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Thursday 15 May 2025
Las Vegas Man Indicted for Multiple Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man made his initial court appearance Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts for allegedly committing multiple violent armed carjackings.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, on March 24, 2025, Aerion Warmsley brandished a Taurus 9mm firearm and stole a Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation. The victim suffered a fractured nose. Then, on March 27, 2025, Warmsley brandished the 9mm firearm and stole a Mercedes-Benz GL450 from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation. While fleeing from law enforcement, he struck two pedestrians with the vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury to the victims. One victim suffered a brain bleed and multiple fractures, and the second victim suffered multiple fractures. On the same day, Warmsley brandished the 9mm firearm and stole a Kia Sorrento from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation.
Warmsley is charged with two counts of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of carjacking. A jury trial has been scheduled for July 14, 2025, before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro.
If convicted, Warmsley faces the maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, and the Clark County School District Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Penetar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Laotian National Arrested for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon and Possessing a Firearm as an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A convicted felon from Laos was arrested this morning for the unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Vongpasith Khamvongsa, 45, a Laotian national unlawfully residing in Somersworth, was indicted on charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He appeared in federal court today.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Somersworth Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The 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.
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Lackawanna man going to prison for his role in kidnapping conspiracy attempting to force sister to marry in YemenRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Waleed Abughanem, 33, of Lackawanna, NY, who was convicted of misprision of felony, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that Abughanem is the son of Khaled Abughanem and the brother of Adham Abughanem. On September 8, 2021, Khaled and Adham Abughanem flew from Buffalo, NY, to Guadalajara, Mexico to kidnap Victim 1, who is the daughter of Khaled and the sister of Adham and Waleed. Between September 10, 2021, and April 6, 2023, Waleed, Khaled and Adham Abughanem conspired to transport Victim 1 from the Western District of New York to Cairo, Egypt, and then to Sanaa, Yemen, where they confined Victim 1 for approximately 16 months with the purpose of marrying her to a man not of her choosing.
Waleed Abughanem knew Victim 1 was being held involuntarily, and during some of this period, he was present in Yemen. When he was not present in Yemen, Waleed Abughanem instructed his wife to monitor and supervise Victim 1. In December 2022, Waleed Abughanem traveled from Yemen to the United States. When questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as to the whereabouts of his siblings, Waleed Abughanem told the CBP Officer that the Victim was in the United States. By making a false statement, Waleed Abughanem concealed that Victim 1 had been kidnapped and was being involuntarily held in Yemen.
Khaled and Adham Abughanem were previously convicted by a federal jury at trial and are awaiting sentencing.
Waleed Abughanem’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Diplomatic Security Director Carlos Matus and Deputy Assistant Secretary Paul Houston. Additional assistance was provided by the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and CPB in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-State Business Burglary ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his role in a scheme in which the conspirators stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from beauty and liquor stores across six states.
Gary Bailey, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
By pleading guilty, Bailey admitted that between March 2023 and January 2024, he participated in burglarizing at least 23 stores across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Bailey and his co-conspirators brought the stolen product back to Kansas City, before either selling it, giving it away to family or friends, or consuming the product themselves. The loss to these 23 victim businesses exceeded $418,000.
On April 22, 2025, co-conspirator Donald Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of money laundering.
As part of the plea agreement, Bailey must pay restitution to the victim businesses; the exact amount to be determined at his sentencing hearing. Under federal statutes, Bailey is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Constance. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Olathe, Kansas, Police Department, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of Derby, KS, Belton, MO, Blue Springs, MO, Columbia, MO, Creve Coeur, MO, Edwardsville, KS, Fairview Heights, IL, Kansas City, MO, Kansas City, KS, Lawrence, KS, Leawood, KS, Lee’s Summit, MO, Lenexa, KS, Liberty, MO, Olathe, KS, Omaha, NE, Overland, Park, KS, Papillion, NE, Parkville, MO, Plainfield, IN, Plano, TX, Platte City, MO, Shawnee, KS, Springfield, MO, St. Joseph, MO, Terre Haute, IN, Topeka, KS, and West Des Moines, IA.
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Andrew R.A. Williams, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On July 31, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Williams was an associate and co-conspirator of Tiger Dean Draggoo, of Kansas City, Mo., in the distribution of fentanyl pills. Draggoo sold approximately 11,120 pills to Williams between February 2022 and November 2022. Draggoo pleaded guilty In Oct. 2024 and is set for sentencing on Aug. 7, 2025.
Williams was also a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Alexander Barnett, of Lee’s Summit, Mo. Williams sold at least 418 pills to Barnett between April 1, 2022, through March 5, 2023, and was paid approximately $5,467. Barnett pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison without parole on Jan. 30, 2025.
On April 19, 2023, Jackson County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant for Williams’ hotel room. Inside, law enforcement recovered 7 fentanyl pills, approximately 6.13 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, a Springfield Armory, XD-9, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a Girsan 1911-style, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, 9mm and .45 caliber ammunition and $1,220 in U.S. currency.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Chicago-Area Tax Preparer for Allegedly Fabricating Credits, Expenses, and Deductions on Customer ReturnsRead the Press Release
Note: View the complaint here.
The Justice Department filed a complaint in a federal court in Chicago today seeking to permanently bar tax preparer Stacy Thomas, of Orland Park, Illinois, individually and doing business as Rapid Tax Refunds LLC, Rapid Tax Refund Profs LLC, and Rapid Refunds Income Tax Service Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others.
The complaint alleges that Thomas and her businesses prepare and file false federal tax returns that understate her customers’ tax liabilities by claiming false residential energy credits, false Schedule C business expenses, and false charitable deductions. The government further alleges in the complaint that customers interviewed by the IRS confirmed that they never told Thomas they incurred the residential energy or business expenses or made the charitable contributions she reported on their income tax returns, and that Thomas claimed those items without their knowledge or consent.
According to the complaint, the IRS estimates that by repeatedly understating their customers’ tax liabilities, Thomas and her businesses have caused the United States to lose nearly $13 million in tax revenue.
The Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS warns taxpayers to avoid “ghost preparers” and lists other improper acts that tax preparers engage in to take advantage of their unsuspecting customers.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jury Finds District Woman Guilty of Felony-Enhanced Theft of over $700 from Target in Columbia HeightsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Meredith Wilson, 52, of the District, was found guilty on May 14, 2025, by a Superior Court jury of second degree, in the first jury trial in more than a decade in the District for a count of felony-enhanced second-degree theft, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The charge carries a one-year mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2025.
According to the evidence, on June 27, Wilson stole more than $700 of jewelry, handbags, and household goods from the Target store in Columbia Heights.
Under the laws of the District of Columbia, a person convicted of theft in the first or second degree who has two or more prior convictions for theft can be prosecuted for felony-enhanced theft. Felony-enhanced theft carries with it a mandatory-minimum term of not less than one year of incarceration upon conviction. Wilson had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree theft on two prior occasions, including in 2017 and 2018 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Wilson’s two prior convictions for theft met the predicate for the felony-enhanced theft charge under which Wilson was convicted in the instant case.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason B.A. McCullough and Maggie E. Sullivan.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Prison for Making False Statements Related to His Military ServiceRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Berger has sentenced Robert David Gulledge (60, Jacksonville) to three months in federal prison for making a false statement to a federal agency. Gulledge pleaded guilty on December 19, 2024.
According to court documents, Gulledge created a fraudulent Form DD-214 military discharge document thatlied about his service in the United States Marine Corps. Specifically, he falsified several positions he never held and multiple awards he never received, including the Bronze Star with V Device, Navy/Marine Jump Wings, and the Iraq Campaign and Kuwait Liberation awards, among others. In 2009, he first submitted the false form for an Intelligence Analyst position on a government contract, which he received. He later submitted the false form for government contracting positions and to repeatedly claim VA benefits never owed to him. Gulledge tried to use the false form for employment or benefits at least 10 times over 15 years.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to making sure that those who commit document fraud face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Deputy Assistant Director William Ferrari of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service Office of Special Investigations. “The strong relationship we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies is vital towards ensuring the integrity of official U.S. documents and protecting greater U.S. interests.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Special Investigations, the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
Inmate Sentenced to 20 Years' Imprisonment for Attempted Kidnapping of Family Member of Retired Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Houston Gregory, a convicted murderer with a violent criminal history, was sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment to run consecutive for his role in the attempted kidnapping of a retired law enforcement officer’s family member. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
A federal grand jury indicted Gregory, 49, who is from North Little Rock but currently imprisoned and serving a sentence of life imprisonment for murder in Florida, in a one count indictment on April 5, 2023. Gregory was charged with attempted kidnapping. On January 28, 2025, Gregory pled no contest to the charge in the indictment.
In November 2022, law enforcement learned that Gregory was attempting to solicit the kidnapping of the family member of a retired detective who assisted in Gregory’s prosecution and conviction for capital murder, aggravated robbery, and theft in Arkansas. Gregory is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for those convictions and has a prior conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. He is serving his life sentence in Florida after he helped fellow Arkansas Department of Correction inmates plan an escape.
Throughout December 2022 and early January 2023, Gregory communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) via contraband cell phone and/or tablet from a Florida prison. Gregory solicited the assistance of the UC in the kidnapping of the detective’s family member with the proposed plan to hold the family member hostage until the detective provided a false affidavit stating that the detective lied in his testimony against Gregory. Gregory instructed the UC to be prepared to hold the family member hostage for up to 30 days. Gregory provided personal information about the family member to the UC and offered the UC money for the UC’s participation. On January 6, 2023, Gregory sent the UC a photo of a piece of paper with Gregory’s demands and threats written on it, which were to be conveyed to the retired detective.
In addition to the twenty-year federal sentence, Judge Moody also sentenced defendant to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
India-based Amazon scam leads to almost a $1 million dollar loss for elderly victim in MissoulaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A man originally from India accused of stealing almost $1 million from the elderly appeared in federal court on charges on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Zabi Ullah Mohammed, 29, had an initial appearance on a complaint charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and impersonating a federal agent. If convicted, Mohammed faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Mohammed was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in the criminal complaint that in April 2025 Mohammed and others called an elderly victim in Missoula, Montana, posing as an Amazon representative and inquiring whether the victim purchased computer equipment. When the victim said she did not purchase any equipment, the Amazon representative claimed the victim’s identity was stolen and transferred the victim to the “Social Security Department” and the “U.S. Marshal.” The “U.S. Marshal” said the money from the victim’s bank accounts needed to be “legalized,” and an agent showed up on multiple occasions to pick up cash and gold from the victim’s residence. Law enforcement caught Mohammed when he returned to the victim’s house a final time. After searching Mohammed’s vehicle, law enforcement found airline tickets, car rental documents, and a bag containing approximately $68,987 in cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
A complaint is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case reference. 25-40.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
Honduran National Sentenced to Six Years for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Angel Antonio Trochez-Cruz (39) to six years in federal prison for illegal reentry by an aggravated felon. Trochez-Cruz pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025.
According to court records, Trochez-Cruz is a native and citizen of Honduras. He was initially removed from the United States on August 8, 2014, following his release from a state prison sentence for robbery. Trochez-Cruz subsequently reentered the United States. On December 21, 2023, federal immigration authorities encountered Trochez-Cruz after he had been arrested on state charges.
The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Related Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Elieser Aurelio Gomez-Zelaya (34, Honduras) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Gomez-Zelaya faces a minimum term of two years, up to 12 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The SSA and USCIS verify the submitted information against the records of actual persons who are authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers and requires documents such as a Social Security number and photo identification of a prospective employee.
From at least 2021 through September 2022, Gomez-Zelaya used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system and to commit the felony offenses of misuse of a Social Security Number and false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Gomez-Zelaya was encountered by law enforcement at the Joint Venture on September 22, 2022. He was working there under the stolen identity. That night, another individual at the Joint Venture, also working under a stolen identify, Juan Molina-Salles, struck and killed Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Hartwick at the Joint Venture’s construction site in Pinellas County. During the investigation into Deputy Hartwick’s death, Gomez-Zelaya gave a false name (the stolen identity) to law enforcement and was arrested on state charges of accessory after the fact.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Grand jury indicts former commander of local AMVETS Post for allegedly embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a former local AMVETS Post commander with 15 counts of wire fraud related to embezzling money from the non-profit organization’s bank accounts.
Danny Dale Gordon, 48, of Kettering, served as the commander for AMVETS Post #24 on Leo Street in Dayton from January 2022 until May 2024.
According to the indictment, during that timeframe, Gordon fraudulently transferred money from the veterans organization’s fundraising and scholarship bank accounts into its primary bank account before withdrawing the funds for his own use.
It is alleged that Gordon defrauded AMVETS of approximately $622,000. The indictment details that Gordon allegedly used the money at various local gambling casinos, for travel and hotel expenses, and frequenting a Dayton-area “gentlemen’s club.” Gordon allegedly made numerous fraudulent financial transactions ranging between $200 and $900 each.
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; and Lt. Col. Seth Newfang, Commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 10th Field Investigations Squadron; announced the charges returned yesterday. Assistant United States Attorney Dwight K. Keller is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Georgia man indicted by federal grand jury on gun trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Devontae Jones, 27, of Atlanta, Georgia with dealing firearms without a license and transferring a machinegun, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2024, the ATF began investigating Jones, who was believed to be trafficking illegal firearms, including machine guns, from Atlanta, Georgia to the Rochester, NY, area. The ATF conducted a series of controlled firearms purchases from Jones, who shipped the firearms from Atlanta to Rochester. A total 20 firearms, including four machine guns, were purchased from Jones between February and May 2024.
Jones was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston Division.
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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Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to more than 17 Years in Prison on Conspiracy and Obstruction ChargesRead the Press Release
Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, WV, was sentenced to 210 months in prison.
On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.
Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9.
Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14.
On May 8, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to serve 108 months in prison.
“This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”
“On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virgina. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy and Obstruction CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, West Virginia, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On January 27, 2025, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.
Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9, 2025.
Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison on May 8, 2025.
“This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”
“On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188.
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Former Suffolk County Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a scheme whereby he falsely claimed to sell repossessed vehicles as a law enforcement officer. Defendant claimed to be a Boston Police Detective, Massachusetts State Police Trooper and County Sheriff.
Recardo S. Beale, 34, of Quincy, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 26, 2025. Beale was charged in March 2025.
According to charging documents, Beale was an Officer for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department from approximately April 2021 to November 2021. Between approximately October 2023 and February 2024, Beale claimed to three individuals that as a law enforcement officer, he had access to repossessed vehicles that he could sell at a low price.
At various times, Beale identified himself to these individuals as a Sheriff, a Boston Police Detective and/or a Massachusetts State Police Trooper. Beale did not, in fact, hold any of these positions when he made such representations. In reliance on Beale’s false representations, the individuals gave tens of thousands of dollars to Beale for the purported repossessed vehicles. Among the vehicles that Beale falsely promised to sell were a BMW, an Audi and a Mercedes. Beale never delivered any such vehicles as Beale did not have any such repossessed vehicles available for sale. On separate occasions, Beale met with two separate individuals at the Suffolk County House of Correction purportedly to show them repossessed vehicles. During one such meeting on Nov. 17, 2023, Beale met with an individual inside the House of Correction. Surveillance video showed Beale wearing a Suffolk County Correction Officer Academy hoodie, blue tactical pants like those worn by jail guards and black boots also similar to those worn by jail guards. Beale did not show any vehicles to the individual on Nov. 17, 2023, claiming that his superior, was also involved in the sale, and not available.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Office; and Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office and John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
Former Electrical Company General Manager Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Keolis Commuter ServicesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former general manager of a Massachusetts-based electrical company was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a false invoicing scheme that defrauded Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis) of over $4 million.
John Rafferty, 72, of Hale’s Location, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Rafferty was also ordered to pay $4,016,087 in restitution and a $893,227.93 forfeiture money judgment. In June 2023, Rafferty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Rafferty was charged in April 2023 and his alleged co-conspirator, John P. Pigsley, was charged in a separate case.
Keolis has operated the MBTA commuter rail system since 2014 under an annual contract of $291–$349 million. Rafferty was the general manager of LJ Electric, Inc., an electrical supply vendor to which Keolis paid over $17 million between 2014 through 2021.
Between July 2014 and November 2021, Rafferty and Pigsley defrauded Keolis of over $4 million through a false LJ Electric invoicing scheme. Specifically, Rafferty spent more than $3 million on items for Pigsley and others – including: at least nine trucks; construction equipment including at least seven Bobcat machines; at least $1 million in home building supplies and services; and a $54,000 camper. Rafferty then recovered the cost of these items by submitting false and fraudulent LJ Electric invoices to Keolis, which also included a percentage profit that Rafferty kept for himself.
In April 2025, Pigsley was sentenced to 70 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $8,580,311 in restitution to Keolis and $2,689,206 to the Internal Revenue Service, forfeiture of three real properties and a $7,687,083.70 money judgment.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge, Northeastern Region, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Raquelle Kaye of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the cases.
Final Defendant in Sexual Assault of a 14-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Nasouh Albasis-Albasis, 27, of West Valley, Utah, was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment and a life term of supervised release after he and one of his co-defendants sexually assaulted a 14-year-old victim in the back of a vehicle, which was recorded and shared on social media in 2017.
The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell, comes after Albasis-Albasis pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, to charges involving child sexual abuse material. His co-defendants, Dodjim Leclaire, 32, of Murray, Utah, and his brother Richard Djasserambaye, 29, of Central Republic of Africa, living in Murray, Utah, at the time of the assault, were also sentenced. Leclaire was sentenced to 208 months’ imprisonment and Djasserambaye was sentenced to 181 months’ imprisonment. Both defendants were sentenced to a life term of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made at Albasis-Albasis’ change of plea and sentencing hearings, on September 9, 2017, Albasis-Albasis and his co-defendants Djasserambaye, and Leclaire used the 14-year-old victim to produce sexually explicit images. Specifically, Albasis-Albasis and Leclaire sexually assaulted the severely intoxicated and physically incapacitated minor while Djasserambaye video recorded the violent assaults. Djasserambaye then posted the video on social media. Albasis-Albasis further admitted he had video of the assaults of the victim on his cell phone.
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, West Jordan City Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, Sandy City Police Department and Syracuse City Police Department.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jason Talley, 46, of Buffalo, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, Thayer conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Co-defendants include Andres Pizzaro Campos, Joseph Thayer, Max Pizzaro Campos, Cindy Frank, Edward Leeper, and Jaquez L. Thomas. Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Talley was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and detained.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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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Federal Prosecutors File 20 Cases This Year Against Alleged Drug Dealers Who Sold Fentanyl that Caused Fatal Drug OverdosesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement officials today announced the filing of 20 criminal cases so far this year targeting fentanyl dealers who are charged with selling fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills that directly resulted in the death of at least one victim.
The cases being announced today are a result of the ongoing efforts of the OD Justice Task Force, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-led project designed to investigate fatal fentanyl poisonings and identify the individuals who provided the fentanyl that directly caused the deaths.
Under the OD Justice program for the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, DEA agents have established collaborative relationships with local law enforcement agencies across the seven counties that make up the Central District of California. Local authorities are almost always the first to respond to an overdose death, and DEA agents have provided training to dozens of local agencies to help them analyze evidence to determine if there are circumstances that might lead to a federal criminal prosecution.
There were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024 and most of those deaths were fentanyl related, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since the project’s launch in 2018, and including the cases announced today, the United States Attorney’s Office has filed charges against 163 defendants who allegedly sold drugs that resulted in a fatal fentanyl poisoning.
The charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The criminal cases filed this year include:
- United States v. McDevitt
Michael McDevitt, 43, of Simi Valley, is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. In September 2021, McDevitt allegedly distributed the powerful synthetic opioid in Ventura County to the victim, who later died. McDevitt also is charged with possession with intending to distribute methamphetamine. McDevitt has pleaded not guilty to the charges and a June 10 trial is scheduled in this matter. He has been in federal custody since April 11.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Blake Hannah of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Biswas
Alexander Nihar Biswas, 42, of Loma Linda, is charged in a single-count indictment with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Biswas allegedly distributed the powerful narcotic to a victim in San Bernardino County. The use of the drug resulted in the victim’s death in January 2024. Biswas, who has been in federal custody since March 10, has pleaded not guilty to the charge and awaits an October 20 trial date in U.S. District Court in Riverside.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Erin C. Kiss of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Abdallah
Michel Joseph Abdallah, 21, a.k.a. “Mike,” of Laguna Niguel, is charged in connection with the fentanyl overdose deaths of two people in 2023. Abdallah is charged with two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Abdallah allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim on March 25, 2023, in Mission Viejo. The victim used the drug, which resulted in a fatal overdose. On May 15, 2023, in Aliso Viejo, Abdallah again distributed fentanyl – this time, to a different victim who ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and died. Abdallah also allegedly possessed a total of 1.3 kilograms (2.9 pounds) of fentanyl on June 10, 2023. On this date, he allegedly also possessed two firearms, including an AR-15-style pistol bearing no serial number, which commonly is referred to as a “ghost gun.”
He remains in state custody and awaits arraignment on the federal criminal charges.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Ana Police Department, and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Lindhorst of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Casillas
Jesus Erick Casillas, 56, of Lancaster, is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, in connection with the overdose death of a victim in Los Angeles County in January 2024. Casillas, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge, has been in federal custody since January 24. He awaits an October 26 trial date.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Guzman of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Putnam
Macey Delynn Putnam, 31, of Laingsburg, Michigan and formerly of Torrance, is charged in connection with the July 24, 2024, fentanyl overdose death of a victim in Los Angeles County. Putnam, who is free on $25,000 bond, is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is scheduled to go to trial on November 18.
The Long Beach Police Department, the DEA, and the FBI are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Christina R.B. Lopez of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Miller
Myles Ray Miller, 27, of Fullerton, is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Miller allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim – who was struggling with drug addiction – in Fullerton on March 18, 2022. The victim later ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and died.
The La Habra Police Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Lindhorst of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Lopez, et al.
Kevin Lopez, 24, of Rancho Cucamonga, Jacqueline Carolina Fonseca-Flores, 24, of Rancho Cucamonga, and Brandon Ryan Osika, 22, of Ontario, were arrested May 7 on an indictment charging them with distribution of fentanyl to a person under the age of 21 resulting in death, among other federal drug crimes. The defendants – including Meloney Osika, 24, of Ontario, who also was arrested May 7 – allegedly ran a fentanyl distribution ring in San Bernardino County. Lopez, Flores, and Brandon Osika in January 2023 allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim who took the drug and died soon afterward.
A federal magistrate judge ordered all four defendants jailed without bond. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and a June 23 trial date was scheduled in this case.
The Fontana Police Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Brunwin of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Perez
Roberto Alexis Perez, 26, of Palmdale, is charged in a one-count indictment with distributing fentanyl on September 3, 2022, in Los Angeles County, which resulted in the victim’s death.
The DEA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Diane B. Roldán of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Nicholas G. Purcell of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this matter.
- United States v. Almazo
Waldo Jesus Almazo Casarubbias, 22, of Santa Ana, was arrested April 11 on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Almazo allegedly distributed fentanyl to the victim on July 5, 2022, in Orange County. The use of the drug resulted in the victim’s death shortly thereafter. Almazo pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond. Almazo is scheduled to go on trial in January 2026 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Yervant P. Hagopian of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Hoskinds
Michael Hoskinds, 46, of San Pedro, was arrested April 8 on a one-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. On August 12, 2023, in Los Angeles County, Hoskinds allegedly distributed the powerful controlled substance to a victim, who later ingested it, overdosed, and died.
A federal magistrate judge ordered Hoskinds jailed without bond. Hoskinds has pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. He is scheduled to go to trial on June 3 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on this matter.
Redondo Beach Police Department and DEA are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alix R. Sandman of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this matter.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Judge Sentences Chicago Street Gang Member to 34 Years in Prison for Murdering a Man and Threatening a WitnessRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A member of a violent Chicago street gang has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for murdering a man to maintain and increase his position in the gang.
DIONTAE HARPER, 25, of Chicago, admitted in a plea agreement that he murdered Paul Harris on May 13, 2020. Harper and another man fired multiple shots at Harris as he sat in a vehicle at a gas station in the 8600 block of South Halsted Street in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Harper stated in the plea agreement that he committed the murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang, a criminal organization based on the South Side of Chicago whose members engaged in violent crimes and trafficked narcotics.
While Harper was detained in law enforcement custody earlier this year, he made threatening statements directed toward a witness.
Harper pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, causing Harris’s death. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the 34-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Chicago.
Harper’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and Matthew Moyer.
Two other individuals – the other shooter of Harris and the getaway driver – pleaded guilty to committing murder in aid of racketeering and are awaiting sentencing.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Two Men Involved in Robberies at Stores in ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two men for their involvement in the robbery of two stores in Shreveport.
Kevin Terrell Lewis a/k/a “Kelvin Lewis,” 38, of Arlington, Texas, and his brother, Larry Dewayne Lewis, 44, of Shreveport, have been charged with two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to using, carrying, brandishing and discharging firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence. Kelvin Lewis was also charged with two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The indictment alleges that on or about December 23, 2024, Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of approximately $500 in United States currency from the victim owner/manager of the Pull-Up Liquor located at 5619 Hearne Avenue in Shreveport, as he was closing the store and walking to his car in the parking lot.
The indictment further alleges that on or about January 22, 2025, Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of prescription drugs and a work van that was in the care, custody and control of victim B.J. as he was making a delivery from the Hackbarth Company to Walgreens located at 3124 Line Avenue in Shreveport.
Kelvin Lewis is charged in the indictment with using, carrying, and brandishing semi-automatic firearms during and in relation to these crimes of violence. The indictment also alleges that Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis conspired to use, carry, brandish and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, robbery.
If convicted, each defendant faces a sentence of not less than 10 years or more than life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Larry Dewayne Lewis is currently in federal custody after being indicted on February 5, 2025, and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Shreveport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and William C. Gaskins.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Everett Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Four VictimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to four counts of an indictment charging him with sex trafficking four separate female victims.
Trevor Jones, 47, pleaded guilty to four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025. In May 2023, Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury. Jones was arrested on related state charges on March 23, 2023 and has remained in state custody since.
According to the charging documents, from at least 2016 until 2023, Jones ran a sex trafficking operation targeting victims who were suffering from substance use disorder. As part of his sex trafficking operation, Jones provided his victims with controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine to intensify their drug dependence and gain their compliance, while prohibiting the victims from obtaining controlled substances from other sources. Jones demanded “loyalty” and “dedication” from his victims. He allegedly enforced his requirements by punishing victims with acts of violence, threats of violence and withholding controlled substance from drug-dependent victims. As outlined in court, Jones beat one victim with a belt causing bruising throughout her body. When confronted with the injuries he caused, Jones told the victim that she deserved the abuse. Jones was verbally abusive toward another victim, locking her out of the house, demanding to know where her “loyalty” was and berating her for not “contributing everything” she was making. Another victim experienced degradation from Jones, with him telling her that she needed to “make daddy proud” and scolding her for being “disobedient.”
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere, Arlington and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case along with Essex County Assistant District Attorneys Jessica Strasnick and Marina Moriarty, who were sworn in as Special Assistant United States Attorneys.
Ecuadorian Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato, an Ecuadorian national and high-level drug trafficker, pleaded guilty in federal court today to international drug trafficking charges following his extradition to San Diego January 26, 2024.
Farfan had previously been designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for materially contributing to the illicit activities of major Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine into the United States.
Farfan pleaded guilty to a second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 30, 2019. In his plea agreement, Farfan admitted that he led an extensive drug trafficking organization that distributed over 450 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and elsewhere, and that the cocaine was ultimately imported into and distributed within the United States. He also admitted that the organization bribed government officials and used firearms to further their drug trafficking activities.
As part of his plea, Farfan also agreed to forfeit over $899,000 of U.S. currency.
Farfan is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez on August 11, 2025, at 10 a.m.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle B. Martin and Ashley E. Goff.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Colombia of Sanchez Farfan.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19CR1610-01-LL
Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato Age: 44 Ecuador
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, and 963
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.
Bryant Heideman, age 25, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Heideman will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Heideman was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in November 2023 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Heideman had sexual contact with the victim, who was 12 years old, after allowing her to stay in his home between November 13 and November 14, 2024.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficker Presented on Federal Charges After Turning Hotel Room into Clandestine Drug LabRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the presentment of PEDRO MARTE in White Plains federal court on a Complaint charging MARTE with two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, Pedro Marte turned a New Rochelle hotel room into a dangerous drug lab. A law enforcement investigation revealed that Marte possessed large quantities of cocaine, and deadly fentanyl. We should all be able to stay in a hotel without worrying about exposure to dangerous and potentially lethal drug trafficking. The Women and Men of the Southern District, together with our law enforcement partners, will do everything in our power to protect our community from those who put innocent lives at risk.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino said: “Pedro Marte’s use of his hotel room as a clandestine drug lab not only placed the lives of innocent guests in danger but was reckless and unconscionable. We are thankful to our law enforcement partners and our first responders for their quick actions. Without their immediate response, the results could have been catastrophic.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about the evening of April 6, 2025, law enforcement and fire department personnel responded to reports of an incident in a hotel in New Rochelle. Upon entering the hotel, they observed damage to 27 rooms. Law enforcement then entered the room where the hotel’s sprinkler systems had first been activated and observed evidence of a significant fire, as well as equipment and materials consistent with a clandestine drug lab for converting powder cocaine into crack cocaine. After determining that MARTE had rented the room in question, law enforcement officers searched the storage locker that MARTE had visited immediately prior to arriving at the Residence Inn, where they found approximately three kilograms of a substance that tested positive for cocaine, 12.2 grams of a substance that tested positive for fentanyl, and drug distribution paraphernalia.
* * *
MARTE, 47, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the DEA, the New Rochelle Police Department, and the New Rochelle Fire Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmi Schickler is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._marte_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Dover Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding BankRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TIMOTHY ABERCROMBIE, 42, of Dover, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On April 1, 2025, Abercrombie was charged by Information with bank fraud. According to the Information, from May 2019 through February 2024, Abercrombie was employed as a vice president and loan officer at InterBank in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. During that period, Abercrombie used personal information from the bank’s customers to prepare loan applications, and once approved, deposit said loans into checking accounts opened with the customer’s information, all without the customer’s knowledge or consent. Abercrombie’s scheme defrauded InterBank out of approximately $883,075.66.
Abercrombie pleaded guilty to the Information today, and admitted he executed a scheme to defraud InterBank. At sentencing he faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Brown is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in the Bronx, N.Y. has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in a fentanyl distribution hub in the Bronx that sent fentanyl laced with xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, to Massachusetts.
Jairo Collazo, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2025. Collazo was charged by criminal complaint in April 2024 and later indicted.
According to court records, Collazo operated a fentanyl distribution hub out of a basement in the Bronx, from which he distributed fentanyl to destinations including Boston, Mass.; Fitchburg, Mass.; Springfield, Mass.; Syracuse, N.Y; and the State of Vermont. Collazo and his coconspirators whom he called “employees” used the basement in the Bronx to package fentanyl into glassine wax paper bags for distribution. Collazo traveled to Massachusetts on two occasions, in December 2023 and January 2024, to distribute fentanyl to a witness working with law enforcement. On April 12, 2024, during a search of the Bronx basement, fentanyl packaged for distribution, materials used for cutting fentanyl with other substances and bottles of xylazine were recovered. Collazo used xylazine to cut the fentanyl and offered to sell it to the cooperating witness. More than 2 kilograms of fentanyl was seized from Collazo.
According to court records, in 2021, Collazo pleaded guilty in New York Supreme Criminal Court to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree (heroin) and was sentenced to two years incarceration.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Collazo lacks lawful status in the United States is subject to deportation after 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 Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman is prosecuting the case.
District Man Indicted for Felony Assault on a Senior Citizen at Navy Yard Metro Station Prior to Nationals GameRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Te’Vaughn Brown, 20, of the District, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in the Superior Court for assault with significant bodily injury on a senior citizen, a felony charge, in connection with an unprovoked attack on an elderly man last summer at Navy Yard Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
View indictment here.
The case is currently scheduled for a jury trial to begin on July 14, 2025. Brown is also currently pending trial in a separate case in Superior Court where he is facing misdemeanor charges for simple assault and theft.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:30 p.m., on Aug. 9, the victim exited a train at the station and encountered Brown sitting on the stairs leading from the platform to the mezzanine level. The victim attempted to maneuver around the defendant to ascend the stairs when he suddenly felt Brown grab his leg. The defendant proceeded to repeatedly punch the victim in his head and face before fleeing the scene. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for multiple injuries, including a fractured nasal bone, a broken tooth, a contusion on his scalp, and a laceration in the inside of his mouth that required twenty stitches.
Brown will be arraigned on the felony charge before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Di Toro. If found guilty, the defendant faces a potential enhanced penalty for a crime of violence against a victim who was 65 years of age or older at the time of the offense. The enhancement allows for a punishment of a fine of up to 1 1/2 times the maximum fine otherwise authorized for the offense and a term of imprisonment of up to 1 1/2 times the maximum term otherwise authorized for the offense, or both.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Lieberman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendant Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for the Murder of a Poughkeepsie Man During a Violent Drug-Related Robbery in Brighton BeachRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Marcus Ricketts was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to 25 years in prison for causing death through use of a firearm. Ricketts pleaded guilty to the charge on April 4, 2024.
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.
“My Office continues to work tirelessly to dismantle violent robbery crews that wreak havoc on communities throughout New York City, such as the one the defendant led,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentencing reaffirms that brazen and incorrigible violence will be severely punished. It also reconfirms our commitment to prosecuting defendants who are here illegally and commit violent acts to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York Field Office of the FBI.
“For years, Marcus Ricketts led a violent robbery crew targeting victims across the city with firearms and threats of death, which was followed through on one occasion,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Despite a previous conviction and deportation, Ricketts continued to display little concern for the law with repeated attempts to unlawfully enrich himself and his cohorts. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI’s steadfast commitment to crush violent crime and deter chronic recidivists from entering this country illegally determined to wreak criminal havoc in our communities.
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum, prior court filings, and statements during the sentencing, Ricketts led an armed robbery crew that targeted marijuana dealers throughout New York City. In addition to Ricketts, the crew included co-defendants Mark Goulbourne, Jonathan Goulbourne, Juvanie Crossgill, Chevonne Williams, Amari Webber, and Romeo Jonas.
Between June 2020 and December 2021, after illegally returning to the United States following his deportation, Ricketts, a Jamaican citizen, perpetrated three armed robberies with the crew, one of which resulted in a shootout and a murder. Each time, the crew posed as marijuana dealers, arranged to meet the marijuana sellers for a purported purchase, and then robbed the dealers at gunpoint.
In July 2020, Ricketts orchestrated the robbery of a victim selling marijuana from his store in the Bronx (Victim 1). Victim 1 was held at gunpoint while Ricketts stole approximately 40 pounds of marijuana.
In October 2021, Ricketts orchestrated the robbery of a victim selling marijuana from his store in Staten Island (Victim 2). Victim 2 and his younger brother were ordered to the floor at gunpoint and threatened with death. The crew stole approximately 100 pounds of marijuana and Victim 2’s car.
In December 2021, Ricketts and others orchestrated the robbery of a victim from Poughkeepsie (Victim 3) and his friend (Victim 4) who were selling marijuana. Ricketts and the crew met the victims at an Airbnb in Brighton Beach, posing as buyers for the approximately 165 pounds of marijuana brought into the Airbnb for the sale. While Ricketts, Mark Goulbourne, and others were inside the Airbnb with Victim 3 and Victim 4, a shootout erupted, killing Victim 3 and wounding Victim 4.
Ricketts and Mark Goulbourne fled the Airbnb carrying guns, and Ricketts also carried a large duffle bag of marijuana. On a nearby street, Ricketts stole a Citi Bike from a passerby, which he attempted unsuccessfully to transport the marijuana. Ricketts was then picked up in Jonathan Goulbourne’s car, and they fled the scene. In the hours that followed, at Ricketts’s instruction, Crossgill returned to the scene several times to locate evidence the crew had left behind.
Notably, this was not Ricketts’s first conviction for armed robbery. In August 2014, Ricketts organized a violent robbery of an individual in the Bronx, for which he was convicted and sentenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. On February 28, 2019, after serving his sentence, Ricketts was deported to Jamaica. By June 2020, he had illegally returned to the United States and was again orchestrating violent robberies in New York City.
Previously, Webber and Jonas pled guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit the same and were sentenced to 108 months and 144 months’ imprisonment, respectively. Jonathan Goulbourne pled guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 81 months’ imprisonment. Crossgill and Williams both pled guilty and await sentencing.
Mark Goulbourne has pled not guilty and is scheduled to start trial on June 16, 2025. The charges against Mark Goulbourne are merely allegations and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara B. McGrath, Chand W. Edwards-Balfour, Rebecca M. Schuman, and Francisco J. Navarro are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MARCUS RICKETTS
Age: 48
JamaicaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-106 (LDH)
Dauphin County Man Charged with Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Gene Hiler, Jr., age 52, was charged yesterday with failing to register as a sex offender. Hiler had been living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and recently resided in Los Angeles, California.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Hiler was required to register as a sex offender based on a prior conviction in Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that Hiler traveled in interstate commerce and then failed to register and update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Convicted felon sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on May 15, 2024, officers with the Richmond Police Department (RPD) were attempting to locate Rushion Leeper, 22, for an outstanding warrant for grand larceny of a firearm. RPD officers, assisted by Virginia State Police, were conducting surveillance near a gas station and observed and approached Leeper. Leeper noticed the officers, however, and fled on foot. Officers eventually detained Leeper and recovered a loaded firearm from Leeper’s pants leg. The firearm had been reported stolen to RPD on April 30, 2024.
Leeper had been convicted previously of a felony hit and run and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, Leeper cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Col. Matt Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-170.
Chicago Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Resulting in the Death of a Young Dubuque WomanRead the Press Release
A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque, Iowa, woman was sentenced today to more than 24 years in federal prison.
Maurice Levelle Randolph, age 45, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a December 5, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque between 2017 and April 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021.
At the plea hearing, Randolph admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools. He admitted he brought cocaine from Chicago and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque. On February 14, 2021, one of Randolph’s co-conspirators distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.
Randolph was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Randolph was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution jointly with two other individuals to the victim’s family. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. The Court also forfeited $17,203 in drug proceeds seized from Randolph. There is no parole in the federal system.
Randolph is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department
of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-01013.
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Cargo Airline Operator Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Paying Millions in Kickbacks in Large-Scale Scheme to Defraud Cargo AirlineRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SKYE XU was sentenced to two years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman for his part in a scheme to defraud Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (“Polar”), a leading cargo airline, of more than $32 million dollars in revenue. XU previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, Skye Xu paid approximately $4.4 million in kickbacks to Polar executives to obtain highly lucrative business from Polar. The Polar executives concealed the kickbacks from Polar using shell companies. Corruption of this type has costs that extend way beyond Polar’s or any one company’s bottom line. Today’s sentence should be a reminder that commercial bribery has no place in America.
According to the charging documents and other public filings and statements made in public court proceedings:
From at least in or about November 2020 through in or about July 2021, XU operated Sky X Airlines, LLC, a cargo airline company based in California. During those nine months, and without Polar’s knowledge, XU paid approximately $4.4 million in kickbacks to shell companies controlled by three senior executives of Polar (the “Executive Defendants”) in exchange for two lucrative business contracts with Polar. These fraudulently obtained contracts earned XU and his cargo airline approximately $46 million in gross revenue and nearly $10 million in net revenue based on the sales of unused space on passenger airlines to transport cargo during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The approximately $4.4 million in kickbacks that XU paid to the Executive Defendants in a nine-month span was part of more than $20 million in kickbacks and other financial benefits that the Executive Defendants and other co-conspirators received from certain Polar customers and vendors from at least 2009 to at least 2021 in exchange for ensuring that those vendors and customers received favorable business arrangements with Polar. The fraud that XU and his coconspirators perpetrated—which involved a substantial portion of Polar’s senior management and at least ten customers and vendors of Polar—led to pervasive corruption of Polar’s business, touching nearly every aspect of the company’s operations, for over a decade.
XU was the last of 10 defendants charged in this case to be convicted. Five of the 10 charged defendants have previously been sentenced.
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In addition to the prison term, XU, 43, of West Covina, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. XU was also ordered to forfeit $4,487,830 and to make restitution to Polar in the amount of $1,390,000.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle Kudla, Kevin Mead, Qais Ghafary, and Jerry J. Fang are in charge of the prosecution.
California man sentenced to 64 months in prison for online car sales scam that defrauded hundreds of victims out of more than $10 millionRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Leo Shimizu, 39, of San Francisco, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 64 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $10.6 million in restitution for leading a nationwide money laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of fraudulent online vehicle sales.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio previously prosecuted four other co-conspirators in this scheme, including a Columbus man who helped lead the conspiracy.
According to court documents, the online car sales scam cheated at least 850 victims around the country out of more than $10.6 million total. Co-conspirators were part of a network that attracted online customers through fraudulent postings for vehicle sales.
Shimizu, who is also known as “Lil Droppy,” posted and directed other individuals to post listings on websites like Craigslist and Cars.com for vehicles they were alleging to sell. In truth, the co-conspirators did not have the vehicles they claimed they were selling.
Shimizu and others communicated with victims through email and phone, posing as employees of eBay, and used third parties to open bank accounts in the names of shell corporations that appeared to be affiliated with eBay. They instructed victims to wire funds to various third-party bank accounts they set up. They claimed to be affiliated with eBay’s Buyer Protection Program, when in fact, no such relationship existed.
Shimizu pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiring to commit money laundering.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Norris recognized the assistance of United States Secret Service in Toledo, Ohio and Miami, Florida; the FBI’s Baltimore field office; United States Postal Inspection Service in Detroit; New York State Police; the Canton, Ohio, Butler Village, Ohio, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Bloomfield Township, Michigan, Marlboro Township, New Jersey and Janesville, Wisconsin police departments; and the Walworth County, Wisconsin and Clarke County, Alabama sheriff’s offices.
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California man appears on drug chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A California man accused of possessing methamphetamine and cocaine appeared today for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Heriberto Eddie Garcia, 45, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, Garcia faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of life, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim Cavan presided. Garcia was released pending further proceedings.
Count one of the indictment alleges that in May 2023 and continuing until January 2024, Garcia knowing and unlawfully conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Count two of the indictment charges that on January 22, 2024, Garcia knowingly and unlawfully possessed, with the intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The DEA, Montana Highway Patrol and Laurel Police Department conducted the investigation.
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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).
PACER case reference. 25-16.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
California Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Nearly $2 Million in Two Separate Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A California woman was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing nearly $1.3 million in Covid-relief program funds and failing to pay the IRS more than $700,000 in payroll taxes she collected from the employees of a small business in Salem, Oregon.
Jamie McGowen, 43, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $2,072,860 in restitution to the IRS and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
According to court documents, McGowen was the owner or partial owner of nine separate companies including Salem Outsourcing, Inc., a payroll processing company based in Salem. Between August 2016 and December 2019, McGowen provided payroll processing services to a small business also located in Salem. During this time, she failed to pay the IRS $705,613 in payroll taxes she withheld from the paychecks of the company’s employees. Instead, McGowen kept the money for herself and used a portion of the funds to, among other things, purchase a 100% ownership stake in the same company whose payroll taxes she had stolen.
In a separate scheme, between April 2020 and December 2021, McGowen stole more than $1.2 million from federal relief programs intended to help small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and Restaurant Revitalization Fund. McGowen made numerous false statements in 15 separate loan applications, including by stating she did not own any other company, inflating the number of employees and revenues, and providing false tax documents. McGowen also falsely claimed on loan forgiveness applications that her companies had used the funds received for payroll. In reality, McGowen transferred the money around her businesses, to her father, and to her personal checking account, and paid off personal credit cards.
On October 12, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging McGowen with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. On December 11, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). It was prosecuted by Meredith Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Buffalo man who lied during drug overdose investigation going to prisonRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Roman Lapp, 50, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of obstruction of justice, was sentenced to serve 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that in June 2019, an individual known to law enforcement contacted Lapp, asking for narcotics. As a result, Lapp obtained heroin/fentanyl/acetyl fentanyl from his supplier, Steven Gonzalez, then delivered the narcotics to the individual’s residence. After using the heroin/fentanyl/acetyl fentanyl, the individual overdosed and died. Lapp was initially interviewed by the Buffalo Police Department, during which he identified the source of the narcotics as someone other than Steven Gonzalez. Lapp reiterated this information during a follow up interview with members of federal law enforcement. Later in the interview however, he admitted that he was not truthful about the identity of the source of the narcotics. Lapp then stated Steven Gonzalez was the actual source and that he lied to protect Gonzalez, among other reasons. Gonzalez was convicted and sentenced to serve 188 months in prison.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The sentencing of the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino, New York Field Division, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alfonse Wright.
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Buffalo man charged with distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Oscar F. Hernandez III, 23, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in June 2024, Instagram submitted a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user uploaded two files of suspected child pornography during a Messenger thread with another user. A review determined that the files contained videos of two minor males engaged in sex acts. Subsequent investigation traced the files to Hernandez. In December 2022, Hernandez was convicted of attempted Possessing Sexual Performance by Child less than 16 in New York State Court and sentenced to six years’ probation, to include no utilization of social media accounts.
Hernandez made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroder, Jr. and was held pending a detention hearing on May 16, 2025.
The complaint of the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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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Bridgeport Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Third Federal ConvictionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GAVIN HAMMETT, also known as “G” and “Silk,” 60, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for drug trafficking and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Hammett as the member of a drug trafficking network that was distributing cocaine and fentanyl in the Bridgeport area. Between February and April 2024, investigators made controlled purchases of fentanyl from Hammett.
Hammett was arrested on May 14, 2024. On that date, a court authorized search of his residence revealed approximately two kilograms of cocaine, approximately 39 grams of fentanyl, two handguns, two loaded gun magazines, and an empty gun magazine.
Hammett has been detained since his arrest. On February 21, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This is Hammett’s third federal conviction. In July 1997, Hammett was sentenced in the District of South Carolina to 105 months of imprisonment for distributing cocaine, and in October 2011, he was sentenced in the District of Connecticut to 240 months of imprisonment for distributing cocaine and crack. In October 2020, after he had served approximately nine years of his 20-year sentence, Hammett’s pandemic-related motion for compassionate release was granted by a federal judge and his sentence was reduced to time served.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Danbury, and Darien Police Departments. The DEA HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Stolfi Collins 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.
Bowling Green, Kentucky Man Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay over $1.5 Million in Restitution for Tax Evasion and Defrauding EmployerRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green man was sentenced yesterday to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for wire fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Division, and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement.
Kenneth Ray Moore, 56, was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for three counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, and four counts of tax evasion. According to court documents, between October 2009 and May 2020, Moore committed wire fraud by engaging in a scheme to embezzle $1,145,800 from his employer. Moore, who formerly held the position of Vice President of Finance, caused his employer to issue checks to “KBM Solutions,” a shell company he created to receive embezzled funds. Moore laundered money by transferring the embezzled funds to his personal financial accounts. Moore also failed to file personal income tax returns between 2013 and 2020, and owed over $300,000 in unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest.
Moore was ordered to pay $1,158,194.80 in restitution for the embezzlement scheme and $342,155.84 in restitution for tax evasion, for a total of $1,500,350.64 in restitution.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Bowling Green Office and the USPIS Bowling Green Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Bravo and Madison Sewell of the Louisville Office, prosecuted the case.
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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Steven Lee, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
According to the guilty plea, on April 17, 2024, Lee and co-conspirator Cedrick Brinkley agreed to sell firearms to an ATF undercover agent. The undercover agent explained that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell to an individual in New Jersey. Additionally, on April 17, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee sitting in a vehicle at the location where they planned to meet the undercover agent. Brinkley exited his vehicle, met with the undercover agent, and exchanged five 9-millimeter pistols for $6,100.
On April 24, 2024, Brinkley and Lee arranged to sell additional firearms to the undercover agent. Prior to the transaction, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee meeting in a public parking lot. Brinkley retrieved a black bag from Lee’s vehicle, re-entered his vehicle, and then drove to the meeting location. Lee did not physically attend the meeting with the undercover agent.
At the meeting with the undercover agent, Brinkley brought the black bag, removed five firearms from the bag, and handed them to the undercover agent. The undercover agent wanted to negotiate a better price, so Brinkley called Lee on speakerphone to discuss prices with the agent directly. During the call, Lee described the firearms in detail, including one of the firearms that had a machinegun conversion device affixed to it.
The undercover agent reiterated to Brinkley and Lee that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell them for profit. Then the undercover agent paid Brinkley $7,800 for five firearms, which included pistols of various calibers; one of which had a machinegun conversion device attached to it. In total, the coconspirators sold 10 firearms to the undercover agent; three of them were previously reported stolen.
On July 2, 2024, authorities executed a search warrant for Lee’s Baltimore residence. During the search, law enforcement recovered a Taurus PT709 pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition from Lee’s bedside table. Law enforcement also recovered additional ammunition from Lee’s residence and vehicle. Due to a previous felony conviction, Lee is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Lee faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, at 10 a.m. Brinkley’s trial date is pending.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James O’Donohue who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Army Soldier Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Seth Herrera, 35, a U.S. Army soldier, previously of El Paso, TX, with attempted sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of files depicting child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, Herrera allegedly used encrypted messaging applications and network applications to find, receive, and download child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over the course of multiple years, beginning in 2021. He also allegedly used artificial intelligence chatbots to generate CSAM using images of children he knew. He is also alleged to have surreptitiously taken images and videos of those same children undressing in his home in El Paso.
Herrera is already charged in Alaska relating to his alleged transportation, receipt, and possession of CSAM, including AI-generated CSAM, while stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret F. Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory J. Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anaconda man sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for illegally possessing firearmRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – An Anaconda man who admitted to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm was sentenced today to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Keegan Allan Strelnik, 42, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on September 26, 2019, Strelnik was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in federal court in Montana. Strelnik was sentenced to 41 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release. That federal drug conviction prohibited Strelnik from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On November 24, 2023, Strelnik went hunting in Granite County, Montana. He was captured on a game camera in possession of a hunting rifle. Strelnik attempted to remove the camera’s memory card. A witness later submitted a written statement that during the hunting expedition, Strelnik possessed the rifle, including using the rifle to fire at an elk.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, U.S. Probation Office, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Amherst Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Amherst man was sentenced in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Bradley Driscoll, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Driscoll was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution to the victims. In February 2025, Driscoll pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In October 2023, Driscoll was indicted by a federal grand jury.
On or about Aug. 29, 2022, Driscoll knowingly distributed and possessed CSAM. Specifically, Driscoll engaged in a Kik chat conversation with an undercover agent, where he expressed an interest in obtaining CSAM materials. Driscoll also distributed a link to the undercover agent which contained approximately 345 CSAM files depicting minor children, some as young as one year old, being sexually penetrated by adult males.
In September 2023, Driscoll confirmed that he was the owner of the Kik username and that he located the link containing CSAM files through other Kik messenger chat groups. He acknowledged asking the undercover agent to send him CSAM and acknowledged that the link he shared contained sexual materials involving young children.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Chief Gabriel Ting of the Amherst Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Agua Prieta Man Charged with Attempting to Smuggle over 6,000 Rounds of Ammunition into MexicoRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jose Herrera Daniel, 56, a man residing in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint on May 14, 2025, for attempting to illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico.
The complaint alleges that Daniel attempted to smuggle 6,399 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition through the port of entry in Douglas, Arizona on May 13, 2025. During a search of Daniel’s vehicle at the port, a United States Customs and Border Protection K-9 officer, who was trained to detect weapons, ammunition, and currency, alerted to the vehicle. Officers then sent Daniel’s vehicle through a scan that revealed anomalies in the driver and passenger side rocker panels. In a subsequent physical search, officers found thousands of rounds of ammunition in plastic bags hidden in the vehicle.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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).
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-9008-JEM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-077_Daniel# # #
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.Additional 12 Defendants Charged in RICO Conspiracy for over $263 Million Cryptocurrency Thefts, Money Laundering, Home Break-InsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A four-count superseding indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, charges 12 additional people – Americans and foreign nationals – for allegedly participating in a cyber-enabled racketeering conspiracy throughout the United States and abroad that netted them more than $263 million. Several were arrested this week in California, while two remain abroad and are believed to be living in Dubai.
The superseding indictment and the arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office.
The defendants, listed below, face charges that include RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. The superseding indictment adds charges originally brought against Malone Lam on Sept. 19, 2024.
According to the superseding indictment, the enterprise began no later than October 2023 and continued through March 2025. It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platforms.
Members of the enterprise held different responsibilities. The various roles included database hackers, organizers, target identifiers, callers, money launderers, and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency wallets.
Database hackers hacked websites and servers to obtain cryptocurrency-related databases or purchased databases on the darkweb. Organizers and target identifiers organized and collated information across the databases to determine the most valuable targets. Callers cold-called victims and used social engineering to convince them their accounts were the subject of cyberattacks and the enterprise callers were attempting to help secure their accounts. Money launderers received the stolen crypto currency and turned it into fiat U.S. currency in the form of bulk cash or wire transfers.
According to the indictment, members and associates of the enterprise used the stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, nightclub services ranging up to $500,000 per evening, luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars that were given away at nightclub parties, luxury watches valued between $100,000 and $500,000, luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami, private jet rentals, a team of private security guards, and a fleet of at least 28 exotic cars ranging in value from $100,000 to $3.8 million.
According to the indictment, members of the enterprise laundered stolen cryptocurrency proceeds by moving the funds through various mixers and exchanges using “peel chains,” pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks to mask their true identities.
The indictment alleges that in one instance on Aug. 18, 2024, Malone Lam and contacted a victim in D.C. and, through the communications with that victim, fraudulently obtained over 4,100 Bitcoin -- worth over $230 million at the time. In another instance in July 2024, Malone Lam and others are accused of stealing over $14 million in cryptocurrency from an additional victim.
The indictment alleges that members of the enterprise also committed home break-ins. As alleged in the Indictment, Marlon Ferro traveled to New Mexico in July 2024 and broke into a victim’s home to steal their hardware virtual currency wallet while Lam monitored the victim’s location by logging into his iCloud account.
The superseding indictment also alleges that the enterprise engaged in significant money laundering activity. Kunal Mehta, Hamza Doost, Joel Cortez, and Evan Tangeman are alleged to have engaged in unlicensed crypto-to-cash services for the enterprise, obtained luxury rental homes for members of the enterprise using fake identity documents, booked private jet travel with stolen cryptocurrency for the enterprise, concealed ownership of exotic cars by registering them in shell company names, and shipped bulk cash through US mail to members of the enterprise hidden in squishmallow stuffed animals.
Following his arrest in September 2024 and continuing while in pretrial detention, Lam is alleged to have continued working with members of the enterprise to pass and receive directions, collect stolen cryptocurrency, and to have enterprise members buy luxury Hermes Birkin bags and hand deliver them to his girlfriend in Miami, Florida.
This ongoing investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami field offices.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
If found guilty, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants
NAME, AGE, & ALLEGED ROLEAKAsHOMETOWNCHARGESMalone Lam, 20, Social Engineering, Organizer“King Greavys,” “$$$,” “7,” “Kg,” “Anne Hathaway”Miami, Florida,
Los Angeles, Calif.,
Singapore
RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsMarlon Ferro, 19, Money Laundering, Residential Burglary“Marlo,” “GothFerrari”Santa Ana, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsHamza Doost, 21, Money Laundering“Scyllia”Hayward, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsConor Flansburg, 21, Database Hacker, Caller, and Organizer“O O,” “Green Room,” “@d0uu0b”Newport Beach, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudKunal Mehta, 45, Money Laundering“Papa,” “The Accountant,” “Shrek,” “Neil”Irvine, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsEthan Yarally, 18, Caller“Rand,” “15%”Richmond Hill, New YorkRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudCody Demirtas, 19, Caller“KO,” “Kody”Stuart, FloridaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudAakash Anand, 22, Caller, Money Laundering“Light,” “Dark”N/A
RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsEvan Tangeman, 21, Money Laundering“E,” “Tate,” “Evan | Exchanger”Newport Beach, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsJoel Cortes, 21, Money Laundering“J”Laguna Niguel, CaliforniaRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsFirst Name Unknown-1 , Last Name Unknown-1, Database Hacker“Chen,” “Squiggly”UnknownRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsFirst Name Unknown-2 , Last Name Unknown-2, Database Hacker“Danny” “Meech”UnknownRICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary InstrumentsJohn Tucker Desmond, 19, Destroyed Evidence-
Huntington Beach, CaliforniaObstruction of Justice24cr417
24-Year-Old Ponce Man Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Derek Orengo Delgado, a 24-year-old from Ponce, Puerto Rico, was arrested on criminal charges related to his alleged child exploitation conduct, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Orengo Delgado on May 8, 2025.
On May 7, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Derek Orengo Delgado on charges involving the coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a female minor.
According to court documents, in or about January 2025, Orengo Delgado used a cellphone, online instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 15-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity, and to produce a visual depiction of the conduct. From January 11 to January 12, 2025, Orengo Delgado knowingly transported the female minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity, and to produce sexually explicit images of a minor.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who exploit minors for sexual purposes,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Those who prey on children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“No child should be deceived by a person they trust,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos. “This case underscores the importance of zero-tolerance approach toward crimes against children. Our HSI agents are relentless and will continue to work with law enforcement partners to identify and prevent child exploitation in Puerto Rico.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI is in charge of the investigation.
If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: (1) coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; (2) transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity -- a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; (3) production of sexual exploitation material – 15 to 30 years in prison; (4) receipt of child exploitation material – 5 to 20 years in prison; and (5) transfer of obscene material to a minor – up to 10 years in prison. All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to [email protected].
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Wednesday 14 May 2025
York County Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Threatening Federal ProsecutorRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gregory Mitzel, age 59, of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 8, 2025, to 24 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for influencing, impeding, retaliating against a federal official by threat. Mitzel had previously pleaded guilty to that offense.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, beginning sometime in September of 2023 and continuing through July 2024, Mitzel began posting threats on the internet to then-President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. After notification that his threats were being jointly investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office, Mitzel called the assigned Assistant U.S. Attorney, identified himself, and proceeded to threaten the prosecutor and the prosecutor’s family.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard T. Donahue prosecuted the case.
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