADT”). Baugh also learned that Google LLC would be making a substantial investment in ADT. At the time, ADT’s shares were publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
A close family member who occupied a senior role at ADT revealed the pending partnership and investment to Baugh. Baugh knew that the news was material, non-public information and that he had a duty to keep the information confidential. Nonetheless, in violation of that duty, Baugh proceeded to purchase in trading accounts he controlled approximately 1,000 ADT call options and 800 ADT shares. Baugh began purchasing the securities on July 6, 2020—the first trading day after the July 4th holiday.
In addition to trading in his own accounts, Baugh traded in ADT securities in the accounts of at least two other family members and convinced two additional family members to buy ADT securities, all while news of the partnership and investment was non-public.
On August 3, 2020, news of the partnership and investment became public. ADT’s share price increased over 50%. Baugh sold all 1,000 call options, netting over $314,000.
As part of his guilty plea, Baugh agreed to forfeit $316,044, all the proceeds from the scheme he personally received.
Baugh’s sentencing will take place before Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, who previously sued and settled with Baugh.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
This is the fifth insider trading conviction in 2025 secured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI Miami Field Office. Convictions were previously obtained in United States v. Federico Nannini et al., 24-20398-CR, and United States v. Stephen George, 25-60011-CR.
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 25-cr-80089.
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Birmingham Tax Preparer Sentenced for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham tax preparer has been sentenced for preparing false tax returns for clients, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Blackburn sentenced Geta Barr to 18 months in prison. In February 2025, Barr pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent tax return.
According to the plea agreement, Barr was the owner Maxi Tax Resource, LLC, a tax preparation business in Birmingham. Of the approximately 900 returns that Barr prepared for tax years 2017, 2018, and 2019, 96% claimed refunds. Barr prepared false tax returns for at least 14 different clients between tax years 2016 and 2020. During this time, Barr included false Schedule Cs reporting losses for fabricated businesses, as well as false itemized deductions and standard deductions. This fraudulent conduct resulted in a total tax loss to the IRS of over $300,000.
The Internal Revenue Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan S. Rummage the case.
7 July 2025
Wake County Felon Sentenced to over Six Years after Posting a Video Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Diamonique Shawn Newton, age 33, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Newton pled guilty to the charge on March 24, 2025.
According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, in February 2024, officers with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) investigated Newton after they saw he had posted pictures of himself on his Facebook page possessing a firearm. RPD was aware of Newton’s felon status and inability to possess a firearm. The investigation culminated on February 26, 2024, when Newton streamed a live Facebook video of himself pointing a gun at the camera multiple times. Based on the investigation, on February 29, RPD obtained and executed a search warrant for Newton’s Raleigh home. During the search, RPD found two firearms, one of which was stolen, over 180 grams of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Newton admitted that the stolen firearm was his and that he had bought it off the street.
Newton has a criminal history that spans almost two decades and includes two felony convictions for possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana from 2011 and 2018. Newton was also previously convicted of attempted possession of a firearm by a felon in 2013.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Agencies involved in the investigation include the Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00074-D-RJ.
Virginia Man Sentenced for Possession of Stolen MoneyRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Joshua Sneed, 35, of Bluefield, Virginia, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and ordered to pay $120,322.10 in restitution for possession of stolen money.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 15, 2024, Sneed was employed as a title clerk for an automotive sales and service business in Bluefield, West Virginia, when a customer purchased a 2008 Bentley Continental for $37,761. The cash was deposited in the business’s safe. On March 27, 2024, Sneed used his access to the business’ computer system to change the transaction from a cash purchase to a credit card purchase. Sneed admitted that he changed the purchase details to conceal the fact that he did not deposit the $37,761 into the business’s bank account. Sneed further admitted that he took the $37,761 in cash from the business to his residence in Bluefield, Virginia.
On March 27, 2024, Sneed prepared a bank deposit slip for the business for $60,100 and prepared a second deposit slip on April 9, 2024, for $60,222.10. Sneed admitted that he never made either deposit with the bank. Sneed further admitted that he prepared the deposit slips to conceal his theft of money from the business over several months.
On April 9, 2024, Sneed attempted to change the record of the Bentley Continental sale back to a cash purchase from a credit card purchase in the business’s computer system. Sneed found the computer system did not allow him to edit transaction histories for March 2024. On April 15, 2024, Sneed was fired from his position.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber 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. 1:25-cr-14.
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Virginia Man Convicted of Armed Drug Trafficking by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury found a man from Lynchburg, Virginia, guilty of multiple charges, including possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and 4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (ANPP). He was also convicted of possessing a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Derrick O’Brian Hamlett, 32, was a front seat passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Vance County on October 26, 2022. A Vance County detective noticed an odor of marijuana coming from the car and a marijuana grinder in between the front passenger seat and the center console. A search of the vehicle revealed a backpack with a locked section. Hamlett gave law enforcement the code to unlock the section of the backpack. It contained a stolen pistol, a loaded extended magazine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and over 100 dosage units of fentanyl, heroin, and ANPP. It also contained Hamlett’s wallet with his Virginia identification card, social security card, and other documents with his information. Hamlett is a convicted felon and therefore cannot legally possess a firearm.
Hamlett faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment and a statutory maximum of life imprisonment when sentenced on a later date.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jermaine Sellers and David Beraka prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-cr-00043-D-KS.
United States Files False Claim Act Complaint Against Delaware Medical ProviderRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. - Acting United States Attorney Dylan J. Steinberg announced that the United States has filed a civil complaint under the False Claims Act against Dr. Shayasta S. Mufti, a Delaware medical provider, alleging that she caused the submission of false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic laboratory tests.
In its complaint, the United States alleges that between April 2019 and November 2019, Dr. Mufti referred more than 100 Medicare beneficiaries for medically unnecessary genetic tests that were paid for by Medicare. To be covered by Medicare, a diagnostic laboratory test, including a genetic test, must be ordered by the physician who is treating the beneficiary for a specific medical problem and who uses the results in the management of that problem. The United States alleges that Dr. Mufti had no medical relationship with the beneficiaries she referred for genetic testing, never examined them, and never used the test results to manage their medical conditions. Her referrals were based on brief telemedicine consultations and, in some instances, no consultation at all. The genetic tests that Dr. Mufti ordered often cost thousands of dollars per patient.
“The integrity of our federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, relies on medical providers adhering to professional standards of care and billing accurately for services that are medically necessary for their patients,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “As alleged, Dr. Mufti’s actions violated these critical safeguards, putting taxpayer dollars at risk, draining funds from vital health care programs, and undermining the trust placed in healthcare professionals. We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal partners to hold accountable those who exploit programs designed to help our most vulnerable citizens and ensure that services are provided based on medical need, not financial gain.”
“HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who allegedly participate in fraud schemes driven by greed and apathy for the laws intended to safeguard Medicare funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We are unwavering in our dedication to ensuring the integrity of federal health care programs.”
The investigation and litigation are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Laksin.
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care 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 800 HHS TIPS (800-447-8477).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. A copy of the complaint is attached to this press release.
The allegations in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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mufti_complaint.pdfUnion City “Ghost Preparer” Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Seeking over $4 Million in COVID-19 Employment Tax CreditsRead the Press Release
Scheme caused IRS to issue over $1.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds
AUGUSTA, GA: A truckdriver who operated a “ghost” tax preparation business on the side in Union City, Georgia, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to executing a mail fraud scheme to defraud the United States by making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 related employment tax credits.
Dantavious Jackson, 39, of Union City, Georgia, pled guilty to mail fraud, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Jackson now faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
As described in the plea agreement, Jackson owned and operated a trucking business in Union City, Georgia. On the side, Jackson also prepared tax forms for others for a fee. Any individual who prepared and assisted in preparing federal tax returns for a fee was required to obtain a preparer identification number (“PTIN”) from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). A paid preparer was required to place his or her PTIN on each tax return he or she prepared for a fee to identify the preparer of that return.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act, enacted on March 27, 2020, provided for an employee retention credit (“ERC”), a refundable tax credit, which was designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERC was claimed by an employer by filing an IRS Form 941, “Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns” (“Forms 941”) with the IRS for the relevant quarter.
Between June 2022 and August 2023, Jackson executed a scheme to defraud the United States by preparing and filing thirty-five IRS Forms 941 for himself and two clients that falsely claimed they were entitled to receive $4,112,297 in tax refunds based on fraudulently claimed ERCs. The Forms 941 Jackson prepared and filed with IRS were false and fraudulent because they listed employees and wages that did not actually exist. Jackson’s use of fake employees and wages to claim ERCs induced the U.S. Treasury to mail $1,567,855 in fraudulent tax refunds to himself and his clients.
Jackson prepared and filed the tax returns as a “ghost preparer,” meaning that he did not identify himself through a PTIN or by any other self-identifying information in the “Paid Preparer Use Only” section on the returns he filed for clients.
“Jackson’s guilty plea serves as a reminder to those who committed fraud on programs under the CARES Act that they will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are still opening cases and investigating those who stole funds that were intended for American workers, families, and small businesses.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Warns of Fraud Schemes Following Texas FloodsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is on alert for fraudsters seeking to profit off the catastrophic and deadly flooding in Texas.
Millions of people fall victim to scams every year. Natural disasters and severe weather can create opportunities for fraud, occurring at a time when people may be especially vulnerable, or targeting charitable intentions.
Scammers are known to carry out a variety of fraud schemes, targeting those in the in affected communities. These methods include using phone, text, mail, email, and even going door to door to target residents impacted by damaging storms.
If you think you may have been preyed upon, submit a report to the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721 or www.justice.gov/disastercomplaintform.
Learn how you can donate safely and avoid scams at the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice webpage.
You can also report disaster related complaints to your local FBI field office by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). For more information on common charity and disaster fraud schemes, visit FBI.gov/how-we-can-help-you.
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Three More District Men Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl in Trinidad Neighborhood of Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro today announced the sentencings of three District men -- Jalonie Hooper, 26, Edward Frizell Williams, Jr., 53, and Dandre Goodwine, 30 -- for their roles in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that operated an open-air drug market in the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast Washington D.C.
Goodwine, aka “Dreads,” pleaded guilty March 3 before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base. Judge Boasberg today sentenced Goodwine to 36 months in federal prison and ordered three years of supervised release.
Hooper, aka “JR,” pleaded guilty April 4 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. Judge Boasberg sentenced Hooper on July 1 to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Williams, aka “Pooh,” pleaded guilty March 3 to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, cocaine base, and heroin. Judge Boasberg sentenced Williams on July 1 to 22 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, during the course of the conspiracy, the Trinidad neighborhood crew sold approximately 468 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on and around the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE.
On May 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at 1657 11th Place, NE, at a stash house where Goodwine was known to frequent. Agents recovered multiple five firearms, digital scales with white residue suspected controlled substance; a false book containing six twists and 27 small twists each containing a white substance suspected to be a controlled substance, and multiple magazines and rounds of various ammunition. Goodwine’s DNA was found on the magazine of a Glock 22 .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
On August 12, 2023, at 11 p.m., MPD officers were called to investigate an incident on the 1600 block of V Street, NW and arrested Hooper. Officers found approximately 50 grams of cocaine base on his person.
When law enforcement agents executed the search warrant at the 11th Place stash house, they found Williams outside within arms-length of a .40 caliber handgun. DNA on the firearm connected it to Williams.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Trinidad trafficking investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Daniel Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Christina Taylor and Gaelin Bernstein.
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Two Mexican Brothers Plead Guilty to Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Juan Hurtado-Solano, 43, and his brother Candido Hurtado-Solano, 39, both pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry by a removed alien. The pleas were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have made enforcing our nation’s immigration laws a top priority, and my office stands ready to fulfill that priority. These charges should be a warning to all illegal aliens that violations of our nation’s immigration laws will not be taken lightly by my office.”
Court documents reflect that both brothers were first encountered by immigration officials in May 2012 following Candido’s arrest for driving under the influence. Both brothers were determined to be in the United States illegally and were removed to Mexico in August 2012. Both brothers illegally re-entered and were removed a second time in September 2012. They were most recently found in the country on May 29, 2025, during the execution of a search warrant at a construction site in Tallahassee.
Both men face up to two years in prison followed by removal from the United States.
The cases involved an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Keen and James A. McCain.
Candido Hurtado-Solano’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2025, at 11:30 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker. Juan Hurtado-Solano’s sentencing has yet to be scheduled but will occur before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Stantec Inc. Agrees to Pay $4M to Resolve Allegations That It Violated the False Claims Act by Submitting False Certifications to the EPA in Grant ApplicationsRead the Press Release
Stantec Inc. (Stantec) a provider of environmental development and engineering services, with its primary headquarters in Alberta, Canada, along with Cardno Consulting LLC (Cardno), a separate company that Stantec acquired in 2021, have agreed to pay $4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of applications to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Brownfields Assessment Grants that falsely certified compliance with federal procurement regulations.
“Applicants for federal grant funds must comply with applicable procurement requirements” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “The department will hold accountable those who undermine the integrity of the federal grant process by falsely certifying compliance with regulations that are designed to prevent unfair competitive advantage.”
“The EPA’s Brownfields Grant Program aims to help communities around the country transform contaminated sites into community assets,” said Acting EPA Inspector General Nicole Murley. “Fair competition is critical to the integrity of this program, and the EPA Office of Inspector General will vigorously pursue allegations of false certifications to protect both the program and the taxpayer dollars that fund it.”
The EPA Brownfields Grant Program provides grants and technical assistance to cities, towns, and other municipalities to assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. The settlement relates to Assessment Grants the EPA awarded from 2014 to 2022. Applicants for EPA Brownfields grants must certify compliance with a requirement that “contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, or invitations for bids must be excluded from competing on those procurements.”
The United States alleged that, from 2014-2022, Stantec, through its subsidiary Stantec Consulting Services Inc., and Cardno drafted or assisted in the drafting of the requests for proposals and statements of work associated with applications for EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants, and then competed for and won the work for which they had drafted the specifications. The United States alleged that this conduct violated the above requirement and that Stantec and Cardno falsely certified, or caused the communities applying for the grants to certify, that they had complied with it.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the EPA’s Office of Inspector General.
The matter was investigated by Trial Attorney Robin Overby of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and Special Agent Brian Scriver of the EPA’s Office of Inspector General.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
South Kingstown Man Indicted for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A South Kingstown man is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, charged by way of a federal indictment for allegedly trafficking cocaine, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
The grand jury returned an indictment on July 2, 2025, charging Hector Villa, 40, with distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Charging documents alleged that Villa delivered three kilograms of cocaine to another individual on June 3, 2025, while under law enforcement surveillance. He was detained and arrested a short time later. The drugs were seized by law enforcement.
Charging documents reflect that following Villa’s arrest, a court authorized search of a suspected drug stash house in North Providence was conducted. The search resulted in the seizure of a kilogram of cocaine, a firearm, and various items used in the packaging and distribution of narcotics.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie White.
The matter was investigated by members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force.
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Seven Individuals Charged in Drug and Firearm Investigation Centered on South Side of ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A drug and firearm investigation centered on the South Side of Chicago has resulted in federal criminal charges against seven individuals.
A superseding indictment returned by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses the seven defendants of participating in a criminal conspiracy that utilized armed security to protect drug trafficking activities in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The law enforcement investigation, led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Chicago Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Marshals Service, targeted an open-air marijuana market in the 1200 block of West 73rd Place in Chicago. Under the protection of the armed security, the defendants sold large quantities of marijuana in the area and stored drugs, guns, and cash in nearby houses, the indictment alleges. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 2,000 pounds of marijuana, approximately 81 firearms, including five assault-style rifles, approximately $425,000 in cash, and jewelry valued at approximately $300,000.
Charged with federal drug conspiracy are KEJUAN BRYANT, 31, of Chicago, JAMARI GOODMAN, 29, of Chicago, JOSEPH ALBERT HEATH, 32, of Chicago, MATTHEW FURDGE, 22, of Chicago, KEWANN WHITAKER, 32, of Chicago, IGOR DZE, 44, of Miami Beach, Fla., and KHIRY STRICKLAND, 34, of Lemont, Ill. Bryant faces an individual drug distribution count and is also charged, along with Goodman and Heath, with illegally possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Most of the defendants were arrested last week and have made their initial appearances in federal court in Chicago.
In addition to the federal charges, 15 individuals were charged in state court as a result of this investigation.
The federal charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division, Larry Snelling, Superintendent of CPD, Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the USSS Chicago Field Office, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA) and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Schied represents the government in the federal cases.
The federal superseding indictment is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, among other areas of focus. 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 public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The drug conspiracy charge is punishable by up to life in federal prison for Bryant, and up to forty years for Goodman, Furdge, Whitaker, Dze, and Strickland. The firearm charge against Bryant, Goodman, and Heath carries a maximum sentence of life, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years per defendant. The individual drug distribution count against Bryant is punishable by up to 20 years.
bryant_et_al_superseding_indictment.pdfSalvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Arsenio Valladares, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2025. Valladares was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025.
Valladares was deported from the United States on or about April 23, 2008. Sometime after his removal, Valladares illegally reentered the United States without permission.
Prior to his removal, Valladares was convicted of offenses including assault and battery with a deadly weapon, assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery, operating under the influence, larceny and malicious destruction of property. In November 2024, federal immigration authorities became aware of Valadares’ presence in the United States after being notified that his fingerprints were taken in connection with criminal charges in Massachusetts. Valladares was detained by immigration authorities on March 18, 2025.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien 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 of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Benjamin is prosecuting the case.
Repeat Sex Trafficker Is Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Yusef Reynolds, 34, formerly of Delaware, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, or coercion, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Reynolds was on supervised release for a prior federal sex trafficking conviction in Delaware when he met and lured the underage victim, forcing her to engage in commercial sex.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings, of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Today’s lengthy sentence is appropriate for a defendant who while on supervised release for sex trafficking a minor engaged in the same behavior—using violence and physical abuse to control a minor and force her to engage in sexual acts for his profit,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “I am proud of the hard work of my office to protect children and hold accountable those who prey on them.”
“After serving federal prison time for sex trafficking an underage girl, Yusef Reynolds went right back to his predatory ways. Once again, he lured a victim through social media and exploited her for his own profit. The FBI will continue to work with our partners and prioritize punishing those who abuse children,” said Special Agent in Charge Barnacle.
According to court documents, in 2012, Reynolds was convicted of federal charges for sex trafficking a minor and illegal possession of firearms in Delaware and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Reynolds was released in 2021 and was placed under federal supervision. Court records show that, from December 2021 through January 2022, while on federal supervised release, Reynolds sex trafficked a 16-year-old runaway from Massachusetts he met online. According to court documents, Reynolds used Facebook to contact the minor, who at the time was in North Carolina. Using promises of a better life to lure the victim, Reynolds convinced her to join him in Delaware even though he knew the victim was underage.
Filed court documents show that Reynolds sent two other individuals to pick up the minor victim and bring her to Delaware. Once there, Reynolds immediately began to sex traffic the minor. Reynolds took pictures of the minor and posted them on a website advertising for commercial sex. After that, Reynolds, either himself or through other individuals he knew or controlled, booked commercial sex appointments for the victim and took all the money the victim earned from the sexual encounters. During that time, Reynolds used a combination of physical and sexual violence, threats, and verbal abuse to force the victim to engage in commercial sex acts and plied the victim with drugs to further coerce her to continue to engage in the commercial sex trade.
On March 29, 2024, Reynolds pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, or coercion. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for its investigative work and thanked CMPD and the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, both task force members, for their coordination and partnership with the FBI, which led to today’s outcome. FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces operate in nearly every FBI field office. The most effective way to investigate human trafficking is through a collaborative, multi-agency approach among federal, state, local, and tribal partners. The ultimate goal of the task forces is to recover victims and investigate traffickers at the state and federal level.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Rensselaer Man Indicted for Conspiring to Possess and Possessing 3 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Angel Madera, age 30, of Rensselaer, New York, was ordered detained pending trial last week on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The charges filed against Madera carry a mandatory prison sentence of between 5 and 40 years; a fine of up to $5,000,000; and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “The defendant is charged with bringing significant quantities of dangerous drugs from New York City to be distributed in the Capital District. Narcotics have been ravaging our society and here in the Northern District of New York, if you are arrested for distributing narcotics or possessing them with the intent to distribute, regardless of the quantity, you will face the highest possible punishment the law provides.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: "As alleged, Mr. Madera trafficked dangerous drugs into the Capital Region with the intention of selling them in our communities. The FBI will continue to do everything we can to stop the sale of illicit narcotics in our streets and keep our communities safe.”
The indictment charges Madera with conspiring with another person, Daval Byrams, to bring cocaine from New York City to the Capital District for further distribution. On March 11, 2025, three bricks of cocaine, weighing one kilogram each were recovered from Byrams as he and Madera exited a bus together in Schenectady. Byrams pled guilty earlier this month to possessing the three kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Byrams sentencing is scheduled for September 16, 2025.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to A Total of Twelve Years for Possession of Single Image of Child Pornography While on Supervised Release for Prior Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Damian Quillinan, age 50, of Broadalbin, New York, was sentenced last week to a total of twelve years’ incarceration for possession of a single image of child sexual exploitation material while under post-release supervision for prior child pornography offenses. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone, III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, made the announcement.
“One image is all it takes,” said U.S. Attorney Sarcone. “We will relentlessly pursue justice against those who exploit children. We thank the U.S. Probation Office and HSI for catching this sick individual and immediately putting him back where he belongs – in custody.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Keegan said: "The defendant, a registered sex offender, exploited technology for his own perverse desires and explicit crimes. Together with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York and our law enforcement partners, HSI Albany will not stand idly by as child predators seek new ways to target our most vulnerable communities."
This past January, Quillinan pled guilty to possession of child pornography while serving a lifetime of supervised release for prior convictions for receipt and possession of child pornography and admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release by committing the new offense and by possessing unauthorized internet-capable devices. According to the plea agreement and documents previously filed in the case, Quillinan is a level 2 registered sex offender in the State of New York, stemming from his 2017 convictions in the Northern District of New York for multiple counts of receipt and possession of child pornography.
In January 2024, shortly after being released from incarceration on those offenses, Quillinan manipulated a video of a prepubescent minor he obtained over the internet to create a lascivious image of the minor’s genitalia, which he then possessed on a tablet until it was seized by law enforcement during a search of his residence in September 2024. Yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Quillinan to 10 years’ incarceration for the new conviction and a consecutive sentence of 2 years’ incarceration for the violation of his supervised release. Quillinan was also ordered to forfeit the tablet used in connection with the offense, to serve 20 years of supervised release following release from prison and will be required to continue to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by HSI with the assistance of the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Placerville Felon Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Richard Clifton Turner, 62, of Placerville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 16 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, agents executed a federal search warrant at Turner’s residence in Placerville. During the authorized search, agents located over 40 pounds of methamphetamine. Agents also located six firearms, including one previously reported as stolen. Turner is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has five prior felony convictions, including a conviction for vehicle theft and drug trafficking offenses.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
This case was a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Donald Brown (34, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child sex abuse material. Brown faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2025. Brown has agreed to forfeitthe electronic devices which were seized from his home pursuant to a search warrant.
According to the plea agreement, on January 27, 2023, Brown shared a child sex abuse video that was playing on one of his screens with another individual over the internet via an online website that randomly pairs strangers for one-on-one chat sessions and calls.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Douglas Lee Brown, also known as “Wiggles,” 56, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Brown on domestic battery and wanton endangerment warrants in Huntington and found he possessed a loaded Taurus model G2C 9mm pistol in his waistband. Officers determined the firearm was reported stolen.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Brown knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for burglary in Franklin County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court on November 15, 2012.
Brown has a long criminal history and was on a term of supervision as a result of the burglary conviction at the time of the current offense.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-168.
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Northeast Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A Georgia man with a lengthy criminal history in the Athens-Clarke County community and who was found guilty at trial of armed fentanyl trafficking was sentenced to serve 35 years in federal prison for his crime.
Dwan Maurice Hewlett, aka “LA,” 41, of Hull, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 420 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III on July 7. Hewlett was found guilty at trial on Feb. 26 of all six counts charged in the indictment: one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Armed career offenders distributing fentanyl in the Middle District of Georgia will face federal prosecution, which carries stiff penalties and no possibility of parole,” said U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes. “Cases like this highlight the strong collaboration between our office and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners as we work together to eliminate dangerous illegal substances from the communities we serve and hold repeat offenders accountable.”
"Cases like these exemplify the value of partnerships between local, state and federal agencies. This armed career criminal will no longer be selling the dangerous drug fentanyl in our community,” said Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters. “I am incredibly proud of the ACCPD officers and detectives who worked with partnering agencies on this case. We will continue to prioritize keeping violent criminals out of our community. I want to thank our partners for their continuous efforts in keeping our community safe."
“The FBI works tirelessly to get dangerous criminals like Dwan Hewlett and the drugs he sold off the streets of Georgia,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Hewlett will now have a long time in prison to consider his past actions.”
“Drug traffickers exploit vulnerable members of our community to generate profits,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Atlanta Division. “The success of this investigation is proof that those destroying our communities with drugs and violence will be held accountable.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) detectives had a confidential informant place a phone call to Hewlett to purchase fentanyl. Hewlett agreed to meet the informant at an Athens gas station on Danielsville Road. When Hewlett arrived at the gas station, ACCPD officers boxed his vehicle in and exited their undercover vehicles wearing "POLICE" marked body armor. Officers gave loud commands for Hewlett to exit his car. Hewlett looked up and saw the police. He immediately began making furtive movements, reaching under the seat. He then exited his vehicle, ignored the verbal commands and started running toward Danielsville Road at the intersection of Freeman Drive. Hewlett was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit.
Officers searched his vehicle and found a .380 pistol under the driver’s seat where Hewlett was seen reaching, and numerous tied corner baggies containing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine for distribution. In all, officers found 133.51 grams of fentanyl, 58.31 grams of methamphetamine, 9.783 grams of cocaine and 16 grams of cocaine base. A search of Hewlett’s cell phones located in the car contained many drug-related messages and photos, which revealed that Hewlett conspired with others to distribute two kilograms of fentanyl just days prior to his arrest. Hewlett has a lengthy prior criminal history, which includes three prior convictions in the Clarke County Superior Court for serious drug offenses and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, with assistance from the FBI Athens Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the DEA and the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison prosecuted the case for the Government.
North Versailles Felon Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of North Versailles, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 121 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Keion Washington, 25.
According to information presented to the Court, on February 7, 2024, Washington was driving a vehicle associated with an incident that occurred a few days prior. When law enforcement officers tried to stop the car, Washington initially drove off, then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Law enforcement officers found a stolen rifle in the car, loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Wiegand stated that the sentence took into account the nature of the offense and Washington’s criminal history, including the fact that Washington had been convicted of two prior controlled substances felony offenses.
Assistant United States Attorneys DeMarr W. Moulton and Jacqueline C. Brown prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Washington.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Making False Statements Under Oath in a Bankruptcy CaseRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Travis Lee Harry, 40, of Kernersville, North Carolina, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation, including 90 days on home detention, and fined $4,000 with interest for making false statements under oath in a bankruptcy case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Harry had owned and lived in a house in Princeton, West Virginia, which he sold on December 23, 2019. On February 5, 2020, Harry filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. On the Statement of Financial Affairs he submitted as part of the bankruptcy filing, and which he signed under penalty of perjury, Harry falsely stated that he and his spouse co-owned the house and sold it together. At a March 6, 2020, meeting of creditors as part of the bankruptcy proceeding, Harry falsely testified under oath that he had co-owned the house with his spouse. Harry admitted as part of his guilty plea that he solely owned the house, and that his spouse was never a co-owner. Harry further admitted that he falsely indicated during the creditors’ meeting that all of the proceeds from selling the house went to pay taxes.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber 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. 1:24-cr-143.
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Mexican man sentenced for possessing fraudulent immigration documentRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who entered the country illegally was sentenced today to sentence of time served of 121 days in prison and remanded to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol upon release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Luis Alberto Vega-Lili, 57, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of use or possession of fraudulent immigration document.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on March 11, 2025, Vega-Lili was found on a train in Havre. When he spoke to the Border Patrol agent, he acknowledged his Mexican citizenship and that he did not have immigration paperwork that would allow him to enter or remain in the United States. He provided a Mexican passport that was issued in North Carolina. In 2008, he submitted an incomplete application for naturalization because he was married to a United States citizen, but she passed away. During a secondary security search of Vega-Lili’s cell, agents found a fraudulent social security card and fraudulent permanent resident card in the sole of his boot. The permanent resident card contained information belonging to a person from India who was born in 1973 and living in Texas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol.
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).
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Mexican man sentenced for possessing fraudulent immigration documentRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who possessed fraudulent immigration documentation was sentenced today to sentence of time served of 131 days in prison and remanded to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol upon release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Francisco Alcocer-Sanchez, 62, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of use or possession of fraudulent immigration document.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on February 28, 2025, Alcocer-Sanchez was arrested by local law enforcement in Fairview, Montana/McKenzie County, North Dakota during a DUI stop. He provided an expired licensed permanent resident (LPR) card bearing his picture, but another name and alien number. Law enforcement noticed the LPR card was missing security features. On March 1, 2025, law enforcement verified Alcocer-Sanchez’s true identity and his prior removal from the United States. He later acknowledged his Mexican citizenship and his illegal status in the United States.
Alcocer-Sanchez’s immigration history shows he was granted status as a Lawful Permanent Resident on February 12, 1991, but that status was revoked on June 25, 1998, following his conviction for importing cocaine, an aggravated felony. There is no record he applied for readmission into the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Fairview Police Department and McKenzie North Dakota Sheriff’s Office.
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).
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Mexican man sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who entered the country illegally was sentenced today to a sentence of time served of 73 days in prison and remanded to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol upon release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jose Luz Rojas-Flores, 35, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of illegal reentry.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Rojas-Flores was first removed from the United States in April 2012. He also was removed in November 2013 after serving a 30-day sentence for illegal entry and in April 2015 after serving a 60-day sentence for illegal entry.
On April 26, 2025, the Havre Police Department requested assistance with a traffic stop where five individuals were encountered. None of them spoke English and all presented Mexican identification documents. Rojas-Flores presented a Mexican Voter Identification card but no documents permitting him to enter or remain in the United States. Later, he admitted he last crossed into the United States in January 2020 near El Paso, Texas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol and Havre Police Department.
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).
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Mexican National with Five Prior Deportations Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge James C. Mahan to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country on five prior occasions.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Santos Esparza-Torres was found by immigration officials, after he was previously deported on or about October 29, 2005, September 18, 2008, September 24, 2019, January 17, 2020, and April 16, 2020. Esparza-Torres came into ICE custody in 2024, while serving a state sentence on a conviction for conspiracy to violate uniform controlled substances act. Esparza-Torres will be eligible for parole on his state drug conviction in March of 2026, and will then serve his 24-month Federal sentence.
Esparza-Torres pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. This was his second such conviction, as he was convicted in 2020 in the Southern District of California for the same crime.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Jason Knight made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Merced Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Possessing Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Richard Charles Thomas Jr., 42, of Merced was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 15 years and eight months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2020, when a law enforcement officer attempted stop Thomas for a traffic violation, he accelerated and engaged in a high-speed chase through residential streets of Merced. During the chase, he reached speeds of 100 miles per hour, drove on the wrong side of the road, sped past stop signs, and tossed a bag out his car’s window.
Law enforcement officers eventually caught Thomas after he abandoned his still-moving car and fled on foot. They also recovered the bag, which contained several thousand dollars in cash and nearly 2 pounds of methamphetamine with 99% purity.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Merced Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.