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2 July 2025
Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Murder Law Enforcement and Attack FBI OfficeRead the Press Release
Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison today in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
On Nov. 20, 2024, following a three-day jury trial, Kelley was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing a federal official by threat.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. The evidence showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt,” and “Every hit has to hurt.”
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Conspiring to Murder Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Officers and EmployeesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 2, 2025, Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. The Court’s sentence was recommended by the applicable United States Sentencing Guidelines based on the circumstances surrounding Kelley’s crimes.
On November 20, 2024, following a three-day trial in United States District Court, a jury convicted Edward Kelley of Conspiracy to Murder Federal Employees, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1117; Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 373; and Influencing a Federal Official by Threat, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 115(a)(1)(B).
The evidence presented at trial established that Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. The proof showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt.” “Every hit has to hurt.”
Assistant Attorney General John. A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson of the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The case was investigated by the Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. It was led by the FBI and involved the assistance of FBI offices from across the country.
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Taylorsville Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Distributing Methamphetamine in the District of Utah, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Caile Noble, 67, of Taylorsville, Utah, was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to obtaining large amounts of methamphetamine from outside of Utah, bringing it to Utah, and providing it to several others in a conspiracy to distribute the drugs for profit.
The sentence comes after Noble pleaded guilty on April 3, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart sentenced Noble to 60 months’ supervised release and ordered him to forfeit over $25,000 and his residence, from which Noble distributed methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made at Noble’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in July 2022, Noble and others in his drug trafficking organization were transporting approximately sixty pounds of methamphetamine to Utah to redistribute in the Salt Lake Valley. Noble was the head of the organization who acquired the large loads of methamphetamine and drove it to Utah. Once Noble arrived in Utah, he contacted his redistributors who sold the methamphetamine to others in amounts ranging from quarter pounds to full pounds.
Additionally, the defendant has distribution convictions dating back to 1986. Noble is also charged by the state of Utah with first degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated arson.
“The defendant’s conduct in this case and his nearly 40-year history of peddling poison for profit are egregious,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Noble trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine into Utah and then distributed this poison into our communities for profit. Such criminal conduct will not be tolerated.”
“There is no room for drug traffickers in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of the IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office. “Motivated by greed and with no regard for the safety of his community, Noble distributed massive amounts of this notoriously deadly substance. As the experts in following the money, IRS Criminal Investigation will always be there to offer our financial expertise to bring these criminals to justice.”
“The investigation of Noble confirmed the Sinaloa Cartel operates sophisticated drug distribution networks in Utah, and that drug trafficking and violent crime are often intertwined,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie with the Rocky Mountain Field Division. “Methamphetamine is a persistent scourge on our society, and today our communities in Utah are safer with Noble’s imprisonment.”
The case was investigated by members of the DEA Salt Lake City Metro Narcotics Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Suburban Chicago Businessman Convicted for Role in Bank Fraud and PPP Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted an Illinois businessman yesterday for his role in schemes to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit and for submitting fraudulent applications to obtain COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rahul Shah, 56, of Evanston, the owner and operator of several information technology companies in the Chicago area, fraudulently obtained funds from loans and lines of credit for which he was not eligible from federally insured financial institutions and later defaulted on at least one such line of credit and one such loan. Shah submitted to federally insured financial institutions falsified bank statements that fraudulently inflated deposits, falsified balance sheets that overstated revenues, and fabricated audited financial statements with forged signatures. Shah also engaged in monetary transactions with proceeds from the bank fraud.
Shah also submitted to a federally insured bank an application for a $441,138 loan guaranteed by the SBA that significantly overstated the payroll expenses of a company he controlled. In support of the loan application, he submitted to the lender several fraudulent IRS documents, which falsely represented that the company made payments to multiple individuals who had not received such payments. He also used stolen identities to carry out the fraud, using the names and taxpayer identification numbers of individuals that he knew had not received payments from the company in the PPP loan applications.
In addition, Shah signed and caused to be submitted to the lender what purported to be IRS Forms 941 representing his company’s quarterly payroll expenses for 2019. A comparison between the documents submitted to the lender and the company’s IRS and state tax filings revealed that Shah’s company reported significantly lower payroll expenses to the tax authorities.
Shah was convicted of seven counts of bank fraud, five counts of making false statements to a financial institution, two counts of money laundering, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13. Shah faces up to 30 years in prison on each count of bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution, up to 10 years in prison on each count of money laundering, and up to two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG) Chicago Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Chicago Field Office and SBA OIG Chicago Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Patrick Mott and Trial Attorney Lindsey Carson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/cares-act-fraud
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Strafford Woman Sentenced for Embezzling $295,000 from EmployerRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Strafford, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for using a company credit card for over $295,000 of fraudulent charges.
Kayellen Faye Inskip, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 36 months in federal prison without parole and 3 additional years of supervised release. At sentencing the court found that Inskip’s crimes resulted in a loss of $295,771.91 and issued an order of restitution in the same amount.
On Oct. 10, 2024, Inskip pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud. According to court documents, Inskip admitted to using the credit card issued by her employer, Mears Floral, to make unauthorized personal purchases. The criminal offense pled guilty to by the defendant involved the unlawful use of a credit card between August 31, 2021, through August 25, 2022. However, Inskip was sentenced under facts that were presented to the Court in which her true scope of her embezzlement occurred beginning in 2014 and continuing into 2022, only stopping after her fraud was discovered by company officials.
Inskip used the company card to pay for travel including airplane tickets, vacations that included cruises with Carnival Cruise Line, and vacations to Disney World, as well as entertainment, restaurants, clothing, utilities, medical bills, and she even paid college tuition and fees for her own daughter. Inskip used her position as a bookkeeper and Operations Manager with the business to authorize payments for her fraudulent purchases. Inskip would then provide false financial reports to officers in the company that allowed her to both hide her embezzlement from more than 7 years and ultimately steal nearly $300,000.
Mears Floral was a Springfield, Missouri, business that started in 1949, serving retail florists in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. This hometown business was in operation for over 70 years and based on statements made to the Court, Inskip’s massive embezzlement resulted in Mears Floral going out of business, closing its doors, and the firing of its employees. When Mears Floral closed its doors, it had to layoff nearly 33 employees, who had an average of nearly 11 years of employment with Mears Floral, as well as other employees who had worked for over 50 years with this well-known local business. The loss of Mears Floral, at the hands of Inskip, caused an unknown amount of true losses to the company, its employees, and ultimately the local community who benefitted from the operations of this successful business.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the United States Secret Service.
Steilacoom, Washington, couple sentenced to prison terms for leadership of drug trafficking ring tied to Aryan prison gangsRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Key members of a drug trafficking organization connected to the Aryan Family prison gang were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to prison terms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jesse James Bailey, 40, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison. His wife, Candace Bailey, 43, was sentenced to 5 years in prison. At Jesse Bailey’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “It is unimaginable how many drugs were being distributed.” Noting that Bailey grew up with drug addicted parents, the Chief Judge said, “You know the damage it creates, and you are now the one creating that for so many people.”
“Jesse Bailey and his wife Candace worked hand in hand to distribute devastating and dangerous drugs in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The Baileys were at the top of the drug conspiracy pyramid, selling multi-pound quantities of meth and fentanyl to heavily armed members of their drug ring. And they too increased the danger by stockpiling firearms, including a fully automatic M4 machine gun.”
“The Baileys oversaw a multi-state conspiracy to traffic vast amounts of dangerous drugs into Washington state, as seen by the two dozen arrests we made in 2023, and seizure of hundreds of firearms,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "While even small quantities of drugs such as fentanyl can be lethal, this group was poisoning our communities by trafficking in kilogram quantities that could fill up suitcases. To all those who might consider following in the Baileys' footsteps, the consequences imposed today send a clear message: the only thing to be gained from these crimes is time behind bars. I am grateful to our investigators and local law enforcement partners for their steadfast efforts to make our home a safer place.”
In November 2024, Jesse Bailey pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Candace Bailey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, illegally transferring a firearm to a prohibited person, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
On Wednesday March 22, 2023, the FBI led a coordinated takedown of this criminal drug trafficking organization. They arrested two dozen
people, including the Baileys, and seized 177 firearms, over ten kilograms of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills, more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona.
The Baileys are forfeiting $699,268 and dozens of expensive pieces of jewelry that agents seized as proceeds of their criminal activity as well as 42 firearms, multiple silencers, body armor, ammunition, scopes, and tripods seized from their residence and a storage unit they used to store and distribute controlled substances.
Court records describe how the couple discussed various suppliers of illegal narcotics, the drug redistributors they sold to, and the pricing of their controlled substances. As part of the conspiracy, Candace Bailey bought firearms and firearm parts, which she provided to Jesse Bailey knowing that he was he was a previously convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Together, the Baileys attempted to launder their drug proceeds through various casinos and bank accounts.
Describing Candace Bailey’s central role in the drug ring, prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo, “Candace Bailey stayed fully informed on her and Jesse Bailey’s joint drug trafficking business, was knowledgeable of Jesse Bailey’s violent tendencies, and was engaged in their negotiations with their partner in drug trafficking…. Candace Bailey made it clear to co-conspirators that she was an equal partner in the venture as well… She initially met Jesse Bailey while serving as a guard at the prison where he was incarcerated on charges of Assault in the First Degree for shooting at police officers during a high-speed chase.”
“The Baileys ran a drug enterprise that poisoned the community with both dangerous drugs and hate,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The amount of money and the sheer volume of weapons seized in this case shows how dangerous this group was to the whole Puget Sound region, and I am proud of the work of our team to stop this hate-fueled, violent drug ring.”
“HSI stands with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who bring violence to our communities are brought to justice,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “The lengthy sentence handed down today reflects this criminal organization's propensity for violence and disregard for human life.”
This case 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.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner and Jehiel Baer.
Social Security Administration Employee Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Related BenefitsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri woman was arrested today following an indictment by a federal grand jury charging her with defrauding the United States government by fraudulently obtaining pandemic benefits.
Tiffanie Foster, 48, was charged with two counts of wire fraud for fraudulently receiving pandemic funds in the form of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and unemployment benefits. The indictment alleges that Foster submitted altered tax and bank documents and made fraudulent statements to obtain both the PPP loan and the unemployment benefits. At the time of the fraud, Foster was employed full-time as a customer service representative with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee identified a list of SSA employees whose personal identifying information had been used to apply for loans or benefits. Foster was identified on that list as obtaining several pandemic assistance loans and unemployment benefits. In July of 2020, Foster applied for unemployment benefits through the state of Michigan even though she was a resident of Missouri and fully employed by SSA. In total, she received over $30,000 in unemployment benefits during 2020 and 2021. In early 2021, Foster applied for a PPP loan for her business. As part of her application, she also provided an altered tax form 1040 Schedule C and an altered bank statement for her business showing an inflated balance amount. This $20,833 loan was ultimately forgiven by the Small Business Administration.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, if convicted, Foster is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole and three years of supervised release on each count. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
Six Individuals Arrested in Two Separate Firearms Trafficking CasesRead the Press Release
Two indictments have been unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging a total of six defendants variously with firearms trafficking, unlicensed firearms dealing, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Yesterday and this morning, Karsem Allen, also known as “Short,” Carolyn Hicks-Torres, Henry McCummings, Rohnique Posey, also known as “Pioneer,” and Dominic Smith were arrested on an 11-count indictment. They will be arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. Yesterday, James Strong was arrested on a separate indictment and was ordered detained this morning by Magistrate Judge Scanlon.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New York Division (ATF New York), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants brought deadly weapons to communities in Queens, flagrantly selling them in broad daylight near an elementary school and inside apartment complexes,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The public should know that my Office and brave members of federal and local enforcement are working tirelessly to reduce gun violence by disrupting the flow of illegal guns to and within New York City and keeping them out of the hands of criminals.”
“These indictments are the result proactive investigative efforts using crime gun intelligence and strong partnerships. The brazenness of these firearms trafficking operations — selling nearly 50 illegal firearms and machine gun conversion devices in broad daylight near apartment buildings and a school — shows a complete disregard for the safety and well-being of the community. Thanks to the outstanding work of the ATF New York Crime Gun Enforcement Team, ATF NYPD Joint Firearms Task Force, the NYPD's Intelligence Bureau, Detective Bureau, and Major Case Ghost Gun Team, ATF Newark, New Jersey, ATF Raleigh, North Carolina, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, these individuals have been held accountable. We will continue to bring all resources to bear to stem the flow of illegal firearms into our neighborhoods. Every illegal gun taken off the street is a potential life saved,” stated ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Miller.
“James Strong and his co-defendants allegedly funneled untraceable ghost guns and other deadly firearms into a vibrant Queens community, putting countless lives—including children—at risk,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Strong is a convicted killer who was out on parole when he carried out these sales, often in broad daylight and just steps from a school. This case is a powerful reminder of the importance of the work we do with our federal partners to get guns off our streets. None of this would be possible without the dedicated work of the members of the NYPD, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
United States v. James Strong
As set forth in court filings, Strong sold 21 firearms to two separate undercover law enforcement officers (the UCs) in heavily populated areas of Queens Village in broad daylight. In some cases, the firearms were sold just blocks away from an elementary school. The UCs told Strong that they were smuggling the guns to Trinidad in barrels. In connection with these firearms sales, Strong is also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms due to his previous felony conviction for manslaughter stemming from a 2007 incident in which he shot an individual eight times, killing him, at a birthday party in Valley Stream on Long Island. Strong was sentenced to 18 years in prison and was released on parole in October 2023. Strong was on parole at the time he made the illegal sales.
U.S. v. Karsem Allen, et al.As set forth in the indictment and other court filings, between December 2024 and June 2025, Allen, Hicks-Torres, McCummings, Posey, and Smith made multiple sales of at least 29 firearms, including semi-automatic and defaced weapons, inside apartment complexes in the Rockaways. Allen and Hicks-Torres illegally obtained firearms in North Carolina from straw purchasers and then transported the weapons to New York City to be sold through Posey. On one occasion, Allen and Hicks-Torres sold four machine gun conversion devices, which are designed for converting semi-automatic pistols into machine guns. McCummings and Smith primarily sold “ghost guns” which typically do not have serial numbers and therefore are untraceable. Posey is also charged with selling crack cocaine on four occasions.
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s cases are being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Petraeus is in charge of prosecuting Strong. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Marcus is in charge of prosecuting Allen, Hicks-Torres, McCummings, Posey, and Smith.
The Defendants:
JAMES STRONG
Age: 35
Long Beach, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-214 (NGG)
KARSEM ALLEN (also known as “Short”)
Age: 49
Henderson, North CarolinaCAROLYN HICKS-TORRES
Age: 53
Henderson, North CarolinaHENRY MCCUMMINGS
Age: 43
Arverne, New YorkROHNIQUE POSEY (also known as “Pioneer”)
Age: 47
Arverne, New YorkDOMINIC SMITH
Age: 31
Teaneck, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-216 (BMC)
Six Defendants Indicted in Federal Investigation Targeting Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Sales in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal investigation into fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine sales in Chicago has resulted in a grand jury returning multiple drug and/or firearm charges against six individuals.
A superseding indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses the six defendants of conspiring to distribute the drugs in Chicago in 2024. Two of the defendants are charged with firearm offenses for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns as previously convicted felons.
Charged with drug conspiracy are ANDRE DEBRUCE, 40, of Schiller Park, Ill., TERRANCE PATTON, 40, of Chicago, CRAIG CALDWELL, 43, of Chicago, TIMOTHY BELIN, 48, of Chicago, JENNIFER WORD, 39, of Chicago, and DENOMOIUS WELLS, 41, of Chicago. Patton and Caldwell are the previously convicted felons charged with illegal firearm possession. Caldwell also faces an additional gun charge for allegedly possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The charges against Caldwell carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years. Patton and Debruce face maximum sentences of 40 years, with a mandatory minimum of five years. Belin, Word, and Wells each face up to 20 years, with no mandatory minimum.
Wells pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman. The five other defendants have also been arraigned and also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The superseding indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, the Chicago Police Department, and the Evanston, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hayley Altabef and Adam Rosenbloom.
The superseding indictment in this case 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.
debruce_et_al_superseding_indictment.pdfSioux City Man Found Guilty by Jury of Possessing Firearms as a Drug User and Making False Statements During the Purchase of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Victor Howard, age 28, from Sioux City, was convicted by a jury today after a 3-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Howard was found guilty of two-counts of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and two-counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about 4 hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Howard, while being investigated as a victim of a shooting, admitted to shooting at an individual who came to his residence over a dispute. Howard claimed to be waiting for the shooter and as the shooter approached, Howard shot at him multiple times. Howard admitted to law enforcement that he was smoking a “blunt” while he was waiting for the shooter to arrive, and further admitted to smoking marijuana, as well as illegally using Xanax. During the investigation, Sioux City Police noted multiple gun purchases, 25 total, between November 2021 and September 2022—many after the initial shooting incident. When purchasing these firearms, Howard made false statements in order to purchase the firearms. Namely, certifying that he was not an unlawful user of controlled substances.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Howard was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Howard faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Sioux City Police Department, Sgt. Bluff Police Department, the United States Department of Justice – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (ATF) and the United States Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4005.
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Sicklerville Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Commit Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Sicklerville, New Jersey, man was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS by working with others to conceal cash wages paid to employees, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Chung “Alex” Lam, 46, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. Judge Kiel imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2018, Lam pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes. He received an 18-month prison sentence, which he served during parts of 2019 and 2020. Prior to serving that sentence and upon his release from custody, Lam conspired with the owners of various temporary staffing companies to defraud the IRS. The temporary staffing companies provided temporary workers to businesses. As part of their agreements with their customer businesses, the temporary staffing companies were responsible for collecting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due and owing on the wages paid to the temporary workers.
Lam received checks that were payments to the staffing companies for labor provided by their employees. Between the first quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2023, Lam used a commercial check casher to negotiate more than $4,000,000 of such checks. Lam kept a portion of the cash for personal use and caused the rest of the cash to be provided to co-conspirators to pay the temporary workers in cash. As a result, payroll taxes were not collected or paid to the IRS. Lam also filed false individual income tax returns that omitted the income he earned from his role in the conspiracy. Lam admitted that the conspiracy caused a tax loss of approximately $628,351.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Lam to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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Defense counsel: John B. Brennan, Esq.of Marlton, NJ
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Jonathan Ray Stocker, age 44, of Sprague, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to possessing image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of a young children. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Rice ordered Stocker to pay $45,000 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on July 1, 2023, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department learned from a third party that they had seen images and videos of children being sexually abused stored on Stocker’s computer.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stocker’s home on September 1, 2023, and seized several electronic devices, including two computers belonging to Stocker. Agents located more than 9,000 images and 184 videos of children under the age of 12 being sexually abused.
Stocker has a prior federal conviction for Possession of Child Pornography. In 2012, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release.
“The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding accountable those who sexually abuse and exploit children. Mr. Stocker’s prior conviction did not deter his conduct, and today’s sentence—along with lifetime supervision—is necessary to protect vulnerable members of our Eastern Washington communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Barker.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.
2:24-cr-00054-TOR
Princeton Couple Sentenced to Combined 14 Years in Federal Prison for $2 Million Mail Theft Scheme and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Michael Jerome Wright, 45, and Cortney Lashea Young, 36, of Princeton, Indiana, have been sentenced to 12 and 2 years in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a mail theft scheme.
Wright pleaded guilty to mail theft, unlawful possession of a mail key, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a felon, and possession of a machinegun. Young pleaded guilty to mail theft and possession of a firearm by a felon. Both will serve three years of supervised release following their prison sentence.
According to court documents, in 2023, law enforcement officials began receiving numerous complaints about mail theft and check forgery.
In March and April of 2024, Evansville Police Department officers surveilled local United States Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes. On six different occasions, investigators saw Wright open collection boxes with an arrow key around 4:30 in the morning, sort through the mail, then drive off with stolen mail. On at least two of those occasions, investigators saw Young behind the wheel of the getaway car.
The USPS uses a unique type of lock known as an “arrow lock” to secure collection boxes, lockers, and apartment mailbox panels. These locks can only be opened with an arrow key. It is a crime for anyone not authorized by the Postal Service to knowingly have or use arrow keys.
On April 3, 2023, law enforcement officers stopped the pair just as they drove away from another mail theft. Officers searched the vehicle and uncovered an arrow key and stolen mail on the passenger floorboard.
Investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Wright and Young’s apartment in Princeton and located hundreds of checks and their corresponding envelopes, many of which had been previously reported as stolen. The stolen checks had a total face value of $1,857,460.91.
Investigators also found two handguns under the mattress in Wright and Young’s bedroom. On Wright’s side of the bed was a partially 3D printed, privately made firearm with no serial number. This type of weapon is commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” because it has no records related to its manufacture or sale. Investigators also recovered two, 30-round extended magazines. The ghost gun had a machinegun conversion device, also called a “Glock switch,” installed, allowing it to fire as a fully automatic weapon. Glock switches are themselves considered machine guns under federal law, whether they are installed in a firearm or not. On Young’s side of the bed was a Ruger pistol.
Wright has sustained multiple felony convictions including murder, dealing in a synthetic drug, operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Young has sustained a felony conviction for fraud. These prior felony convictions prohibit Wright and Young from ever legally possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Also in the bedroom of the apartment, law enforcement found two backpacks. In Wright’s backpack, investigators found 30 debit and credit cards bearing the names of other individuals, as well as a piece of notebook paper that had the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for three other individuals written on it.
“Americans rely on the U.S. Postal Service to securely deliver everything from birthday cards to critical financial documents,” said John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This couple exploited that trust through a widespread mail theft and identity fraud scheme that caused two million dollars in losses, while arming themselves with very dangerous illegal weapons. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who target the public and abuse systems we all depend on.”
“This case highlights the distinguished partnership between the Indianapolis Field Office, the Evansville Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Secret Service has a duty to safeguard the nation’s financial infrastructure, but we protect far more than just the economic interest of the communities we serve,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Indianapolis Field Office, Ike Barnes. “This case is a prime example of how those who look to victimize our communities will do so in numerous ways. Michael Wright and Cortney Young not only exploited our community of roughly $1.8 million in illicit funds but also brought dangerous weapons into our neighborhoods to carry out their depraved scheme.”
“Protecting the U.S. mail and its customers is at the core of our mission as postal inspectors,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Sean McStravick of USPIS - Detroit Division. “Thanks to incredible collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we were able to do just that by putting these individuals behind bars. This sentencing should be considered a warning to anyone else looking to prey on the Postal Service or its customers – we will bring you to justice.”
The U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew B. Miller and Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.
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Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison and Administrator Sentenced to 72 Months for their Respective Roles in a Health Care Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – The co-owner and the administrator of a Union City, New Jersey pharmacy were sentenced for their respective roles in conspiracies to defraud pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) and health care benefit providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, out of more than $65 million and to pay kickbacks and bribes to health care professionals and their staffs in exchange for referrals of prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Husband and wife Samuel “Sam” Khaimov, 52, and Yana Shtindler, 48, both of Glen Head, New York, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp after previously pleading guilty.
Khaimov, the co-owner of the pharmacy, was sentenced to a total of 87 months in prison – 60 months for conspiring to commit health care fraud and 27 months for conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, with the sentences to run consecutively. Khaimov was also sentenced to separate three-year terms of supervised release to run concurrently.
Shtindler, the administrator of the pharmacy, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiring to commit health care fraud, followed by three years of supervised release. Khaimov and Shtindler’s co-defendants, Ruben Sevumyants of Marlboro, New Jersey, and Alex Fleyshmakher of Morganville, New Jersey, have already pled guilty to counts in the Superseding Indictment and are pending sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Prime Aid Pharmacies – now closed – operated as “specialty pharmacies” out of locations in Union City, New Jersey and the Bronx, New York. As specialty pharmacies, they processed expensive medications used to treat various conditions, including Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Khaimov was a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City and the lead pharmacist of Prime Aid Bronx. Shtindler was Prime Aid Union City’s Administrator. Sevumyants was Prime Aid Union City’s operations manager. Alex Fleyshmakher worked at Prime Aid Union City and was an on-paper owner of Prime Aid Bronx. His father, Igor Fleyshmakher, a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City, pled guilty to separate federal charges.
Initially, the Prime Aid Pharmacies obtained retail network agreements with several PBMs, which allowed them to receive reimbursement payments for prescription medications, including specialty medications. PBMs acted as intermediaries on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and other health benefit providers, so when one of the Prime Aid Pharmacies received a prescription, the pharmacy would typically submit a claim for reimbursement to the PBM that represented the beneficiary’s drug plan.
Starting in 2009, in order to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions, Khaimov, Sevumyants, Alex Fleyshmakher, and other Prime Aid employees paid bribes to doctors and doctors’ employees to induce the doctors and their staffs to steer prescriptions to the Prime Aid Pharmacies. The bribes included payments by cash, check, and wire transfers, as well as expensive meals and other things of value. Another method of bribery involved paying an employee to work inside a doctor’s office.
Prime Aid Union City – at the direction of Sevumyants, Shtindler, and Khaimov – also engaged in the pervasive and fraudulent practice of billing health benefit providers and PBMs for medications that were never provided to patients. While Prime Aid generally provided medications for initial prescriptions it received, it systematically billed for refills for those same medications without ever dispensing them to patients. Indeed, according to the Superseding Indictment, from 2013 through 2017, Prime Aid Union City received at least $65,000,000 in reimbursement payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health benefit providers for medications that Prime Aid Union City not only failed to give patients, but that Prime Aid Union City also never even ordered or had in stock at the pharmacy.
Over time, PBMs conducted routine audits of Prime Aid Union City and discovered its practice of billing but not dispensing medications. In response to these audits, Shtindler instructed Prime Aid employees to falsify records submitted to the PMBs. In addition, Sevumyants, with Shtindler’s knowledge and approval, forged shipping records of a private commercial shipping company to make it appear as if medications were shipped to the patients when, in fact, they were not.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the N.J. Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, Medicaid Fraud Unit, under the direction of Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson, and the N.J. Office of the State Comptroller, under the direction of Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark and Martha K. Nye of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
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Khaimov’s defense counsel: Jenny Kramer, Esq., New York, NY
Shtindler’s defense counsel: Lawrence Lustberg, Esq., Newark, NJ
New York Man Indicted for Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Darnell Ney, age 41, of Attica, New York, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender upon relocating to Pennsylvania.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from July 22, 2024 and continuing to on or about February 2, 2025, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), upon relocating to the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Ney failed to register his address in Pennsylvania as required by SORNA.
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Wyoming County Sherriff’s Department in Warsaw, New York; and the Wyoming County District Attorney’s Office in Warsaw, New York. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New York Construction Company Supervisor Sentenced for Attempting to Cover up Role in Fatal Long Island Construction IncidentRead the Press Release
Richard Zagger, 58, of Blue Point, New York, was sentenced yesterday to one year in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to a four-count indictment charging him with conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings relating to an investigation into a fatal construction accident.
Zagger was a supervisor for Northridge Construction Corporation, located in East Patchogue, Long Island, New York. As part of his duties, Zagger was responsible for overseeing Northridge employees who were assembling a metal shed on the construction company’s office property. During the assembly, one of the employees fell from the improperly secured shed roof and died.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the employee’s death and identified several violations of worker safety standards, including the failure to maintain the stability of a metal structure at all times during construction. Additionally, Zagger made false statements and conspired with others to make false statements to obstruct OSHA’s investigation of the accident.
Northridge Construction Corporation was previously sentenced to pay a $100,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation for violating a worker safety standard causing the death of an employee and making false statements during the subsequent investigation.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement.
Senior Trial Attorneys Daniel Dooher and Richard J. Powers and Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Fentanyl Distribution and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRIAN PICQUET, age 38, of Orleans Parish, pled guilty on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long to Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, and two counts of Distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.
As to each count, PICQUET faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. PICQUET also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each count.
Sentencing in this matter is set for September 30, 2025.
According to court documents, on March 14, 2024 and March 22, 2024, during the course of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigation, PICQUET sold fentanyl to an individual whom he believed to be a legitimate buyer.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Williams of the Narcotics Unit.
Naval Reservist Pleads Guilty to Paying Bribe to Obtain Department of Defense Identification Cards for Unauthorized IndividualsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Raymond Andres Zumba (27, Staten Island, NY) today pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official. Zumba faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Zumba previously was ordered detained and will remain in custody while awaiting a sentencing hearing, which has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in January 2025, a confidential source reported to law enforcement that Zumba serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve and was aware that the source’s spouse worked at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville in the personnel office that issues Department of Defense identification cards. The source reported that Zumba asked whether the spouse would be willing to issue real, but unauthorized identification cards for an under-the-table payment. Acting at the direction of federal agents, the source proceeded to engaged in a series of communications with Zumba during which they discussed Zumba’s plan to obtain unauthorized ID cards in exchange for cash.
After driving from New York, Zumba arrived in Jacksonville on February 13, 2025, with three individuals, including a Chinese national. Zumba brought these individuals to NAS Jacksonville where the source’s spouse let them into the personnel office after business hours and initiated the process for two of them to receive ID cards. The following day, Zumba met with the source, who gave him two cards in exchange for $3,500. Zumba was promptly arrested, and the cards were recovered.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Mesrobian and Michael J. Coolican.
Nashville Felon on Bond for Drug and Firearms Offenses Federally Charged with Firearm and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Darryl Deshaun Humphrey, 49, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our Bond Watch program prioritizes keeping felons who are on bond for serious offenses but get caught with guns and deadly drugs like fentanyl off the streets of our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Those on bond awaiting trial need to know that if they continue to violate the law we will hold them accountable for their crimes and keep our citizens safe from their dangerous and illegal activity.”
According to court documents, on June 19, 2025, Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers conducted a traffic stop, which resulted in Humphrey’s arrest. Uniformed patrol officers were conducting routine patrol and enforcement operations in the area of Whites Creek Pike and W. Trinity Lane in Nashville. The officers saw Humphrey standing outside the driver side door of a Cadillac Escalade in a gas station parking lot, ran the Escalade’s license plate tag through law enforcement databases and learned that Humphrey, the registered owner, had a suspended driver’s license. The officers saw Humphrey drive the Escalade out of the parking lot traveling north on Whites Creek Pike and initiated a traffic stop on the Escalade based on the driver’s license violation. The Escalade came to a stop, and officers saw Humphrey move from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat. Humphrey got out of the Escalade on the passenger side, walked around the Escalade, and told the officers that he was not driving. Officers advised Humphrey of the violation and why they stopped him and told him to stop walking. Humphrey ignored the officers’ commands and took a fighting stance at which time an officer utilized his department-issued taser to subdue and arrest Humphrey.
From outside of the Escalade, officers observed on the driver seat floorboard a large plastic bag that contained a white rocky substance that the officer immediately recognized to be consistent with controlled substances. Additionally, there was a firearm on the driver’s seat. A query of law enforcement databases showed Humphrey was a previously convicted felon. Officers conducted a search of the Escalade and located two large plastic bags containing a controlled substance that field tested positive for fentanyl: the first bag contained approximately 257 grams and the second contained approximately 378.9 grams. Officers recovered another second plastic bag with approximately 1.27 pounds of suspected cocaine which field tested positive, a box of empty plastic baggies, five digital scales, and approximately $18,600 in U.S. Currency. Additionally, multiple tablets and/or pills were located which were identified as various controlled substances. Officers also seized a Ruger, Caliber: 9x19mm pistol and a Caspian, Caliber: .45 ACP pistol.
Humphrey has multiple prior felony convictions in state and federal courts. His felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court include Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, for which he received a two-year sentence, and two convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substance – Cocaine .5grams or more, for which he received an eight-year sentence and a six-year sentence. Humphrey also was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, for which he received a 10-year sentence. At the time of his arrest, Humphrey was on bond for Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 26 grams of cocaine, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Evading Arrest, and Resisting Arrest, from a June 2023 arrest in Davidson County.
If convicted, Humphrey faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens 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 complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Montgomery Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that 33-year-old Taboris Ladale Mock, of Montgomery, Alabama, has been sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by a federal judge on July 1, 2025, following Mock’s guilty plea to two counts of unlawful firearm possession. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, at approximately 3:25 a.m. on September 28, 2024, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire in the parking lot of an establishment on Wetumpka Highway. Witnesses stated that they observed up to six individuals exchanging gunfire following an altercation.
Surveillance video recovered from the business showed Mock discharging a handgun toward a vehicle in the parking lot before fleeing the scene. Investigators later recovered 24 spent shell casings from the area.
Deputies also learned that a person inside the vehicle Mock fired upon had been transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound. The victim later succumbed to their injuries.
Later, on October 23, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Mock’s residence in Montgomery and recovered a 9mm handgun. Due to previous felony convictions, Mock is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. Mock pleaded guilty to both firearm possession charges on April 1, 2025.
This case was brought as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.
Montgomery Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A Montgomery County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a Glock switch, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Middle District of Alabama U.S. District Court Judge Myron H. Thompson sentenced Da’Quarious Lamarion Dudley, 21, of Montgomery, Alabama, to 20 months in prison. In March, Dudley pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, on February 9, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department were alerted to a sighting of a stolen Mercedes Benz. Officers responded to the area and caught up with Dudley, the driver of the stolen vehicle. Dudley attempted to make a U-turn. Another officer blocked Dudley, preventing him from driving further. Dudley got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. During the chase, he grabbed a firearm in his waistband and threw it. Officers recovered a Glock 17 9mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” A search warrant of Dudley’s Facebook page revealed that he was regularly in possession of “switches” and even agreed to procure switches for other individuals in the Montgomery area.
ATF Nashville Division investigated the case along with the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr. prosecuted the case.
Mifflin County Man Sentenced for Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vincent Minervini, age 50, of Reedsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to a term of probation for five years with a period of 540 days of home detention with electronic monitoring by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for filing a false tax return.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Minervini pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024, to filing a false tax return in 2018. From 2014 through 2018, Minervini, operated various companies that he either owned on his own or controlled through a partnership. These businesses included VM Holdings, LLC; Supreme Star Property Management, LLC; Boomer Builders LLC; Debt Free Partnerships, LP; Boomer Ranches DS, LLC; and VMJH Holdings, LLC.
Minervini filed personal and business tax returns in each of these years. Minervini made it appear that his businesses were incurring expenses, which were deducted from his businesses’ taxable income, by moving money from one of his companies to another and labeling such payments “Management Services,” “Management Fees,” “Operating Expenses,” “Operating Budget,” and “Transfers.” For example, in 2016, VMJH Holdings and Boomer Ranches made $134,500 worth of transfers to Boomer Builders that were labeled “Operating Budget” and “Operating Expenses,” but Boomer Builders did not declare any of these transfers as gross receipts on its own tax return. Minervini’s actions therefore reduced the amount of income that was subject to taxation by the IRS.
Minervini made payments from his companies to himself without reporting such transfers as income in his personal tax returns. For instance, in 2017, VM Holdings transferred approximately $809,648.22 to Minervini’s personal bank account, and Minervini deducted this amount as an expense on VM Holdings’ tax return, but he did not declare it as income on any other return, personal or business.
As a result of these actions, Minervini underreported approximately $2,102,512 in income.
Minervini submitted his tax returns to the IRS under penalty of perjury. Minervini admitted that the tax returns for 2014 to 2018 contained knowingly false information. Minervini accepted responsibility for $266,618 in unpaid taxes, which was the full amount of unpaid taxes for 2014 to 2018. He also paid restitution to the IRS in that amount prior to the date of sentencing. The IRS will also assess penalties and interest on Minervini’s back taxes.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
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Mexican national receives 8 years for possession of nearly 1,500 images of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Apolonio Sanchez-Martinez pleaded guilty Sept. 18, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera considered information from victim impact statements and ordered Sanchez-Martinez to serve a 97-month-term of imprisonment. He was further ordered to pay $160,000 in restitution to known victims and will serve 15 years on supervised release to be served following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
On Aug. 12, 2023, Sanchez-Martinez attempted to enter the United States through the Brownsville Gateway Port of Entry. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they located a cell phone. Forensic analysis of the device resulted in the discovery of 1,405 videos and 152 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“There is zero tolerance for child sex abuse material in the United States, and those that attempt to bring CSAM into our country are going to face long prison stays,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will do everything we can to not only apprehend and punish producers of such images and videos, but also the consumers of such material—like the defendant here—who provide a market for the creation of CSAM.”
Sanchez-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Willful Failure to Register Charge in WacoRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco to one count of willful failure to register.
According to court documents, Diego Zaragoza-Rios was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety for a traffic violation near Itasca on Sept. 20, 2024. Assisted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a check of immigration databases yielded negative results for any lawful admission into the U.S., and Zaragoza-Rios admitted during a telephonic interview with an ICE deportation officer that he had entered the U.S. unlawfully sometime in 2023.
Zaragoza-Rios pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland, who sentenced the defendant to time served.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Returning to United States After Removal and a Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Permanent Resident CardRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously removed.
Andres G. Angel-Martinez, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of unlawfully returning to the United States after removal.
On April 15, 2025, he was taken into custody for an immigration law violation at the Cass County, Missouri Jail.
Martinez-Jimenez faces up to two years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays will impose sentencing on a date to be determined.
He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
In a second, unrelated case, a Guatemalan national has pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a fraudulent Permanent Resident card.
According to court documents, Victor Hugo Vasquez-Perez was found in Independence, Missouri on March 15, 2025, after an encounter at his residence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement law enforcement officers arrested Vasquez-Perez for possession of a United States of America Permanent Resident card and a Social Security card both featuring Vasquez-Perez’s photograph but bearing a false name.
Vasquez-Perez faces up to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays will impose sentencing on a date to be determined.
He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. They were both was investigated by Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to 2 Immigration Violations in WacoRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco on Tuesday to one count of failure to update change of address and one count of false documents.
According to court documents, Juana Maria Garcia-Rosales, was found in Temple on May 15, after Temple Police executed a search warrant at her residence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Officers subsequently arrested Garcia-Rosales for being in possession of a Permanent Resident Card with an Alien Number that had not been issued. A criminal complaint alleges that Garcia-Rosales admitted to purchasing the card from someone in Florida via social media. Further investigation revealed that Garcia-Rosales was previously admitted into the U.S. with a Border Crosser Card in July 2012 and the Form I-94 documenting her arrival listed her address as a location in Bryan—not Temple.
A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Garcia-Rosales faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Frazier is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Carjacking a U.S. Postal Service TruckRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Wilber Castellanos Hernandez, 33, an undocumented Mexican citizen, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to carjacking a U.S. Postal Service Truck and threatening the U.S. Postal Service employee.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow sentenced Hernandez to 36 months’ supervised release and ordered him to pay $2,828.89 in restitution for damage to the postal vehicle and missing postal equipment.
According to court documents and statements made at Hernandez’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on February 5, 2024, Hernandez stole a U.S. Postal Service vehicle in Salt Lake City. He admitted to checking the door handle of the postal truck and entering the vehicle. When he was told to get out of the vehicle by the postal employee, he pointed a knife at him and fled from the area. Hernandez was tracked using GPS technology and stopped by law enforcement before he was subsequently taken into custody. See prior release here: Salt Lake City Man Accused of Carjacking a U.S. Postal Service Truck and Causing Multiple Car Accidents is Arrested and Charged.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department investigated the case.Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Member of Violent Crew that Robbed South Asian Jewelers at Gunpoint Sentenced to 9 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced today that Robert Sheffield, 34, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy that staged a multi-state string of violent gun-point robberies of South Asian jewelry stores. The robberies netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for a 15-member crew, allegedly led by Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy.”
Sheffield, aka “Da Real Lifaa,” pleaded guilty Feb. 20, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery), and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In addition to the nine-year prison term, Judge Cooper ordered Sheffield to serve five years of supervised release.
Before they were apprehended, the co-conspirators robbed at least 11 jewelry stores, terrorized multiple victims and left behind a wake of destruction and financial loss.
In his plea agreement, Sheffield admitted to his involvement in the Nov. 10, 2023 armed robbery of $1 million in cash and gold from the Baral Jewelers in Harrisburg, Pa., and his role as the gunman during the April 28, 2023 armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Va., during which the store owner fired gunshots at the intruders, who returned gunfire.
In addition to the 108-month prison term, Judge Cooper ordered Sheffield to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, over the course of 18 months, Sheffield and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023 after several of the co-conspirators had been charged and arrested.
On Nov. 10, 2022, at around 6:30 p.m., Sheffield and several co-conspirators traveled from the District to Baral Jewelers in Harrisburg in two vehicles. After arriving, at least two co-conspirators remained in the vehicles to act as “getaway” drivers, while several others, including Sheffield, rushed into the store. Two armed co-conspirators remained in the front of Baral, a grocery area, subduing the employees and customers there as four others, including the Sheffield, ran to the rear where the gold jewelry was housed.
As employees and customers in the front of the store cowered in terror, covering their faces or ears, a gunman held the store owner at gunpoint and took about $600 from the cash register. Meanwhile, one of the four suspects in the rear of the store used a gun to coerce an employee to the ground as Sheffield and others smashed the glass display cases and shoveled gold jewelry into large bags.
A week later, a co-defendant posted an image on social media of Sheffield fanning a stack of cash. On Nov. 30, 2022, the same co-defendant posted an Instagram story of Sheffield purchasing a Rolex watch with cash at a jewelry store in Prince George’s Mall. In the Instagram video, Sheffield counts out multiple $100 bills before the camera pans over to the Rolex he is purchasing and shows a certificate showing an appraisal value for the watch of $11,500.
On April 28, 2023, Sheffield and at least five co-conspirators drove from the District to Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Virginia, which had been a prior target of this conspiracy in January 2022, resulting in the theft of $300,000 to $400,000 in gold jewelry. At 8 p.m., a co-defendant smashed Yasini’s storefront window with a sledgehammer. Immediately, five masked suspects ran into the store through the broken window. Among them was Sheffield, who was armed with a loaded Glock 23, 40 caliber pistol.
The Yasini store owner retrieved his own firearm and fired once. The co-conspirators fled the store before taking any jewelry. Sheffield fired two shots at the owner before running back to the getaway vehicle.
On August 30, 2023, law enforcement arrested Sheffield and other codefendants and searched their residences. During a search, law enforcement recovered the firearm Sheffield had discharged in Yasini and further recovered 21 live rounds of 9mm ammunition from Sheffield’s home.
Sheffield previously served five years in prison for an armed robbery involving use of a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI Newark and Washington Field Offices, and U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall.
DEFENDANT
AKA
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CHARGES/SENTENCETrevor Wright, 33Taliban GlizzyWashington DCInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; money laundering; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.William Hunter, 28Ill WillWashington DCSentenced to 228 months on Dec. 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery, aka Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Avery Fuller, 29
Deavry Cordell Fuller, Fully AceWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Franklin Hunter, 30GinoWashington DCPleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2024, to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Davon Johnson, 31
YBWashington DCSentenced to 111 months on November 20, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Decarlos Hill, 30LosMarylandSentenced to 57 months on November 6, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.Lamont Marable, 28 Washington DCSentenced to 93 months on November 11, 2024, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Keith McDuffie, 27 CaliforniaInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Jameise Christian, 33
Safety, Safe, Safe PlayWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Andrew Smith, 30
Drewso, DrewMarylandSentenced to 138 months in prison on Oct.17, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Robert Sheffield, 33
Da Real LifaaWashington DCSentenced to 108 months on July 2, 2025, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Jaylaun Brown, 22Lil LaunyWashington DCPleaded guilty Feb. 7, 2025, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.Timothy Conrad, 33
TwinWashington DCSentenced to 168 months on October 1, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Antonio Tate, 21 Washington DCSentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Delonte Martin, 35 Washington DCSentenced to 108 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.23cr137
Member of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials in Connection with Hit ListRead the Press Release
Noah Lamb, 24, was charged with an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination.
“The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”
“Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.”
“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.”
“The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.”
According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.
The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth, Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Samuel A. Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy, a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of solicitation of murder of a federal official, a maximum of five years in prison for each count of doxing a federal official and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conviction. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Member of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials in Connection with Hit ListRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Noah Lamb, 24, was charged in the Eastern District of California in an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and other offenses in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination.
“Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.”
“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.”
“The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”
“The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.”
According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.
The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The indictment charges Lamb with a total of eight federal crimes, including one count of conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications. If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of 85 years in prison.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office in investigating the case.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced to Just Under 2 Years in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on June 30, 2025.
Patrick Red Legs, age 31, was sentenced to one year and 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Legs was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025.
Red Legs is required to register as a sex offender under federal law for sexually abusing a 13-year-old-girl. This is his third conviction for failure to register as a sex offender. Following his last release from prison on June 10, 2024, Red Legs registered a McLaughlin, South Dakota, address with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. On or about July 1, 2024, Red Legs moved to his girlfriend’s home in Little Eagle without updating his registration. Because her children also lived there, Red Legs was prohibited from visiting his girlfriend’s house, much less living there. Red Legs only updated his address following his arrest for violating his supervised release on August 12, 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Red Legs was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking South Carolina Federal Agent and FamilyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Scott Robert Tardy, 31, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice in a scheme that targeted a South Carolina federal law enforcement agent and his family.
According to evidence presented in court, in February, Tardy operated an account with the username “connecticut12345” on the Kik social media platform in which he joined an anti-law enforcement chatgroup. In that group, Tardy posted numerous messages discussing and soliciting violence against a specific agent and the agent’s spouse.
In those messages, Tardy repeatedly identified the victims’ employment affiliation as a reason to target them. He also shared photographs of the agent’s spouse and the city and state in which they live. Tardy discussed violence against the agent and the agent’s family, including throwing a Molotov cocktail in their bedroom while they were sleeping. He asked for the conversation to be moved to the Telegram platform, where he operated the username “slimybanana,” because he believed it was more secure.
On the second platform, Tardy discussed what a cartel would do to the victims, he discussed having one of the victims “ruined,” “destroyed,” and “tortured for days.” He said burning the house was “good enough” if the victim was inside. Tardy then shared the location of the victims’ home by sharing a map with a pin drop on the victims’ street, and asked another user how long it would take them to get there.
When the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Tardy’s apartment on Feb. 16, he falsely denied ever using Kik or Telegram and he denied responsibility for the solicitations and messages. He gave further false statements in an interview with investigators, and he caused the phone he used to be reset, clearing its content, and exchanged with Apple for a new phone.
Despite that, investigators recovered the map of the victims’ home with the pin drop on it from an account associated with Tardy. Data related to the Kik and Telegram accounts showed that Tardy controlled the accounts. During the scheme, Tardy worked as a corrections officer at a detention facility in Connecticut.
Tardy faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and five years of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office to follow a term of imprisonment.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted Tardy’s guilty plea and will sentence the defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office with critical assistance from FBI Boston field office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.
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MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to 68 Years in Prison for Eight Murders, Multiple Attempted Murders, Arson, Narcotics Trafficking, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Alexi Saenz, also known as “Blasty” and “Plaky,” the leader of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 68 years’ imprisonment. On July 10, 2024, Saenz pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with his participation in eight murders, namely, the January 28, 2016 murder of Michael Johnson; the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta; the September 5, 2016 murder of Marcus Bohannon; the September 13, 2016 murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens; the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo; the October 13, 2016 murder of Dewann Stacks; and the January 30, 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla, in addition to his participation in three attempted murders, and arson, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses.
Joseph Nocella, Jr, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI New York); and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Alexi Saenz led an unspeakable reign of terror, killing, and crime that damaged his community and cost several people their lives,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to hold the MS-13 and its members accountable for their horrific acts, including the pain they’ve caused victims and their loved ones. This sentencing is one of many in our relentless pursuit to dismantle the MS-13 and other violent criminal organizations.”
“For years, Alexi Saenz wielded his role as a local MS-13 leader to facilitate and participate in eight brutal murders of perceived rivals. Saenz terrorized Long Island as he indiscriminately targeted and hunted a wide range of victims, with careless regard to innocent bystanders harmed by his actions. May today’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s relentless determination to crush all gang violence plaguing our communities,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
“Alexi Saenz is a violent career criminal whose path of destruction ripped apart families and terrorized Suffolk County with his MS-13 cohorts,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “I commend the efforts of the SCPD officers and our law enforcement partners who are dedicated to bringing violent gang criminals to justice and offering closure to the victims’ families.”
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum, prior court filings, and statements during the sentencing, Alexi Saenz was the local leader of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 – one of the more powerful, violent, and well-established cliques on the East Coast of the United States. He committed the following crimes in order to maintain and increase his membership and status within the gang and to further the mission of the MS-13:
January 28, 2016 Murder of Michael Johnson
On January 28, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other MS-13 members and associates were at the Jocorena Deli in Brentwood, where they saw 29-year-old Michael Johnson, and claimed to recognize him as a member of the rival Bloods street gang. At that point, Johnson was marked as their “food” – a reference to their intention to kill him.
After receiving the requisite approval from the New York leader of the Sailors clique to commit this murder, Alexi Saenz contacted several other MS-13 members, informed them of the plan to kill Johnson, and instructed them to bring weapons, including a machete and a baseball bat, to a wooded area in Brentwood. Alexi Saenz then lured Johnson to that secluded meeting location under the guise of smoking marijuana. The MS-13 members and associates ambushed Johnson from behind – striking Johnson with the baseball bat, stabbing him with a knife, and taking turns hacking him with the machete. They fled after hearing police sirens in the area.
Johnson was reported missing by family members. Less than one week after his murder, on February 2, 2016, members of the SCPD responded to a 911 call about a body found in the woods by a passerby, and recovered Johnson’s body. An autopsy determined Johnson’s cause of death to be sharp and blunt force injuries.
April 29, 2016 Murder of Oscar Acosta
In early 2016, Alexi Saenz and his fellow Sailors clique members decided to “green light,” or approve, the murder of 19-year-old Oscar Acosta because they suspected that he was associating with the rival 18th Street gang after previously aligning himself with the MS-13. The New York Sailors clique leader assigned roles as to which members would take the lead in planning and carrying out the murder.
On April 29, 2016, MS-13 members met Acosta in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where he had been lured under the guise of smoking marijuana. They brutally beat Acosta with tree limbs, knocking him unconscious. They bound Acosta’s hands and feet, wrapped an article of clothing around his mouth to prevent him from making noise, and summoned other MS-13 members, including Alexi Saenz. The MS-13 members loaded Acosta into the trunk of Alexi Saenz’s car, and drove to a more secluded area in Brentwood near the abandoned Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital. At the direction of Alexi Saenz, the MS-13 members removed Acosta, who was still alive, from the trunk and carried him deeper into the woods where they took turns hacking him to death with a machete. The murder was supervised by Alexi Saenz, as his role as the local clique leader. The MS-13 members then buried Acosta’s body in a shallow grave.
Acosta’s body was discovered by law enforcement nearly five months later, on September 16, 2016, during a search for another MS-13 victim. His cause of death was homicidal violence, including sharp and blunt force injuries to his head and torso.
July 18, 2016 Attempted Murders of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2
On July 18, 2016, during a Sailors clique meeting at Alexi Saenz’s house in Central Islip, the defendant instructed the group to hunt for rival gang members who had been disrespectful to the MS-13, in order to attack and kill them.
Later that evening, other members of the MS-13, who were driving around Brentwood armed with firearms and a machete, spotted a group of men on Apple Street. Believing these men to be members of a rival gang, three MS-13 members got out of the car and attacked the group, firing rounds from two different guns, and then using a machete to hack at one of the men who had fallen to the ground. After the attack, the group drove back to Alexi Saenz’s house, where they hid the weapons.
Two individuals were injured as a result of this attack. John Doe #1 was struck with a bullet, but survived. John Doe #2 was attacked with a machete, and was permanently disfigured.
August 10, 2016 Attempted Murders of Suspected Rival Gang Members
In 2016, members of the MS-13 were engaged in a series of disputes with members of the Goon Squad, a rival gang in Brentwood.
On August 10, 2016, Alexi Saenz and another MS-13 member drove through the neighborhood around Lukens Avenue in Brentwood, and spotted several men who they believed were members of the Goon Squad. They then rallied other members of the Sailors clique to come kill the rivals.
The MS-13 members divided into two vehicles, and drove towards the house where the suspected Goon Squad members had been spotted. Alexi Saenz’s car kept watch for the police, while two other MS-13 members, each bearing a gun, approached the group of suspected rivals and fired numerous shots in their direction. No one was hit, although a stray bullet entered a neighbor’s house and struck the headboard of a bed in which the neighbor was sleeping.
September 5, 2016 Murder of Marcus Bohannon
On September 4, 2016, during a Sailors clique meeting at Alexi Saenz’s house in Central Islip, the defendant and other MS-13 members went out hunting for rival gang members to kill.
The MS-13 members separated into several cars and drove around Central Islip and Brentwood, until Alexi Saenz’s group spotted 27-year old Marcus Bohannon walking along Lowell Avenue in Central Islip in the early morning hours of September 5. Suspecting that Bohannon was a member of the rival Bloods gang, two MS-13 members, carrying firearms, got out of the vehicle, approached him, and started shooting. Alexi Saenz then drove them away. Bohannon was struck nine times, including in his head, neck, and chest, and died from his wounds.
September 12, 2016 Arson
During the summer of 2016, Sailors clique members of the MS-13 engaged in regular altercations with local gang members based in a neighborhood on Freeman Avenue in Brentwood.
On September 12, 2016, MS-13 members retaliated by setting fire to a car parked in the driveway of one of the houses in that rival gang neighborhood. Alexi Saenz directed other gang members to purchase gasoline and carry out the arson, while he drove around watching for police presence. The other MS-13 gang members drove to that house, where they poured gasoline on a car parked in the driveway, and set it on fire. The car exploded, and set another parked car on fire.
September 13, 2016 Murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens
On September 13, 2016, Sailors clique members brutally murdered 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas, both students at Brentwood High School.
In the months leading up to the murders, Cuevas was involved in a series of disputes with members and associates of the MS-13. Approximately one week before the murders, these disputes escalated when Cuevas and several friends were involved in an altercation with MS-13 members at Brentwood High School. After that incident, the MS-13 members vowed to seek revenge against Cuevas.
On the evening of September 13, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 were driving in separate cars around Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill. One group of MS-13 members spotted Cuevas and Mickens walking down residential Stahley Street. Recognizing Cuevas, they called Alexi Saenz and were granted permission to kill the girls. Several MS-13 members then chased down and attacked both Cuevas and Mickens, wielding baseball bats and a machete, striking each of the girls numerous times in their heads and bodies, while Alexi Saenz’s car drove around watching for police. After the murders, the group retreated to Alexi Saenz’s home in Central Islip, where they changed clothes and hid the weapons.
Mickens, whose body was discovered later that evening on Stahley Street, not far from Cuevas’s home, sustained significant sharp force trauma to her face and blunt force trauma to her head. Cuevas, whose body was discovered the following day behind a house adjacent to where Mickens’s body was found, sustained significant blunt force trauma to her head and body and multiple lacerations.
October 10, 2016 Murder of Javier Castillo
In October 2016, the MS-13 targeted 15-year-old Javier Castillo because he was believed to be a member of the 18th Street gang, one of MS-13’s principal rivals.
On October 10, 2016, several members of the Sailors clique convinced Castillo, who lived in Central Islip, to drive with them to Freeport – approximately 30 miles away – to smoke marijuana. Once there, they met Alexi Saenz and other Sailors clique members. The group then lured Castillo to an isolated marsh area in Cow Meadow Park, where they attacked him, taking turns hacking him to death with a machete.
Afterwards, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried Castillo’s body, which was not recovered until one year later, in late October 2017. Castillo was determined to have suffered multiple sharp force injuries to his head, neck, torso, and extremities.
October 13, 2016 Murder of Dewann Stacks
On the evening of October 13, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 were driving around Central Islip and Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill.
That night, they spotted 34-year-old Dewann Stacks and, believing him to be a rival gang member, Alexi Saenz authorized his murder. While Alexi Saenz drove around watching for police presence, another group of MS-13 members, armed with two machetes and a baseball bat, drove over to attack Stacks. Three armed MS-13 members got out of the car, and beat and hacked Stacks to death on American Boulevard, a residential street in Brentwood. Stacks sustained severe sharp and blunt force trauma to his face and head, leaving his body nearly unrecognizable.
January 30, 2017 Murder of Esteban Alvarado-BonillaOn the morning of January 30, 2017, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 spotted 29-year-old Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla inside El Campesino Deli in Central Islip. Since Alvarado-Bonilla was wearing a football jersey bearing the number “18,” the MS-13 concluded that he was a member of a rival gang and plotted to kill him.
Several other MS-13 members obtained a mask and another vehicle that would be used to commit the murder. Alexi Saenz provided the clique’s 9-millimeter handgun for use in the murder.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., a masked MS-13 member entered the deli, approached Alvarado-Bonilla from behind, and shot him multiple times, killing him. One of the bullets pierced through Alvarado-Bonilla’s head and struck the chest of a female employee of the deli, who was standing directly in front of him. The deli employee survived the gunshot wound.
Narcotics Trafficking Conspiracy
For a year and a half, from approximately April 2016 through March 2017, in order to finance the illegal operations of the Sailors clique, Alexi Saenz obtained wholesale quantities of cocaine and marijuana, which he distributed to other Sailors clique members and associates for street-level sales in Brentwood and its surrounding areas. After the sales, the profits were turned over to Alexi Saenz, for use in, among other things, purchasing firearms for use by clique members, wiring money to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, and buying additional narcotics for further distribution.
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Today’s sentencing is the latest achievement in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 75 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at eradicating transnational criminal organizations, combating violent crime, and restoring the rule of law.
This prosecution is also 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 government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerryanne Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
The Defendant:
ALEXI SAENZ (also known as “Blasty” and “Plaky”)
Age: 30
El Divisadero, Morazán, El Salvador; and Central Islip, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-8) (GRB)
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Stealing Identity of U.s. CitizenRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Alfredo Mendoza Montero, 44, of Mexico, pled guilty in federal court to charges of passport fraud, false impersonation of a citizen, and aggravated identity theft. The guilty plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is fully committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by robustly enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and aggressively prosecuting those who victimize our citizens and communities. I deeply appreciate the hard work of our federal law enforcement partners to bring this offender to justice.”
Court documents reflect that Montero illegally entered the United States in 2019 and purchased identification documents belonging to a real American citizen. He knowingly used those documents to fraudulently apply for a United States passport in 2022 and obtain a Florida driver’s license in 2023. Montero lived under that assumed citizen’s identity while residing in the Pensacola area until he was arrested by federal authorities on April 1, 2025.
Sentencing is currently set for September 23, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Montero faces up to 13 years’ imprisonment followed by a mandatory consecutive prison term of two years and deportation from the United States.
The plea was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
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.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Assault on Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025.
Thaddeus James Grant, 32, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Grant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025.
On September 20, 2024, when two law enforcement officers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) attempted to arrest Grant pursuant to a federal warrant in the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation, he actively resisted arrest, pulling his hands away from the officers and taking one of the officers with him to the ground. Grant continued to resist until the officers were able to gain compliance through the use of pressure points.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Grant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Federal Prison for Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 30, 2025.
Eddie Bromwich, age 45, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bromwich was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He was found guilty following a three-day jury trial in April 2025.
On February 6, 2024, Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Bromwich for speeding in the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. Bromwich argued with and resisted commands from the officers before ultimately engaging in a physical struggle with the officers. One of the officers suffered a broken finger as a result of the incident.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Zachrison and Troy Morley prosecuted the case.
Bromwich was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lehigh Valley Hospital Network Agrees to Pay $2.75 Million to Resolve Allegations of Drug Theft, Diversion, and Other Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today that Lehigh Valley Hospital Network, Inc. (LVHN) has agreed to pay $2,750,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that are designed to prevent the diversion of controlled substances for illegal uses.
In particular, the settlement resolves LVHN’s disclosure to the United States that on approximately 40 occasions, a pharmacy technician at LVHN’s Cedar Crest pharmacy used another employee’s password to access, remove, and divert controlled substances, and created fictitious reports to hide the discrepancies of controlled substances. The settlement also resolves allegations that, at certain facilities, the controls and procedures that LVHN had in place failed to effectively guard against theft and diversion of controlled substances from its inpatient pharmacies to outpatient pharmacies and hospice facilities, resulting in the transfer of controlled substances between locations without proper documentation. LVHN also allegedly failed to maintain complete and accurate records of its stock of controlled substances.
Since the discovery of the Cedar Crest thefts, LVHN has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to identify potential CSA violations and develop better practices to prevent further diversions, improper transfers, and recordkeeping deficiencies. To that end, LVHN has expended considerable resources on physical security enhancements, training, diversion-detection software, and the hiring of employees and consultants knowledgeable in CSA compliance.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively combatting the opioid crisis on all fronts, including by holding hospitals and pharmacies responsible when they fail to take adequate steps to prevent controlled substances from being diverted for unlawful purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “In fashioning appropriate resolutions, we also give credit to DEA registrants like LVHN who act in good faith to report potential CSA violations, prevent further deficiencies, and improve compliance efforts. While the penalties here are substantial, they may have been far greater but for LVHN’s disclosures and cooperation.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration ensures that medical providers and facilities follow established laws and procedures while dispensing controlled substances,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Philadelphia Field Division. “DEA holds medical professionals to a high standard to protect public safety and ensure accountability, and this settlement demonstrates DEA’s resolve to maintain these standards.”
The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Charlene Keller Fullmer, and former auditor Dawn Wiggins.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Leader of insurance fraud and arson scheme sentenced to 15 yearsRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced Evette “Betty” Osuegbu, 62, of Granite City, to 15 years in federal prison for her role in a string of arsons and insurance fraud stretching from 2014 to 2023.
Following a five-day trial in December, a jury seated in East St. Louis found Osuegbu guilty of all 15 counts of an indictment charging conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit arson, and use of fire to commit a federal felony.
“Arson is an inherently dangerous crime,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Firefighters often don’t know if people are inside the buildings and potentially place their lives at risk on every call. Additionally, arsons cause unnecessary blight, raise insurance rates, lower property values and can harm neighbors. We will continue to seek heavy penalties for these destructive and dangerous crimes.”
Osuegbu’s co-defendant, Rufis Jefferson, 48, of Venice, previously pleaded guilty to all counts of an indictment that included conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Testimony at trial included Osuegbu’s role in a romance scam against an intellectually disabled person and exploiting his illiteracy to obtain property and insurance in his name. After Osuegbu directed Jefferson to burn the East St. Louis home, she sued the insurance company for a larger payout, using the name of her intellectually disabled victim as a plaintiff, unbeknownst to him. The insurance company settled and Osuegbu retained her victim’s share of the payout.
“Arson and insurance fraud are not victimless crimes, and the sentence imposed reflects the seriousness of the offenses committed. This was a dangerous, deliberate, and brazen scheme orchestrated by Ms. Osuegbu, putting the public at risk for personal gain. I want to thank our law enforcement partners, including the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, for their collaborative work in this case. Justice has been served, and our community is safer as a result,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.
The jury also heard testimony from a father with a young child who lived next to Osuegbu in an apartment complex in St. Louis. On New Years Eve, 2022, this witness called in a fire in Osuegbu’s unit. Firefighting efforts stopped the spread of the fire but left the witness to live in a smokey and moldy apartment for months. The jury further heard that Osuegbu had directed Jefferson to burn the apartment while she established an alibi at a local casino. Osuegbu received insurance payouts for alleged losses in the fire and was put up in a local hotel.
The occupant of a Florissant, Missouri, home testified to a scam against her to convince her to raise her renter’s insurance and to be away from the home when Jefferson set it on fire. This witness testified that Osuegbu threatened to “gut” her if she did not get her cut, prompting this witness to pay off Osuegbu in installments over the course of many months.
Jurors also heard recordings of Osuegbu planning arsons at properties in Granite City and Venice. Osuegbu was heard to direct others how to avoid cameras and cell phone tracking and how to best set a fire that is difficult for experts to investigate. The ATF intervened before these properties were burned.
ATF Chicago led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Burke and Peter Reed prosecuted the case.
Lame Deer woman pleads guilty to sex trafficking a minorRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Lame Deer woman accused of sex trafficking a minor admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Veronica Clarice Baker, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Baker faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Baker was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that sometime prior to April 9, 2023, Baker met Dr. Usman Khan on a social media website for people interested in a commercial sex relationship. Then, on or about April 9, 2023, Baker and Khan communicated for the purpose of arranging a commercial sex date between Khan and Jane Doe 1. Baker had known Jane Doe 1 for some time and Doe had, on occasion, watched Baker’s children. Baker knew Jane Doe 1, who was under the age of 18 at the time, was a minor.
On April 9, 2023, while Baker and Khan were texting about Baker providing Jane Doe 1 for the purpose of a commercial sex date, Baker and Doe were in a hotel room in Billings. Baker sent Khan pictures of her and of Jane Doe 1 and she and Khan discussed rates. Ultimately, Baker agreed to transport Jane Doe 1 to Khan’s residence for the purpose of a commercial sex date. Baker left Jane Doe 1 at Khan’s residence and Jane Doe 1 and Khan engaged in sexual activity. Khan paid Jane Doe 1 for the encounter, and Doe provided some of the money to Baker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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La Pryor Man Sentenced to 120 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A La Pryor man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 120 years in prison for one count of conspiracy to kidnap and two counts related to harboring illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing the life of a person in jeopardy. He was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years on each of the harboring counts and was sentenced to 80 years on the kidnapping count, with the sentences to run consecutively.
According to court documents, in March 2022, Joshua Lee Balderas, 33, and other conspirators transported and harbored a group of seven aliens, including one woman, who had recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. When the group was picked up by the smugglers, the woman in the group was suffering from significant injuries to her feet and was severely dehydrated. Balderas transported the group from La Pryor to San Antonio, where the aliens were held captive in hotel rooms and ransomed to their families for thousands of dollars. One family member was forced to pay $7,000 for an alien’s release. Balderas and one of his co-conspirators, Kaylen Alexander Brondo, 26, of San Antonio, frequently brandished firearms in the hotel rooms to ensure compliance from the migrants and at trial, a victim testified that Balderas pointed a firearm directly at her to ensure her obedience during a ransom call. While the aliens were being held for ransom, Balderas sexually assaulted one of the migrants while threatening her with a firearm.
Balderas was arrested Oct. 28, 2022, and found guilty on all counts by a federal jury on Oct. 11, 2024. Brondo was arrested Oct. 24, 2022, and pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to kidnap. Brondo is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 26. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery is presiding over the cases for both defendants.
“This sentence, undoubtedly keeping Balderas confined for the remainder of his life, reflects the egregious nature of these human smuggling crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “It should send a clear message throughout the nation and across our borders that we take these prosecutions very seriously and will aggressively seek to deliver justice.”
“The sentencing of this defendant to 120 years in prison marks a significant victory in our ongoing fight against human smuggling,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “This severe penalty reflects the gravity of the crimes committed and serves as a stern warning to those who exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. I commend the agents and our San Antonio Police Department partners for their hard work during this successful investigation.”
HSI and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Brown and Adrian Rosales prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
###KC Man Sentenced to 210 months for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for engaging in illicit sex to produce child pornography with a 13-year-old minor victim.
Talib Bwana Muhammad, 27, was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge D. Gregory Kays for one count of producing child pornography.
Muhammad previously pled guilty to the count of producing child pornography on Jan. 3, 2025. According to the written plea agreement, Muhammad produced child pornography with the minor victim in June 2023, after meeting the child victim on a social media application. Muhammad communicated online with the minor victim and purchased an airline ticket for the child to fly from Texas to Kansas City, Missouri to meet and engage in sexual activity. However, when the minor victim was unable to leave home, Muhammad drove to Texas from Missouri to pick them up.
Law enforcement officials were notified when the child victim was missing, and an Amber Alert was issued. Investigators traced her to Muhammad’s residence in the Western District of Missouri.
Muhammad engaged in sexual contact with the minor victim, and video recorded and photographed the sexual activity with a cell phone.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Hitchcock, Texas, Police Department, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.
Muhammad will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Sexually Abusing His Former Girlfriend’s ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Benjamin Hernandez Torres was convicted yesterday of five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse, each with aggravating circumstances, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict, which took place on July 1, 2025, was returned by the jury after a multi-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for September 26, 2025.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between 2010 and 2014, the defendant, who was the victim’s mother’s then boyfriend, raped the victim multiple times when she was between 5 and 8 years old. She disclosed around 10 years later when she saw a photo of the defendant back at her house years later.
Torres faces a maximum statutory sentence of life without the possibility of release on the first-degree child sexual abuse counts and fifteen years on each of the second-degree child sexual abuse counts. If he were to be released, Torres would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raha Mokhtari and Sarah Roessler.
Jamestown man pleads guilty to enticing travel to engage in sexual activityRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Anthony Burris, 34, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to two counts of enticing travel to engage in sexual activity, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who is handling the case, stated that between January and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced Victim 1, a woman suffering from drug addiction, to perform commercial sex acts. He did so by threatening the use of physical violence, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Burris, who knew Victim 1 was physically addicted to controlled substances, also provided transportation, housing, a cellular phone, and food to Victim 1, who was homeless during this time. In exchange, Victim 1 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to Burris, who posted online advertisements on Skipthegames.com, which contained sexually suggestive photographs of Victim 1. Burris then transported Victim 1 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including to Pennsylvania, to engage in these commercial sex acts.
Between June 2020, and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced a second victim (Victim 2) to perform commercial sex acts, once again threatening physical violence, and providing money for the purchase of controlled substances, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Like Victim 1, Burris knew Victim 2 was physically addicted to controlled substances and homeless. Victim 2 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to the defendant. Burris also posted ads for Victim 2 on Skipthegames.com and transported Victim 2 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including Pennsylvania, to perform commercial sex acts.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James B. Quattrone, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin, and the Millcreek, PA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Carter Mook.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2025, before Judge Skretny.
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International Money Launderer Sentenced to Eight Years for A Conspiracy to Conceal Millions in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Miguel Alexander Perez Perez (33, Dominican Republic) to eight years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was also ordered to forfeit $1,600,110. Perez Perez pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025.
According to court documents, Perez Perez was a broker of money laundering “contracts.” He participated in the collection of drug proceeds in the United States for introduction into the U.S. banking system. He concealed the source of those proceeds through trade-based money laundering schemes that included the purchase of devices such as cellphones in the United States. The devices were then sold abroad. From June to August 2020, federal law enforcement completed four such money laundering contracts with Perez Perez in an undercover capacity. During a separate contract that Perez Perez brokered in July 2020, the Florida Highway Patrol stopped a money courier and seized more than $1 million in drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Individual Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 26, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro, age 27, of Jayuya, PR, with coercion and enticement of minors, sexual exploitation of children, and interstate threat communications. Today, FBI special agents arrested Negrón-Navarro.
According to court documents, from in or about April 2023 to in or about May 2023, Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor between 15 and 16 years old (Minor 1) to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct. Negrón-Navarro threatened Minor 1 by threatening to post the sexually explicit images on the Internet and to damage her reputation if she did not comply with sending sexually explicit images to him.
Additionally, from in or about September 2024 to in or about November 2024, Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce another female minor while she was 17 years of age (Minor 2), to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. At the same time, the defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct.
Moreover, on or about August 3, 2024, Negrón-Navarro, through the Internet, threatened to kill an adult female if she did not send him sexually explicit images.
The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum term or imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years for the charge of sexual exploitation of children; a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life for the charge of coercion and enticement of a minor; and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for the charge of interstate communications. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
“Child exploitation, in all its forms, are the most heinous crimes a person can commit, and the emotional pain inflicted on the victims is overwhelming,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are fully committed to identify, locate, arrest, and prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law. Nonetheless, the community, including teachers and parents, must be vigilant and proactive with our children and educate them on how to protect themselves from these offenders.”
“There is no place in Puerto Rico—or anywhere in America—for child predators,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “If you exploit children, the heroic men and women of the FBI and our law enforcement partners are coming for you—no matter how long it takes or how much you try to hide. That is a promise we intend to keep, every single time.”
The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal Alien Felon and Georgia Man Arrested for Trafficking over 700 Pounds of Methamphetamine Hidden Within a Load of CucumbersRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Andres Jasso, Jr. and Rufino Pineda-Perez, an illegal alien, appeared in federal court yesterday on charges related to the seizure of over 700 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a tractor-trailer load of cucumbers outside of a Gainesville warehouse.
“Thanks to the diligent work of our federal and state law enforcement partners, a tremendous amount of meticulously concealed methamphetamine was located, was seized, and will never hit the street,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will aggressively prosecute criminals who attempt to use North Georgia as a distribution hub for their deadly poisons.”
“This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 30, 2025, DEA Atlanta agents learned that a tractor-trailer parked at a warehouse in Gainesville, Georgia potentially contained a large amount of drugs. At the warehouse, agents observed a sedan next to the tractor trailer. Jasso, Jr. was in the driver’s seat of the sedan, and Pineda-Perez was in the front passenger seat. During a search of the tractor-trailer, agents located 20 pallets of boxes containing cucumbers. Inside the boxes, agents uncovered thousands of individually wrapped packages containing methamphetamine. Jasso, Jr. and Pineda-Perez were allegedly tasked with offloading the shipment from the tractor-trailer and separating the drugs from the cucumbers. After DEA agents arrested Jasso, Jr. and Pineda-Perez, the agents learned that the total quantity of methamphetamine seized exceeded 700 pounds.
Pineda-Perez is allegedly a citizen and national of Mexico with no legal status in the United States. In 2001, Pineda-Perez was deported and removed from the United States following a felony conviction in Arizona for transporting marijuana. He illegally re-entered the United States thereafter and was encountered by federal agents in March 2014, while transporting nearly one kilogram of cocaine in the Atlanta area. In August 2015, a federal judge sentenced him to six and a half years of imprisonment. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Pineda-Perez was deported for a second time.
Andres Jasso, Jr., 37, of Brookhaven, Ga., and Rufino Pineda-Perez, 59, of Mexico, were charged in a criminal complaint on July 1, 2025, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pineda-Perez was also charged in a separate criminal complaint with illegal reentry by a removed alien.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Honduras Native Charged with Illegal Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nelson Geovany Pineda-Chacon, age 30, of Honduras, residing in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about May 7, 2024, in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, Pineda-Chacon, an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, did knowingly possess a 9mm Beretta handgun and 9mm Luger ammunition as a prohibited person.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson 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).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is fifteen years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Honduran National Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Faces Federal Charges for Role in Portland Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Hugo Gomez-Soto, 50, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Portland, made his first appearance in federal court today after being charged for distributing fentanyl that was linked to the fatal overdose of a Portland man.
According to court documents, in January 2024, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Narcotics and Organized Crime (NOC) Unit began investigating a suspected fentanyl overdose of an adult male victim in Southwest Portland. Investigators identified Gomez-Soto as the individual who allegedly sold fentanyl to the victim and, on January 25, 2024, he was arrested on state charges. At the time of his arrest, Gomez-Soto was in possession of both fentanyl powder and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
On June 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Gomez-Soto with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Gomez-Soto made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a four-day jury trial scheduled to begin on September 9, 2025.
If convicted, Gomez-Soto faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and PPB’s NOC Unit. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
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.
Honduran National Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national unlawfully residing in Brockton has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Oscar Lopez, 41, a/k/a “Luis Maldonado,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to time served (approximately 2.5 months) to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Lopez pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry.
Lopez is a citizen of Honduras who entered the United States illegally in 2003. Lopez did not appear for an immigration court date in 2003 and was ordered removed. Lopez defaulted on that removal and was unable to be found for nearly a decade. He was eventually located by immigration authorities in the fall of 2012 and subsequently removed from the United States in January 2013.
Just a few months later, Lopez illegally reentered the United States without permission and was removed for the second time in May 2013. At some point after his 2013 removal, Lopez illegally reentered the United States. Immigration officials became aware of Lopez’s unlawful presence in the United States after he was arrested by state authorities in March and April 2024 for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and furnishing false identification to law enforcement. He was arrested by immigration officials in April 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.Guatemalan National Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Faces Federal Charges for Traveling to Washington to Sexually Abuse a MinorRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A suspected child abuser is facing federal charges today for enticing and sexually abusing a minor in Oregon and Washington.
Leonias Juber Ramos-Garcia, 25, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Culver, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, in 2024, Ramos-Garcia met the minor at a business in Jefferson County, Oregon. In February 2025, undeterred by the minor’s age, Ramos-Garcia gave the minor a note which contained cash and professed his affection for the minor.
In March 2025, Ramos-Garcia is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit communication with the minor and, despite the victim’s reluctance, Ramos-Garcia persuaded the minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct at a hotel in Central Oregon. In April 2025, Ramos-Garcia traveled from Oregon to Washington and took the victim to a second hotel where he again sexually abused the minor.
Ramos-Garcia was arrested Tuesday in Culver, Oregon, and made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Madras Police Department. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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.