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Monday 19 May 2025
CEO of Spine Device Company Pleads Guilty to False Statements in Connection with Mandatory Reporting to CMSRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc. has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, the Founder, President and CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc., a Massachusetts-based medical device company, pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025, to one count of false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Open Payments Program. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6, 2025.
Pursuant to the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, device manufacturers, like SpineFrontier, are required to report any payments or transfers of value to physicians, including spine surgeons. CMS maintains a database, via the Open Payments website, which makes all such payments or transfers of value publicly accessible.
According to the charging documents, SpineFrontier offered surgeons the opportunity to engage in purported consulting on product development. Specifically, Chin directed his employees to report the payment of fees paid to a surgeon as consulting fees that were not compensation for actual consulting work. Chin caused his employees to report a payment of $4,750 on Jan. 19, 2016, to the surgeon as a “consulting” payment, even though Chin knew that the surgeon had not performed actual consulting work for the payment. He also knew that he and SpineFrontier were required to accurately report any payments or transfers of value to the surgeon.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham R. George, Christopher R. Looney and Mackenzie A. Queenin are prosecuting the case.
Brothers Arrested for Drug Conspiracy and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two brothers from Lynn were arrested on May 15, 2025 in connection with an investigation into drug conspiracy and firearm offenses.
Meliek Bennett, 29, and his brother Maurice Bennett, 38, both of Lynn, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Meliek Bennett was also charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the charging documents, Maurice Bennett was identified as an alleged member of the Bloods street gang in Lynn with prior convictions for carrying firearms and violent crimes. During the investigation, numerous text messages between Maurice and his brother Meliek were intercepted, wherein they allegedly coordinated the distribution of drugs including cocaine, prescription medication, counterfeit pills and marijuana. The brothers allegedly discussed sharing drug customers, sharing drug supplies, paying Meliek’s drug debts and making a trip to New Hampshire to sell controlled substances together.
In September 2024, a recorded conversation was obtained where Meliek allegedly described intending to use a silenced pistol to shoot up the residence of a drug supplier and potentially murder the drug supplier to whom he owed a drug debt - after the supplier had beaten up Meliek. Shortly thereafter, a search warrant was executed at Meliek Bennett’s residence in Lynn, where fentanyl tablets, oxycodone, gabapentin and marijuana, as well as a .22 caliber pistol with a threaded barrel and ammunition were discovered.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years in prison, consecutive to the sentence for the drug crime. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police and Massachusetts Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bowie County man convicted of federal drug trafficking violationsRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Texarkana man has been found guilty of federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Deablo Deshon Lewis, 34, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III, on May 15, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Lewis was arrested on April 1, 2021, in Texarkana, Arkansas, after agreeing to sell 150 counterfeit oxycontin “M-30” pills to another person. After the arrest, Lewis admitted that he had marijuana at his home in Texarkana, Texas, and a search warrant was issued. During the search, officers located over 2,800 counterfeit “M-30” pills containing fentanyl, over 700 “ecstasy” pills containing methamphetamine, over 180 counterfeit Xanax pills containing clonazolam, bulk marijuana, THC edibles, and synthetic marijuana products. Officers also recovered two loaded firearms. In February 2022, after being released on bond, officers stopped a vehicle leaving a suspected drug transaction with Lewis. The occupant confirmed that they had just purchased counterfeit “M-30” pills from Lewis. A search warrant was issued, and officers discovered additional fake “M-30” pills containing fentanyl and hundreds more “ecstasy” pills containing methamphetamine.
At sentencing, Lewis faces up to 40 years in federal prison. The statutory maximum sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Texarkana (Texas) Police Department, Texarkana (Arkansas) Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bowie County Sheriff's Office, Miller County (Arkansas) Sheriff's Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker, Lauren Richards, and Jonathan Hornok.
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Billings woman sentenced to 11 years in prison for drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who admitted trafficking fentanyl while possessing a firearm was sentenced today to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Renee Esperanza Arambula, 27, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in early 2023, the DEA began investigating Arambula for suspected drug trafficking. Agents discovered by reviewing financial documents that between May 2020 and January 2023, Arambula deposited over $230,000 of cash into the bank and received thousands more through electronic payment but was making only a small fraction of that through formal employment. Much of the money was proceeds of drug trafficking.
Based on its financial analysis, witness interviews, surveillance, and other investigative techniques, the DEA learned Arambula was trafficking fentanyl and other drugs in and around Billings, Montana. Specifically, individuals admitted purchasing more than 400 grams of fentanyl from Arambula between late 2020 and early 2023.
According to statements at the sentencing hearing and court documents, on January 28, 2023, during the course of her drug trafficking, Arambula used a firearm to shoot two unarmed men. She shot the first man at point-blank range in the neck, rendering him a paraplegic. Arambula then shot the second man in the abdomen as he was pleading for her not to shoot. Law enforcement recovered fentanyl pills and a firearm in Arambula’s possession.
The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Billings Police Department.
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.
Atlanta Man Arrested in Connection with More than $3 Million CARES Act Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ian Patrick Jackson, 37, of Atlanta, Ga., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon today, following his arrest on federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Jackson was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2025.
“Jackson’s arrest caps a lengthy investigation that involved multiple defendants and more than $3 million in stolen funds intended to help struggling Americans during a national health crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “These charges demonstrate our office’s commitment to collaborate closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute fraudsters who pilfered CARES Act funds.”
“Ian Jackson took advantage of government programs meant to support American businesses struggling during a national emergency and world-wide pandemic,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s charges reveal that Jackson was the mastermind behind numerous schemes, utilizing a variety of fraudulent tools and techniques, to lie to the SBA. The Criminal Division will continue to investigate and prosecute those responsible for stealing taxpayers’ money during a crisis.”
“While hard-working small business owners were looking for lifelines to save their businesses from financial ruin, the defendant and his conspirators were scheming to steal the very funds made available to them through SBA’s pandemic response programs,” said SBA-OIG Deputy Inspector General Sheldon Shoemaker. “I want to thank the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“Lying to gain access to economic stimulus funds for personal gain will be met with justice,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “FBI special agents will persist in unraveling the often-complex CARES Act fraud schemes and bring criminals to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Ian Patrick Jackson allegedly conspired with another Atlanta man to solicit, recruit, and direct at least nine business owners to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications using fabricated tax documents. Jackson and his co-conspirator allegedly directed the business owners to falsely claim in their PPP applications that each business employed 16 individuals and paid monthly wages of $120,000. Each of the nine business owners received $300,000 in PPP funds. After they received the funds, the business owners wrote “payroll” checks to individuals who did not work for their businesses and then either kept the money for themselves or gave the money to a co-conspirator, who in turn provided a share to Jackson.
In addition to his alleged role in the conspiracy, Jackson is also charged in connection with three other alleged schemes to submit fraudulent PPP or EIDL applications, having allegedly: (1) applied for a fraudulent $237,500 PPP loan using fabricated tax forms and a doctored bank statement; (2) used a forged Georgia’s driver’s license to fraudulently apply for approximately $100,000 in EIDL and PPP loans using false revenue statements; and (3) fraudulently obtained a $240,035 PPP loan and $125,000 in EIDL loans and grants. All these loans were funded. Jackson allegedly spent the PPP and EIDL loan proceeds on checks made payable to fictitious individuals and to pay for personal expenses, including restaurant dining, spa services, phone and credit card payments, a vacation in Aruba, and cash withdrawals.
Jackson is charged with one count conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the conspiracy and bank fraud counts and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and money laundering counts.
In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Small Business Association - Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman and Department of Justice Criminal Division Trial Attorney Matthew Reilly are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Huber also assisted in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
5 Connecticut Residents Charged with Defrauding Connecticut and Washington Small Business Loan ProgramsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 20-count indictment charging MYCALL OBAS, 42, of Danbury, MBALI NCUBE, 35, of Danbury, PIERRE OBAS, 49, of Danbury, TERESA VARGAS, 43, of Hartford, and STEPHEN WALKER, 30, of New Canaan, with offenses related to fraudulent small business loan applications in Connecticut and Washington.
The indictment was returned on May 14, 2025. Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Vargas were arrested on May 15, and Walker was arrested today. Each has entered a plea of not guilty and is released on bond pending trial.
According to the indictment, the National Development Council (“NDC”), now known as Grow America, was a not-for-profit lender that provided capital to small businesses, including through state-sponsored small business loan programs. The Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund (“CT Boost”) was an economic initiative supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development that connects Connecticut small businesses and non-profits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures. The Small Business Flex Fund (“Flex”) was an economic initiative supported by the Washington State Department of Commerce that connected Washington state small businesses and nonprofits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures. NDC worked with CT Boost and Flex to provide loan funding to small businesses in Connecticut and Washington, respectively.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Walker used stolen personal and business identities, or created false business identities, to apply to NDC for small business loans through the CT Boost and Flex programs. In connection with the loan applications, they created and submitted false business records, including fraudulent certificates of organization, false income statements, false balance sheets, and false tax returns. Vargas, who was a contractor for NDC and responsible for processing and underwriting small business loan applications, processed some of the fraudulent loan applications and submitted them to NDC for approval. She also specifically requested to be the loan processor on certain loan applications submitted by her co-conspirators in order to further the scheme.
It is alleged that the co-conspirators applied for and obtained 12 loans totaling more than $2 million through this scheme.
The indictment charges each of the five defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of wire fraud. Each of these charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The indictment also charges each of the five defendants with one more counts of making illegal monetary transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count. Mycall Obas and Pierre Obas are also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Meriden and Danbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.
Friday 16 May 2025
‘King’ of Violent Haitian Gang Found Guilty on All Charges for Hostage Taking of 16 American Christian MissionariesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joly Germine, 32, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was found guilty today by a federal jury in the District of Columbia for his role in orchestrating the 2021 hostage taking of 16 American citizens, including five children, and holding them hostage for 62 days.
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan James of the Miami Field Office.
“This office will fight aggressively to protect Americans who are taken hostage and abused, and to uphold the religious freedoms of our people, including Christians. As the evidence demonstrated, Joly Germine orchestrated a plot that leveraged American Christian missionaries as bargaining chips to try to secure his own release from a Haitian prison,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “When you commit crimes against Americans in other countries, it makes no difference where you are — we are coming for you. Justice may not always be swift but it is certain.”
“This conviction demonstrates the FBI’s determination to follow the evidence wherever it leads and to work our way up to the leaders of criminal plots wherever they are. Haitian gang leader and convicted kidnapper Joly Germine found out he was not beyond the reach of the FBI,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge James. “Neither time nor distance will weaken our resolve. We will use all tools available and go to farthest reaches of the globe to bring to justice those who kidnap Americans.”
Following a 10-day trial in U.S. District Court, the jury found Germine guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and 16 counts of hostage taking of a U.S. national for ransom.
The former leader and self-described “king” of the notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo, Germine previously pleaded guilty to his role in a gun trafficking conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws and the laundering of the gang’s funds derived from ransoms paid for other U.S. hostage victims. For those crimes, he was sentenced in June 2024 to 35 years in federal prison.
Germine’s gang, 400 Mawozo, operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Germine directed the gang’s operations from prison using unmonitored cell phones and was constantly in touch with other 400 Mawazo leaders, most of whom were his relatives. Germine controlled the gang’s finances, supplied the gang’s weapons, and otherwise directed operations.
On October 16, 2021, 17 Mennonite missionaries from Christian Aid Ministries, an Ohio-based missionary aid organization, were returning from visiting an orphanage when they were stopped by 400 Mawozo’s armed and masked soldiers. Many of the gang’s soldiers were brandishing firearms supplied by Germine. The group included 12 adults and 5 children, including a 6-year-old, 3-year-old, and an 8-month-old. Sixteen of the victims were U.S. citizens and one was a Canadian citizen.
The gang drove the missionaries to a field and robbed them, while consulting by phone with Germine, their leader. The gang took the missionaries to a building in a rural area, held them at gunpoint, and demanded ransom of $1 million each for their return. In postings on social media, the gang threatened to kill all the hostages if the ransom was not paid. Early on in the negotiations, senior gang leadership said that, in lieu of the ransom monies, 400 Mawozo would accept Germine’s release from prison in exchange for the hostages.
On November 20, 2021, two hostages were released after one was suffering from life-threatening health conditions. On December 5, 2021, 400 Mawozo released three of the hostages, two adults who had significant medical issues and the six-year old child, after receiving a $350,000 ransom payment. Though the gang had stated they would release all the hostages for the ransom paid, at Germine’s direction, the gang thereafter refused to release any more hostages. On December 16, 2021, the remaining hostages escaped under cover of darkness while their captors were distracted, walking for five hours through the Haitian bush until they were out of the gang’s territory. They were received by the FBI, which had deployed to Haiti and arranged to immediately transport them from Haiti before the gang could respond to their escape. In total, most of the missionaries were held for 62 days.
The evidence at trial showed that Germine had directed the initial kidnapping, had arranged for the locations where hostages were held, and set the $17 million ransom demand, knowing it was too high to be paid and would result in the Haitian government negotiating his release from prison in exchange for the missionaries. The evidence also showed that Germine was involved in or consulted on the decisions to release victims.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. During the law enforcement response to the kidnapping, extraordinary assistance was provided in a whole of government response by various agencies, including Customs and Border Protection Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Defense, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the government of Haiti, the government of the Dominican Republic, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department of State and the Embassy in Port-au-Prince, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Special Prosecutions Section.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Tom Saunders and Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas for the District of Columbia, with invaluable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall, Victim Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Victim Witness Coordinators Tonya Jones and Guisela Castillo.
Zoe Mafia Family, Other Gang Members Convicted on Firearms and Narcotics Charges in South Florida Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, ATF Miami, and Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), in collaboration with other federal and local law enforcement agencies, secured federal convictions and prison sentences against 18 members of violent South Florida street gangs – including Zoe Mafia Family (ZMF), the 3rd World gang, and several sects of the Bloods gang.
The joint operation involved charges of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine trafficking; carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm. It led to the recovery of 23 firearms, three kilograms of fentanyl, and seven kilograms of cocaine, as well as methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and marijuana.
The defendants, former residents of South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties) were convicted and sentenced to prison terms as follows:
Andre Allen, 37, was sentenced to 120 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl (22-cr-20190);
David Brown,41, was sentenced to 151 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl (22-cr-60177);
Tirell Caldwell,26, was sentenced to 57 months for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (22-cr-60220);
Johnnie Gibson,51, was sentenced to 175 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine (23-cr-60205);
Brionne Griffin,35, was sentenced to 60 months for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, and methamphetamine (22-cr-60082);
Joseph Johnson, Jr.,46, was sentenced to 120 months for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl (23-cr-60131);
Timothy Neil Lewis, Jr.,26, was sentenced to 60 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-60083);
Makinson Moise,35, was sentenced to 248 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine base (23-cr-60004);
Arnicious Odom,48, was sentenced to 30 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine (23-cr-60205);
Wendy Previl,33, was sentenced to 120 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl (23-cr-60089);
Joshua Robinson,38, was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (24-cr-60132);
Robert Roseme,28, was sentenced to 42 months for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl (23-cr-60089);
Nolan Setoute,43, was sentenced to 12 months for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon (22-cr-60124);
Terrance Stanley,40, was sentenced to 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-60120);
Dorshawn Tate,20, was sentenced to 8 months for possession with intent to distribute alprazolam (23-cr-60051);
British Wilkerson,42, was sentenced to 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-60125);
Byron Felecio Williams, Jr.,40, was sentenced to 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (22-cr-80136); and
Kevin Williams,31, was sentenced to 18 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (24-cr-60132).
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the ATF Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office announced the results of the operation.
This case was investigated by ATF Miami and Broward Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from DEA Miami, HSI Miami, and FBI Miami.
Southern District of Florida Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Brown and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCormack prosecuted these cases.
Several of the defendants, are associated with Zoe Mafia Family (ZMF), a South Florida Haitian street gang.
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department designated two Haitian gangs (Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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West Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Using Snapchat to Entice Children into Producing Sexually Explicit VideosRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A resident of the Westside of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 480 months in federal prison for using apps such as Snapchat to meet and entice children to engage in sexually explicit video-chats which he screen-captured and saved, unbeknownst to the children.
Mark David Wallin, 44, of the Del Rey neighborhood of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who scheduled a restitution hearing for August 13.
At today’s hearing, Judge Frimpong said Wallin committed “cruel and relentless” crimes against children and that his conduct was “highly sexualized sadomasochistic conduct that no child should know of, let alone be exposed to.”
Wallin, who has been in federal custody since July 2022, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of production of child pornography and one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
From 2019 to August 2021, Wallin used the internet to “meet” pre-teen boys and girls – both abroad and in the United States – then developed relationships with them online, with the intent to obtain sexually explicit images and videos from them. Wallin also persuaded the victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct via video-chat, which he screen-captured and saved.
After his victims sent him sexually explicit content, Wallin would sometimes demand additional sexually explicit images and videos from them. Wallin also threatened to publish or otherwise expose the prior pictures and videos sent by the victim or created by defendant if the victim did not comply with his demands.
For example, in February and March of 2020, Wallin enticed a victim, who was approximately 9-10 years old at the time, to produce sexually explicit images and videos used on the social media app Snapchat.
Wallin admitted in his plea agreement to knowingly causing at least four additional victims – ranging in age from 12 to 16 years old – to produce multiple files of child pornography.
Wallin further admitted to possessing approximately 200 files containing child sexual abuse material in August 2021.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department providing assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Scott M. Lara of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and Catharine A. Richmond of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 153 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 153 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On May 11, Mario Santiago-Velasquez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in The United States. According to a complaint, Santiago-Velasquez was previously convicted of five immigration crimes and Malicious Destruction of Property.
- On May 12, Juan Jose Perez-Garcia, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of five immigration-related offenses including felony reentry-after-deportation in 2023, was sentenced in federal court to seven months in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
- On May 13, Juan Nazario Lizarraga Peralta, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Lizarraga was attempting to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry when he was intercepted by Customs and Border Patrol agents with seven pounds of fentanyl and 11 pounds of cocaine strapped to his body.
- On May 13, Oscar Echevarria-Luque, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with illegal importation of cocaine. According to a complaint, Luque applied for entry through the Calexico, California East Port of Entry in a Kenworth truck towing a car hauler. Upon inspection of the trailer, Customs and Border Protection officers found 92.18kg (203.22 pounds) of cocaine concealed in the frame of the trailer.
- On May 14, Ernesto Alejandro Rodriguez Gallegos, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Rodriguez attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with 135 pounds of cocaine hidden in his vehicle.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On May 16, Serafin Abelino-Medel, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, and threatening crime with intent to terrorize, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the United States illegally.
- On May 16, Isaac Lopez-Rodriguez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Attempt to Commit Aggravated Assault in 2015, was sentenced in federal court to two years in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending May 16, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 68 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 8 individual was charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 3 individual was charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 133 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for alien smuggling, drug possession, and DUI.
In a significant case, Salvador Ruacho Aguirre, a Mexican citizen, was encountered during a traffic stop in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on May 13, 2025. During a search of his vehicle, officers discovered a .45 caliber handgun with a loaded magazine in the driver’s side door and a 12-gauge shotgun with ammunition on the passenger seat. Subsequently, FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Aguirre’s residence, where they located five additional firearms.
In another case, Aaron Christopher Montez fled the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on New Mexico State Highway 185 on May 11, 2025, reaching speeds of up to 70 mph in a 45-mph zone. During the pursuit, Montez briefly pulled over to the side of the highway. Agents later discovered an undocumented immigrant in the area where Montez had stopped. When Montez was eventually apprehended, he was arrested for high-speed flight and alien smuggling. Montez admitted to transporting the individual in the trunk of his vehicle.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Texas Syndicate gang members receive multi-decade sentences for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Corpus Christi residents have been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jesse Martinez, 51, and Gabriel Galindo, 46, both long-time Texas Syndicate gang members, pleaded guilty Jan. 2.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has ordered Martinez to serve 360 months, while Galindo was ordered to serve a 288-month-term of imprisonment. Both must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.
The court held Martinez responsible for over two kilograms of heroin and almost eight kilograms of methamphetamine. Galindo was held responsible for almost 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and over a kilogram of heroin. However, the court heard that throughout the investigation, authorities calculated that the Texas Syndicate drug trafficking organization was likely distributing approximately two kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of methamphetamine per month from September 2020 to May 2024.
The court also considered their criminal histories including convictions for theft, burglary, weapons and drug charges for Martinez. Galindo’s criminal history began at the age of 14 and includes burglary of a habitation, multiple cocaine convictions – with a federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute - and possessing a stabbing weapon while incarcerated.
Furthermore, the court heard Galindo was found with a shank, methamphetamine and suboxone strips while incarcerated for this offense and that he was dealing suboxone to other inmates.
The investigation began in 2020 when law enforcement was looking into the drug trafficking activities of the Texas Syndicate. They discovered Martinez was receiving kilogram amounts of methamphetamine and heroin. Galindo was one of his top distributors in the Corpus Christi area.
On May 21, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Martinez’s residence and found he was in possession of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana as well as three unsecured firearms. Several children were also living in the home.
Galindo was also found in possession of almost a kilogram of methamphetamine, a kilogram of heroin and four firearms at the time of his arrest.
Both men have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and police departments in Corpus Christi and Robstown. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara J. De Pena and Brittany Jensen prosecuted the case.
Two Marion Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — In two separate cases, two Marion men have been sentenced to federal prison for illegal firearm and illegal narcotics charges. Larry Sheron Brown, Jr, 33, of Marion, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Larry Robinson, 40, of Marion, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation of Robinson revealed that he possessed two firearms on two separate occasions. On March 24, 2023, Robinson was found in possession of a .380 handgun. One month later, Robinson was again found in possession of a 9mm firearm along with 14 grams of powdered cocaine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation of Brown revealed that he verbally threatened, then flashed a firearm, to customers at the Circle K in Marion. Based on Brown’s conduct at the Circle K, law enforcement sought arrest warrants for him. During Brown’s arrest law enforcement located a 9mm firearm which matched the description and appearance of the firearm Brown flashed in the Circle K. Brown has previous felony convictions that prevent him from possessing a firearm.
United States District Joseph Dawson III sentenced Brown to 180 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. United States District Joseph Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Robinson to 60 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ellis is prosecuting the case.
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Two Gang Members from Lowell Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two members of the Asian Boyz gang have been sentenced in federal court in Boston for trafficking homemade imitations of the pharmaceutical drug, Adderall, containing methamphetamine.
Erickson Dao, a/k/a “Silent,” 32, of Lowell, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 85 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. . In January 2025, Dao pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine. Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez,” 37, also of Lowell, was sentenced by Judge Gorton to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In February 2025, Phim pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine and two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
A long-term investigation proved that Asian Boyz gang members and associates allegedly had access to a plentiful supply of counterfeit methamphetamine pills marketed as “Adderall.” These pills were similar in shape, size and appearance to genuine Adderall. On 12 different dates in 2022, Phim sold these counterfeit “Adderall” pills to an undercover agent. In total, Phim sold the undercover agent over 10,000 pills for more than $36,000.
Dao was identified as one of Phim’s suppliers of the methamphetamine pills. Between February 2022 and April 2022, Dao delivered the counterfeit pills to Phim on at least five occasions. Phim then sold the pills to an undercover federal agent for more than $11,000. Chemical testing confirmed that the pills were a dangerous compound of methamphetamine and caffeine. When investigators searched Dao’s residence, they discovered thousands more counterfeit “Adderall” pills and large quantities of cocaine.
In other drug transactions with the undercover officer, Phim admitted that he coordinated the supply of methamphetamine pills with other Asian Boyz gang members and associates, including Brian Gingras, a/k/a “Cheech.” Between May 2022 and September 2022, Gingras met Phim prior to the planned deals to personally deliver the pills. Gringas pleaded guilty in January 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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 https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant in the case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Pagan’s Motorcycle Club Members Pleaded Guilty for Armed Assaults Against RivalsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three members of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club pleaded guilty this week before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, for their involvement in a series of armed assaults against members of rival motorcycle clubs.
Christopher W. McGowen, also known as “Mac,” 41, of Platte City, Mo., pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025, to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, one count of attempting to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 26, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
Arthur L. Reynolds III, also known as “Straight Edge,” 48, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of firearms.
On May 30, 2022, McGowen and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, assaulted a lone rival gang member at a business in Grain Valley, Mo. In addition to fists, one Pagan used an axe handle during the assault, causing physical injury to the victim.
On September 3, 2022, McGowen and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, travelled to Topeka, Ks., to carry out a revenge attack against another rival motorcycle gang. The plan was to “catch a stray” and “smash on sight” any rival member they saw. The Pagan’s were aware that the rival motorcycle gang was having an event in Topeka that day, and the plan was to use either an axe handle or a gun on one of the rival gang members. After arriving in Topeka, a rival member was spotted in a hotel parking lot. As a member of the Pagan’s prepared to shoot the rival, a disagreement occurred among members, and the group returned to the Kansas City area.
On September 17, 2022, McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and their support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg.
Following these events, McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and others present at the various assaults were awarded patches for their participation.
On May 11, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Reynolds’ residence in Independence, Mo. Inside, officers located seven firearms, various calibers of ammunition, body armor, and Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang-related items, including support shirts, patches, and paperwork for the Pagan’s. On Jan. 24, 2005, Reynolds pleaded guilty to felony aggravated robbery in the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas, for which he later was sentenced to 61 months in custody.
Under federal statutes, McGowen and Reynolds are subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole, and Hodge is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison without parole. 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Three MS-13 Members Charged in Federal Complaints Alleging They Murdered Cooperating Defendant in Racketeering CaseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three members of the Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) transnational street gang – one of them an illegal alien from El Salvador – have been charged in federal criminal complaints with murdering a former MS-13 member earlier this year who was cooperating with law enforcement on a federal racketeering and methamphetamine trafficking case, the Justice Department announced today.
Dennis Anaya Urias, 26, of South Los Angeles, and Grevil Zelaya Santiago, 25, of South Los Angeles, are charged via federal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering, a felony that carries a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison and a possible death sentence.
Roberto Carlos Aguilar, 30, of South Los Angeles, is charged in a separate federal criminal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering. Aguilar is an illegal alien from El Salvador. Urias is a legal permanent resident from El Salvador, and Santiago is an illegal alien from Honduras.
All three defendants made their initial appearances late Thursday in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered them jailed without bond and scheduled their arraignments for June 3.
According to affidavits filed with the complaints, Urias and Santiago shot the victim to death at a grocery store in South Los Angeles on February 18. The victim’s status as a government cooperator was well known by MS-13 and made the victim subject to a “green light” order that made him a target for murder by MS-13 members.
Approximately one hour before the victim’s death, he had what appeared to be a chance encounter with Aguilar inside the grocery store. Following that encounter, Aguilar set in motion a series of events that led to Urias and Santiago shooting and killing the victim.
During the evening of February 18, the victim made two telephone calls to authorities and said he was at a grocery store in South Los Angeles where MS-13 members had just tried to kill him. He said he had been talking with MS-13 members when a man whose face was covered approached and tried to shoot him, but the gun did not fire. At one point during the second telephone call, several gunshots were heard.
By murdering the victim, Aguilar, Urias and Santiago either avoided discipline or enhanced their status within MS-13, according to court documents.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating these matters.
Assistant United States Attorney Shawn T. Andrews of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting these cases.
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.
The Diamond Desk Corp. and PetersenLowe, LLC operators sentenced in multi-million dollar diamond investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On May 15, 2025, Adam Jonathan Lowe, 43, of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to over 6 years in federal prison by the Honorable David Leibowitz, stemming from his conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, mail fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957. Upon release from custody, Lowe must serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to the victims of his offense.
Previously, on May 13, 2025, co-defendant Murray Todd Petersen, 73, of Fair Oaks, California, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison by the Honorable James I. Cohn stemming from his conviction after a seven-day jury trial in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 and wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Upon release from custody, Petersen must serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to the victims of his offense.
On October 18, 2024, co-defendant Scott Schafer, 62, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was sentenced to five years probation stemming from his stemming from his conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
As outlined in court documents and trial testimony, Adam Jonathan Lowe, as the president of The Diamond Desk and as the manager of PetersenLowe, LLC., was the supplier of fancy-colored diamonds sourced worldwide. Murray Todd Petersen worked as a salesman for PetersenLowe, LLC., who induced investors to purchase Lowe’s fancy-colored diamonds using materially false and fraudulent representations concerning the safety and security of the investments, the value of the investments, the expected profits and rates of return, and the use of investors’ funds. After selling his victims expensive fancy-colored diamonds supplied with fraudulent overvalued appraisals from co-defendant Scott Schafer, he instructed his clients to hold onto their investments often for one to two years prior to looking to liquidate. When trying to cover his investors cash out demands at the overpriced appraisal prices, he used another false representation of a China investment program, where he would purportedly invest the victims’ money into the Chinese diamond market with a purported guaranteed five to eight percent monthly dividend return on investment. Unbeknownst to his victims, this new investment program was really a Ponzi scheme in disguise designed to pay off his first round of investor clients. When customers began to complain about missing promised returns and highly inaccurate overvalued appraisals, the scheme pivoted again to a theft model, where investors prepaid for diamonds that were never delivered by either Lowe or Petersen. Petersen took approximately $850,000 in sales commissions from his victims, which he used to pay off his high IRS tax liens and cover his business operating expenses. In total, the scheme netted approximately $13 million and defrauded in excess of 100 victims.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the conviction.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Anton and Latoya Brown prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60225.
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St. Louis Area Man Accused of Fentanyl, Meth DealingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man accused of involvement in methamphetamine and fentanyl dealing was arrested by the FBI in Richmond Heights, Missouri Friday.
Albert James, 47, was indicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded not guilty Friday.
The indictment accuses James of agreeing with others in 2021 to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth and 400 grams of fentanyl. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $18,920 in cash.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards said the charges related to a traffic stop in Oklahoma, when James was caught with pounds of meth and fentanyl.
“This is part of a larger on-going investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Perpetrators should not underestimate the FBI’s expertise, resources, and tenacity to dismantle criminal networks.”
Each charge carries a potential prison sentence of at least 10 years, with a maximum term of life.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
St. Francis Woman Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.
Viola Boneshirt, age 21, was sentenced to four 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.
Boneshirt was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. She pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on September 11, 2023, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that day, a juvenile was socializing with Boneshirt and other individuals at a residence in Parmelee, South Dakota. At some point, Boneshirt got angry and started fighting with the juvenile. Boneshirt then produced a sharp object and cut the juvenile’s leg, causing a large laceration that required multiple stiches. Afterward, Boneshirt fled the scene.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Boneshirt was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Serial Rapist Sentenced to 35 Years Incarceration for Three Stranger Sexual Attacks in 2018Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Angel Gomez, 42, formerly of the District, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison, for three rapes he committed between July and October 2018 involving three different victims who were strangers to him, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gomez pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, to one count each of first-degree sexual abuse while armed, first degree sexual abuse, attempted first degree sexual abuse and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered Gomez to supervised release, and to register as a sex offender, for the remainder of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, which the defendant admitted to, on July 15, 2018, the 22-year-old victim returned home from a night out at approximately 2:40 a.m., and shortly thereafter heard a knock at her basement door. When she opened the door, Gomez, who had a knife, grabbed her, forced her to the ground, and forcibly sexually assaulted the victim. The defendant cut the victim’s left cheek with the knife. Ultimately, the victim escaped to her home, after kicking the defendant, and called 911.
On Sep. 7, 2018, at approximately 11:40 p.m., the defendant, Jose Gomez, followed his second victim, as she walked from the Fort Totten Metro station into the nearby 7-11 at 5210 3rd St., Northeast and then followed her after she left the 7-11. Once in nearby wooded area of the 100 block of Farragut Street, Northeast, the defendant grabbed the victim, pulled her into a wooded area, brandished a knife, and ordered her to take off her pants. With a knife to her throat and one hand around her neck, the defendant forcibly sexually assaulted the victim.
The defendant fled the scene, after the victim had received numerous calls on her cell phone, which she told the defendant was a relative who would come looking for her if she did not answer. The victim later flagged down police.
On Oct. 21, 2018, at approximately 6:30 a.m., the defendant’s third victim was waiting at the corner of 7th and Longfellow Streets, Northwest for an Uber to work. As the victim waited alone, the defendant, approached and asked her if she was ok and what she was doing. Once the victim told him she was waiting for an Uber, Gomez continued to speak to her, and eventually she told him to leave her alone. When the victim began walking back towards her apartment building, the defendant followed her and then grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. The victim could not breath. Gomez dragged the victim into the alley and forced her to the ground where he sexually assaulted her. The defendant then fled on foot.
These violent sexual assaults were solved with a combination of DNA and other evidence. Once identified, Gomez was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky on June 7, 2023, and transported by law enforcement to Washington, D.C. The defendant has been incarcerated ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the Sexual Assault Unit and the Cold Case Unit of the Sexual Assault Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti, Sharon Donovan, and Amy Zubrensky, who prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, designed to work with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously-unsolved cases of sexual assault of adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area and nationwide.
SDTX continues efforts to secure the border with 209 more charged with immigration-related crimesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 209 cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from May 9-15, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
As part of the cases, 78 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 124 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while seven cases allege various instances of human smuggling.
Three of those charged this week had unlawfully attempted to reenter the country after being removed less than one month ago, according to allegations. Authorities had allegedly removed Honduran national Erick Nahun Orellana-Ramos and Mexican national Alejandro De La Vega-Loyola April 21, while Mexican national Luis Cibrian-Gonzalez was removed May 5. However, the alleged convicted felons were once again allegedly discovered in the United States unlawfully, according to their charges.
Criminal complaints further allege Eleno Martin Velazquez-Hernandez and Edwin Vazquez-Perez both have prior convictions for sexual assault and were previously removed from the United States in 2021 and 2019, respectively. However, law enforcement allegedly found the men in the Rio Grande Valley and are now charged with illegal reentry after removal.
Similarly, Heriberto Garcia-Robles was allegedly discovered near Mission. The criminal complaint charging him alleges the Mexican male had been previously removed Jan. 10, 2023, following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
In addition to the new cases, two Tango Blast gang members were sentenced for conspiring to transport illegal aliens. Eusebio Regalado was ordered to serve 66 months while Eric Grajeda had previously received 36 months. Both had led law enforcement on multiple vehicle pursuits during human smuggling attempts.
“With these sentencings, two less gang members are out on the streets, and a human smuggling operation has been dismantled,” said Ganjei. “Securing the border is the Southern District’s top priority, and we’re delivering.”
In Brownsville, Felix Raymundo Mora-Gonzalez received a 70-month sentence for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was originally arrested Feb. 21, 2023, for harboring illegal aliens. However, the investigation uncovered a cell phone at the stash house that belonged him. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed Mora-Gonzalez knowingly possessed 29 videos and nine images of CSAM. He had also previously pleaded guilty to the smuggling charges and received 15 months.
Also announced was another criminal alien who had unlawfully reentered the United States. Hector Castillo-Molina has a lengthy criminal history to include five felonies such as burglary, drug possession, felon in possession of a firearm and illegal reentry into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court called Castillo-Molina’s extensive record “concerning,” noting that if he kept coming back, he would just be spending all his time jail.
In Corpus Christi, Eusebio Cavazos received the maximum of 60 months for smuggling 36 illegal aliens in a tractor trailer. All were from the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador. Five had previously been removed from the United States and now face additional charges for illegal reentry. Cavazos admitted he was paid to drive the group from near Donna to Houston and expected to earn $1,000 per person.
Following a one-day bench trial in McAllen, an illegal alien was convicted of unlawfully reentering the United States for the eighth time. Enrique Melendez-Saldivar attempted to resist and evade arrest as authorities struggled to apprehend him in the South Texas brush. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
In Houston, another illegal alien pleaded guilty in a large-scale wire fraud conspiracy involving more than 550,000 fraudulent Texas paper license plates. Former fugitive Emmanuel Padilla Reyes admitted he used stolen identities to obtain used car dealer licenses and created two fictitious dealerships to access the state’s secure tag portal. Authorities said he and his co-conspirators advertised the tags on social media and issued them without selling any vehicles. The fake tags allowed buyers to avoid registration, safety inspections and insurance, and enabled criminals to conceal their identities while committing crimes ranging from fraud to robberies and drive-by shootings. He faces up to five years in federal prison and is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Romanian crew convicted in ATM skimming caseRead the Press Release
HOUSTON ‐ A man and woman who illegally resided in Houston have admitted their roles in installing and removing ATM skimmers from machines at multiple banks in the Houston area, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Perla Miclescu, 26, and Rafael Rafaila, 21, both citizens of Romania, each entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
In April 2024, they installed skimmers designed to enable them and others to intercept debit/credit card information via magnetic strips. They would save the information onto a computer chip affixed to the device after unsuspecting victims used their cards at ATM terminals.
The first instance involved co-conspirators April 4, 2024. Security footage at a Houston bank showed Ana Maria Dirman, 30, and Mihai Alexandru Gaita, 38, both Romanian citizens, placing an ATM skimmer into the card reader. At the time, they were in a 2004 Ford Explorer.
The investigation revealed the vehicle was at two other banks in the Baytown area approximately two weeks later. ATMs at both locations were found to have deep insert skimmer and pin hole camera devices placed on them.
Law enforcement eventually discovered Miclescu and Rafaila in the same 2004 Explorer. They conducted a search and found two overlay pin hole camera devices and supplies used to make the overlay cameras, 24 reencoded credit cards (counterfeit cards) and one deep insert skimmer.
Authorities had discovered Miclescu had purchased super glue, two 32G Micro SD cards and scissors – all tools and materials utilized in ATM skimming.
Miclescu and Rafaila were also operating a gold-colored minivan April 5 and 7, 2024, placing a skimming device on other ATMs.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the pleas and set sentencing for Aug. 15.
Miclescu and Rafaila will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Gaita previously pleaded guilty and is also set for sentencing Aug. 15. Dirman remains a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the United States Secret Service Houston Field office at (713) 868-2299.
Police departments in Houston and Baytown, Texas Financial Crimes Intel Center and Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day is prosecuting the case.
Richmond recidivist pleads guilty to illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Jan. 16, law enforcement received a 911 call reporting that three individuals attempted to enter an occupied vehicle near Grove and Morris Streets in Richmond and then approached every vehicle parked on the street and pulled on the door handles.
The 911 caller followed the men until police officers arrived and detained them. When one of the men, Sherod Antoine Jenkins Jr., 23, put his hands up, an officer immediately observed a handgun in Jenkins’ jacket pocket, and the officer removed it from Jenkins’ possession. The firearm was loaded with a round in the chamber and had been reported stolen.
Jenkins was previously convicted for, among other crimes, burglary, receipt of stolen property, firearm larceny, grand larceny auto theft, felony eluding, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, Jenkins cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Magistrate Judge Summer L. Speight accepted the plea. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Police investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea 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).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-24.
Repeat Sex Offender Who Held Standoff with SWAT Team Found Guilty of Federal Child Exploitation Crimes by South Florida JuryRead the Press Release
MIAMI – This week, a federal jury sitting in Fort Pierce, Florida found Michael Gordon Douglas, 48, of Escondido, California guilty of seven counts of Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”) and one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity.
Federal prosecutors proved the following during the five-day trial: In October 2023, South Florida law enforcement learned that Douglas was active in an online chat room focused on incest and other sexual taboo. Douglas communicated with someone he believed was the mother of an eight-year-old girl. During months of chats, Douglas bragged about his sexual experiences with children and posted dozens of sexually explicit photos and videos. He repeatedly instructed the mother on how to gradually sexualize her child so that she would be ready, willing, and able to have sex with him. At one point, Douglas tried to set up a Halloween sex party where he offered to take the child’s virginity “in front of a meth-fueled orgy.”
On the day of a planned meet-up with the child, Douglas spotted law enforcement and erratically drove away. Agents stopped the vehicle, and a female passenger jumped out screaming, “He’s got a grenade, he’s going to kill us!” Douglas then pulled the pin out of what looked like a real grenade and held a standoff with a SWAT team. Douglas eventually put down the replica grenade and was arrested.
Inside Douglas’s car, law enforcement discovered sex toys, personal lubricant, extra-small lingerie, a small speculum, and a unicorn stuffed animal. During planning chats, Douglas said he would bring those very items to his encounter with the child. The trial evidence showed that Douglas purchased most of these items online the day before the meeting with rush delivery.
Sentencing is currently set for August 25 at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Douglas faces a minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Jose Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Miami and HSI San Diego Field Divisions investigated the case. U.S. Attorneys Justin Chapman and Adam McMichael are prosecuting it.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were 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 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-80219.
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Rensselaer County Sex Offender Sentenced to 292 Months for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Cota, age 32, formerly of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, was sentenced today to 292 months in prison for receiving child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Cota previously admitted that he used SnapChat to solicit three children to send him nude photos. After an 8-year-old and a 13-year-old provided the requested photos, Cota threatened to reveal what they had done, in an effort to coerce the children to send additional child sexual abuse material. At the time of these crimes, Cota was on probation following a state conviction for course of sexual conduct against a child. When his Probation Officer asked to see Cota’s phone, Cota locked himself in a bathroom and began deleting its contents. A forensic search of Cota’s phone revealed an additional 900 images of child pornography, including screenshots of a video chat between Cota and a naked child.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Cota’s depraved and disgusting conduct has justly resulted in a lengthy term of imprisonment that will make our community safer. We will continue to investigate and prosecute sex offenders and pedophiles who use the Internet and social media applications to prey on children.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s sentence underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children from dangerous predators like Mr. Cota. We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners at every level to identify and investigate these disturbing individuals and ensure justice is delivered to the victims.”
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a life term of supervised release and ordered Cota to forfeit the Samsung phone he used to commit the offense. Cota must also continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI Albany Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Prior sex offender from North Dakota who groomed a child online and sexually assaulted her after traveling to Wisconsin receives 30 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 15, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Kelly J. Rosemore (age: 43) to 30 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by life on supervised release, after Rosemore pled guilty to child enticement and committing a felony sex offense against a minor as a registered sex offender, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2422 and 2260A.
According to court records, in late 2023, Rosemore was living in North Dakota where he was required to register as a sex offender based on a prior felony sex offense against a minor from 2010. Before December 2023, Rosemore met a 14-year-old female from Wisconsin in an online platform. Unknown to the child’s family, Rosemore groomed her for months, including by sending her sexually explicit chats and photos. In March and April 2024, despite knowing the child was 14 years old, Rosemore twice traveled to the Green Bay area where he rented hotel rooms and sexually assaulted her, which included violent acts, restricting her breathing, restraining her wrists, and taking sexually explicit pictures of her while she was blindfolded.
The child subsequently reported the sexual assaults to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. Meanwhile, Rosemore had returned to North Dakota and sent the child a sexually explicit photo of her that she did not know he had taken, threatening to extort her. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office coordinated its investigation with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal investigation, which arrested Rosemore and obtained incriminating evidence from his phone and vehicle.
Rosemore was extradited to Wisconsin by the Brown County District Attorney’s Office, and he has remained in continuous custody as state and federal prosecutors worked collaboratively toward the outcome.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach emphasized that Rosemore was previously convicted and sentenced to prison for the same conduct, and that he had again targeted a child, whom he repeatedly and cruelly sexually assaulted. The judge said that Rosemore’s conduct called for a lengthy prison term to achieve just punishment, deterrence, and protecting the public.
The investigation was spearheaded by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with critical assistance from the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Funnell.
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Portland Woman Arrested for Interstate Threats and HarassmentRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland woman was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging her with making threatening interstate communications and anonymous telecommunications harassment.
According to court records, Alice Jones, 40, made threatening telephone calls to a Supervisory United States Border Patrol Agent and others.
“The FBI takes all threats against law enforcement extremely seriously and we will work with our partners to bring those who set out to undermine their safety to justice,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “What Alice Jones is accused of is not only an attack on these individuals, but the entire criminal justice system.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Criminal complaints are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Pipeline Indian Country Fentanyl Distributer Found Guilty After TrialRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted Dimitric Wilson, a Twin Cities resident originally from Detroit, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence at trial, law enforcement set out to discover a supplier of fentanyl in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. After an extensive investigation, Dimitric Timopkin Wilson, 46, was identified and stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol as he traveled back to the Twin Cities from Detroit. When apprehended by law enforcement, Wilson and the other passenger gave inconsistent stories regarding their activities in Detroit. The State Patrol used a drug dog to sniff the car for narcotics. The drug dog alerted to the odor of drugs, resulting in a search of the vehicle. State troopers noticed an electrical panel that was altered. The officers opened the panel and located four separate vacuum-sealed packages hidden with a natural void accessible from the panel area. The packages contained multiple sub-packages and were ultimately found to contain approximately a kilogram of fentanyl, a package containing heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, and another package containing crack cocaine. After being charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and given terms of release pending trial, Wilson was documented selling fentanyl to a government informant.
On May 15, 2025, a jury convicted Wilson of all three counts on which he was indicted. Wilson was previously sentenced to a state misdemeanor conviction for maintaining a drug house, a state felony conviction for carrying a concealed weapon, and a federal felony conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin. Due to his prior federal conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin, Wilson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for the possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute conviction and a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for his conviction for distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release.
“I laud the hard work of the agents and officers who exposed Wilson as a major fentanyl trafficker, running routes from Detroit to Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Wilson showed that he would not be stopped—despite a prior federal conviction, he peddled his poison to the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. Outrageously, after being released from custody, Wilson yet again trafficked in fentanyl, this time selling drugs to a government informant. Wilson rightly faces serious federal time. Wilson—and others who would bring deadly fentanyl to Minnesota and to our vulnerable Indian reservations—should be prepared to spend decades in federal prison.”
“Fentanyl continues to ravage communities across the country, fueling addiction, tragedy, and loss,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “One of the FBI's top priorities is to protect the American people, and that means holding accountable the individuals and networks responsible for pushing fentanyl into our communities. The FBI and our partners are committed to removing these drug traffickers from our neighborhoods and stopping the flow of fentanyl at its source.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, the East Central Drug Task Force, the Sawyer County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Lac Courte Oreilles (Wisconsin) Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Campbell Warner and Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.
Perry Hall Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Terrell Ridgley, 34, of Perry Hall, Maryland, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to the guilty plea, Ridgley engaged in drug trafficking as part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by co-defendant Tyon Bailey. On multiple occasions in late 2023, and early 2024, an undercover agent purchased quantities of fentanyl from Bailey. Throughout this time, authorities observed Ridgley meeting with Bailey and other DTO members. On January 3, 2024, law enforcement saw Ridgley exit a vehicle carrying what appeared to be controlled dangerous substances in his sweatshirt. After a K-9 scan of Ridgley’s vehicle, authorities discovered the presence of narcotics.
On February 12, 2024, Ridgley crashed his vehicle while driving on I-695. He then met Bailey and another associate at a nearby auto repair shop. Law enforcement engaged the individuals and recovered approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of cocaine, and a large quantity of cash and jewelry – all from Bailey. Authorities also seized a Glock 23 firearm loaded with 23 rounds from a vehicle that Ridgley and the others were around moments before law enforcement engaged them.
In August 2024, law enforcement heard Ridgley — via court-authorized wiretap interceptions — discussing fentanyl distribution with Bailey. Specifically, Ridgley discussed the “blue stuff” stored at Bailey’s residence. Some of the fentanyl the undercover agent purchased from Bailey was in blue-powder form.
On October 3, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ridgley’s Perry Hall residence. While searching the premises, investigators observed Ridgley flushing suspected purple fentanyl down the toilet, some of which law enforcement salvaged. During the search of the residence, investigators also recovered bags containing suspected fentanyl in various colors, including purple, blue, and white.
In total, investigators seized more than 400 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl as well as a quantity of cocaine from Ridgley’s residence. Investigators also recovered cutting agents used to prepare fentanyl for distribution. Ridgley admitted he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
Ridgley faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday, September 22, at 10 a.m.
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s 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 disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region. The Baltimore SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James O’Donohue who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Stolen Human RemainsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Taylor, age 46, of Wernersville, Pennsylvania, pled guilty on May 15, 2025, before Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to interstate transport of stolen human remains.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Taylor admitted that, from 2018 through 2022, he bought human remains that he knew to have been stolen from Harvard Medical School and transported them from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania. Taylor also sold stolen human remains to others, including Jeremy Pauley, who previously entered a guilty plea to a felony information.
The indictment alleged that from 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. It is also alleged that Lodge at times transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania.
Several other defendants have pleaded guilty, including Denise Lodge, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, and Angelo Pereyra. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison and Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Denise Lodge is awaiting sentencing. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the East Pennsboro Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin 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. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Oswego County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Tyler Hull, age 42, of Fulton, New York, pled guilty yesterday to possession with intent to distribute over 300 grams of a schedule I synthetic cathinone. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Hull admitted that during a traffic stop, police found approximately 316 grams of a synthetic cathinone he intended to distribute to others in Oswego County. During questioning, Hull also admitted that he had distributed a similar quantity of the same substance on two prior occasions. The synthetic cathinone Hull intended to distribute is a schedule I controlled substance and has pharmacological effects on the central nervous system similar to other schedule I or II substances such as methylone, pentylone, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. At the time, Hull was serving a term of supervised release imposed after a 2022 federal drug trafficking conviction.
Hull also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release by committing the new offense and by possessing a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on the new offense and his supervised release violations by United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby on September 24, 2025, in Syracuse, New York.
U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is deeply committed to working closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to root out those who seek to profit by peddling poison in our communities through the distribution of controlled substances.”
“Yesterday’s guilty plea underscores the successful and unwavering collaboration between state, local, and federal partners, who continuously place the public’s safety above all else,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Buffalo. “I commend the law enforcement community for ensuring no stone is left unturned as we strive to protect our New York communities.”
For his new criminal offense, Hull faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2,000,000, and a term of post-release supervision of at least 6 years and up to life. Hull also faces up to two years in prison on his violations of supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The case was investigated by HSI and the other members of the Oswego County Drug Task Force, which is comprised of members of HSI, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Fulton Police Department, the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, and United States Border Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on May 13, 2025, FLOYD JONES (“JONES”), age 38, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to Counts Three, Four, and Five of an eight-count indictment pending against him. Counts Three and Four charge JONES with distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Count Five charges JONES with being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Sentencing is set for August 5, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry.
JONES faces not less than 5 years, up to 40 years’ imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to 4 years of supervised release for each of Counts Three and Four, and up to 15 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count Five. JONES also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all four counts.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2024 and August 22, 2024, JONES distributed over 50 grams or more of methamphetamine to undisclosed persons. Additionally, JONES sold a Ruger Model Security-9, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, loaded with 8 rounds of ammunition. JONES knew he was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing the firearm and ammunition.
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.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Jersey Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday to preparing false tax returns for clients.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Vito A. Pascarella, of Somerset, ran a tax preparation business. Pascarella prepared, and caused to be prepared, false tax returns for clients. On those tax returns, Pascarella reported false wage numbers, falsely reported that taxpayers owned and operated businesses that they did not own or operate, and falsely reported that those purported businesses earned gross receipts and incurred business expenses that they did not.
In total, Pascarella caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $550,000.
Pascarella is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Emerson Gordon-Marvin of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Montgomery Man Sentenced on Federal Firearm Charge Following High-Speed Vehicle Pursuit and Shooting IncidentRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, AL – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Montgomery man has been sentenced to prison following his conviction in federal court. On May 15, 2025, 38-year-old Lorenzo Anterrio Monta received a sentence of 180 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon completion of his 15-year prison term, Monta will serve three years of supervised release. As with all federal sentences, there is no parole.
According to court records, on March 21, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department (MPD) identified a vehicle traveling near Eastdale Road and Atlanta Highway that had been reported stolen earlier that day. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver refused to pull over and instead accelerated, initiating a high-speed pursuit.
During the chase, a passenger in the vehicle—later identified as Monta—leaned out of the car window and fired multiple shots toward the pursuing MPD patrol vehicle. The pursuit ended when the driver brought the vehicle to a stop, and both occupants, including Monta, fled on foot. Officers quickly apprehended both individuals in the surrounding area. When Monta was taken into custody, officers recovered a handgun from his pocket.
Monta has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On December 20, 2024, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Lorenzo Monta’s actions showed a complete disregard for public safety and law enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Firing a weapon during a high-speed pursuit placed countless lives at risk. The sentence imposed was the maximum allowed by statute and reflects the seriousness of the offense. Our office remains committed to holding armed, violent felons accountable and we will continue working with our local and federal partners to protect our communities from gun violence.”
This case was investigated by the Montgomery Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Counts prosecuted the case.
Mission Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on May 13, 2025 .
Charles Fast Horse Jr., age 22, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in April 2024 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On April 28, 2024, Fast Horse was riding in a vehicle with a group of individuals that included the victim. When the vehicle stopped at a residence in Mission, Fast Horse produced a knife and threatened the victim. The victim exited and fled the vehicle, but Fast Horse picked up an axe from the yard and chased after the victim. He then struck the victim multiple times with the axe, inflicting life-threatening injuries.
This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
- Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon
Milwaukee Man Charged in Federal Court for Arson at downtown MATC campusRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 15, 2025, a federal criminal complaint was filed against Jarriel Cotton (age: 40), charging him with arson of a building used in interstate commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i).
According to the criminal complaint, on May 13, 2025, shortly before 7:00 a.m., Cotton intentionally set fire to an upholstered chair on the third floor of the downtown Milwaukee MATC campus building at 700 W. State Street. The incident was captured on video. Cotton made his initial appearance in federal court on May 16, 2025. His next court hearing is May 21, 2025. He remains in federal custody.
Cotton has a prior arson conviction in Milwaukee County Circuit Court from a 2015 incident.
If convicted of the offense alleged in the criminal complaint, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ (up to life) imprisonment. He may also be fined up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Middletown Man Admits Role in Scheme that Defrauded Connecticut’s Medicaid Program of More Than $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON APELLANIZ, also known as “Kristopher Rockefeller” and “Kris,” 40, of Middletown, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a health care fraud offense related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.
The Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) is a Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Apellaniz previously operated The Gemini Project, LLC (“Gemini”), a Newington-based business that offered counseling to patients with mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders. According to the State of Connecticut’s public license database, Apellaniz is not a licensed provider. In 2020, Apellaniz was charged by the state with larceny, health care fraud, and identity theft offenses related to his providing services to numerous Medicaid beneficiaries as a non-licensed provider, and Gemini billing Medicaid for those services, or for services that were not rendered at all. Medicaid paid Gemini and Apellaniz $909,268 for the false claims. Apellaniz pleaded nolo contendere and, on April 17, 2024, was sentenced in Hartford Superior Court to eight years in prison, execution suspended after 15 months, and five years of parole. He was released from Department of Correction custody on November 19, 2024.
Suhail Aponte was the sole principal and registered agent of Minds Cornerstone LLC, dba Minds Cornerstone Behavior Therapy Services (“Minds Cornerstone”), an Autism Specialist Group, which was registered with the State of Connecticut in June 2021. Aponte also in not a licensed provider. Although Apellaniz does not appear on any of Minds Cornerstone’s Medicaid enrollment forms, had no ownership interest in the company, and had no signatory authority to any of its bank accounts, he conspired with Aponte and ran the company under a pseudonym, including while he was incarcerated in state custody.
Beginning in approximately November 2021, Apellaniz and Aponte used Minds Cornerstone to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting fraudulent claims for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). The scheme involved billing for Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to patients when company payroll records indicate employees were not compensated for the associated services; direct supervision services purportedly provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) of a behavioral technician, when the corresponding procedure code for behavioral technician services was not billed; services purportedly rendered to patients who were actually in an inpatient hospital; and services purportedly rendered when parents of patients and former employees of Minds Cornerstone confirmed those services did not occur.
Between November 2021 and January 2025, Apellaniz and Aponte submitted or caused to be submitted to Medicaid fraudulent claims that resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
The investigation revealed that Apellaniz used some of the funds Minds Cornerstone received to pay a portion of the restitution he owes as a result of his state prosecution.
From approximately May 2022 until November 2024, Aponte was also employed by the State of Connecticut in the Office of Policy and Management.
Apellaniz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 15. Apellaniz has been detained since his arrest on January 16, 2025.
Aponte pleaded guilty to the same charge on April 30 and awaits sentencing.
Apellaniz and Aponte have agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $469,000 in funds seized during the investigation, as well their interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Mexican National and Alleged Alien Smuggler Indicted on First Material Support of Terrorism Charges Against CJNG MemberRead the Press Release
Note: See second superseding indictment here.
An indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf.
“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere.” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”
According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
On Jan. 20, President Trump directed the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.
“We will never allow criminal gangs and cartels to terrorize American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “The days of unchecked gang and cartel violence are over.”
“As alleged, the defendant engaged in multiple of the most insidious kinds of criminal activity: firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, human and bulk cash smuggling, and even providing grenades to CJNG,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the Criminal Division’s hard work and commitment to eliminate cartels and foreign terrorist organizations like CJNG."
“The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that U.S. law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”
“The arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez should send a clear message to people who wish to align themselves with terrorist groups that they will be sought out and held to the highest extent of the law,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “I'm extremely proud of the dedicated men and women of the FBI and its law enforcement partners who work tirelessly every day to protect Americans and keep our communities safe.”
“The brutality and destruction inflicted by cartels and terrorist organizations is devastating communities across the United States and around the world,” said Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Dan Driscoll. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez demonstrates what international law enforcement cooperation can achieve when united against the threat posed by these violent networks. ATF and our partners will use every tool at our disposal to relentlessly hunt down, dismantle, and bring to justice every trafficker, every cartel operative, and every individual who dares to threaten the safety and sovereignty of our communities.”
“This case lays bare the true nature of the threat we face,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “A cartel associate providing support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is not just a criminal threat—it is a national security threat. DEA will use every tool of law enforcement to dismantle CJNG and its network that floods our streets with poison, traffics in human lives, and wages violence against law and order. We are not just keeping our communities safe from dangerous, illegal drugs—we are fighting a national security crisis.”
Photo of 20 AK-47 type firearms and two .50 caliber rifles seized on August 21, 2023, in the Western District of Texas. Photo of man-made tunnel used to smuggle aliens from Mexico to the United States. Photo of three packages of meth and multiple packages of blue fentanyl pills seized in March 2023. AM-15, multi-caliber AR-15 variant aka “El Dorado” recovered from Navarro-Sanchez’s possession during her arrest in Mexico on May 4, 2025.
“Supplying grenades to a designated terrorist organization—while trafficking firearms, narcotics, and human beings—is not just criminal; it’s a direct assault on the security of the United States,” said Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd M. Lyons. “Sanchez acted as a key enabler of violence who empowered cartels and terrorist organizations. Her crimes extended beyond smuggling; she was involved in firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Her actions endangered countless lives and undermined our efforts to protect the nation’s borders and communities. Confronting this level of criminality demands more than resolve—it requires a unified, all-of-government response, and that’s exactly what we demonstrated today: a coordinated effort to identify, disrupt, and bring to justice those who profit from violence and human suffering.”Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.
The FBI, ATF, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, investigated the case. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.
The case announced today is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.
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 Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is also 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 disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican National and Alleged Alien Smuggler Indicted in El Paso on First Material Support of Terrorism Charges for Supporting CJNGRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf.
“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”
According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
On Jan. 20, President Trump directed the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.
“The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that United States law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”
“Today’s historic indictment of Navarro-Sanchez, a high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization sets a precedent and sends an unmistakable message,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to dismantle this, and any other transnational criminal organization, and bring to justice all who enable, support, or profit from their deadly operations within the United States. The FBI El Paso Field Office is doubling down on our partnerships, both locally and with our Mexican counterparts to relentlessly pursue these cartels, violent gangs, and the organized networks that support them by continuing to aggressively disrupt their supply chains, cut off their funding, and take down their leadership, piece by piece, operation by operation.”
“The carnage left behind in the wake of the cartel is devastating to so many in the US and abroad,” stated Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, aka Fernanda, aka Chayo, is a groundbreaking demonstration of what international law enforcement authorities can do to fight the scourge of firearm trafficking and the menace that is the narcotics cartels. This may be one of the first of these charges, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to the multi-agency, ATF-led El Paso Operation Southbound Firearms Trafficking Task Force, for their nonstop commitment to take out one of the key players in the trafficking of firearms across our borders.”
“DEA is known for investigating and successfully convicting numerous narco-terrorism targets,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Division. “But this case is a prime example of how DEA is expanding and incorporating more terrorism-related investigative authorities. The men and women of the DEA welcome every tool and every measure available to us to defeat CJNG.”
"This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez," stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. "These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that "This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez," stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. "These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that crosses borders, devastating communities through the distribution of deadly drugs and inciting chaos and violence."
Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.
The FBI, ATF, DEA, Customs and Border Protection and HSI in El Paso investigated the case, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The DEA, CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.
The case announced today is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.
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 Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is also 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 disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican National with Three Prior Deportations Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced this week to a total of 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States, while on federal supervised release, after being removed from the country on three prior occasions. On Thursday, Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Geraldo Maya-Gonzalez to 18 months in prison. On Friday, he was sentenced to an additional, consecutive six months by United States District Judge James C. Mahan for violating the terms of his supervised release imposed after his 2018 conviction for the same offense.
According to court documents, Maya-Gonzalez was found by immigration officials on January 27, 2021, after he was previously deported on or about March 3, 2011, June 5, 2012, and July 26, 2019. Maya-Gonzalez came into ICE custody in 2024, after serving a state sentence for drug trafficking.
Maya-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. This was his third such conviction.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 88 Months in Prison for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – German Montano-Peralta, 33, of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on May 12, 2025, by United States District Judge Angela Martinez to 88 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Montano-Peralta previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine.
On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, Montano-Peralta and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day.
This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Arizona Strike Force located in Tucson. 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.
Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-2710-AMM-4
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-079_Montano-Peralta# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Member of ‘21st and Vietnam’ Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More than 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damien Jenkins, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 151 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Jenkins pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, N-n-dimethylpentalone, also known as “boot,” and phencyclidine, aka PCP. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Jenkins to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Jenkins is a member of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, an organization that distributed narcotics – primarily fentanyl and cocaine – in an open-air market and apartment building in the area of the 1900 block of I Street, NE.
Among other things, the crew took over a vacant apartment for use as a base of operations and used it to process, prepare, and package the drugs for redistribution. Sales occurred at the front of the building, in the apartment, and in a parking lot at the rear of the apartment.
Law enforcement identified Jenkins as being involved in the manufacture, packaging, and sale of drugs. Jenkins has admitted that he was accountable for 1.2 to 3.9 kilos of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, boot, and PCP.
Additionally, on March 7, 2024, several crew members engaged in a verbal altercation with an individual. Co-defendant Charles Manson went into the vacant apartment and Jenkins handed Manson a ski mask. Manson, who was in possession of a firearm, put on the mask. Manson
then went outside of 1919 I Street, NE, and opened fire in the direction of the indivIdual.
On May 15, 2024, about 6 a.m., law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jenkins’s residence. Law enforcement recovered an AK pattern firearm, a Ruger .380 caliber handgun, a Sterling Arms .22 caliber handgun, weapon magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and $3,342 in cash.
This case was investigated by the MPD, the DEA Washington Division, and FBI Washington Field Offce. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.
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Man Sentenced to 450 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Four Female MinorsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 14, 2025, United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll sentenced Efraín Pablo Cruz-González to 450 months (37 years and six months) in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for child exploitation charges against four female minor victims. Cruz-González, 36, from Toa Baja, PR, was indicted on February 15, 2024, and plead guilty on February 6, 2025.
According to court documents, from August 2019 to May 2022, Efraín Pablo Cruz-González knowingly used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a female minor between the ages of seven and 10-years-old, and another female minor between the ages of four and seven years of age to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant used a cellular phone to record the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
On December 24, 2019, and August 19, 2021, the defendant used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced two other female minors of prepubescent ages to produce images of them engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
“The defendant engaged in acts of sexual exploitation against defenseless children and produced videos of his sexual abuse for his personal gratification,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally-dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice.”
“Let this sentence serve as a clear warning—there is no safe haven in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands for predators who exploit children,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Juan Field Office. “This outcome is a direct result of the swift, relentless efforts of our agents and partners, who acted with precision and resolve. We are committed to defending the most vulnerable among us, and we will continue to pursue justice with urgency and focus wherever these crimes occur.”
The FBI investigated the case and Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the United States Attorney’s Office Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.
Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute crimes. Citizens with information about child exploitation crimes or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.
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.
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Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON –A leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy operating in and around the South Shore area of Massachusetts was sentenced in federal court in Boston for multiple federal drug offenses.
Giovanni Pina, 27, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 138 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. In January 2025, Pina pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine on a premises where a minor was present and/or resided; and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Beginning in at least January 2021 through at least November 2021, Pina served as one of the leaders of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine in and around the South Shore area – including in the Brockton, Quincy and Weymouth communities. Part of that conspiracy involved a Weymouth “stash house.” During a search of the stash house in January 2021, two kilo presses; extensive drug paraphernalia, including blenders, digital scales and packaging equipment; more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine; three firearms; ammunition; two high-capacity magazines; and a speed loader were recovered. According to court documents and information presented in court, Pina assisted in operating other stash locations after law enforcement dismantled the Weymouth location.
Additionally, Pina participated in a number of recorded drug deals with a cooperating witness in January and February 2023, two of which occurred in the presence of a minor. One recorded drug deal occurred on or about Jan. 12, 2023, at a residence in Brockton. During the deal and in the presence of a minor, Pina provided the witness with a box containing orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,000 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine. On or about Jan. 25, 2023, Pina participated in another recorded drug deal with the cooperating witness in a vehicle in Taunton. During the deal, Pina provided the witness with a box that contained a large amount of orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,500 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department; and the Cohasset, Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph, Brockton, East Bridgewater and Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Keshena Man Sentenced for Fatal Drug Delivery in Tribal Detention FacilityRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 16, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Warren Grignon (age 43) of Keshena, Wisconsin, to 12 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl he smuggled into the Menominee Tribal Jail, which led to three overdoses, one of which was fatal. Those actions led to the February 7, 2025, entry of guilty pleas to charges of involuntary manslaughter and distribution of controlled substances. Grignon was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the distribution of controlled substances count and a concurrent 8 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter count.
According to court records, Grignon was booked into the tribal jail on December 22, 2023, and moved into a cell with other inmates on December 23, 2023. Grignon distributed a substance containing fentanyl to three other inmates, who ingested the drug that afternoon. All three inmates overdosed, and responding jail personnel, tribal police, and EMTs managed to revive two of the inmates. Tragically, one of the inmates died.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted that the serious nature of the offense and the profound effect Grignon’s actions had on the community required a lengthy prison term. Following his 12-year prison sentence, Grignon will be on supervised release for an additional 10 years. He was also ordered to pay $6,943 in restitution to the victim’s family.
The Menominee Tribal Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier in the United States District Court in Green Bay.
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Justice Department Announces North Georgia Results of Operation Restore JusticeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Between April 28, 2025 through May 1, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort, by all 55 FBI field offices, United States Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division (CEOS), to identify, track, and arrest child sex offenders. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 subjects, including six individuals charged in the Northern District of Georgia: Austin Hunter Bedingfield, 27, of Douglasville; Ian Dudar, 26, of Roswell; Kenneth Frazier, 30, of Powder Springs; Eduardo Gardea, 26, of Norcross; Connie Lynn Thompson, 52, of Grantville; and Christopher Welcher, 44, of Grantville.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims – especially child victims – and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Sex crimes against minors are especially heinous,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We commend our federal and local law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to hold accountable those who prey on children and achieve a measure of justice for the victims and their families.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Our commitment is resolute. FBI Atlanta remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard children from those who seek to harm society’s most vulnerable,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “However, let there be no confusion – this week’s operation is just one chapter in a relentless, year-round effort that our dedicated agents are fully invested in. We will continue to leverage every tool and resource at our disposal to track down child predators and ensure they face justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court, the following defendants were arrested in connection with the operation, indicted by federal grand juries seated in the Northern District of Georgia, and have now been arraigned before a United States Magistrate Judge:
- Austin Hunter Bedingfield was charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Bedingfield allegedly distributed graphic videos depicting the abuse of minors to an undercover officer via Kik. FBI agents conducted a search of Bedingfield’s electronic devices and recovered additional images of sexual abuse of minor children. He was arrested on April 30, 2025.
- Ian Dudar was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. Dudar allegedly purchased child sexual abuse material using Bitcoin from a commercial child exploitation ring on at least four occasions in 2022. Later, in January 2024, when FBI agents executed search warrants on his person and home, they found child sexual abuse material on two of his electronic devices. He was arrested on April 29, 2025.
- Kenneth Frazier was charged with enticement of a minor, receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material. On November 7, 2024, acting on tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Cobb County, Georgia, Police Department executed a search warrant at Frazier’s residence in Powder Springs. Officers seized Frazier’s cell phones, which contained hundreds of images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers forced to engage in sex acts. One of Frazier’s phones also contained chat transcripts in which Frazier allegedly described himself as a “pedophile,” enticed a minor to engage in sexual activity, and received a visual depiction of that minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He was arrested on May 2, 2025.
- Eduardo Gardea was charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Gardea allegedly distributed child sexual abuse material on two internet platforms and possessed thousands of images depicting the sexual abuse of children. He was arrested on April 24, 2025.
- Connie Lynn Thompson was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying electronic devices to conceal the alleged child exploitation crimes of Christopher Welcher, who was also arrested during the operation, as is more fully described below. Approximately a week after Welcher’s arrest, he allegedly called Thompson from jail and discussed a plan to destroy electronic devices that contained evidence against him. Although Thompson allegedly executed the concealment plan, the FBI recovered the damaged devices from Thompson’s household trash. She was arrested on May 16, 2025.
- Christopher Welcher was charged with enticement of a minor, interstate travel to engage in an illicit sex act with a minor, possession of child sexual abuse material, and commission of a felony by a registered sex offender. On March 4, 2025, Welcher, a registered sex offender who previously served more than six years in federal prison for distributing child sex abuse materials, allegedly exchanged sexually explicit text messages with an undercover investigator he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Welcher then drove from Alabama to the vicinity of a northwest Georgia high school to allegedly meet and molest the girl. Police arrested Welcher upon his arrival at the meeting location and seized his phone, which contained hundreds of images of child sex abuse. He was arrested on May 16, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments 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.
United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and Assistant United States Attorneys James Hwang, Matthew LaGrone, Leanne Marek, and Amy Palumbo are prosecuting these cases.
These cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Rome/Floyd Metro Drug Task Force.
This effort follows the Department of Justice’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April 2025, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, investigate and prosecute these crimes every day, April served as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Jury Convicts KC Man in Murder-for-Hire ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
Thomas D. Clegg, 42, was found guilty by a jury of participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
Clegg and others conspired from Aug. 19, 2021, to June 13, 2022, to murder a victim identified as “J.C.” and his family members for payment in cash and marijuana.
The conspiracy included two occasions when Clegg shot J.C. On Aug. 19, 2021, Clegg shot J.C. in the leg and back in the parking lot of Ugly Joe’s bar in Kansas City, Mo. On May 25, 2022, Clegg shot J.C. in the back in the parking lot of a strip mall located at 4010 Sterling Avenue, Kansas City, Mo. The businesses in and near the strip mall included an accounting firm, daycare, and fitness center. One witness had just picked two of her children up from the daycare when her vehicle was struck by the gunfire. One of her windows was shot out, but no one in her vehicle was injured.
Investigators seized Clegg’s cell phone when he was arrested. Investigators also obtained search warrants for Clegg’s cell phone. Text messages between Clegg and co-conspirators indicated that Clegg was hired to murder J.C.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, May 12.
Clegg pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm utilized in the May 2022 shooting on Tuesday, May 6.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Clegg has two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, as well as prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, trafficking in drugs, voluntary manslaughter, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, assault, armed criminal action, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Clegg is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department, the Independence, Mo. Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Judge Gives 18 Years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Jackson, 38, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today in Superior Court to 18 years in prison for the brutal stabbing of 52-year-old Maria Evans in the rear alleyway of 530 Oakwood Street, SE, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count of second-degree murder while armed, pursuant to an 11(c) plea that limited his prison term to 17-21 years.
According to the statement of facts, in the morning hours around 6:30 am on Thursday, March 29, 2018, Jackson walked into the rear alleyway of 530 Oakwood Street, SE with the victim. As he walked behind Ms. Evans into the alleyway, the defendant held a long blade knife in his hand. The defendant then stabbed Ms. Evans 23 times – once in her face, once in her neck, nine in her chest, five in her stomach, three in her side, twice in back, once in her shoulder, and once on her hand. The defendant then briskly exited the alleyway and discarded the knife in a trashcan at the mouth of the alleyway.
Later that morning, around 8 am, MPD officers found Ms. Evans lying unconscious and unresponsive in the alleyway, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Ms. Evans was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
On May 4, 2018, the defendant was arrested pursuant to a Superior Court warrant. After the defendant waived his Miranda rights, police showed him surveillance video in which he identified himself entering the alley with Ms. Evans, just moments before he repeatedly stabbed her, and then exited the alley after discarding the knife in a dumpster, although he denied killing Ms. Evans.
U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith also praised the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department and acknowledged the work of United States Attorney’s Office.
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Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison after robbing convenience store and leading police on a high-speed chaseRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for violent crime violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Patrick Lee Bridgewater, 22, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 16, 2025.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2023, local law enforcement officers responded to a report of an armed robbery in progress at the Speedy Stop on College Street in Beaumont. Witnesses reported two men entered the store and demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint. A description of the men and the vehicle they fled in was broadcast to law enforcement. The vehicle was quickly located traveling eastbound on College Street. A traffic stop was initiated, but the vehicle evaded police resulting in a high-speed chase eventually ending in Nederland. Bridgewater was a passenger in the vehicle, which had been reported stolen and was being driven by a minor. Evidence from the robbery was found in the vehicle.
This case was sentenced as 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).
This case was investigated by FBI’s Beaumont field office and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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