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28 June 2025
Justice Department Requires Divestitures and Licensing Commitments in HPE’s Acquisition of Juniper NetworksRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Achieving a result otherwise unavailable through litigation, earlier today the Justice Department advised the court it had reached a settlement with HPE and Juniper that allows their merger to continue. This novel approach by the Justice Department reflects a commitment to solving unique challenges in mergers. Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi the laws of this country will be zealously enforced.
“Thank you to the hardworking men and women of the Antitrust Division for their work on this case.” — Gail Slater, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Divison
“This marks another key legal victory from the Department of Justice’s Antitrust division. Our attorneys will continue fighting and winning to defend the American people and consumers.” — Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle
The settlement requires HPE to divest its Instant On business and mandates that the merged firm license critical Juniper software to independent competitors. HPE must divest its global “Instant On” campus and branch WLAN business, including all assets, intellectual property, R&D personnel, and customer relationships, to a DOJ-approved buyer within 180 days. The agreement also ensures that key software assets will be available to rivals looking to compete with the merged company. The parties must hold an auction to license Juniper’s AI Ops for Mist source code—an important component in modern WLAN systems. The license will be perpetual, non-exclusive, and include optional transitional support and personnel transfers to facilitate competition.
27 June 2025
Western District of Texas U.S Attorney’s Office Files 253 New Immigration Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 253 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 20 through 26.
Among the new cases, U.S. citizen Justin Joel Knight was arrested near Carrizo Springs on June 19 for conspiring to transport an illegal alien further into the United States. A criminal complaint alleges Knight underwent an immigration inspection at the Highway 277 Border Patrol checkpoint, during which an illegal alien was found inside the toolbox located in the bed of Knight’s pickup truck. The illegal alien who Knight was allegedly transporting was Honduran national Jose Alfredo Pena-Miranda. Pena-Miranda is charged with illegal re-entry and was previously deported twice, most recently to Honduras in May 2019 through Valley International Airport. In 2014, he was convicted of aggravated robbery and sentenced to five years confinement.
Mexican national David Lopez-Bartolo was arrested by U. S. Border Patrol agents near Maverick for being an alien illegally present in the U.S. Immigration records indicate Lopez-Bartolo was previously deported to Mexico on Feb. 4 through Laredo and has multiple prior convictions including criminal mischief, deadly conduct, driving under the influence, evading arrest, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.
Honduran national Rigoberto Alvarado Escobar was also arrested for illegal re-entry charges near Maverick. He has been deported four times, the last one being to Honduras on July 29, 2024, through Alexandria, Louisiana. Alvarado Escobar’s criminal history includes several convictions in Kentucky for disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, assault and illegal re-entry.
Mexican nationals Angel Arturo Barbosa-Morales and Miguel Angel Herrera Miranda were arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry. Barbosa-Morales has two prior removals, the last one being to Mexico on Aug. 11, 2022, and has prior convictions for aggravated assault and assaulting/resisting/obstructing. Herrera Miranda was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico in July 2003. He was previously convicted for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Guatemalan national Juan Bautista Carrillo-Gomez was arrested for illegal re-entry in El Paso after being removed to Guatemala on May 20 through Harlingen. Carrillo-Gomez has an extensive criminal record that includes prior convictions for willful obstruction and battery.
In San Antonio, a Honduran national was federally charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. A criminal complaint alleges Wilmer Vladimir Ruiz Ortega shot and paralyzed a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was working as a security guard at a bar. According to the complaint, the veteran security guard conducted a routine pat-down on Ruiz Ortega at the bar’s entrance when he located a pistol in the defendant’s pocket. A scuffle ensued and Ruiz Ortega allegedly shot the security guard three times, with one of the rounds hitting his neck and causing serious bodily injury. The complaint further alleges that Ruiz Ortega attempted to flee in a vehicle but was detained.
In Austin, an Iranian national was arrested and charged with one count of failure to deport. Jamil Bahlouli had been ordered to report to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in 2024 following an illegal re-entry conviction. Bahlouli did not follow the order and appear but was found in Austin on June 25.
Honduran national Abner Javier Torres-Maldonado was encountered in the Travis County Jail on Tuesday following an arrest by the Texas Department of Public Safety. In 2018, Torres-Maldonado was convicted for alien smuggling.
Jose Luis Hernandez-Salinas, a Mexican national, was also encountered at the Travis County Jail with two prior removals. Additionally, Hernandez-Salinas has been previously convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, illegal re-entry, and possession of a controlled substance.
Mexican national Hermenegildo Prado-Perez was arrested in Waco by a U.S. Marshal and a Homeland Security Investigations special agent during a targeted enforcement action. He was charged with illegal re-entry after being previously removed from the U.S. in April 2024 through Laredo. Prado-Perez has a prior conviction for soliciting prostitution of a minor.
Also in Waco, Guatemalan national Pablo David Cajti-Tzoy was arrested in Temple on June 21 after being encountered by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Waco Fugitive Operations Team. Cajti-Tzoy was not in possession of his I-94 when he was encountered by ICE officers. He also failed to notify the Attorney General in writing of his new address and address change within 10 days. Cajti-Tzoy pleaded guilty in federal court on June 24 and was sentenced to time-served.
These 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), 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 additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Waterville Man Pleads Guilty to Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to making threatening interstate communications.
According to court records, on February 8, 2024, Benjamin Brown, 47, posted comments on YouTube threatening to hunt down and kill illegal immigrants. In his comments, Brown said that no one could stop him from killing illegal immigrants, not even law enforcement. Federal agents had previously met with Brown on two separate occasions to discuss other comments he had posted online and warned him about the federal crime of interstate threats.
“You can’t threaten to kill people, like Benjamin Brown did, and not face repercussions,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners have to take you at your word and intervene, because protecting human life is our absolute priority.”
“Despite being repeatedly warned about his online comments, Benjamin Brown not only made threats to kill others, but basically dared law enforcement to stop him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff. “Online threats are no less serious than those made in other ways, and those who make them will be investigated and prosecuted.”
Brown faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.
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Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT AMATRUDA, also known as “Bubba” and “Spanky,” 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items.
During the wiretap, Amatruda was intercepted numerous times speaking with Duprey to arrange narcotics transactions. Amatruda purchased cocaine from Duprey to distribute to others, and sometimes provided Duprey with cocaine.
Amatruda, Duprey and 12 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash.
On July 31, 2023, Amatruda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Duprey, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty to related charges and, on March 26, 2024, was sentenced to 141 months of imprisonment for this offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 90 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 90 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On June 20, Jose Natalio Flores Avila, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, when the motorist attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 95 packages containing 103 pounds of methamphetamine, and one package containing 2.5 pounds of heroin, concealed in the firewall, driver’s side quarter panel, passenger side rear quarter panel, front bumper, driver’s side fender, passenger side fender and dashboard.
- On June 22, Jason Miguel Byrd-Gallegos and Jose Ricardo Ayala were arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain on a boat that was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard off Point Loma. Fidel Ayala-Romero, Jesus Briseno-Martinez, Jose Antonio Navarro-Alvarez and Jose Miguel Verduzco, who were among the passengers, were charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, the boat had 10 undocumented immigrants aboard, including the six defendants. All but one were determined to be citizens of Mexico; Byrd-Gallegos is a U.S. citizen.
- On June 23, Fernando Carillo Ramos was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the U.S. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents found the defendant hiding in large bushes less than a mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The defendant had been previously deported to Mexico in December 2024.
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’s one of those cases:
- On June 27, Omar Esteban Garcia-Rodriguez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Assault with a Deadly Weapon/Great Bodily Injury in 2020, was sentenced in federal court to 18 months 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 Charges Man with Assaulting Federal Employee Outside Federal Courthouse in Downtown ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged a man with assaulting a federal employee outside of the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago.
The assault occurred on Tuesday afternoon as the victim was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop neighborhood of Chicago. JOSHUA ROWELL, 36, of Chicago, approached the victim from behind and punched her on the side of her face, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The force of Rowell’s punch sent the victim stumbling into the street onto Jackson Boulevard, the complaint states.
The victim is an employee of the federal judiciary and was working in her official capacity as a federal employee when the assault occurred, the complaint states. She suffered a concussion and received treatment at a Chicago hospital.
Chicago Police arrested Rowell about an hour after the alleged assault. He remains detained in law enforcement custody. The complaint charges Rowell with one count of forcible assault of a federal employee, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison. His initial appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Maione.
“Under my leadership, there will be zero tolerance for attacks against federal employees or attacks at the federal courthouse or any other federal government building or land in the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Our federal employees and the people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve to be able to go to and from work and enjoy all that downtown and Chicagoland have to offer without looking over their shoulders out of fear of being attacked. When assailants cross the line, they will be swiftly prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
The public is reminded that U.S. Attorney Boutros earlier this month created new Project Safe Neighborhoods enforcement zones in the economic centers of Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, which was a first for the nation.
A complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
rowell_complaint.pdfU.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 June 27, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 67 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 7 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 43 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 38 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), 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, DUI, and drug possession.
In one significant case, U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped a flat-bed tractor trailer driven by Jarol Wilberto Arroyo-Cerin. During the traffic stop, agents discovered an illegal alien in the cab of the truck, and 12 additional aliens concealed in the storage bin and frame of the flatbed trailer. One of the aliens was an unaccompanied juvenile. Arroyo-Cerin, a U.S. citizen, admitted to picking up the illegal aliens in El Paso, Texas and told agents he was transporting them to Albuquerque.
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.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Announces Intent to Seek Death Penalty Against Labar TsethlikaiRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico filed a Notice of Intent to seek the death penalty against Labar Tsethlikai.
Tsethlikai, 52, an enrolled Member of Zuni Pueblo, is charged in a 17-count Second Superseding Indictment as follows:
- Count 1 (October 22, 2022): Kidnapping Resulting in Death of John Doe 1
- Count 2 (January 18, 2024): First Degree Murder of John Doe 2
- Count 3 (January 18, 2024): First Degree Felony Murder of John Doe 2
- Count 4 (January 18, 2024): Kidnapping Resulting in Death of John Doe 2
- Count 5 (May 19, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 3
- Count 6 (June 15, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 4
- Count 7 (June 15, 2023): Assault with Intent to Commit Murder of John Doe 4
- Count 8 (June 15, 2023): Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury of John Doe 4
- Count 9 (July 13, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 5
- Count 10 (July 13, 2023): Aggravated Sexual Abuse of John Doe 5
- Count 11 (August 24, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 6
- Count 12 (August 24, 2023): Assault with a Dangerous Weapon of John Doe 6
- Count 13 (September 7, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 7
- Count 14 (September 15, 2023): Kidnapping of John Doe 8
- Count 15 (February 16, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 9
- Count 16 (April 5, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 10
- Count 17 (April 11, 2024): Kidnapping of John Doe 11
The maximum penalty for the kidnapping resulting in death charges is death, and Attorney General Bondi has authorized and directed the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico to pursue capital punishment in this case. Consistent with that authorization, the U.S. Attorney filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Tsethlikai.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office is investigating this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Homicide Unit, Sex Crimes Unit, and Air Support Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McGinley and Jack E. Burkhead are prosecuting the case.
The FBI continues to investigate Tsethlikai’s involvement in crimes against other victims. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, or have information about Tsethlikai, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
View the NOI to Seek Death Penalty (Tsethlikai).pdf View the Second Superseding Indictment (Tsethlikai).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea Announces His RetirementRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – After 34 years of service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea announced that he is retiring from the Department of Justice. Mr. O’Shea began his career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an intern in January 1991. He was hired as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the criminal division in August 1991 and served in that role until 2002, when he was appointed Senior Litigation Counsel. Mr. O’Shea was appointed as First Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2018 and served in that role until March 2021. He also served as Acting Civil Chief from September 2020 to January 2021. He was appointed as Acting U.S. Attorney in March 2021 and then formally transitioned to U.S. Attorney in April 2022.
During his career as a federal prosecutor, Mr. O’Shea prosecuted a broad array of federal crimes including money laundering; tax crimes; bank, mail, wire, and credit card fraud; illegal weapons; narcotics; bank robbery; murder, attempted murder, and other violent offenses. He also had a particular emphasis in computer and intellectual property crimes, specifically trade secret theft, system intrusions, and illegal counterfeit and distribution of copyrighted material. He was the lead prosecutor in United States v. Sinovel, the first and only federal jury trial and conviction of Chinese company for trade secret theft. The prosecution team recovered more than $58 million in restitution for the victims. Mr. O’Shea was also an experienced appellate advocate, arguing more than 60 cases before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
As U.S. Attorney, he was considered the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Wisconsin, responsible for overseeing all federal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States within the district. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. O’Shea worked with Federal, State, and local law enforcement and intelligence professionals on issues related to gun violence. He also developed and participated in “Protecting Places of Worship” events held throughout the Western District of Wisconsin for law enforcement, public safety professionals, and religious communities.
“It’s been a privilege to serve the citizens of the Western District of Wisconsin and to work with such a dedicated and talented group of attorneys and legal professionals,” said Mr. O’Shea. “I greatly enjoyed my years with the Department of Justice, and for the last four years, it’s been an honor to serve Western Wisconsin as U.S. Attorney.”
Following U.S. Attorney O’Shea’s retirement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma will serve as the Acting U.S. Attorney until a U.S. Attorney is formally nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Mr. Elgersma has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the district since 2017. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Elgersma was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Two Indicted for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. man and woman who sold drugs to an undercover agent have been indicted by a federal grand jury. The man was also indicted on firearm charges.
Marcellus W. Anderson, 31, and Tyra K. M. McGee, 37, were charged today in a 14-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Anderson and McGee on June 12, 2025.
The federal indictment charges Anderson and McGee with participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue between December 1, 2023, and June 11, 2025. They are also charged together in one count of distributing fentanyl and one count of distributing a fentanyl analogue.
Additionally, Anderson is charged with three counts of distribution of cocaine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, five counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, Anderson sold cocaine to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on three occasions, methamphetamine on one occasion, fentanyl on six occasions, and a fentanyl analogue on one occasion. McGee participated in one of the fentanyl transactions and the fentanyl analogue transaction. Additionally, Anderson had a Glock, Model 27, .40 caliber pistol in his lap during one of the transactions, which he commented was for protection. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Anderson has a prior felony conviction for receiving stolen firearms.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department; and the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force.
Operation Take Back America
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). (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline)
Two Illegal Aliens Charged with Assaulting and Resisting Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
ATLANTA & GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Ricardo Trejo-Martinez and Hector Beltran-Ledesma, both illegal aliens from Mexico, were charged this week with assaulting or resisting federal deportation officers. The charges arise from two separate incidents. Additionally, Beltran-Ledesma was charged with illegally re-entering the United States after prior deportation.
“Interference with law enforcement and attacks on officers are unjustifiable,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Abiding by a policy of zero tolerance, our Office will vigorously and expeditiously hold accountable anyone who endangers or violently obstructs federal law enforcement officers.”
“Violence and physical resistance against our men and women of law enforcement who place themselves at risk to enhance public safety will never be tolerated,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Our agents are committed to holding those who choose violence accountable, and thanks to their diligent efforts, Ricardo Trejo-Martinez and Hector Beltran-Ledesma, both illegal aliens, are now facing serious charges for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court:
- On May 20, 2025, a deportation officer conducted a vehicle stop on a four-lane highway in Commerce, Georgia to execute an administrative arrest warrant for an illegal alien. The driver, subsequently identified as Ricardo Trejo-Martinez, was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Trejo-Martinez allegedly refused to comply with the officer’s requests to provide identification and, once outside the vehicle, shoved the deportation officer into the highway as vehicles passed.
- On June 21, 2025, two deportation officers were tasked with locating and arresting Hector Beltran-Ledesma, a previously removed alien. Beltran-Ledesma was located upon leaving his home in Roswell, Georgia. He allegedly attempted to flee upon seeing the officers and, after receiving commands to stop, forcibly resisted arrest.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is 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).
Both cases are being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Buffalo men charged with fentanyl possessionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Antonio Martinez, 43, and Dominic Daniels, 38, both of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. In addition, Daniels is charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Martinez and Daniels were identified as individuals believed to be engaged in narcotics trafficking during an investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. On June 25, 2025, a search warrant was executed for vehicles and residences on Townsend Street and Easton Avenue in Buffalo, associated with and utilized by the defendants for drug trafficking activities. During the searches, investigators seized approximately 2,123 grams of suspected fentanyl, approximately 144 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, approximately 38 grams of crack cocaine, $16,000 in cash, two loaded firearms, drug paraphernalia, and six cellular telephones.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright, the U.S. Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Twenty-Three Members of an Interstate Car Theft Ring Charged in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that a second superseding indictment had been unsealed, charging the following 23 individuals for their roles in an interstate car theft ring:
NameAge
LocationDiaunte D. Shields30
WisconsinGeoffrey Harvey35
GeorgiaWillie Bullard41
GeorgiaLashawn Davis, Jr.25
WisconsinBrandon Mullins40
GeorgiaNakiya Wright31
WisconsinCasha Griffin31
IllinoisBrianna Shields34
WisconsinGerrica Baker27
WisconsinDeon Brooks24
MichiganTashawn Brown-Smith28
WisconsinDequas Crawford-Higgs30
IllinoisJa Lean Little23
IllinoisVashawn Milton33
GeorgiaDeamonte Lee27
IllinoisGlenn Larsen53
IllinoisKenneth Kilson42
DelawareChaz Holifield34
WisconsinMeliek McClarn32
WisconsinTashay Northern27
North DakotaEsteban Cardenas37
WisconsinAccording to court records, between approximately January 2019 and February 2024, members of the alleged theft ring stole and directed others to steal motor vehicles, transported and arranged for the transportation of stolen vehicles across the nation, created front companies, altered vehicle identification numbers, made fake motor vehicle titles, registered stolen vehicles using those fake motor vehicle titles, and sold those vehicles to others for money and drugs. This investigation tied more than 175 stolen cars, many of which were new and “high end” to the ring. Some of the vehicles were stolen from airports, including Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport, car dealerships, and car manufacturer’s assembly plants.
“The charges unsealed against these defendants are the direct result of effective collaboration and countless hours of thorough investigative work by dedicated law enforcement professionals,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “I commend all involved in pursuing justice for the impacted victims and for seeking to hold the charged individuals accountable for their actions.”
All twenty-three defendants are charged with conspiring to violate various laws of the United States, including conspiring to receive, transport, and sell stolen vehicles; remove, obliterate, or tamper with motor vehicle identification numbers; and produce and transfer false and fraudulent titles for stolen vehicles. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each defendant would face up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Twenty-one of the twenty-three defendants are also charged with interstate transportation of stolen vehicles or the receipt, possession, concealment, or sale of stolen motor vehicles that traveled in interstate commerce. If convicted of one of these charges, each defendant would face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Diaunte Shields, Brandon Mullins, and Nakiya Wright are also charged with the use of interstate commerce to transmit and transfer fictitious obligations or the presentation or offer of fictitious obligations. If convicted of one of these charges, each defendant would face up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Diaunte Shields and Lashawn Davis, Jr. are also charged with drug trafficking crimes. If convicted of one of these charges, they would face mandatory minimum terms of 10 years and up to life in prison. Nakiya Wright is also charged with aggravated identity theft and, if convicted, would face a mandatory term of 2 years in prison. Defendants Diaunte Shields, Casha Griffin, and Nakiya Wright also are charged with conspiring to violate federal money laundering laws, and if convicted of that offense, each of them would face a maximum term of 20 years in prison and up to a $500,000 fine, or twice the value of the property involved.
“Following a multi-year investigation, the FBI successfully dismantled a national auto theft ring that has been ongoing since 2019,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “These individuals are part of a criminal organization responsible for hundreds of high-end motor vehicle thefts resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Their criminal activity involves a complex operation of stealing vehicles and transporting them across the country. In Wisconsin, this organization is responsible for drug trafficking multiple kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue working together to stop these crimes and protect the American people.”
“This was a calculated, multi-state operation that went far beyond stealing cars—it was identity theft, forgery, and financial fraud on a significant scale,” said Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “These defendants didn’t just take vehicles—they exploited people’s identities, manipulated documents, and laundered illegal profits through sophisticated schemes designed to conceal their crimes. IRS-CI special agents followed the money, mapped out the financial structure of this organization, and worked side by side with our partners to bring those responsible to justice. Let me be clear: if you build your enterprise on fraud and deception, we will find you, we will expose you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office was proud to be a partner in this endeavor from its inception, with deputy sheriffs and detectives from this agency playing a key role in identifying and capturing members of this crime ring,” said Sheriff Denita R. Ball. “As stated by others, this was not just a ring of car thieves. This group took advantage of innocent people and turned lives upside down. Their actions were calculated and callous. And now they will face the justice they deserve.”
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Milwaukee County Sherriff’s Office, and the Wheaton Police Department (IL). The Sun Prairie Police Department (WI), Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department (WI), and numerous local and state law enforcement agencies throughout the country provided additional assistance.
Operation Strike Out was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Biebel and Philip T. Kovoor are prosecuting this case.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Steve Caballero, Public Affairs Officer @ 414-297-1700
Torrington Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of 3 MinorsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER JESUS CONSTANZO, 23, of Torrington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 300 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for his sexual exploitation of three different minors, including the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, the enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year old girl, and the production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 7:27 a.m., Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived by car at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont. Just prior to their arrival, officials at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing in Canada had refused Constanzo and the minor victim entry into Canada. After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers separated Constanzo from the minor victim, the victim reported that she met Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington. Constanzo then sexually assaulted the minor victim, forced her into the trunk of her car, restrained her with a shoelace, and began driving. At some point during the night, Constanzo removed the minor victim from the trunk and sexually assaulted her again. As they neared the Canadian border, Constanzo had the minor victim sit in the front passenger seat of the car. Constanzo instructed her to “act normal” and “go along with the story.” Constanzo then told Canadian Border Services Agency officials that the minor victim was his sister and they intended to go into Canada for four days to visit friends. However, due to their lack of COVID tests, Constanzo and the minor victim were denied entry into Canada. Constanzo was arrested by CBP on December 2, 2021.
In July 2021, Constanzo used SnapChat to coerce a 16-year-old female to go to an abandoned warehouse in Torrington to record herself having sex with Constanzo, and, posing as two fictitious individuals on SnapChat, he threatened to kill the minor victim and kill her boyfriend if she did not comply. At the warehouse, Constanzo sexually assaulted the minor victim at knifepoint.
Also in July 2021, Constanzo used his iPhone to record sexually explicit Facetime videos of a 17-year-old female.
Constanzo has been detained since his arrest. On February 22, 2025, he pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and, as part of his plea agreement, admitted his conduct against all three victims.
State charges against Constanzo are pending.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, the Chittenden County (Vt.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Torrington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the State’s Attorney for the Litchfield Judicial District for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Three Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three men convicted of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.
Hernan Molina-Perez, 33, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney yesterday to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
Molina-Perez had been deported from the United States in October of 2007, following his arrest by the U.S. Border Patrol and the issuance of a removal order by an immigration judge.
In December of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Molina-Perez was again in the country illegally, and had previously been arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department. ICE officers took Molina-Perez into custody in April. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in May and pleaded guilty this week, at which time he waived prosecution by indictment.
Oscar Navas-Rixtun, 37, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone on Wednesday to four months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon the completion of his sentence, he again will be removed from the country
Navas-Rixtun had previously been deported in February 2020, after he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol and arrested for being in the country illegally.
In March of this year, ICE became aware that Navas-Rixtun was being held in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia on arson and related charges. ICE officers took the defendant into custody the same month. In April, he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in May.
Pedro Jimenez-Georges, aka Edwin Quezada Jimenez and Jose Quezada, 40, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez on Monday to time served, approximately three months, for illegally reentering the United States. Having completed his prison sentence, he again will be removed from the country.
Jimenez-Georges had previously been deported in October 2018, pursuant to a removal order issued after he failed to appear at a June 2008 immigration hearing in Texas.
In March of this year, ICE received information that Jimenez-Georges may be living in Philadelphia. After conducting surveillance to verify the defendant’s identity and location, ICE arrested the defendant. In May, he was charged by information with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Judy Smith, Robert Eckert, and Lindsey Mills.
Three District Men Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Trinidad Neighborhood of Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Davon Cunningham, 35, Roosevelt Richardson, 49, and Arnez Mack, 22, -- all of the District of Columbia -- were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 126 months, 66 months, and a year-and-a-day in prison, respectively, for their roles in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that operated an open-air drug market in the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast. The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
In addition to the prison terms, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered the men to serve periods of supervised release.
Judge Boasberg sentenced Cunningham to 126 months, Richardson to 66 months, and Mack to one year and a day just now.
According to court documents, during the course of the conspiracy, the organization sold approximately 468 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on and around the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE.
Law enforcement captured images of Cunningham, Richardson, Mack, and several others conducting hand-to-hand narcotics transactions on an almost daily basis. From June 2023 through March 2024, law enforcement made
From June 2023 through March 2024, the CIs and UCs made dozens of controlled purchases of narcotics from members of the group.
Cunningham, aka “Tank” or “Kevin,” sold 520 grams of fentanyl, 56 grams of cocaine, and 66 grams of cocaine base to law enforcement and also sold a firearm to an undercover officer. His illegal conduct spanned several months from October 2023 through February 2024.
Richardson directly sold law enforcement agents fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on ten occasions between October 2023 through February 2024. During a search of the group’s stash house on the 1100 block of 11th Street, NE, police recovered several firearms. DNA testing linked Richardson to two of them, a revolver and a black 9mm, Intratec pistol.
Mack admitted that he was a member of the group and that he agreed to distribute narcotics with them. On Dec. 20, 2023, an MPD officer approached Mack in the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE, and asked him if he had any weapons. Mack responded by lifting his jacket to expose his waist band and a .45 caliber Glock handgun protruding from the jacket. Following a search, officers also recovered eight grams of cocaine base from Mack.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Trinidad trafficking investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Daniel Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Christina Taylor and Gaelin Bernstein.
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TdA leader charged with terrorism and nationwide stolen vehicle scheme among those announced as part of Operation Take Back America effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A total of 202 cases have been filed from June 20-26 in border-security and other related matters in the Southern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The filed cases include seven involving human smuggling. A total of 125 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 65 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes, sexual assault and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to immigration crimes, firearms and illegal exportation of stolen vehicles.
Among those newly charged are two Cuban nationals allegedly involved in a nationwide multimillion-dollar auto theft ring. Sadiel Noa-Aguila and Miguel Baez-Echevarria are allegedly part of a large ring linked to numerous vehicle thefts, primarily from major metropolitan airports and surrounding areas including Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Texas cities including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Several vehicles were allegedly exported to Mexico through ports of entry in Hidalgo County and El Paso. The charges allege the organization stole vehicles worth millions of dollars in total.
Others facing charges include several Mexican nationals who allegedly illegally reentered the country this week, including Juan Lopez who had just been removed June 2. He has a previous conviction of evading arrest and had been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to the criminal complaint. Charges also allege Hugo Perez-Garza and Ventura De Jesus Sandoval-Torres have previous convictions for trafficking marijuana and alien smuggling, respectively, and had been previously removed, but authorities found them in the Pharr area. Discovered near Hidalgo was Jesus Jaime Saavedra-Orozco, a convicted felon for aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced t0 18 years before his removal, according to the allegations. They all face up to 20 years in prison.
Also announced this week was a known Tren de Aragua (TdA) leader added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Giovanni Vincente Mosquera Serrano aka El Viejo is charged along with Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka Chuqui with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization - TdA - as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. Both are Venezuelan nationals and high ranking TdA members, according to the allegations. If convicted, both face up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine. There is a $3 million reward for information leading to Serrano’s arrest and/or conviction.
“Transnational criminal gangs and cartels have preyed upon Americans for far too long,” said Ganjei. “That ends now. The Southern District of Texas is committed to smashing these criminal terror groups and will use every available legal tool to do so. It doesn’t matter if you are hiding a continent away; if you hurt U.S. citizens, we will find you and bring you to justice. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.”
In Laredo, a Mexican citizen with a B1/B2 visa was sentenced for transportation of child pornography. Martin Alonso Diaz-Lopez received 180 months. At the hearing, the court held him accountable for 66,489 images and noted that not only was he receiving, but also sharing the photos online and bringing them into the United States. Many of the images and videos he possessed were of very young children and toddlers being raped. Authorities had linked his email from a visa application to that of a known user sharing material online and ultimately apprehended him upon his arrival at the Lincoln-Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo applying for admission into the United States.
Mexican national Jesus Hernandez-Herrera received a 66 month-term of imprisonment for unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling after crashing during a high-speed chase. He had been transporting illegal aliens in a Ford Expedition before fleeing authorities and weaving in and out of heavy traffic with speeds reaching 95 miles per hour. At his sentencing, the court heard additional evidence that described his criminal history, including another evading arrest in which he drove his car towards a federal agent and almost collided with a pedestrian. He also has five previous removals from the United States.
Another illegal alien learned his sentence for trafficking over $1 million in cocaine. Miguel Angel Reyes-Sanchez received 57 months in federal prison. During the investigation and operations, authorities seized over 50 kilograms of cocaine. At the sentencing, the court heard additional evidence that described Reyes-Sanchez’s role in the drug trafficking organization and that he was involved in multiple transactions.
In Houston, a Honduran national received his sentence for illegally reentering the United States. Denis Hernandez-Cruz was ordered to serve 60 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again. Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.
Angel Zavaleta-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from El Trapiche, Guerrero, Mexico, pleaded guilty in Brownsville federal court to illegal reentry into the United States. He had been removed from the United States in August 2000 and had previously returned illegally. Authorities removed him again Nov. 13, 2023, but encountered him March 25 in Harlingen. Zavaleta-Rodriguez had been residing in Sebastian illegally. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
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 this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas 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.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Drug Conspiracy, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Juan Correa, Jr., age 31, of Syracuse, was sentenced Wednesday to 7 years in federal prison for money laundering and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Correa, Jr. admitted that, from May 2024 through July 2024, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Onondaga County. He also admitted that as part of the conspiracy he collected proceeds from the cocaine sales and mailed them to his source of supply in Puerto Rico so that they could purchase additional cocaine.
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Correa, Jr. to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. The remaining co-defendants in this case, Juan Correa, Sr., Ashley Correa and Alex Calcano-Carrasquillo, have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “This prosecution of a cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization was made possible by the close collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies up and down the East Coast. In this case we tracked down individuals in Florida and Puerto Rico who played key roles in this conspiracy and brought them to justice.”
“The sentencing of Juan Correa Jr., who knowingly distributed cocaine throughout Onondaga County and funneled the proceeds in an effort to flood our streets with even more poison, is a result of the collaborative efforts DEA New York and our law enforcement partners have when targeting those individuals pushing this poison into our communities” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Anytime illicit narcotics are removed from our streets, lives are saved. The DEA remains committed to doing everything in our power to protect our neighborhoods and keep them safe.”
Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation New York, stated: “Mr. Correa brought a highly addictive drug to be moved through towns from here to Puerto Rico, with little regard to the effects of his criminal behavior. IRS-CI New York remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners in taking down any criminal seeking to poison the communities in which we live.”
Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, stated: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to protecting the mail from criminal misuse. The successful prosecution of this case should serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to exploit the mail. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to stop the distribution of harmful narcotics.”
Joseph L. Cecile, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) stated: “This conviction is another prime example of the outstanding collaboration we have between local, state and federal partners. We couldn't be prouder of the difficult and uncompromising work our narcotics detectives and law enforcement partners put in every day to rid Syracuse of those who decide to peddle their poisons on our streets.”
This case was investigated by the DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service, and Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
South Florida Man Who Visited Colombia as a Child Sex Tourist Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to traveling to Colombia for the purpose of having sex with minors.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers stopped Stefan Andres Correa, 42, on the jet bridge at Miami International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Bogota, Colombia. During an outbound border search, officers discovered nine cellular phones in Correa’s possession. A search of the cellular phones uncovered over 100 videos of Correa having sex with over 50 minors. The minors were between 11 and 17 years of age. A search of one of the cell phones also revealed a text message exchange with a sex trafficker in Colombia, who Correa agreed to pay $300,000 Colombian pesos (the equivalent of $75 U.S. dollars) to arrange for commercial sex with children that were 10 to 12 years old.
“The United States of America will always seek to protect children near and far,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “This prosecution and this sentence should serve as a warning to any predator who is trying to travel through our District to prey on children. We will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. A life sentence for this conduct is entirely appropriate. Predators such as Correa are a scourge upon humanity, and must be dealt with accordingly.”
“To the brave survivors, your courage was the driving force in this case, and I hope that the life sentence of this predator brings you some measure of justice and relief,” said Jose R. Figueroa, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami. “This investigation underscores the global and horrific nature of child sex trafficking and the importance of international cooperation to end it. I thank our federal and Colombian counterparts for their steadfast dedication and reiterate HSI’s continued commitment to holding those who prey on minors fully accountable.”
HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from HSI offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Bogota, Colombia, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogota, Colombia also provided critical assistance.
Major Crimes Deputy Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Astigarraga prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To report online child sexual exploitation visit https://report.cybertip.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in partnership with HSI and other law enforcement agencies.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit http://www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20186.
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Social Security Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing BenefitsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Christina Daniels, a former employee of the Social Security Administration, pled guilty yesterday in federal court to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft.
“As an employee of the Social Security Administration, Daniels was entrusted with access to millions of beneficiaries’ personally identifiable information. She abused that trust by accessing sensitive information and using it to steal from the very people she was hired to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office is dedicated to rooting out this type of fraud and prosecuting such offenses to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Social Security Administration (SSA) employees are entrusted in serving the people - not abusing their important position by stealing money from the people that they are meant to serve to line their own pockets,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Inspector General. “This fraudulent direct deposit diversion is intolerable behavior; we will hold each SSA employee accountable who chooses to violate our nation’s trust for their personal gain.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between January 2023 to May 2024, Christina Daniels used her position at the Social Security Administration office in Norcross, Georgia, to change the direct deposit information for approximately 28 beneficiaries. As a customer service representative, Daniels was able to make changes to beneficiaries’ direct deposit information. Daniels abused this authority to steal more than $110,000.
She accomplished her theft by first opening Green Dot and Cash App accounts using personally identifiable information belonging to unwitting Social Security beneficiaries. After she created the new accounts, she changed the direct deposit information of the unsuspecting beneficiaries to one of the newly opened Green Dot or Cash App accounts that she controlled.
An internal investigation was launched after several retirement beneficiaries reported that they had not received their monthly benefit payments. Subsequent internal and law enforcement investigations revealed that Daniels had changed the direct deposit information for approximately 28 beneficiaries and that she redirected the benefits to accounts that she opened using the stolen PII of other beneficiaries – some of whom were her family members.
Daniels, 47, of Winder, Georgia, pled guilty to one count of theft of government money, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years of imprisonment. 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.
Sentencing is scheduled for a future date before United States District Judge J.P. Boulee.
This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Smuggling Leader and Top Coordinator Will Spend Remainder of Their Lives in Prison Following Their Sentencing on Third Anniversary of Deadly Tractor-Trailer Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two convicted human smugglers were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today for their prominent roles in the 2022 mass casualty human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of 47 adults and six children.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia for the Western District of Texas sentenced Felipe Orduna-Torres to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega to 1,050 months in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in March for three counts related to the transportation of aliens within the United States resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury, and placing lives in jeopardy. Following the jury’s verdict at the trial, Judge Garcia set the sentencing date, noting that it would be three years to the day from when the 53 migrants perished as a result of the defendants’ smuggling scheme.
“These criminals will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their cruel choice to profit off of human suffering,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s sentences are a powerful message to human smugglers everywhere: we will not rest until you are behind bars.”
“Three years to the day after these two smugglers and their co-conspirators left dozens of men, women, and children locked in a sweltering tractor-trailer to die in the Texas summer heat, they learned that they will spend the rest of their lives locked away in a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “We recognize the justice handed down by Judge Garcia and thank our law enforcement partners for their great work that led to today’s outcome. At the same time, we reinforce the message that these criminal organizations will not place the lives of the desperate and vulnerable above their own financial enrichment. My office remains focused on prosecuting smugglers and their networks, and ultimately eradicating transnational criminal organizations.”
“Today’s sentences are the result of a far-reaching investigation and a tireless commitment by HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the deadliest human smuggling operation in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This case serves as a stark reminder: human smuggling is not a service — it is a deadly criminal enterprise. HSI will pursue smugglers relentlessly, wherever they operate. No one, who participates in the smuggling of human beings, will escape the reach of justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito/Chuekito, and Negro, 30, was a leader and organizer, and Gonzales- Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, was a coordinator in the human smuggling organization (HSO) which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022.
Court documents and evidence presented at the trial revealed that Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters in order to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The HSO maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.
In the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Orduna-Torres and others exchanged the names of illegal aliens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. Gonzales-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 64 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling.
Some of the defendants, including Orduna-Torres, were aware that the trailer’s reefer unit was malfunctioning and was not blowing any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants were either already dead or had died on site, including the pregnant woman. Sixteen of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals —five of whom died.
In addition to their sentences described above, the court also ordered Orduna-Torres to pay a $96,000 money judgment and ordered the forfeiture of the following assets: one 2008 Volvo semi-tractor; one 1995 Phoenix trailer; one 2015 Cadillac Escalade; one 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Truck; and $59,445.50.
Five other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the smuggling event. Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, also known as Rrili and Rilay, 32, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13; Christian Martinez, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20; and Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4. Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, 51, is indicted separately and is also scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4.
In a related case, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, allegedly worked with the HSO to smuggle aliens into the United States on the same fatal journey orchestrated by Orduna-Torres and his co-conspirators. He made his initial appearance in San Antonio on March 17, seven months after he was arrested in Guatemala, and is currently scheduled for a jury trial Sept. 29.
HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Ray Gattinella for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
These convictions are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 385 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 345 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Smuggling Leader and Top Coordinator Will Spend Remainder of Their Lives in Prison Following Their Sentencing on Third Anniversary of Deadly Tractor-Trailer Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two convicted human smugglers were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today for their prominent roles in the 2022 mass casualty human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of 47 adults and six children.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia for the Western District of Texas sentenced Orduna-Torres to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Gonzales-Ortega to 83 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in March for three counts related to the transportation of aliens within the United States resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury, and placing lives in jeopardy. Following the jury’s verdict at the trial, Judge Garcia set the sentencing date, noting that it would be three years to the day from when the 53 migrants perished as a result of the defendants’ smuggling scheme.
“These criminals will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their cruel choice to profit off of human suffering,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s sentences are a powerful message to human smugglers everywhere: we will not rest until you are behind bars.”
“Three years to the day after these two smugglers and their co-conspirators left dozens of men, women, and children locked in a sweltering tractor-trailer to die in the Texas summer heat, they learned that they will spend the rest of their lives locked away in a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “We recognize the justice handed down by Judge Garcia and thank our law enforcement partners for their great work that led to today’s outcome. At the same time, we reinforce the message that these criminal organizations will not place the lives of the desperate and vulnerable above their own financial enrichment. My office remains focused on prosecuting smugglers and their networks, and ultimately eradicating transnational criminal organizations.”
“Today’s sentences are the result of a far-reaching investigation and a tireless commitment by HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the deadliest human smuggling operation in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This case serves as a stark reminder: human smuggling is not a service — it is a deadly criminal enterprise. HSI will pursue smugglers relentlessly, wherever they operate. No one, who participates in the smuggling of human beings, will escape the reach of justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Felipe Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito/Chuekito, and Negro, 30, was a leader and organizer, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, was a coordinator in the human smuggling organization (HSO) which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022.
Court documents and evidence presented at the trial revealed that Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters in order to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The HSO maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.
In the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Orduna-Torres and others exchanged the names of illegal aliens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. Gonzales-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 64 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling.
Some of the defendants, including Orduna-Torres, were aware that the trailer’s reefer unit was malfunctioning and was not blowing any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants were either already dead or had died on site, including the pregnant woman. Sixteen of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals — five of whom died.
In addition to their sentences described above, the court also ordered Orduna-Torres to pay a $96,000 money judgment and ordered the forfeiture of the following assets: one 2008 Volvo semi-tractor; one 1995 Phoenix trailer; one 2015 Cadillac Escalade; one 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Truck; and $59,445.50.
Five other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the smuggling event. Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, also known as Rrili and Rilay, 32, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13; Christian Martinez, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20; and Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4. Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, 51, is indicted separately and is also scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4.
In a related case, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, allegedly worked with the HSO to smuggle aliens into the United States on the same fatal journey orchestrated by Orduna-Torres and his co-conspirators. He made his initial appearance in San Antonio on March 17, seven months after he was arrested in Guatemala, and is currently scheduled for a jury trial Sept. 29.
HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Ray Gattinella for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
These convictions are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 385 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 345 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Six Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Unlawfully Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – The U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren separately sentenced six foreign nationals for unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed.
Raul Luna-Gonzalez, 30, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Luna-Gonzalez was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Luna-Gonzalez was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Transporting an Open Container. While being booked into jail, Luna-Gonzalez’s fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been previously deported in April 2019. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris prosecuted the case.
Yair de Jesus Trejo-Mendoza, 37, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Trejo-Mendoza was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Trejo-Mendoza was arrested for his second offense of Driving Under the Influence, Eluding, and Obstruction, among other charges. While being booked into jail, Trejo-Mendoza’s fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been previously deported in 2008, 2015, and 2023. Court records further show that Trejo-Mendoza has three convictions related to drinking and driving, plus resisting arrest, and assault and battery upon an officer. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Greenough and Michele Hulgaard prosecuted the case.
Benigno Villezcas Alcantar, 42, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in February to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Villezcas Alcantar was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. Court records show that Villezcas Alcantar was arrested for Conjoint Robbery. While being booked into jail, Villezcas Alcantar’s fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been previously deported in August 2015. Villezcas Alcantar told law enforcement that he reentered the United States in 2023. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
Julio Martinez-Perez, 36, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez-Perez was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Martinez-Perez was previously deported in 2016 after receiving a 24-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin. In 2022, he was arrested again in Tulsa County and pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated trafficking of fentanyl and heroin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
Santiago Lopez Gonzalez, 43, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lopez Gonzalez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Court records show that Lopez Gonzalez was arrested for an outstanding warrant for various crimes, including possession of a controlled drug. While being booked into jail, Lopez Gonzalez's fingerprint record showed that he was an alien unlawfully residing in the United States and had been deported three times. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie prosecuted the case.
Alexander Enemias Ortiz-Gonzalez, 23, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty in March to Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ortiz-Gonzalez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release. Court records show that Ortiz-Gonzalez was arrested for driving under the influence. While being booked into jail, Ortiz-Gonzalez's fingerprint record showed that he had an active warrant in Minnesota for fleeing from a police officer and that he had been previously deported in 2023. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
Record checks show that the defendants did not seek permission to re-enter the United States and that they never received consent from the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. The defendants are expected to face removal proceedings following their sentence.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the cases.
Serial Fraudster Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Swindling Investors out of $17 Million in Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Richard Dale Sterritt, Jr., also known as “Richard Richman,” was sentenced to 18 years in prison by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, multiple counts of securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges relate to a scheme to defraud investors in Zona Energy, an oil and gas exploration company in Texas, and a scheme to manipulate stock in OrgHarvest, Inc., a publicly traded company that Sterritt controlled. In total, Sterritt raised approximately $17 million from investors and misappropriated most of the money. As part of the sentence, Sterritt was ordered to forfeit approximately $17 million in fraudulently obtained gains and pay approximately $16.3 million in restitution to his victims. Sterritt pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2023. Sterritt had previously been convicted on federal securities fraud charges and imprisoned for five years for his role in a nearly identical fraud scheme.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“For years, Richard Sterritt preyed on unsuspecting investors and betrayed their trust by spending their money on expensive cars, luxury goods, and high-end travel,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence punishes Sterritt for his crimes and protects the public from this serial fraudster. My Office is committed to protecting the investing public and the integrity of the markets from white-collar criminals like the defendant.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for their invaluable assistance in the investigation.
“Despite his prior conviction for a similar conspiracy, Richard Sterritt once again facilitated the theft of more than $17 million from trusted investors and shareholders through misrepresentations while separately attempting to manipulate the stock of another company,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Sterritt's multiple attempts to defraud investors reflects his relentless pursuit to use others' money to fund his personal lifestyle and businesses. May today's sentencing emphasize the FBI's continued commitment to investigate any individual who manipulates our economic market to line their own pockets.”
The Zona Energy Scheme
Between March 2018 and January 2021, Sterritt and his co-defendants James Christopher Pittman, Mark Ross, and Robert Magness defrauded investors in an early-stage oil-and-gas company called Zona Energy. Sterritt used a series of sham entities and nominees to conceal his control of Zona Energy. Sterritt also concealed his criminal history from investors and potential investors by adopting the alias “Richard Richman.” The co-conspirators made a series of misrepresentations about Zona Energy’s business, management, and use of proceeds from the offering, ultimately raising approximately $17 million from investors. Sterritt and his co-conspirators misappropriated more than $10 million of the proceeds to purchase luxury items, pay personal expenses, or funnel funds into other businesses Sterritt controlled, including a cannabis company.
The ORGH Market Manipulation
To cover up the Zona Energy scheme, Sterritt, Ross, and Magness conspired with an undercover FBI agent (the “Undercover Agent”) posing as a corrupt stockbroker to manipulate the price and trading volume of publicly traded shares of stock in OrgHarvest, Inc., which traded under the stock ticker “ORGH.” Sterritt, who secretly controlled the majority of ORGH shares through trusts in the names of his associates, family members, and co-conspirators, agreed with the Undercover Agent to place matched trades at specific prices, volumes, and times to inflate the price of ORGH stock. Between approximately May 19, 2020 and May 28, 2020, the co-conspirators placed test matched trades at the pre-determined prices and volumes agreed to with the Undercover Agent. The ORGH Market Manipulation scheme was halted by regulators on June 1, 2020 before the co-conspirators could trade larger blocks of shares.
In addition, Sterritt and his co-defendants, including Michael Greer and Sterritt’s ex-wife Robyn Straza, laundered the proceeds of the schemes by facilitating financial transactions to conceal and promote the fraudulent schemes, including by transferring investor funds through a series of bank accounts controlled by the defendants. Furthermore, Sterritt obstructed the administration of justice when he directed co-conspirators to create fake and backdated documents and sent them to the SEC in response to subpoena requests.
All six defendants in the case have pleaded guilty. Straza was sentenced to 10 months in prison; Ross was sentenced to three months in prison; Greer, Magness, and James Christopher Pittman are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah M. Evans, Nick M. Axelrod, and Jessica K. Weigel are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
RICHARD DALE STERRITT, JR. (also known as “Richard Richman”)
Age: 67
Residence: Garland, TexasCo-Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
MICHAEL GREER
Age: 48
Dallas, TexasROBERT MAGNESS
Age: 54
New York, New YorkJAMES CHRISTOPHER PITTMAN
Age: 52
Dallas, TexasMARK ROSS
Age: 56
Parkland, FloridaROBYN STRAZA
Age: 61
Dallas, TexasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-193 (KAM)
San Antonio Felon Indicted for Firearm Possession and TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment charging a San Antonio man with three counts of firearm-related offenses.
According to court documents, Alex Lee Vega, 27, allegedly conspired with another co-conspirator to transport a machinegun conversion device to another person on or about April 10. Additionally, Vega, who is a convicted felon, allegedly possessed two separate Glock pistols on or about April 11 and April 14.
Vega is charged with one count of aiding and abetting trafficking in firearms and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. He made his initial court appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth S. Chestney of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, Vega faces up to 15 years in prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sade Bogart is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Rochester woman sentenced for her involvement in a swatting incidentRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dawnn Marie Walters, 53, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers, was sentenced to serve one year probation, to include six months home detention, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2023, law enforcement commenced a local swatting call investigation in the Rochester area. Swatting involves and individual making a false report of a serious crime, such as a hostage situation or active shooter, in order to send a SWAT team or law enforcement response to a targeted location. The swatting call in this case involved individuals pretending to be another individual identified as C.F., stating that they had shot someone and provided C.F. parents’ address as the location they had shot someone.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered several conversations that Walters took part in online, discussing targeting C.F. and her devices. In one of those conversations, Walters agreed to assist a co-conspirator in accessing C.F.’s device. With Walters assistance, the co-conspirator gained access to C.F.’s online accounts, including C.F.’s personal email account. After accessing the email account, an email was sent from C.F.’s personal email account to multiple Monroe County Legislators and New York State Assembly members. The email included C.F.’s name, telephone number, and photographs of deceased children. Other emails sent from C.F.’s email to New York State Assembly members included threats to “shoot up some schools in New York,” which were meant to cause law enforcement to investigate C.F. as the emails were sent from C.F.'s personal email address.
The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm and the Orleans County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourque.
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Rapid City Man Acquitted on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was acquitted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person following a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, on June 25, 2025.
Randy Tail, a/k/a Randy Tayle, a/k/a Randy Sierra, age 44, was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025.
The charge relates to Tail being in the passenger seat of a car pulled over for a traffic stop in Rapid City, South Dakota. Law enforcement discovered a firearm inside of Tail’s backpack that was between his feet in the car during the traffic stop. Tail was previously convicted of a crime punishable beyond a year in prison, and as a result, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The investigation was conducted by Rapid City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case.
Possession of Machine Gun While on Probation for Two Armed Robberies Nets Felon 57 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derkwon Johnson, 26, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 57 months in prison in connection with being a felon in possession of a loaded Glock 23 equipped with a machine gun conversion device, while he was on probation for two armed robberies, an assault, and other crimes. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Johnson pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered Johnson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court papers, in December 2023, MPD investigators were alerted to Johnson’s posts on Instagram depicting large clear plastic bags of a green leafy substance, a firearm, and ammunition. On Jan. 4, 2024, Officers with the Sixth District Crime Suppression Team executed a residential search warrant on Johnson’s home on the 3600 block of Minnesota Ave. SE.
Officers entered Johnson’s apartment shortly after 6 a.m. to find six occupants – Johnson, Johnson’ half-sister, and her four small children – in a bed in a second bedroom. In the first bedroom, which was not occupied as police entered, officers recovered a .40 caliber Glock 23 pistol from the top of a piece of bedside furniture. The pistol, loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition, was equipped with a machine gun conversion device.
Police also recovered a loaded ammunition magazine, a firearm laser attachment, addition ammunition, a bag containing 335 grams of a green leafy substance, a pill bottle containing 40 white pills stamped RP/10 325 (oxycodone), a scale, and $4,704 in cash.
Investigators searched Johnson’s Instagram account and discovered multiple chats, videos, and messages advertising or arranging for the sale of pills and marijuana between Oct. 4, 2023, and Jan. 4, 2024.
At the time of the January 4 arrest, Johnson was on probation for 2018 convictions in D.C. Superior Court for conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, possession with intent to distribute (PCP), and assault with a dangerous weapon.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
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Pipe Bomber Found Guilty of Blowing up ATMRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Abdurrahim Jalal has been convicted of blowing up a bank automated teller machine and possessing illegal explosive devices.
“Criminals who use dangerous explosives to commit crimes will face federal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will not tolerate conduct that puts innocent lives at risk or threatens the safety and stability of our communities.”
“Jalal put his own greed ahead of the safety of our community. The FBI will use every resource available to find anyone who would go to the extreme use of a bomb to illegally obtain money,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown.
"The use of explosives in criminal activities poses an immense threat to public safety, and we will continue to work diligently to ensure that those who engage in such acts are brought to justice," said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Abdurrahim Jalal was convicted of bank theft, use of an explosive to commit a felony, arson, and two counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device following a bench trial on June 23, 2025. The evidence at trial revealed that on March 29, 2023, Jalal used a pipe bomb to blow up an ATM in Decatur, Georgia. Jalal took approximately $88,000 from the vault of the machine after the explosion. Investigators identified Jalal and obtained a warrant to search his home, during which they recovered additional pipe bombs.
Sentencing for Abdurrahim Jalal, 54, of DeKalb County, Georgia, is scheduled for September 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown. Jalal faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 60 years of imprisonment followed by up to three years of supervised release. In determining Jalal’s actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DeKalb County Police Department, and DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Dash A. Cooper is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Rayvaughn L. Andrews, 41, of Pensacola, Florida, pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and money laundering offenses. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Those who think they can profit and live lavish lifestyles off drug trafficking in the Northern District of Florida are sorely mistaken, and will soon find themselves in federal prison. Fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America, my office is fully committed to working with our brave federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify and aggressively pursue drug traffickers to ensure those who flood our communities with dangerous drugs are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reveal that, from 2021 until his arrest in late-2024, Andrews conspired with others to distribute large amounts of cocaine in interstate commerce. The kilogram “brick” quantities of cocaine ended up on the streets of Escambia County, Florida. Using money obtained through his drug trafficking activities, Andrews laundered the illicitly derived cash through various casinos in Mississippi and Nevada. This included approximately $10 million of cocaine sale proceeds.
Andrews faces up to life imprisonment as well as the forfeiture of approximately $40,000 in United States currency and a Chevrolet Corvette seized during his arrest.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2025, at 9:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Owners of Construction Company Charged with Defrauding the City of New York in Connection with over $13.5 Million of Public School RepairsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a complaint was filed charging Dalip Singh and Gurnirmal Singh, the owners of TEMCO Construction NY, Inc., with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme to submit falsified payroll records to the New York City Department of Education (DOE) about the wages and benefits paid by TEMCO to employees performing repairs on New York City public schools. Dalip Singh and Gurnirmal Singh were arrested this morning and will make their initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI); Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division (SSAOIG), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants lied to the DOE about using undocumented workers, and deprived those workers—who toiled long days, school holidays, and weekends—of proper compensation they had earned, so that they could line their pockets and bank accounts on New York City’s tab,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue employers who try to gain an unfair advantage over honest companies that follow the law and treat their workers fairly.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the DOE and the New York City Office of the Comptroller for their assistance.
“The Singhs allegedly laundered more than thirteen million dollars from the City of New York, underpaying their workers in cash and pocketing the difference. These two men took advantage of both the taxpayers and undocumented workers, then tried to destroy the evidence. It is clear that there was no regard for the rule of law, but after today, they will learn what justice is all about,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
“Today’s charges reflect our relentless pursuit of criminal businesses that undermine the viability of immigration systems, circumvent labor laws, and ultimately gain an unfair financial advantage in the national economy via the employment of illegal aliens,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “The message is clear: if you exploit the unauthorized workforce for personal gain and undercut American jobs, HSI—along with our law enforcement partners—will hold you accountable.”
“These defendants broke the law by hiring illegal undocumented workers, exploited them by underpaying them and manipulating wage records to falsely inflate their own and their family members’ Social Security earnings,” stated Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, SSA OIG, New York Field Division. “Their scheme defrauded federal programs that rely on accurate wage reporting. We thank our partners at the IRS and HSI New York for their collaboration in uncovering this fraud and holding the owners of TEMCO Construction NY accountable.”
From approximately December 2017 to April 2025, TEMCO maintained an office in Jamaica, New York. In April 2025, TEMCO moved its office to Hicksville, New York. According to the criminal complaint, between 2017 and 2025, Dalip Singh and Gurnirmal Singh, who are not related, hired undocumented aliens without legal authorization to work in the United States to provide masonry, scaffolding, and construction services at New York City public schools and DOE buildings (“DOE Worksites”) at below the prevailing wage required by New York State labor law and contracts with the DOE. Dalip Singh then submitted false certified payrolls to the DOE for work performed by TEMCO employees at DOE Worksites. These payroll certifications falsely listed relatives who did not actually work at the DOE Worksites, falsely omitted some undocumented workers who actually worked at the DOE Worksites, and falsely overstated the wages being paid to TEMCO’s workers.
Specifically, Dalip Singh falsely stated that TEMCO had paid its employees the prevailing wage when in fact, the employees had been paid far less, often in cash, or had their wages on other jobs lowered to offset the prevailing wages on the DOE work. The defendants pocketed the difference that their employees were underpaid.
As further alleged in the complaint, the defendants attempted to conceal their fraud, directing their workers to lie to New York City investigators about the wages they received. When Dalip Singh suspected that law enforcement agents were investigating, he directed his employees to conceal and destroy records.
The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of wire fraud, the defendants each face up to 20 years in prison.
This case is part of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York’s Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) Strike Force. Capitalizing on the Office’s preeminence in this area, the Strike Force focuses on investigating, prosecuting and dismantling cartels and TCOs.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney John Vagelatos is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
DALIP SINGH
Age: 67
East Meadow, Long IslandGURNIRMAL SINGH
Age: 64
Westbury, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-MJ-219
dalip_and_gurnirmal_complaint.pdfOrlando Man Indicted for Making Online Threats Against the United States Attorney for the District of New JerseyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Salvatore Russotto (58, Orlando) with threatening to injure and kill the victim, the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, and with retaliating against a federal law enforcement officer by threat. If convicted on both counts, Russotto faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on May 19, 2025, Russotto made a threat to injure and kill the victim in a series of postings from an online account belonging to him. Specifically, Russotto stated, among other things, “A slow painful death for HABBA,” “Eliminate HABBA. 86 Traitor. Death penalty for all traitors,” “I HOPE YOU DIE A PAINFUL DEATH,” a true threat of violence.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Newark, Jersey and Tampa, Florida Field Offices – and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick.
Organizer of Maryland Pawn Shop Burglary that Netted Dozens of Firearms Sentenced to 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vincent Lee Alston, 23, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for his role in the December 2023 burglary of a Maryland pawn shop that netted dozens of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Alston, aka “Vedo,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on March 6 to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. In addition to the prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered three years of supervised release.
According to the court documents, on Dec. 13, 2023, Odumn and four co-conspirators drove in two vehicles – one a stolen Hyundai – from the District to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
At the pawn shop, co-defendant Niquan Odumn used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks. They fled with at least 34 firearms.
About a half hour after the burglary, the red Hyundai crashed on I-295 southbound at Kenilworth Avenue, NE. After the accident, surveillance footage showed Alston and two of his co-defendants abandoning the vehicle. MPD arrived at the scene and recovered eight firearms from the car.
Investigators also recovered Alston’s damaged iPhone on the Hyundai’s driver’s seat floorboard. On it, an open GPS route displayed on the screen with a visible destination address of Alston’s residence.
Alston was arrested at his apartment complex on Dec. 15, 2023, and was found with a Smith & Wesson, M&P 9 mm stolen during the pawn shop burglary. To date, law enforcement has recovered close to half of the stolen firearms.
Alston is the third defendant to be sentenced in the pawn shop job.
Niquan “Stickz” Odumn, 23, of the District, was sentenced June 23 to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms. Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, of the District, was sentenced June 20 to 84 months in prison for his role in the burglary and for his subsequent attempt to sell several of the stolen guns.
Co-defendant Tyjuan McNeal, 27, is scheduled to be sentenced July 1 for conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Cy'juan Hemsley pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025, to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms. Hemsley’s sentencing is pending.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.
Alston’s iPhone, recovered by police from a crashed getaway car, included texts planning the pawn shop burglary.
Image of Alston captured by a surveillance camera inside the pawn shop.
Firearms recovered from the stolen Hyundai.
Additional firearms recovered from the abandoned getaway vehicle.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 103 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Brian G. McAtee, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 24, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for possession of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced McAtee to 103 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McAtee’s release from prison, he will begin a seven-year term of supervised release. McAtee was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,000 to each of nine identified victims totaling $27,000.
On January 5, 2023, Discord, Inc. made two reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating a Discord user uploaded images depicting child pornography. The IP address associated with the CyberTip resolved to an Omaha residence where McAtee resided.
On January 31, 2024, Nebraska State Patrol Investigators contacted McAtee at his Omaha residence. McAtee agreed to speak with investigators and acknowledged using Discord. McAtee admitted having child pornography on his cell phone and voluntarily provided the phone to investigators. McAtee provided the phone’s passcode and showed investigators where he had child pornography on the phone. After observing child pornography on McAtee’s phone, investigators seized the cell phone and obtained a search warrant for the phone. Investigators forensically extracted and analyzed McAtee’s cell phone and the phone’s SIM card. McAtee possessed at least 696 child pornography image files and 115 child pornography video files. The files included pornographic images and videos involving prepubescent children, including infants and toddlers, adults having sex with children, and depictions of sadomasochism.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
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Omaha 20-year-old Sentenced for Selling Firearms to a FelonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Erixon O. Menjivar-Alfaro, 20, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 25, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for selling firearms to a felon. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Menjivar-Alfaro to 51 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Menjivar-Alfaro’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Between April 11, 2023 and October 3, 2023, Mejivar-Alfaro sold four firearms to a confidential source working for the Omaha Police Department. Menjivar-Alfaro knew the confidential source to be a convicted felon. All firearm sales occurred in Menjivar-Alfaro’s vehicle.
On three occasions, Menjivar-Alfaro met with the confidential source at a Walmart parking lot near 50th and L streets in Omaha. On April 11, 2023, Menjivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Mack-11 pistol; on May 17, 2023; Mejivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Glock 43 handgun; and on September 7, 2023, Menjivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Glock-style Polymer80 9mm handgun with a high-capacity magazine On October 3, 2023, Menjivar-Alfaro sold the confidential source a Mini Draco 7.62x39 caliber AK-47-style pistol with a high-capacity magazine and ammunition outside of a residence near 20th and A streets.
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 Omaha Police Department.
New York Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – A resident of Auburn, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal law relating to the sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Kyle Thomas Samsel, 35, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in October 2020, Samsel traveled across several states for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity with a minor.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for November 13, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, City of Cleveland (Ohio) Division of Police, and Webster (New York) Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Samsel.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Multi-Kilo Distributor with Ties to Sinaloa Cartel Sentenced to 24 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Nigel Gray, 45, of Raleigh, was sentenced to 24 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and five kilograms or more of cocaine. He pled guilty to the charges on June 28, 2024. Gray was also on federal supervised release at the time.
“This case reflects our commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks—particularly those connected to cartels—and holding accountable those who fuel addiction and violence in the Eastern District,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “We will continue to work hand in hand with our state and federal partners to stop the flow of deadly narcotics and pursue justice for the people of this district.”
“This sentencing marks significant progress in our relentless efforts to shield our communities from the harmful effects of drug trafficking," stated Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, responsible for North and South Carolina. "Through the dismantling of this criminal network and the confiscation of dangerous substances such as fentanyl and cocaine, as well as firearms, HSI and its partners are enhancing the safety of our neighborhoods and firmly asserting that such illegal activities will not be tolerated.”
Law enforcement received information linking Nigel Gray to the Sinaloa Cartel. On February 23, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations learned that a package containing nearly five kilograms of cocaine was enroute from Corona, California, to an address in Greenville, North Carolina. A controlled delivery was made on February 27, and a child retrieved the package. Surveillance and the investigation revealed Gray arranged for its pickup. On August 23, 2023, agents observed Gray in North Hills in Raleigh, meeting with individuals in a car later stopped in Winterville. Officers recovered 82 grams of fentanyl and 40 grams of cocaine. Further surveillance led to a Dollar General parking lot in Elizabeth City, where agents seized over two and a half kilograms of narcotics, including fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl. On March 13, 2024, Gray was arrested. Prior to his arrest, agents observed him leaving a Raleigh residence that held a kilogram press, drug packaging materials, firearms, and over two kilograms of fentanyl. A search of Gray’s car uncovered evidence of wire transfers to Mexico.
Gray has prior convictions for Accessory after the fact (2005), Possession of a Firearm by a felon (2009), Assault with a Deadly Weapon (2009) and Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 1 kilogram or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine (2012).
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Raleigh Police Department, Nashville Police Department, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Katherine Englander prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-76-D.
Millington Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jeffrey Crosslin, 41, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Interim U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on four occasions in June, July, and August of 2024, Jeffrey Crosslin secretly photographed a twelve-year-old child in a store where Crosslin worked a part time job. In many of the photographs, the child was sitting in a position that unintentionally exposed her inner thighs and buttocks and her clothed vaginal area. Crosslin surreptitiously angled his phone to capture the child in this accidentally exposed state, with a focus on her buttocks and vaginal area. Crosslin captured more than 550 images of the child over the course of the summer. Of those, about 30 images were pornographic. On the last occasion, in August 2024, the child noticed Crosslin taking the photos and reported him to her father.
The case was investigated by detectives with the Munford Police Department and agents with the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, who recovered store surveillance video that showed Crosslin taking the August photographs and whose review of Crosslin’s phone revealed all the photographs he had taken that summer.
A federal grand jury for the Western District of Tennessee returned a two-count indictment on November 5, 2024, charging Crosslin with production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251(a) and possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a). On March 8, 2025, Crosslin pled guilty to production of child pornography. On June 27, 2025, United States Chief District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Crosslin to 15 years' imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Safeguarding our children from predators is a top priority of this office.”, said Interim U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy. “Children should be safe in public places from those who would take advantage of their innocent behavior to secretly produce pornographic images. Because this victim had the courage to come forward, Jeffrey Crosslin was brought to justice; and our community and children are now safer. This significant sentence should serve as a warning to those who would harm children in this manner.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children and to identify and rescue child victims of sexual exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Delery and Lynn Crum prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Mexican National with Five Prior Deportations Convicted in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury convicted a Mexican national with five prior removals and three prior convictions of reentry of a removed alien following a one-day trial and 13 minutes of deliberation.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on the morning of February 15, 2024, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Emmanuel Barraza-Ramirez, 44, a Mexican national, hiding in the bushes near Mt. Cristo Rey, a quarter mile from the U.S./Mexico border and eight miles from the nearest port of entry in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Upon questioning, Ramirez admitted to being a Mexican national illegally present in the U.S.
Ramirez was arrested and transported to the Santa Teresa Station for processing. Upon reviewing his record, agents determined that he had previously been removed from the U.S. five times and had three prior convictions for illegal reentry.
Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Ramirez remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Ramirez faces 20 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Saltman and Jackson K. Dering V are prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Passport FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Merryday has sentenced Juan Arturo Martinez (62, Mexico) to four months in federal prison for one count of use of a passport secured by false statement and one count of making a false statement in a passport application. Martinez pled guilty on February 18, 2025.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2002, Martinez—who was born in Mexico and was unlawfully present in the United States—submitted a United States Passport Application Form DS-11 in Sarasota, Florida. In support of that application, Martinez provided a fraudulent Texas birth certificate. On March 22, 2002, based on his fraudulent representation that he was a U.S. citizen, a United States Passport was issued to Martinez.
On February 21, 2012, Martinez mailed in a United States Passport Renewal Application Form DS-82, along with his expired passport issued in 2002. On the application, Martinez falsely stated that his place of birth was “Mission, TX.” On March 12, 2012, a United States Passport was issued to Martinez. On February 7, 2013, Martinez presented this passport as proof of identity to obtain a Florida drivers license. Martinez used the fraudulently issued passport multiple times for travel purposes. Most recently, on September 11, 2021, Martinez used the passport to take a cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. On April 7, 2022, Martinez submitted a United States Passport Renewal Application Form DS-82 and, again falsely stated that his place of birth was “Mission, TX.”
The evidence presented further established that Martinez impersonated a United States citizen for the purpose of obtaining other benefits and exercising other rights. For example, Martinez illegally registered to vote, and repeatedly voted in U.S. presidential elections, despite being unlawfully present in the United States and having no right to vote.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national has been indicted for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Jose Mendoza-Zarrate, 41, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Mendoza-Zarrate was arrested on May 20, 2025 and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield, Mass. at a later date.
According to the charging documents Mendoza-Zarrate was previously deported on May 16, 2006; July 3, 2006; May 30, 2007; and Aug. 30, 2007.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Marion County Man Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and Ammunition by A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Juan Mario GonzalezPiloto (40, Anthony) with possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. If convicted, GonzalezPiloto faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the court records, between 2013 and 2020, GonzalezPiloto was convicted of five state felonies: (1) cannabis trafficking more than 25 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds; (2) possession of a place for drug trafficking; (3) possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; (4) possession of marijuana concentrate -hazardous extract; and (5) resisting an officer with violence.
On November 28, 2024, Marion County Sheriff deputies responded to GonzalezPiloto’s residence in northern Marion County. GonzalezPiloto had been injured while shooting a loaded firearm on his property. In describing how he had been injured, GonzalezPiloto told investigators that the firearm had malfunctioned while he was shooting it. As a convicted felon, GonzalezPiloto is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Marietta Man Arrested for Trafficking Ten Kilograms of Fentanyl from MexicoRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Rodrigo Morales-Figueroa, 29, of Marietta, Ga., appeared in federal court on June 23, 2025, following his arrest on federal charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
“Foreign cartels profit from the addiction and deaths of Americans, pushing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our federal law enforcement partners saved countless lives by working quickly in this investigation, which disrupted a major drug trafficking pipeline from Mexico.”
“This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”
“The dangers of fentanyl cannot be overstated, and this arrest demonstrates our resolve to protect our communities from its devastating impact,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the diligent work of HSI and our law enforcement partners, we successfully intercepted ten kilograms of fentanyl, preventing this poison from reaching the streets of Georgia.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In early June 2025, law enforcement seized ten kilograms of fentanyl hidden in car batteries transported by a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO). On June 17, 2025, federal investigators learned that the DTO planned to send a courier to pick up the fentanyl. On the following day, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations special agents conducted a controlled delivery of ten kilograms of fake fentanyl to the agreed-upon location for the pick-up in Gainesville, Georgia.
Rodrigo Morales-Figueroa arrived at the pick-up location, allegedly reviewed the packages of fake fentanyl, and loaded the packages into his car. Hall County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office deputies assisting with the operation arrested Morales-Figueroa shortly thereafter.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only alleges a charge. Morales-Figueroa has not yet been indicted by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charge, 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 Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Assaulting and Robbing Mail Carrier in Chicago SuburbRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A United States District Court judge sitting in Chicago has sentenced a man to nearly six years in federal prison for assaulting and robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in a Chicago suburb.
MALIK WASHINGTON robbed the mail carrier on Oct. 23, 2023, in Harvey, Ill. The mail carrier was delivering mail on his route when Washington approached and initially asked for rubber bands. Washington then reached out to grab a box from a bag the mail carrier wore around his shoulder, prompting the mail carrier to pull away. Washington drew a semiautomatic handgun from his sweatshirt and pointed it at the mail carrier’s stomach, telling him to give up his USPS-issued Arrow Key, which is a universal key that opens postal collection boxes. The mail carrier complied with the demand, and Washington fled the area with the key. Law enforcement arrested Washington four days later and recovered the stolen key.
Washington, 26, of Calumet City, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal robbery charge. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Washington to five years and ten months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Harvey, Ill. Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Merin.
“The U.S. Postal Service is a critical government function and its employees must be allowed to deliver mail to the American people safely and securely,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who use violence against postal carriers to gain access to the public's mail will be held accountable.”
“The recent conviction and sentencing of Malik Washington demonstrate the tenacity and determination of the United States Postal Inspection Service in the agency’s pursuit for justice,” said USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça. “Safety of Postal Service employees and protection of our nation’s mail system is paramount to the mission of the Inspection Service. U.S. Postal Inspectors will continue to aggressively investigate those individuals who wish to do harm to public servants of the Postal Service. With the help of our local, state, and federal partners, we will safeguard the public’s trust in the U.S. Mail system.”
Mother and Son Pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine from Arizona to FloridaRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kanethia Tremeka Steele, 51, of Tampa, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Her son and codefendant, Kenneth Steele, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, pled guilty to the same charge on May 7, 2025. The guilty pleas were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The importation and distribution of addictive and deadly narcotics like methamphetamine is a scourge on large and small communities throughout North Florida. My office is committed to fulfill the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by identifying and aggressively prosecuting drug traffickers like this mother and son who would profit from poisoning our fellow citizens. The elimination of this drug trafficking enterprise is the result of the incredible work of our law enforcement partners.”
Court documents reflect that over a three-year period Kanethia Steele obtained kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Arizona-based drug suppliers on behalf of drug traffickers operating in the counties of Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy. In addition to her packaging the methamphetamine, Steele enlisted the assistance of her son, Kenneth, to transport multi-kilogram shipments of methamphetamine secreted in luggage on commercial flights from Phoenix, Arizona to Orlando, Florida. At the direction of his mother, Kenneth Steele made three flights, transporting over 40 pounds of methamphetamine that was distributed in North Florida.
Sentencing for Kenneth Steele is scheduled for July 22, at 2:00 p.m. Kanethia Steele will be sentenced on September 30, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. The defendants will be sentenced at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Alan C. Winsor.
The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Former Assistant United States Attorney Corey Smith and Assistant United States Attorney Jason Coody.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Lab Owner, Marketing Company Owner, and Doctor All Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Medicare and Medicaid Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Fadel Alshalabi, 57, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, Samuel Harris, 30, of American Fork, Utah, and Benjamin Toh, M.D., 71, of Chicago, Illinois, have each been sentenced after two separate trials for their roles in a multi-million, multi-state Medicare and Medicaid conspiracy to pay and receive illegal kickbacks, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Alshalabi was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and money laundering. He was the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Crestar Labs, LLC (“Crestar Labs”), based in Spring Hill, Tennessee, which operated laboratories in Texas, Maryland, and Tennessee.
Harris was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. He was the owner of Flojo Recruiting d/b/a Secure Health, a Utah-based marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs.
Toh was sentenced to 13 months in prison for conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. He was a doctor in Chicago who purported to see patients through “telemedicine” companies and signed orders for laboratory tests that Crestar Labs used to bill Medicare and Medicaid.
“Those involved in health care schemes, motivated by greed and designed entirely to bilk the American taxpayers, should face substantial sentences in prison,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I congratulate the hard-working prosecutors and agents who devoted countless hours to hold these defendants accountable after lengthy trials. We will not be deterred from pursuing individuals like these defendants, who executed a national scheme that exploited the elderly and vulnerable and depleted taxpayer dollars.”
“Paying kickbacks for referrals for medical services involving federal healthcare programs is illegal and can cause the delivery of unnecessary medical services and put patients’ wellbeing and health at risk,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These sentencings demonstrate the commitment of HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners to hold those who exploit these programs accountable.”
“Health care fraud impacts individuals, businesses, and the overall healthcare system,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This sentencing demonstrates the tenacity of the FBI and our partners to pursue anyone who conspires to exploit Medicare and Medicaid for financial gain.”
According to the evidence presented at the two trials in this matter, Alshalabi, Harris, and their co-conspirators, including six other individuals who were charged and pled guilty in the same case, entered into sham contracts and paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for laboratory genetic tests. The marketing companies targeted and recruited elderly and low-income patients who were federal health care program beneficiaries at senior health fairs, through door-to-door marketing, and in low-income neighborhoods to obtain their genetic material for conducting genetic tests. The tests were then approved by purported telemedicine doctors, like Dr. Toh, who were paid kickbacks in exchange for signing off on the laboratory orders sent to Crestar Labs. Toh signed orders for hundreds of patients who he did not know and never contacted. He received $20 per order.
Alshalabi, through Crestar Labs and the other laboratories it operated, then billed Medicare and Medicaid for the tests, often claiming reimbursement of more than $10,000 per test. During the conspiracy, Alshalabi and his co-conspirators billed over $129 million for laboratory tests and were paid over $35 million. Of claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid, over $6 million were based on samples obtained by Harris and over $9 million were based on orders signed by Dr. Toh. Once paid, Alshalabi paid kickbacks to the marketing companies in exchange for the referrals. Alshalabi, through Crestar Labs, paid over $12 million in illegal kickbacks and bribes.
The laboratory tests were run, but as patients testified at trial, many never received the test results at all. Those who did receive the results often did not understand them, and the doctors who ordered the tests, like Dr. Toh, never followed up with them.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Alshalabi was sentenced to a term of supervised release of three years, and Harris and Toh each received one year of supervised release. Restitution for Alshalabi and Harris will be determined at a later hearing. Dr. Toh was ordered to pay $495,000 in restitution.
Six co-defendants named in the same indictment charging Alshalabi and Harris previously pled guilty before trial. They were: Edward D. Klapp of Jupiter, Florida, the former Vice President of Sales for Crestar Labs; Melissa L. Chastain of Belton, South Carolina, the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Genetix LLC, a South Carolina marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs; Roger Allison of Greenville, South Carolina, the President of Genetix; Dakota White of Easley, South Carolina, the former Director of Client Services and Vice President of Operations for Crestar Labs; Robert Alan Richardson of Silver Spring, Maryland, a principal of Maryland based Freedom Medical Labs, LLC, a marketing company that contracted with Crestar Labs; and Edward Burch of Rockville, Maryland, also a principal of Freedom Medical Labs, LLC. Each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. They all face up to 10 years in federal prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and up to 5 years on the conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. They will be sentenced at a later date.
Elizabeth H. Turner, of Glenview, Kentucky, the owner of Advanced Tele-Genetic Counseling, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. She will be sentenced at a later date.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, with the assistance of state partners including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
United States v. Alshalabi and Harris is docketed at Case No. 3:21-cr-00171.
United States v. Benjamin Toh is docketed at Case No. 3:22-cr-00392.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni and Robert S. Levine prosecuted the cases.
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Jury Finds Oregon Man Guilty of StalkingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On June 13, 2025, a federal jury found Brian Thomas Balda, 52, of Oregon, guilty of one count of Cyberstalking and one count of Interstate Stalking. The guilty verdict followed a four-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Angela M. Martinez. A conviction for Cyberstalking and Interstate Stalking each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and not more than three years supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2025.
In 2023 and 2024, Balda engaged in a campaign to intimidate and harass a former United States government official. For approximately ten months, Balda sent abusive and profane text messages and voicemails to the victim. Balda ultimately drove from Oregon to Arizona to confront the victim, and was arrested by law enforcement near the victim’s home. Four knives, binoculars, and a replica handgun were found in Balda’s car at the time of his arrest.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office investigated this matter, with the assistance of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the University of Arizona Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-1182-TUC-AMM-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-103_Balda# # #
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.Judge Gives 20-Year-Old Armed Carjacker 19 Years for Spree of Violent IncidentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Javon Roach, 20, of the District of Columbia., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 228 months in federal prison for his role in a series of violent armed carjackings and armed robberies that targeted 17 victims, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The spree culminated in a high-speed chase, an assault on a police officer, and his arrest in Fairfax County on March 30, 2023. Roach pleaded guilty two years later, on March 6, 2025, to three counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Roach to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Roach admitted to committing six armed carjackings and five armed robberies between March 6 and March 28, 2023. In addition to the 19-year prison sentence, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Roach to serve five years of supervised release.
On Feb. 7, 2023, about 9 p.m., Roach carjacked a male victim (V-1), who was putting air in his car tires on the 300 block of G Street SW. Roach hit V-1 seven times in the head, pulled V-1 away from his vehicle, and got into the driver’s side of the vehicle. Roach was joined by two co-conspirators and the three of them fled in the stolen car.
On March 6, 2023, at 9:20 p.m., Roach and co-defendant Andre Rushing carjacked a victim (V-2) who was approaching a pizza restaurant on the 1500 block of Maryland Avenue. Rushing pointed a handgun at V-2 and demanded the victim’s keys and phone. Roach stood to the side pointing a loaded long-style gun at V-2. Roach and Rushing fled in V-2’s vehicle, which was recovered the next week.
On March 11, 2023, at 1:20 a.m., Roach and a co-conspirator approached a male (V-3) who was pumping gas on the 800 block of Bladensburg Road, NE and carjacked V-3’s vehicle. About 30-minutes, Roach carjacked another vehicle on the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. He approached a male (V-4), pointed a gun at him, and demanded his keys. When V-4 stated that his keys were in his car, Roach took V-4’s iPhone and wallet, and drove off with V-4’s BMW 535i sedan. Later that morning Roach posted an Instagram Story depicting a BMW key attached to a belt loop, with an overlay of a song entitled “Jacking.” Shortly thereafter, Roach took photos of himself holding apparent firearms and wearing clothing consistent with that captured by surveillance cameras.
On March 16, 2023, at 3:05 p.m., Roach and Rushing robbed a delivery driver (V-5) of food, cash, and a phone on the 3900 block of Benning Road NE.
On March 17, 2023, at 9:34 a.m., Roach and Rushing beat and robbed three men (V-6, V-7, V-8) at gunpoint on the 300 block of Anacostia Road. At 11:35 p.m. the same day, Roach committed another armed carjacking on the 3800 block Minnesota Avenue NE where one victim (V-9) was standing at an ATM and another (V-10) sat in the targeted vehicle. When V-9’s vehicle was recovered on March 24, 2023, a .40 caliber spent shell casing was found near the windshield, which was linked to a March 20, 2023, shooting on the 300 block of 34th Street SE.
On March 25, 2023, at 11:25 a.m., Roach robbed a male (V-11) at a gas station at gunpoint on the 3800 block of Minnesota Ave. NE. Roach and a co-conspirator fled in a silver Hyundai previously stolen on March 21, 2023. Immediately after the armed robbery, at 11:30 a.m., Roach and his co-conspirator carjacked a Toyota Camry on the 3900 block of Benning Road NE, from a male victim (V-12).
The following evening, on March 26, 2023, at 7:48 p.m., Roach and Rushing robbed another male (V-13) and carjacked the victims Chevrolet Impala on the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue NE.
In the following days, Roach robbed V-14 at a construction site at 49th Street and Central Avenue NE, and then robbed at gunpoint three construction workers (V-15, V-16, V-17) on the 300 block of K Street SW. About 90 minutes later, Roach and a co-defendant went live on Instagram holding significant amounts of cash.
On March 29, 2023, Roach, Rushing and two other coconspirators carjacked an Audi Q5. The next day, at 2:15 p.m., Fairfax County Police located the Audi in a parking garage of Tyson’s Mall and set up surveillance. At 3:15 p.m., Roach and Rushing fled in the carjacked Audi onto Leesburg Pike where it got stuck in traffic. Roach, who was driving, tried to escape by crashing the vehicle into several other cars. Roach then threw the carjacked Audi in reverse and struck a Fairfax County police vehicle before officers surrounded and stopped the Audi. Roach fled on foot. He was caught in a nearby parking lot. During a search, police recovered a loaded handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device from his pant leg.
For his actions during the arrest, Roach subsequently pleaded guilty in Fairfax County to possession of a machine gun and assault on a police officer.
Rushing, whose sentencing is pending, pleaded guilty in District Court in Washington D.C. on March 17 to carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. A second co-defendant, Dominic Armstrong, whose sentencing is also pending, pleaded guilty in District Court in Washington D.C. on April 10 to carjacking, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall.
Jamestown man going to prison for narcotics conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Santos Santiago, 49, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of narcotics conspiracy, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that in November 2023, investigators conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Santiago. On November 8, 2023, a search warrant was executed at the Van Buren Street residence of Santiago and his wife Anabell, during which law enforcement seized cash, a quantity of fentanyl, pills, and drug paraphernalia. As law enforcement was securing the apartment, Santiago attempted to destroy his fentanyl causing a large amount of fentanyl to go airborne. Two officers inhaled the cloud with one experiencing physical effects requiring medical attention.
In March 2024, investigators conducted two more controlled purchases of fentanyl from Santiago. In April 2024, another search warrant was conducted, this time at a residence on Whitley Avenue in Jamestown. During that search, investigators recovered fentanyl, crack cocaine, two loaded 9mm pistols, ammunition, $30,369.00 in cash, drug paraphernalia, a switchblade knife, and oxycodone tablets. One of the pistols was reported stolen in June of 2023.
Charges remain pending against co-defendant Anabell Santiago.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.
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Illegal alien sex offender admits to unlawfully reentering the countryRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old man from Puebla, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to illegally reentry into the United States after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
According to court records, Fidel Ramirez-Mancilla has a conviction for the aggravated felony of sex penetration with force. He was previously removed from the United States in December 2011 with no permission to return. However, authorities encountered him again May 19 north of the Rio Grande River.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Sept. 17. At that time, Ramirez-Mancilla faces up to 20 years in prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro 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 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.