Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
9 October 2026
Lake Park Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Chris Kurt, 44, from Lake Park, Iowa, pled guilty October 5, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City, to possessing child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Kurt admitted that from January 1, 2017, through June 23, 2025, he received and possessed over 103 videos and 132 images of child pornography that was backed up to his cloud storage. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Kurt’s residence and seized several electronic devices. Forensic review of the devices located an additional cache of over 10,000 images and over 1,000 videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Some of the depictions involved prepubescent minors, or a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12 years, and involved sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence or other depictions of violence or the sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler. In an interview with law enforcement, Kurt admitted that he would routinely make screen recordings on his phone while visiting websites that contained CSAM. Kurt told agents he did not know how much CSAM would be on his devices because he had downloaded so much over the years.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Kurt remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Kurt faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Lake Park, Iowa Police Department, and the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-4023. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Jury Convicts Lake City Woman in $2.9 Million Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Treashonna P. Graham (42, Lake City) guilty of all charges in a 13-count indictment, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Graham faces up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and each wire fraud offense and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each money laundering offense. Graham will be sentenced on January 19, 2027. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Graham and her conspirator/co-defendant, Joey Williams, created a company called “Grant Bae,” which purportedly assisted minority business owners to obtain government grants. Graham charged a fee for her services and advised clients that the company was in the process of obtaining grant money on their behalf. The evidence at trial proved that Graham never hired companies to help locate or obtain grants nor did she help to write any grant applications for her clients. More than 1,000 individuals were victimized by her fraudulent scheme. In total, Graham stole approximately $2,.9 million and used those funds to live an extravagant lifestyle. Graham used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase vehicles, jewelry, clothing, and other personal property. She also gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars at local casinos.
Williams previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case and is pending sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Johnston County Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bobby Ray Skaggs, age 46, of Mannsville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that between January 2019 and December 2025, Skaggs knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The charge arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Skaggs will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Jefferson County Man Charged with Threatening FBI Agents When Agents Attempted to Interview Him About Disturbing Calls Made to a Jewish Charity Threatening to “…Put All the Jews in a Gas Chamber and Kill Them”Read the Press Release
Dylan Daniell, age 33, of La Fargeville, NY, was arraigned today October 9, 2026, at the federal courthouse in Syracuse, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Mitchell J. Katz, after being charged by criminal complaint with threatening a federal law enforcement officer. He was ordered held in custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for October 15, 2026. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.
The complaint filed against Daniell alleges that in May 2026, a nonprofit Jewish charity organization received several phone calls in which the male caller made inflammatory comments directed at the Jewish community. For example, the caller said, “I would like to blow up Israel and kill all the Jews,” and “I would like to put all the Jews in a gas chamber and kill them.” The FBI identified Daniell as the likely user of the phone number that was used to make the calls to the charity organization. On October 7, 2026, two FBI agents attempted to interview Daniell at his residence in LaFargeville, NY, regarding those phone calls. After the FBI agents introduced themselves and identified themselves as FBI agents, the complaint alleges that Daniell threatened the agents, saying, among other things, “only good cop is a dead cop” and “get the f--- out of here before I pull something out on you.” Approximately 4 hours later, one of the agents received a text message from Daniell’s phone number, which read in part “You ever come to my house again you will not like it. That’s not a threat that’s a promise . . . .”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Let me be absolutely clear: threatening law enforcement officers is not a joke, it is not something that we will brush aside, and it will not be tolerated. Those, like the defendant, as alleged, who believe that they can threaten the men and women who enforce federal law must understand that their actions carry serious consequences. My office will aggressively prosecute these cases and hold offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“As alleged in the criminal complaint, Mr. Daniell made some disturbing threats to a Jewish charity. When FBI agents went to question him about the allegations, he responded by threatening their lives,” said Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albany Field Office. “As detailed in the complaint, he followed-up his verbal threats with a text massage saying, ‘…that’s not a threat, that’s a promise.’ Now, he is in custody and the only thing promised for Mr. Daniell is swift justice and potential jail time. The FBI’s response to this incident should send a clear message that we will not tolerate threats of violence toward anyone, especially law enforcement officials who put their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety of our communities. Simply put: if you threaten an FBI agent, be prepared to face some serious consequences.”
The charge filed against Daniell carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Jacksonville, Illinois, man, Daniel Brannan, 48, was sentenced last week to 12 years in prison, to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.
At the sentencing hearing on September 29, 2026, the government established that Brannan had engaged in the distribution and trading of multiple videos of child pornography between April and May 2025 on an online chatting application. These videos included prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts with adults.
Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless described the number of files possessed, over five thousand images and thirty-four videos; found that Brannan had engaged in trading in child pornography; and stated that images that he possessed included toddlers and infants, as well as bondage and humiliation.
In June 2026, Brannan pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Brannan remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service where he has been since his arrest in December 2025.
The statutory penalties for distribution and receipt of child pornography are not less than five years and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a life term of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and restitution. The statutory penalties for possession of child pornography are not more than 10 years’ imprisonment, five years to a life term of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office investigated the case with assistance from the Jacksonville, Illinois, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Brannan was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Illinois Woman Sentenced to 31 Months in Prison for Distributing and Conspiring to Create and Distribute Sexual Torture and Mutilation Videos of Baby MonkeysRead the Press Release
Amanda Leigh Fourez, of Catlin, Illinois, was sentenced yesterday to 31 months in prison and three years of supervised release in connection with her involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys in violation of the federal Animal Crushing statute.
Fourez pleaded guilty in April to distributing animal crush videos and conspiring with others to create and distribute the videos.
According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Fourez paid thousands of dollars to commission bespoke sexual torture videos of monkeys, and later she distributed the obscene crush videos online. She was a member of several chat groups and private payment groups dedicated to the creation, distribution, and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being tortured, including baby and adult monkeys being burned and their genitals mutilated.
During the sentencing hearing, the court denied Fourez’s motion for a downward variance. The court observed that the videos that Fourez created and distributed were “shocking and violent” and documented “agonizing torture” of animals. The court further noted that the sentence should deter others from this serious conduct.
Another member of these groups, Joseph Garrett Buckland, of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos in April and is set to be sentenced on Jan. 13, 2027 for his role in the conspiracy ring.
“We stand ready to prosecute this depraved conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We appreciate the collaboration of HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in rooting out this conspiracy and prosecuting the case.”
“Amanda Fourez commissioned mutilation of helpless animals on video, and then disseminated those gruesome videos to an online community of people who were seeking content that portrayed the infliction of severe pain and suffering,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to investigating and prosecuting these serious federal crimes involving cruelty to animals.”
“The conduct in this case was unimaginably cruel and highlights the depraved nature of the online networks HSI is committed to dismantling,” said Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans. “HSI will continue to utilize advanced investigative techniques and vital law enforcement partnerships to track those who facilitate these heinous crimes across international borders.”
HSI New Orleans’ Cyber and Human Exploitation Investigations investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyssa Angotti and Kelly M. Locher for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien Indicted for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Worcester has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The defendant was previously removed from the United States in November 2019.
Winderson Emiliano Baez-Vasquez, 27, was charged with unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Baez-Vasquez was ordered held pending trial, following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester. According to court filings, in August 2019, Baez-Vasquez was encountered by immigration officials shortly after illegally entering the U.S. from Mexico. He was subsequently deported to the Dominican Republic in November 2019. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, Baez-Vasquez illegally reentered the United States. On May 10, 2023, Baez-Vasquez was arrested in Worcester for Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Receiving Stolen Property over $1,200 and has pleaded guilty to the Receiving Stolen Property offense.
According to court filings, on Nov. 24, 2023, Baez-Vasquez was arrested again in Worcester and charged in state court with firearm offenses after allegedly shooting a gun at two cars on Nov. 18, 2023. Baez-Vasquez was subsequently indicted by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and ordered held without bail on March 12, 2024. After Baez-Vasquez’s conditions were reduced to $10,000 cash bail, Baez-Vasquez made bail, allegedly removed his GPS bracelet and fled. In March of 2025, Baez-Vasquez was arrested in Florida for a traffic dispute in which he, while driving, pointed a gun at another driver. Baez-Vasquez pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (a gun) and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Illegal Alien Convicted at Trial of Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that yesterday a federal jury found Alejandro Rojas Garcia, 65, a Mexican national in the United States illegally, guilty of attempted production of child pornography.
The guilty verdict was returned after a four-day trial starting on October 5, 2026, before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim. Sentencing will be set at a later date and Garcia faces a mandatory minimum of 180 months in prison. The defendant is also facing state criminal charges for related conduct.¹
Photo of Alejandro Rojas Garcia
“Garcia is a predator. A verdict cannot undo the evil he brought on two innocent girls, but it is justice,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to federal court documents, evidence presented during trial, and as alleged in public state court documents, in early April 2024, law enforcement began an investigation into Garcia after receiving information that he had sexually assaulted two sisters, including Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2, both of whom were then under the age of 13.
Garcia was a longtime family friend of the victims’ family, and the family trusted Garcia to care for the children a few days of the week. When Garcia provided childcare for the minor victims, they spent time at Garcia’s apartment. Minor Victim 1 stated that in the spring of 2024, Garcia sexually assaulted her and was violent.
Minor Victim 2 stated that, on multiple instances, Garcia would sexually assault her and that he caused her pain.
On April 5, 2024, Garcia was arrested. Officers conducted a search of Garcia’s apartment pursuant to a search warrant. The officers seized multiple cellphones, cameras, laptop computers, flash drives, other data storage devices, and a massage gun. Garcia had several hidden cameras placed throughout his apartment, including five cameras hidden in the bathroom. Cameras were aimed at the genital area of a person sitting on the toilet and towards the shower and bath area.
Electronic Storage Devices Found in Garcia’s Apartment
Officers searched the various storage devices Garcia had stashed in his apartment and found numerous child sexual abuse material, including that of Minor Victim 1 and of other unknown child victims. While searching Garcia’s apartment, an electronic storage detection dog indicated the presence of evidence in a wooden crucifix hanging on a wall in Garcia’s bedroom. Inside the crucifix, behind a bottle of holy water, was a micro-SD card which contained child sexual abuse material involving Minor Victim 1.
Front of Crucifix
Inside Crucifix Depicting Holy Water and Micro-SD Card
At trial, Garcia testified. Under oath, he claimed that he was unaware of the child sexual abuse material on the various devices in his apartment. Regarding the child sexual abuse material involving Minor Victim 1 found on the micro-SD card inside the crucifix, Garcia acknowledged that he put the material on the micro-SD card but denied producing the material with the intent of gratifying his sexual desire.
This case was the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Stillwater Police Department, with assistance from Washington County Child Protective Services.
Assistant United States Attorneys Dana M. Joseph, Echo D. Fatsis, and William C. Mattessich are prosecuting 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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
¹ Garcia has been charged by complaint in Washington County District Court File No. 82-CR-24-1329 on two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 1st Degree.
Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Conviction of Albany Man for Crack Cocaine SalesRead the Press Release
Kymere Thomas, 28, of Albany, New York, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Anthony Brindisi on October 5, 2026, to distributing crack cocaine. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Between March and August 2025, Thomas sold over 50 grams of cocaine, and over 580 grams of crack (cocaine base), in eight separate transactions. In one of these transactions alone Thomas sold 292 grams of crack, for which he was paid over $11,000. When officers searched his residence, they found another 650 grams of cocaine and 15 grams of crack. Thomas was arrested in September 2025 and remained on pre-trial release until his guilty plea, when he was remanded to custody.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “We will aggressively work to dismantle the drug-trafficking networks that threaten the safety of our communities. Our work is far from over, and this guilty plea shows those who choose to spread dangerous narcotics that we are coming for you. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners for arresting him and that he is finally off our streets.”
“By his own admission, Mr. Thomas was responsible for trafficking an enormous amount of cocaine into our communities,” said Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albany Field Office. “FBI Albany’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) responded with the full weight of its federal, state, and local partnerships, and now Mr. Thomas is heading to federal prison for a least a decade. The FBI is laser-focused on investigating and holding accountable any criminal looking to endanger our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”
Thomas faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, followed by a minimum term of 5 years’ supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Thomas’s sentencing has been scheduled for January 27, 2027.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Walter prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the DEA, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
Gainesville Man Pleads Guilty to Convenience Store RobberyRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Denzel Dyshaun Flagg, 27, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This successful prosecution was made possible by the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, who tracked down this defendant so we could hold him accountable for his role in this violent crime. We owe it to our citizens to protect them from the predations of violent criminals and to seek maximum punishment to hold those offenders accountable and deter future crime.”
Court documents reflect that on February 18, 2025, the defendant participated in the robbery of the Eastside Food Store in Gainesville, Florida. During the robbery, two other individuals entered the store wearing ski masks, and one of them pointed a gun directly at the face of the store clerk before stealing cash from the register. The defendant acted as the getaway driver.
Flagg faces a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2026, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Four Additional Defendants Plead Guilty in Gun Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today that four additional defendants have pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses in connection with an international firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled illegally obtained weapons from New Hampshire through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York. The investigation uncovered that members of the conspiracy trafficked firearms into Canada while also trafficking narcotics and humans into the United States.
The four latest defendants to plead guilty in the case between the dates of September 26 and October 9, 2026 are all residents of the Akwesane Mohawk Indian Reservation straddling the U.S.-Canada border from New York to Quebec. They are:
- Conrad Oakes, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2027.
- Tayson Terrance, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 19, 2027.
- Ranonkwatseronhawi Gibson, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2027.
- Montana Cook, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2027.
Oakes, Terrance, Gibson and Cook were among eight defendants indicted in May 2026. Five other defendants, including Justin Jackson, Melissa Longe, Dustin Tuttle, Caleb Wilcott, and Doug Mulligan, had previously pleaded guilty to firearms offenses arising from the investigation.
According to court documents, the investigation began with a firearms trace. A firearm was recovered by the Montreal City Police Department (SVPM) in Montreal, Quebec as part of a search warrant executed in a kidnapping investigation. SVPM recovered a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which they were able to restore. This firearm was purchased by defendant and co-conspirator Dustin Tuttle in New Hampshire. Subsequent investigation revealed a larger conspiracy to smuggle weapons from New Hampshire to Vermont, New York, and ultimately to Canada.
ATF and HSI agents learned that the conspiracy utilized the Akwesasne reservation to cross between the U.S. and Canada. One of the defendants utilized jets skis to smuggle contraband, including straw purchased firearms, from the New York portion of the Akwesasne to Cornwall Island. Once the contraband was on Cornwall Island, a resident would then ferry the contraband through the checkpoint and further into Canada. Through this investigation, the ATF and HSI learned that drugs, humans, and guns were trafficked to and from Canada utilizing Cornwall Island.
ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and the Akwesasne reservation in New York and Canada, at least ten of which were subsequently recovered at various Canadian crime scenes, in Canada. For example, after an attempted shooting in a parking lot in Montreal, Canadian law enforcement was able to find the discarded firearm which was used. That firearm was purchased by defendant and member of the conspiracy, Melissa Longe, from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Winchester, New Hampshire.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesThis investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police (SRMTP), Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision-Office of Special Investigations, Manchester Police Department, and the Keene Police Department have provided valuable assistance.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives“These defendants have admitted to operating a sophisticated firearms trafficking network that exploited New Hampshire gun dealers, straw purchasers, and the international border to move dozens of firearms into Canada, facilitating further trafficking crime and violent crimes,” said Erin Creegan, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “Guns purchased in New Hampshire and traded through this criminal enterprise were later recovered at crime scenes involving offenses such as kidnapping and attempted murder. We are grateful for the partnership between our federal agencies, Canadian and tribal authorities, as well as state and local law enforcement in New Hampshire and New York that helped investigate these crimes and take down this dangerous network.”
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives“These convictions demonstrate the effectiveness of intelligence-driven policing and cooperative law enforcement efforts in bringing criminal charges against firearm traffickers. Crime gun intelligence connected firearms recovered at different crime scenes in Canada, advancing our Canadian partner’s domestic investigations into violent crime while simultaneously alerting ATF to a transnational firearms trafficking scheme at work in the United States. The guilty pleas hold accountable individuals who exploited that access to firearms and the freedom to travel while undermining public safety in both countries. ATF is proud of our partnerships with our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners and will continue to work together to build safe communities on both sides of the border,” said Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston Field Division.
“These guilty pleas demonstrate the serious consequences of trafficking firearms across international borders and into communities where they can fuel violent crime. This case is a powerful example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement partners share intelligence, resources, and expertise across jurisdictions and borders. ATF remains committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling firearms trafficking networks that threaten public safety. We commend the outstanding work of ATF Boston and ATF New York Albany personnel, HSI New York, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and our Canadian law enforcement partners whose persistence and collaboration brought these defendants to justice,” said Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s New York Field Division.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesThe charge of conspiracy to straw-purchase firearms provides a maximum prison term of 25 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The charge of conspiracy to traffic firearms provides a maximum prison term of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. 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.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat, and Paralegal Specialist Kristina McNamara are handling the prosecution on behalf of the United States.
Former attorney sentenced to two years in prison for stealing from estate he was to probateRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 54-year-old former attorney was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for wire fraud for his theft of more than $1.5 million from an estate he was hired to probate, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Duncan Connelly voluntarily surrendered his law license as part of his plea agreement on March 5, 2026. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “We talk about these financial crimes as if they’re just money,.. but as one of the victim’s wrote, ‘this was the money of someone I loved’… (The victims) had trust in you…. What we’re really talking about is theft. And then you covered it up.”
“Mr. Connelly not only stole from his victims, he lied to them about his embezzlement for nearly two years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His crime was predatory, prolonged, and planned. The victims will likely not be made whole and will have to live the final years of their lives without the financial security that was rightfully theirs.”
According to records filed in the case, in July 2020 Connelly was hired by the executor of the estate of a Port Townsend, Washington, woman who left some $3.7 million to six nieces and nephews, with nine specific gifts to various entities. The executor was one of the relatives - all of whom lived overseas - and all were unfamiliar with all of the legal steps necessary to distribute the funds and close the estate. The executor hired Connelly, who then worked at a large prestigious law firm, because of rankings on the firm’s website.
Initially, Connelly handled the affairs of the estate appropriately while billing significant legal fees. However, in 2021, Connelly was fired from his large prestigious law firm and went out on his own as a solo practitioner.
Connelly began delaying payments and failing to respond to inquiries from the heirs. In February 2023 he began stealing money from the estate. He wrote himself checks from the estate and tried to make it look as if it was a specific bequest. He would deposit the money in his firm account and then transfer it to his personal account to pay his personal expenses. The first check was for $10,000 but the next one in May was for $50,000. Again, he used amounts that made it appear he was paying a specific bequest. All the while he continued to bill fees – some $6,000 for his “work” on the case.
Finally in August 2023 Connelly stole $1.5 million from the estate account which he labeled “transfer for investment” to make it look legitimate. But the investment was in risky online day trading and Connelly lost the money. He made some additional partial payments to some of the victims but by July 2024 there was just a little over $500 left in the estate, despite owing the beneficiaries well over $1 million. At this point Connelly stopped responding to the beneficiaries.
Connelly ultimately reported his theft to the FBI and federal prosecutors and agreed to give up his law license as part of his guilty plea.
In asking for a 30-month sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Connelly used his unique position of being the estate’s attorney to commit his crime, knowing his clients had no knowledge of the legal system or estate procedures of this country. Instead of helping the client he was actively billing and ethically required to help, he exploited their inexperience. Connelly had other clients, other opportunities to embezzle client funds, but he chose these victims because they had a large estate and they were uniquely unprepared to challenge Connelly’s lies or detect his fraud from afar.”
Judge Whitehead ordered three years of supervised release to follow prison and $1,369,462 in restitution, which accounts for some of the money Connelly paid back after the theft.
The case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Grace Zoller.
Former Southeast Texas teacher indicted for child exploitation in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A former Southeast Texas teacher has been charged with federal child exploitation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Derek Bryan Peveto, 46, was named in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury on October 7, 2026, charging him with production of child pornography.
According to the indictment, on June 13, 2026, Peveto is alleged to have used a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct resulting in the production of child pornography.
If convicted, Peveto faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Former National Guard task force member sentenced for illegal firearm possession offenses that came to light during an investigation into leaks of sensitive operational informationRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ruby Celly Uribe, 37, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to two years and five months in prison for unlawfully possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
On May 26, 2026, a jury found Uribe guilty.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a trial, Uribe was assigned to the logistics shop at the California National Guard Headquarters in Mather, and was a member of the Counterdrug Task Force (CDTF). The CDTF supports local, tribal, and federal law enforcement entities in the interdiction of drug trafficking organizations. While assigned to this unit, Uribe leaked information about upcoming drug raids to a person she knew to be involved with drug dealing. Text messages recovered from Uribe’s and the drug dealer’s phones revealed she shared sensitive information about upcoming operations, including the date and location and the number of military vehicles and aircraft involved.
A federal search warrant of Uribe’s residence resulted in the discovery of a short-barreled rifle. The firearm had been modified to fire in full-automatic mode as a machine gun. In addition, it was a privately made firearm with no serial number, commonly referred to as a ghost gun. With certain exceptions, federal law prohibits the possession of machine guns and unregistered rifles with barrels shorter than 16 inches. A search of Uribe’s cellphone revealed that she was also engaged in trafficking other nonserialized, short-barreled machine guns, including to a co-worker on July 20, 2022.
During preparation for trial in this case, the FBI learned of another illegal firearm that Uribe sold in August 2022. The FBI safely recovered that firearm, which is also a machine gun and short-barreled rifle.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the California Military Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Nicole M. Vanek prosecuted the case.
Former Bank Employee Sentenced for Stealing More Than $125,000 from Elderly Customer with DementiaRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former employee of Santander Bank has been sentenced in federal court for stealing more than $125,000 from the bank account of a 78-year-old customer with dementia.
Carlos Bras, 41, of East Providence, was sentenced on October 8, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 30 months of imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. Bras was also ordered to pay $126,000 in restitution. Bras previously pleading guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, beginning in or about May 2023, Bras accessed the account of the 78-year-old victim, who resided in an assisted living facility and had a court-appointed conservator in Massachusetts.
Bras admitted that he enabled online banking access to the victim’s account; ordered checks sent to addresses he controlled; obtained a debit card for personal use; and conducted numerous unauthorized transactions, including transfers to accounts controlled by him and his family and multiple wire transfers to a bank account in Portugal.
Investigators also discovered a purported real estate contract in Portugal bearing the signatures of Bras and the victim. The victim’s conservator reported that the victim was unaware of the transaction and that the signature and listed address were not the victim’s.
“Mr. Bras exploited his position at a financial institution and took advantage of an elderly man who could not protect himself,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of that betrayal and the commitment of our office and our law enforcement partners to safeguard vulnerable members of our community.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message: those who abuse positions of trust to target vulnerable victims will be held accountable,” said Mark Comorosky, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Boston Field Office. “The defendant used his access as a bank employee to steal from an elderly victim and move funds for his own benefit. The Secret Service is proud to stand with our partners at the Seekonk Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case to a just conclusion.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman.
The matter was investigated by the USSS and the Seekonk, Massachusetts Police Department.
First-Time Offender Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Coercion of a MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Jonathan Edward Veselka (45, Arizona) was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti to 27 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Veselka pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, for approximately three weeks, Veselka communicated with an undercover officer, believing it was a 14-year-old girl. Veselka sent the undercover officer sexual photos and videos of himself, asked the undercover explicit sexual questions, and detailed the sexual activity he wished to engage in with the individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Veselka arranged for the purported 14-year-old girl to travel to Las Vegas to engage in sexual activity with him. Veselka had never been arrested prior to this criminal offense.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Courtney Derry.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Final Two Defendants Sentenced in Fentanyl Distribution Resulting in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – Two men, Ryan Cooley, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Nicholas Sturgill, of Villa Hills, Ky., were sentenced on Thursday to prison terms of 12.5 years and 10 years, respectively, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
An investigation revealed that on May 21, 2025, Nathaniel Ferguson, Cooley and Sturgill’s co-defendant, sold approximately 50 pressed pills containing fentanyl and xylazine to Cooley. Cooley then sold the pills to Sturgill, who brought them to his Kenton County residence and shared them with the victim, who died the next day. Toxicology results and autopsy findings confirmed that the victim’s death resulted from an overdose involving fentanyl and xylazine.
During the investigation, agents recovered additional blue pills and drug paraphernalia from the residence, all of which tested positive for fentanyl and xylazine. Sturgill admitted to purchasing such pressed pills from Cooley for approximately one year, including those involved in the fatal incident, and provided text messages corroborating the transactions. Surveillance footage from the May 21 sale further confirmed Cooley’s involvement and showed him arriving at the scene of the drug transaction in a vehicle driven by Ferguson.
Under law enforcement direction, Sturgill conducted controlled purchases of pills from Cooley on multiple dates in June and July 2025. Laboratory testing revealed that the pills contained various dangerous substances, including fentanyl analogues, xylazine, ketamine, and carfentanil. Agents later executed a search warrant at Cooley’s residence, where he admitted to supplying the pills and identified Ferguson as his source. Cooley’s communications with Ferguson confirmed their relationship. A subsequent controlled purchase arranged through Cooley led to the recovery of additional pills supplied by Ferguson, which again tested positive for fentanyl-related substances.
Ferguson was sentenced on September 16, 2026, to 22 years in prison for his role in fentanyl distribution leading to the victim’s death by overdose.
“This case is another tragic example of the devastation caused by illicit fentanyl, and it is the third fentanyl distribution case resulting in an overdose death to be sentenced in our district in the past month,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Parman. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to identify those who distribute these dangerous drugs and hold them accountable when their actions result in the loss of life.”
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Scott Hardcorn, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, and Chief Matthew Hall, Villa Hills Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, and the Villa Hills Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
– END –
Ex-Postal Worker Admits to Stealing Checks in Massive $34 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A former United States Postal Service letter carrier, Destinee Ruffin, 29, of Indianapolis, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $34 million conspiracy to commit bank fraud by stealing checks from the U.S. Mail. Ruffin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27, 2026. This case was brought as part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Three of Ruffin’s co-conspirators have already been sentenced for their roles in the scheme. One additional co-conspirator, John Young, is awaiting a sentencing date.
The United States Attorney’s Office estimates that approximately 6,500 victims were affected by this widespread fraud scheme.
Individuals who believe they may be victims, particularly those who use or live near the Bacon Station Post Office located at 2727 E. 55th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220, are encouraged to visit our website for case details and updates.
Potential victims may include anyone who lived or worked along the Bacon Station route, mailed a paper check between November 2020 and May 2022, or failed to receive an expected mailing during that period.
Due to the large number of victims, it is impractical to notify each one individually. Should you have any questions regarding this case, please contact Victim Witness Coordinator, Stephanie Lloyd at 317-229-2406.
Defendant Charge(s)SentenceRestitution Tony McMullen, 36, Calumet Park, IL Conspiracy to commit bank fraudTwo years, nine months; three years of supervised release$121,270.30Eric Hollis, 23, IndianapolisConspiracy to commit bank fraudOne year and one day; three years of supervised release $117,275.30Kendall Thompson, 24, IndianapolisConspiracy to commit bank fraud4 months; three years of supervised release$9,320.05Destinee Ruffin, 29, IndianapolisConspiracy to commit bank fraud; theft of mailSentencing hearing scheduled for October 27, 2026 John Young, 24, IndianapolisAttempt and Conspiracy to commit mail fraud; three counts of Bank fraudSentencing date pendingAccording to court documents, Ruffin was employed as a letter carrier at the Bacon Station Post Office. Between November 2020 and May 2022, Ruffin used access to both incoming and outgoing mail to steal checks, which he then sold to co-conspirators.
In one example, Ruffin and McMullen exchanged 38 Cash App transactions totaling over $10,000 in payments from McMullen to Ruffin for stolen checks. Using the stolen checks, McMullen sought individuals on social media who were willing to deposit altered checks into their bank accounts. These individuals provided debit cards, PINs, or online banking credentials. McMullen altered the payee information on the stolen checks, deposited them, and later withdrew funds or demanded payment through Cash App or Zelle. In total, McMullen fraudulently negotiated 36 checks stolen from Bacon Station, worth approximately $235,632.
Ruffin sold even more stolen checks to Young. Young established trusted “mid-level” conspirators, primarily Eric Hollis (Hollis) and Kendall Thompson (Thompson), who deposited stolen checks into various accounts and recruited/ acquired account holders. Young would also list many of the stolen checks for sale on the internet-based application titled “Telegram”.
Investigators uncovered the scheme by mailing controlled Treasury checks with recorded serial numbers and tracing them back to Ruffin’s delivery route.
In April 2024, officers executed a search warrant on Ruffin’s vehicle, residence, person, and electronic devices. They discovered thousands of stolen checks valued at over $20 million that Ruffin had stolen but not yet sold.
In total, Ruffin supplied Young with more than $12 million in stolen checks and provided McMullen with stolen checks worth more than $235,000.
The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
###
District of Arizona Charges 345 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Oct. 3 through Oct. 9, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 345 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 151 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 172 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 22 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States of America v. Favela-Favela. On Oct. 5, 2026, Christina Favela-Favela was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Oct. 4, Favela drove a vehicle with her three children to the San Luis, Arizona Port of Entry seeking admission to the United States. Custom and Border Patrol (CBP) officers referred Favela’s vehicle to secondary inspection. CBP officers subsequently learned that on July 7, 2026, Favela had attempted to cross into the United States via the Lukeville, Arizona Port of Entry with two children and a male alien concealed under personal items. With this knowledge, BPAs used a canine unit on Oct. 4 and found a male passenger hiding in the fetal position under personal items in the cargo area of Favela’s vehicle. CPB officers determined the male was an illegal alien without legal authority to be in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-1787]
United States v. Luis Angel Diaz-Jimenez. On Oct. 5, 2026, Luis Angel Diaz-Jimenez was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Oct. 2, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) attempted to stop a Dodge Charger for an immigration inspection. Instead of yielding to BPAs, the driver, Diaz-Jimenez, accelerated, reaching speeds of approximately 100 mph before leaving the roadway, driving through a fenceline, and coming to a stop in the desert. Three subjects, including the Diaz-Jimenez, then got out of the vehicle and ran. BPAs pursued the subjects on foot and apprehended all three. The two passengers were determined to be citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-10005]
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-171_October 9, 2026 Immigration Enforcement
# # #
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.Department of Justice Announces Updates to Emergency Scheduling Actions for 7-OH and Related Opioid SubstancesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced updated emergency scheduling actions targeting 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and three potent opioid substances related to 7-OH: mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI), MGM-15, and MGM-16.
“Dangerous and addictive opioids do not belong behind convenience store counters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Our nation’s children and communities deserve protection from harmful substances like 7-OH and other powerful synthetic drugs. The actions taken by the Department of Justice today reflect our commitment to keeping Americans safe and holding drug traffickers accountable.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is issuing two new Notices of Intent based on new scientific information and recommendations provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The updated HHS analysis supports a revised threshold approach for 7-OH and MGPI designed to distinguish products containing trace amounts of these substances from formulations that have been intentionally enhanced or concentrated.
The two Notices of Intent address:
- MGM-15 and MGM-16: DEA will reissue the Notice of Intent without changing the current scheduling approach for these substances.
- 7-OH and MGPI: DEA will issue a new Notice of Intent incorporating HHS' updated scientific recommendation for concentration and ratio thresholds applicable to both substances.
HHS recommended that 7-OH and MGPI be subject to Schedule I control when either substance alone, or their combined amount when both are present, exceeds 1 milligram per gram in solid products or 1 milligram per milliliter in liquid products, or when the ratio of mitragynine to 7-OH, MGPI, or their combined amount is less than 100 to 1. HHS recommended this approach to better distinguish products intentionally enhanced or concentrated in these opioid substances from products whose alkaloid composition is more consistent with botanical kratom.
The updated HHS analysis confirms that 7-OH occurs naturally in botanical kratom at relatively low levels and identifies additional scientific information suggesting MGPI may also occur at trace levels in some botanical or kratom-derived products. HHS noted that the science concerning the presence of MGPI continues to develop but recommended applying a threshold approach to both 7-OH and MGPI.
DEA temporarily placed MGPI, MGM-15, and MGM-16 into Schedule I on August 26, 2026. Those controls will remain in effect during the new 30-day Notice of Intent period and until DEA issues a new temporary scheduling order.
For 7-OH, DEA had not yet issued a temporary scheduling order. DEA will reissue a new Notice of Intent reflecting HHS’ updated scientific recommendation.
Department of Justice Announces Federal Grants for Ulster and Clinton CountiesRead the Press Release
On September 30, 2026, the counties of Ulster and Clinton received over $1 million in federal grants as part of the Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants designed to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system announced First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, and Clinton County Sheriff David Favro.
The Byrne Discretionary Grants Program provides funding for specific community projects designated for funding in the Department of Justice Appropriations Acts. Byrne Discretionary aims to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and assist victims of crime. Clinton County will be utilizing the $500,000 granted to them to purchase a properly equipped and mission specific vessel to respond to emergencies and patrol the international border of New York and Vermont with Canada on Lake Champlain.
Ulster County received $794,000 for the Sheriff’s policing equipment and technology upgrades project. The money will modernize emergency communications, investigations, corrections, crisis response and field operations across the predominantly rural county. The Sheriff’s Office can now procure and implement next-generation 911 and phone system capabilities, secure a crisis intervention and overdose data platform, mobile device forensic technology, a handheld Raman-based drug identification device, camera and automated license please reader infrastructure, and AI-supported report drafting. This will result in safer drug identification, stronger crisis follow up, better correctional awareness and more coordinated countywide public safety operations.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated, “We are proud to announce the federal grants awarded to Ulster County and Clinton County. While these counties are on the exact opposite sides of the Northern District of New York, working with state and local law enforcement is essential to keeping our entire district safe. Having Lake Champlain adequately patrolled is essential to protecting the Canadian border, which is considered the most serious threat to national security of any border today in the United States of America. Ulster County sits in the heart of the Hudson Valley with a significant portion covering Interstate-87, a known drug trafficking route. My office is proud to collaborate with Sheriff Figueroa to keep all residents of the Hudson Valley safe.”
Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa stated, “The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office is thankful to our partners in federal law enforcement for this funding. Teamwork is essential in achieving the Byrne Discretionary Grants goal of improving the criminal justice system. I look forward to future collaborations with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. The historical prosecutions between the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (U.R.G.E.N.T.) and the federal government have made Ulster County a safer place, and the new funding will ensure the safety for my community going forward.”
Clinton County Sheriff David Favro stated, “Keeping the beautiful waters of Lake Champlain safe for our residents and guests is a critical mission of the Sheriff’s office. Receiving this grant for $500,000.00 will allow the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office to purchase an appropriately equipped marine vessel to respond to a variety of emergencies on Lake Champlain in addition to patrolling the international open waters that border Canada and Vermont.”
Davenport Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on October 8, 2026, to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Terry Lee Chance, Jr., 33, drove through Davenport in possession of a .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number. Officers with the Davenport Police Department recovered the pistol during a traffic stop of the vehicle Chance drove.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Chance will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
D.C. Man Sentenced to 65.5 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Two Victims in 2024Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Spears, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a total of 65 years and 180 days in prison for the sexual abuse of two different women in April and July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Two victims. Eight days of violence, threats, and relentless sexual abuse. Today, the court delivered justice,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Maurice Spears will spend more than 65 years in prison — a consequence that reflects the fear he inflicted and the lives he tried to destroy. This sentence ensures he will never again have the chance to prey on another person in our community.”
Spears was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of six counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of felony threats, and one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse on May 14, 2026. Superior Court Judge Jason Park ordered the prison term to be followed by a lifetime supervised release. The defendant must also register as a sex offender.
According to the governments evidence, on April 15, 2024, Spears went on a single date with the first victim. After the date, they ended up back in the defendant’s storage unit, where he was living. While inside the storage unit, Spears threatened to kill the victim and her children if she left and told her that he planned to force her into prostitution. He also showed her a fake police badge and told her that he had law enforcement in his pocket. The defendant forced the victim to spend the next three days with him and sexually assaulted the victim twice inside his storage unit. He later took her to Virginia and kept her in a motel room. She was eventually rescued by her family and taken to the hospital.
On July 26, 2024, the second victim met Spears when they were both at a services provider for homeless individuals. The defendant promised to help the victim get some shoes. The victim ran into Spears the next day and he started to follow her around and refused to leave her tent when she asked him to. Eventually Spears started threatening her, telling her that he was connected to law enforcement and that he had people who would harm her if he told them to. The defendant spent the next five days repeatedly sexually assaulting her and refused to let her out of his sight. The victim was eventually able to call 911 and escape from the defendant.
Spears was arrested on September 9, 2024, and has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Roessler and Amanda Swanson, who prosecuted the case.
2024 CF1 009131
D.C. Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced for Role in Narcotics Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darae Vaughn, 31, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96 months in federal prison in connection with his role in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and crack cocaine in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Darae Vaughn trafficked fentanyl and crack cocaine while armed, putting lives at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Now he’s going to prison for eight years. If you push deadly drugs into our community while armed, you will be held accountable. You will go to prison.”
Vaughn, aka “Rae,” pleaded guilty June 30, 2026, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, to possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and to distribution and possession of 10 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 96-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Vaughn to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in March 2025 the FBI Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into reports of narcotics trafficking on the 2000 block of 19th Place SE, particularly counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills.
The investigation revealed that from at least April 2025 through September 2025, during nine recorded transactions, Vaughn sold hundreds of fentanyl pills, and quantities of crack cocaine, carfentanyl, and methamphetamine while he was armed with a Glock 43x pistol.
In January 2025, codefendant Charles Dixon and Vaughn exchanged text messages discussing pills that Vaughn had supplied to Dixon. Dixon argued with Vaughn about how many pills Vaughn owed him. On April 8, 2025, Dixon participated in the sale of 96 fentanyl pills. On July 3, 2025, Dixon was involved in the sale of 163 fentanyl pills.
Dixon was sentenced on October 6 to 33 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Kate Naseef.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s broader efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and drug related violence in the District of Columbia. Fentanyl remains one of the deadliest substances circulating in the illegal drug supply, and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl pose extreme risks to unwitting users and the community at large.
25cr306
Canadian Man Sentenced to Prison for Participation in “Grandparent Scam”Read the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on October 6, 2026, Paul Conneh, 39, of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to serve a 33-month term of imprisonment for his three weeks of participation in the “grandparent scam.” Judge Sessions also ordered him to pay $256,000 in restitution to the victims of the offense. Previously, on May 28, 2026, Conneh pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to launder monetary instruments in connection with the grandparent scam.
According to court records, Conneh participated in the grandparent scam by recruiting “bail bondsmen” to travel to the United States, laundering the money they took from elderly Americans, and distributing the money to co-conspirators. Conneh participated in the grandparent scam for three weeks during July and August 2023, victimizing approximately 20 elderly Americans. Conneh was arrested in Costa Rica on January 23, 2025 at the request of the United States, and was extradited to the United States.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigative work of Vermont-based agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and recognized the assistance provided by HSI in Panama, Interpol, the United States Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the United States Embassy in Costa Rica, and Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (Organismo de Investigación Judicia) in efforts to secure the arrest and December 2025 extradition.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nate Burris and Michelle Arra. Conneh was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Vermont is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and state and local partner agencies, with prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of elder fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-FRAUD-11). This hotline is a free resource created by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime for people to report fraud against anyone age 60 or older.
Canadian Citizen Charged with Federal Election OffenseRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – An indictment was returned by a grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 7, 2026, charging a Canadian Citizen living in Louisville, Kentucky, with illegal voting by an alien in a federal election.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Sandra Madeline Watson, 59, on or about November 5, 2024, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, knowing she was not a United States citizen, voted in an election held for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of the President, Vice President, member of the Senate, or member of the House of Representatives.
Watson made her initial appearance yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Watson faces a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee 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.
###
California Man Sentenced for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Carson, California man, Genghis Khan Ali Stevenson, 48, was sentenced on Friday to 150 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for possession with intent to distribute an aggravated quantity of fentanyl. After service of his sentence, Stevenson will be on supervised release for 5 years.
Law enforcement learned that Stevenson was a passenger on a flight from the Greater Cincinnati Airport to Los Angeles on March 28, 2024, and encountered Stevenson as he was about to board the plane. Over $15,000 in cash was seized from his carry-on bag, along with 251 grams of fentanyl from his checked bag.
Stevenson has a violent history, including felony convictions for second degree robbery and taking of a motor vehicle from possession of another by a means of force and fear (carjacking).
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Scott Schwartz, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
– END –
California Businessman Sentenced to Three and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Orchestrating $14 Million Covid-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A California businessman has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $14 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.
DARREN CARLYLE SADLER participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain loans pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which was created by the CARES Act to provide financial relief for small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, Sadler submitted and caused the submission of at least 63 PPP loan applications for himself and his clients. The applications falsely represented, among other things, the number of employees and the average monthly payroll of the purported businesses. The false applications resulted in the issuance of more than $14 million in loans to Sadler and his clients, including $1.3 million in loans for Sadler himself. Sadler also received more than $1.9 million in fees from clients for fraudulently obtaining the loans on their behalf.
Sadler used the fraud proceeds to rent a villa for several months during the pandemic and to travel across the country on private jets to meet clients at bank branches to secure fund transfers. He also purchased luxury vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, multiple Mercedes-Benzes, and a Land Rover.
Sadler, 40, of Sacramento, Calif., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin sentenced Sadler to 42 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay more than $14,692,762 in restitution. The government also seized a bank account controlled by Sadler worth more than $1.8 million, which was turned over to the government pursuant to court order.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ryan Whalen, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and William W. Kirk, Inspector General of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General.
“It is uncontroverted that defendant’s offense conduct was serious and borne of greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “To enrich himself, defendant engaged in an extremely large, complex scheme that defrauded an important pandemic financial assistance program during a time of great uncertainty.”
Consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has been taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Azerbaijani National Pleads Guilty to $1 Million Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Against the United States Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Khayyam Arif Oglu Farajov (40), an Azerbaijani national, has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain payments from the United States Postal Service (USPS). Farajov faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, Farajov owned and operated Talishco LLC, a trucking and freight brokerage company in Orlando. In May 2022, Farajov enrolled Talishco in the USPS “Freight Auction” program to transport bulk mail for the USPS. Between June 2022 and January 2023, Farajov bid on and was awarded hundreds of contracts to transport mail across the country on behalf of the USPS.
After being awarded the contracts, Farajov routinely and intentionally did not send trucks to do the work. When USPS staff asked where the trucks were, he made false excuses, such as claiming he had lost contact with his drivers or that they were running behind schedule, which forced the USPS to reassign the work to other carriers. Farajov then went back into the platform and exploited the system by falsely marking the loads as delivered and triggering payment from USPS even though he had not performed the contracted routes.
Farajov obtained more than $1 million from this scheme. After he received the funds, he funneled them through a series of bank accounts belonging to shell companies he owned. After reconsolidating the fraud proceeds into two personal investment brokerage accounts, Farajov invested the fraud proceeds in the stock market for his personal enrichment. The United States traced the fraud proceeds and seized the contents of Farajov’s brokerage accounts. Farajov has agreed to forfeit the seized brokerage accounts and pay an additional $993,979 in restitution to the USPS.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Andrejko.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Alien Illegally and Unlawfully in the U.S. Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distribution of Cocaine and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Mexican national illegally and unlawfully living in Louisville was sentenced on October 7, 2026, to 10 years in prison for distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Michael Perez of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Gabriel Aguilar-Benitez, 36, a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully living in Louisville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On five different occasions between February 10, 2025, and April 17, 2025, Aguilar-Benitez sold cocaine to a confidential source. On April 22, 2025, a federal search warrant was executed at Aguilar-Benitez’s residence at 8015 Daffodil Drive, Louisville, Kentucky, and on Aguilar-Benitez’s 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe. 75.84 grams of cocaine, a Kimber .45 caliber pistol, a Lorcin .380 caliber pistol, and ammunition were found and seized. The total amount of cocaine in the case is 537.29 grams.
The Kimber .45 caliber pistol and the Lorcin .380 caliber pistol were possessed by Aguilar-Benitez while he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States and in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Aguilar-Benitez is illegally in this country selling substantial amounts of cocaine while armed. He is a danger to the citizens of Louisville. Fortunately, he will spend the next 10 years in federal prison and be deported back to Mexico.”
“HSI is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to eliminate crime and dangerous drugs from our communities,” said HSI Nashville acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Michael Perez. “This sentence reflects that commitment and holds the defendant accountable for his actions.”
LMPD Chief Paul L. Humphrey stated, "Drugs and illegal guns are a dangerous combination that puts lives at risk. This case is another example of the important work being done by local and federal law enforcement to get dangerous criminals off our streets and make Louisville safer.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by HSI Nashville, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the DEA Louisville Field Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
###
8 October 2026
Venezuelan National Gets More than 12 Years for Drug Trafficking, Firearms, and Meth Deal While on BondRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Venezuelan national who trafficked cocaine, possessed firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking, and then arranged a methamphetamine deal while on bond has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison.
Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga sentenced Glen Sebastian Mendoza, 33, of Miami, to 147 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to drug distribution, attempted drug distribution, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Glen Sebastian Mendoza trafficked more than a kilogram of cocaine while armed with multiple firearms, including privately manufactured pistols without serial numbers,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “When federal agents searched his apartment, they found cocaine, three firearms, ammunition, magazines, scales, and other drug trafficking equipment. Mendoza will now spend more than 12 years in federal prison. We will continue working with DEA and our local partners to aggressively prosecute armed drug traffickers who endanger our South Florida communities.”
According to court records, between September and December 2025, Mendoza distributed cocaine in Miami on multiple occasions. On Dec. 3, 2025, he was found with approximately 613 grams of cocaine while on his way to another drug deal.
A search of Mendoza’s apartment uncovered additional cocaine, two privately manufactured Polymer80 pistols without serial numbers, a loaded Sig Sauer handgun, ammunition, magazines, digital scales, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. In total, Mendoza was held accountable for more than one kilogram of cocaine.
After his arrest, Mendoza was released on bond subject to home incarceration, electronic monitoring, and other court-imposed conditions. While on pretrial release, however, Mendoza continued engaging in drug trafficking activity and coordinated a transaction involving approximately 191 grams of methamphetamine. The court subsequently revoked his bond.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division made the announcement.
The DEA Miami Field Division’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and Miami Beach Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Almas Abdulla prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-cr-20003.
###
Ukrainian-Russian Dual Citizen Pleads Guilty to Running International Money Laundering Organization for CybercriminalsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Oleg Korniev, 42, a dual citizen of Ukraine and Russia, pleaded guilty today to running a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered millions of dollars stolen from United States victims by cybercriminals around the world. In total, this international criminal organization recruited over 15,000 U.S.-based money mules to launder at least $10 million stolen by hackers from over 750 U.S. bank accounts.
“Money mules play crucial roles in cybercrime, so the Justice Department pursues mules and their recruiters wherever they operate and however long it takes,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Alongside our international partners, we will dismantle criminal networks that attack Americans. No amount of distance or time puts these criminals beyond the reach of justice.”
“Just because you are outside the borders of the United States does not mean you will get away with defrauding U.S. Citizens and businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “We will work hard to bring you to justice, as we did in this case.”
“For years, the FBI has worked tirelessly to unravel the layers of this international money laundering operation and bring Mr. Korniev to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of FBI North Carolina. “This case reflects the Bureau’s enduring commitment to following the evidence — no matter how long it takes, how far it leads, or how deliberately criminals try to hide behind borders and technology. We will continue pursuing those who enable cybercriminals until every responsible individual is held to account.”
According to court documents, Korniev was one of the leaders of Your Mule Cashout (YMCO). YMCO created, maintained, and operated an elaborate and sophisticated system of money mules and internet infrastructure that allowed computer hackers, who had stolen money from the bank accounts of U.S. companies, to conceal the thefts and transfer the stolen money to countries outside the U.S. YMCO’s services operated through online infrastructure that allowed hackers to move the stolen money to countries primarily in Eastern Europe by paying YMCO a percentage of the money stolen.
YMCO provided its money laundering services through money mules who were U.S. residents deceived by YMCO into believing that they were working for legitimate companies and making genuine money transfers. YMCO falsely represented that the money mules’ job was to receive payments from businesses into their personal bank accounts, withdraw the money, and then wire the funds to the fake company’s partners overseas. The money mules instead processed the hackers’ stolen proceeds and wired them out of the country to other YMCO conspirators. The money mules never received payment for their services.
Korniev helped develop YMCO’s policies and procedures; managed, hired, and fired employees; rewarded and punished employees based on performance; and secured illegal services supporting YMCO. As part of his plea, Korniev admitted that YMCO was responsible for over $14.7 million in actual and intended losses by confirmed victims and that he intended to launder over $9.7 million from cybercriminals and did launder at least $7 million. Korniev also agreed to provide full restitution to known victims to compensate them for their actual losses as well as forfeit cash seized from him when he was arrested in the Republic of Georgia.
Korniev pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit access device theft, and aggravated identity theft. Sentencing will be set at a later date. He faces a minimum penalty of two years in prison and maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine Korniev’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Previously, four other individuals involved with YMCO were arrested overseas, extradited to the Western District of North Carolina, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. They received sentences ranging from around 37 months to 63 months in prison and the court ordered each defendant to pay over $9.1 million in restitution to numerous U.S. victims.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Office of the Law Enforcement Attache in Tbilisi, and law enforcement authorities in Georgia, including the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, provided significant assistance.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Ukrainian-Russian Dual Citizen Pleads Guilty to Running International Money Laundering Organization for CybercriminalsRead the Press Release
Oleg Korniev, 42, a dual citizen of Ukraine and Russia, pleaded guilty today to running a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered millions of dollars stolen from United States victims by cybercriminals around the world. In total, this international criminal organization recruited over 15,000 U.S.-based money mules to launder at least $10 million stolen by hackers from over 750 U.S. bank accounts.
“Money mules play crucial roles in cybercrime, so the Justice Department pursues mules and their recruiters wherever they operate and however long it takes,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Alongside our international partners, we will dismantle criminal networks that attack Americans. No amount of distance or time puts these criminals beyond the reach of justice.”
“Just because you are outside the borders of the United States does not mean you will get away with defrauding U.S. Citizens and businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “We will work hard to bring you to justice, as we did in this case.”
“For years, the FBI has worked tirelessly to unravel the layers of this international money laundering operation and bring Mr. Korniev to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of FBI North Carolina. “This case reflects the Bureau’s enduring commitment to following the evidence — no matter how long it takes, how far it leads, or how deliberately criminals try to hide behind borders and technology. We will continue pursuing those who enable cybercriminals until every responsible individual is held to account.”
According to court documents, Korniev was one of the leaders of Your Mule Cashout (YMCO). YMCO created, maintained, and operated an elaborate and sophisticated system of money mules and internet infrastructure that allowed computer hackers, who had stolen money from the bank accounts of U.S. companies, to conceal the thefts and transfer the stolen money to countries outside the U.S. YMCO’s services operated through online infrastructure that allowed hackers to move the stolen money to countries primarily in Eastern Europe by paying YMCO a percentage of the money stolen.
YMCO provided its money laundering services through money mules who were U.S. residents deceived by YMCO into believing that they were working for legitimate companies and making genuine money transfers. YMCO falsely represented that the money mules’ job was to receive payments from businesses into their personal bank accounts, withdraw the money, and then wire the funds to the fake company’s partners overseas. The money mules instead processed the hackers’ stolen proceeds and wired them out of the country to other YMCO conspirators. The money mules never received payment for their services.
Korniev helped develop YMCO’s policies and procedures; managed, hired, and fired employees; rewarded and punished employees based on performance; and secured illegal services supporting YMCO. As part of his plea, Korniev admitted that YMCO was responsible for over $14.7 million in actual and intended losses by confirmed victims and that he intended to launder over $9.7 million from cybercriminals and did launder at least $7 million. Korniev also agreed to provide full restitution to known victims to compensate them for their actual losses as well as forfeit cash seized from him when he was arrested in the Republic of Georgia.
Korniev pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit access device theft, and aggravated identity theft. Sentencing will be set at a later date. He faces a minimum penalty of two years in prison and maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine Korniev’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Previously, four other individuals involved with YMCO were arrested overseas, extradited to the Western District of North Carolina, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. They received sentences ranging from around 37 months to 63 months in prison and the court ordered each defendant to pay over $9.1 million in restitution to numerous U.S. victims.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Office of the Law Enforcement Attache in Tbilisi, and law enforcement authorities in Georgia, including the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, provided significant assistance.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Ugandan national extradited to the United States to face cocaine and firearms trafficking charges in Homeland Security Task Force caseRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Ugandan national Michael Katungi Mpweire, 45, made an initial appearance in federal court today on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to possess firearms, including machineguns and destructive devices, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization following his extradition to the United States from the Republic of Uganda.
As alleged in the indictment, since at least September 2022, Katungi, Bulgarian national Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga conspired to illegally supply military-grade weaponry to Mexican drug cartels, and in particular, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most violent and prolific transnational criminal organizations. The weaponry included machineguns, rocket launchers, grenades, night vision equipment, sniper rifles, anti-personnel mines, and anti-aircraft weapons.
The defendants allegedly believed that the CJNG intended to use these weapons in furtherance of the illegal trafficking of large shipments of cocaine into the United States. On Feb. 20, 2025, the CJNG was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. Arms sales to transnational criminal organizations like the CJNG are prohibited by virtually every country.
In a series of meetings with individuals claiming to represent the CJNG, Mirchev allegedly agreed to arrange, coordinate, and participate in illegal arms transactions while avoiding detection by international and U.S. law enforcement. Mirchev allegedly recruited Asumo to corruptly obtain an End-User Certificate (EUC) from a nation that would falsely claim a different end-user for the weapons. Asumo, Katungi, and Mwapinga allegedly obtained an EUC from the United Republic of Tanzania authorizing the importation of AK-47s. As a test shipment, Mirchev and others then exported 50 AK-47 automatic assault rifles and accompanying magazines and ammunition from Bulgaria, using the EUC allegedly provided by Asumo, Katungi, and Mwapinga, and intending that the weapons were actually received by the CJNG.
The defendants allegedly continued to conspire to supply drug cartels with even more weaponry, potentially including surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon system. Mirchev allegedly created a list of weaponry for the CJNG totaling approximately 53.7 million Euros (approximately $58 million U.S.). Asumo, Katungi, and Mwapinga allegedly agreed to again provide arms control documents designed to obscure that these weapons were intended for the CJNG.
According to court records, Mirchev was previously implicated in supplying arms to Viktor Bout, who was convicted at trial of conspiring to kill U.S. nationals, conspiring to kill U.S. officers and employees, conspiring to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles; and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization in case 1:08-cr-365 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Mirchev was arrested by Spanish authorities in Madrid on April 8, 2025, and extradited to the United States on March 19. Asumo and Mwapinga pled guilty on July 23 and Sept. 9 respectively to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Asumo is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4; Mwapinga is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 13, 2027.
If convicted, Katungi faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Frank Tarentino, Associate Chief of Operations of the Drug Enforcement Administration, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Special Operations Division - Bilateral Investigations Unit with assistance from the U.S. Department of War. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided invaluable assistance in securing extraditions of the defendants, working in cooperation with the DEA Attaché to U.S. Embassies in Accra, Nairobi, and Kampala and key partners, including the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission; the Ministry of Justice of Spain and the Spanish Guardia Civil; the Government of Morocco, including the Moroccan Direction Générale de la Surete National (DGSN- National Police), and the Moroccan Direction Générale de la Surveillance du Territoire (DGST); and the Government of Uganda, including the Ugandan Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff, Edgardo J. Rodriguez, and Luke Albi are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Washington, D.C., comprises agents and officers from the DEA, FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Transportation Security Administration Federal Air Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Washington Baltimore HIDTA, with the prosecution being led by 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. 1:25-CR-102.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Tuftonboro Man Indicted for Possessing Fentanyl Analogue and Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Tuftonboro resident Justin Trudeau, 27, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue and 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Trudeau will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date.
If convicted, Trudeau faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life, a maximum fine of $10,000,000, or both. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Hillsborough County Street Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon is prosecuting the case.
Tucson Man Criminally Charged for Bomb Threat Against the White HouseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with Making an Interstate Threat to Injure. Hicks is accused of sending an email on Sep.23, 2026, threatening to commit mass bombings at the White House and around the Washington, D.C. area. Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court today.
“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “I am grateful to our local news station for referring this threat to law enforcement, and to the FBI for addressing the situation quickly, professionally, and with the level of commitment it required.”
"The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the United States against criminal and national security threats and will investigate them to the fullest extent of the law," said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day. "We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people."
According to the criminal complaint, Hicks emailed a local Tucson news station on Sep. 23, claiming that there would be an imminent bomb strike against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C. The news station notified law enforcement, who began an investigation and identified Hicks as the alleged sender of the email.
As part of its investigation, law enforcement located additional unsent email drafts from the same email account tied to Hicks. These draft emails, which were also dated Sep. 23, were addressed to other news agencies and contained similar threats to the White House and surrounding areas.
This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.
The FBI is conducting the investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-MJ-10107
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-170_Hicks# # #
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.Three Individuals Indicted on Firearm Charges After One Allegedly Made Threats of ViolenceRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Three individuals have been charged in separate but related indictments for illegal firearms possession and threats of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Levi Clifton Belcher, 18, of Huntsville, Alabama, with possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act Weapon and interstate transmission of threatening communications.
In separate but related indictments, Tadashi Ereckson, 38, and Anthony Elijah Slota, 28, both of Huntsville, Alabama, were charged with possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act Weapon.
“My office will take every available step to prosecute credible threats against law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. I’m grateful for the partnership between FBI, ATF, HSI, and the Huntsville Police Department. Their diligent investigation led to these prosecutions.”
“I’m proud of the men and women of our FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and all our partners across North Alabama," said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Birmingham. "Their partnership and dedication are vital to Protecting (capital P) the Homeland. Together, we will swiftly confront any threat to public safety in full defense of the U.S. Constitution.”
“The relationships that the ATF has fostered with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners allows us to rapidly investigate reports of federal violations and threats of violence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet. “This case is another example of those collaborative and unified efforts to protect the communities that we serve.”
“HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate credible threats of violence against federal law enforcement personnel and the communities we serve,” said Ellen Johnson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Georgia and Alabama. “This case demonstrates the importance of information sharing and coordinated action to address alleged threats before they can escalate. HSI will continue to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to protect public safety and uphold the rule of law.”
According to court documents, on December 18, 2025, the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center was alerted by an individual to a social media post by Belcher that contained threats of violence against Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents.
According to court documents, on September 10, 2026, ATF agents and Intelligence Research Specialists located Belcher’s vehicle in Decatur, Alabama and began surveillance. During the surveillance, agents observed Belcher and Slota wearing body armor, carrying multiple firearms, and in possession of military-style backpacks. Belcher and Slota were observed entering Belcher’s vehicle, which then traveled toward Huntsville. Officers with the Huntsville Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Belcher and Slota who were armed with rifles and two 3D printed pistols. Officers searched the vehicle and located rifle and pistol magazines with various anti-government sentiments written on them, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Belcher and Slota were arrested.
Officers then obtained a search warrant for the residence that Belcher and Slota were known to stay at in Huntsville, Alabama. During the execution of the search warrant, Erekson was arrested after attempting to reach for a concealed pistol on his ankle while being detained.
FBI, ATF and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Huntsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Dominican Nationals Indicted for Role in Maritime Human Smuggling Venture that Resulted in Three DeathsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On October 7, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging three Dominican Republic nationals in connection with a maritime human smuggling venture that capsized near Mona Island, Puerto Rico, on September 28, 2026, resulting in three deaths. Twelve individuals are missing. U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO), Puerto Rico Police Department Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción (FURA) units, and a good Samaritan boater conducted a coordinated search-and-rescue response. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan is in charge of the investigation.
According to court documents, Máximo Alexander Castillo-Cabrera, and Víctor Alfonso Montilla-Espíritu Santo are charged with knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other and with persons unknown to the Grand Jury, to bring to the United States illegal aliens for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, namely J.A.T., M.T.M., A.M.G., H.M.A., and others, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such aliens had not received prior official authorization to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, regardless of any official action which may later be taken with respect to such aliens.
A third defendant, Danny De La Rosa-Mercedes is facing one count for unlawfully and intentionally performing and attempting to perform acts of violence against multiple people, that is, he assaulted and attempted to assault more than one person with a machete while on board a covered ship, and that act was likely to endanger and endangered the safe navigation of that ship, resulting in death.
All three defendants are facing one count each of improper entry by alien. Authorities rescued 49 foreign nationals and recovered the bodies of three Dominican male nationals.
“The defendants attempted to illegally smuggle 64 migrants into Puerto Rico, leading to the tragic deaths of three people and 12 individuals are still missing. This case demonstrates the grave danger associated with human smuggling operations,” said Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Human smugglers threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable people for profit with no regard for their safety. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to bring those who smuggle illegal aliens to justice and dismantle their criminal organizations.”
“Three deaths are far too high a price to pay for an illegal venture to enter the United States,” said HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos. “Do not take this journey to sea. These smuggling ventures are dangerous, reckless and exploitative, and they may be your final trip anywhere. HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify and hold accountable the individuals who place human lives at risk for profit.”
“Thanks to the courageous effort of Good Samaritans and the swift, synchronized response between the U.S. Coast Guard, federal and local partners in Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic’s Navy and Air Force, 49 human lives were pulled from the sea after a catastrophic vessel capsize,” said Capt. Robert E. Stiles, Sector San Juan deputy. “Yet, the tragic recovery of three deceased individuals and those still unaccounted for stands as a grim indictment of unlawful maritime migration. This case is an example of our unified commitment to interdict these voyages, dismantle the transnational criminal networks behind them, and bring human smugglers responsible to justice.”
“This indictment reflects the close coordination among CGIS, HSI, and our HSTF San Juan law-enforcement partners to pursue accountability for the alleged criminal conduct behind this devastating tragedy,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer of the Coast Guard Investigative Service. “Human smugglers exploit vulnerable people for profit and place lives at extreme risk in one of the most dangerous maritime environments in the region. Drawing on the Coast Guard’s unique operational knowledge, maritime expertise, and investigative capabilities, CGIS works with our partners to carry operational responses forward into criminal accountability, prosecution, and deterrence.”
“Human smugglers who profit by placing people aboard dangerously overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels show a reckless disregard for human life. CBP Air and Marine Operations remains committed to working alongside our federal, state and local partners to respond to maritime emergencies, protect lives at sea, and disrupt the criminal networks that exploit vulnerable people through these dangerous voyages,” said Christopher Hunter, Director of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch.
If convicted, the defendants face the following possible penalties: a mandatory minimum of three years up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to bring in illegal aliens for financial gain; a maximum penalty of life in prison or capital punishment for bringing in certain illegal aliens, resulting in death; a maximum penalty of life in prison or capital punishment for violence against maritime navigation, resulting in death; and up to six months in prison for the improper entry by alien counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Liong Rodríguez is prosecuting the case.
The investigation is ongoing and will be part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. The HSTF will bring all available resources to bring to justice all who planned, profited from, or carried out this illegal crossing that resulted in a tragedy.
The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative was established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on the Closing of Its Investigation of Arrive AS’s Proposed Acquisition of Passport Labs Inc.Read the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following statement today in connection with the closing of the Antitrust Division’s investigation into Arrive AS’s (Arrive) proposed acquisition of Passport Labs Inc. (Passport):
“The Antitrust Division is committed to protecting competition while also preserving the Department’s finite resources,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “A phased approach to merger review serves those objectives. The Antitrust Division conducted a targeted review of the proposed transaction and has decided to close the investigation.”
On March 4, Arrive announced its intent to acquire Passport. Both firms offer mobile parking payment solutions (MPPs), among other products and services. Municipalities across the United States procure one or more MPPs to allow their citizens to pay for municipal parking, particularly on-street parking, using their phones rather than meters or kiosks. The Antitrust Division opened an investigation and issued Second Requests to the companies.
Based on the particular facts surrounding Arrive and Passport’s proposed merger, the Antitrust Division and the merging parties entered into a timing agreement that prioritized the production of evidence related to MPP competition. The Antitrust Division used this and other material to more expeditiously reach a conclusion about the likely competitive effects of the transaction.
Over the past five months, the Antitrust Division conducted a thorough investigation, reviewing documents from the parties and numerous third parties, analyzing data, and interviewing industry participants, including many municipalities. In particular, the Antitrust Division analyzed whether the proposed merger may result in a substantial reduction in competition for MPPs.
The Antitrust Division concluded that a substantial reduction in competition was unlikely given current competitive dynamics in this industry. For example, smaller vendors outside of Arrive, Passport, and PayByPhone have recently won municipal contracts, suggesting a number of viable alternatives exist outside Arrive and Passport. Moreover, Passport has declined to bid for or has lost some recent notable MPP contracts.
Given the facts surrounding this investigation, the Antitrust Division anticipates that municipalities are likely to continue to have meaningful MPP alternatives in the current environment, including PayByPhone, in the event the merged firm attempts to exercise market power.
Following this review, the Antitrust Division decided that its investigation could be closed.
St. Paul Man Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Role in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Operation Responsible for over 210 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Christopher Charles Traxler, 32, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation responsible for procuring mass quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine for further distribution. Traxler is one of three defendants in U.S. v. Cryer et al. (24-cr-206).
According to court documents, on June 3, 2024, Traxler and a co-defendant, Amir McKeever, 33, received a bulk shipment of controlled substances—seven boxes that collectively contained over 200 pounds of methamphetamine and 26 pounds of cocaine. Traxler and McKeever transported the methamphetamine and cocaine to a St. Paul apartment Traxler maintained as a stash location. The following day, McKeever transferred four of the seven boxes, which contained approximately 140 pounds of the methamphetamine, to another co-defendant, Jumoke Cryer.
On June 5, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Traxler’s St. Paul apartment and at a townhome in Woodbury, Minnesota. Inside McKeever’s Woodbury townhome, law enforcement found McKeever as well as drug packaging material, an electronic money counter, an electric heat sealer, over $110,000 in cash, and eight firearms with associated ammunition. Officers also found over 85 grams of cocaine and approximately 14 grams of marijuana at the townhome.
At Traxler’s St. Paul apartment, officers found the remaining three boxes that Traxler and McKeever received two days prior. The boxes contained a substantial quantity of methamphetamine and cocaine. Officers found additional amounts of methamphetamine and two firearms, including a Glock .40 handgun and a black AR-style rifle. In total, officers seized 76 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of cocaine, and nearly $25,000 from Traxler’s apartment.
“The quantity of methamphetamine and cocaine this defendant and his associates trafficked was staggering. My office will continue to partner with law enforcement to dismantle drug operations and protect the lives of Minnesotans,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“This case highlights the importance of the work being done by our Non-Fatal Shooting Unit. This team thoroughly investigates all assault cases where individuals are struck by a bullet but do not die within Saint Paul. Dedicating resources to every shooting has not only shown that it dramatically decreases the number of homicides, but as highlighted in this case, can also prevent other public safety threats. We want to thank our local, state, and federal partners in this case for their work to shut down this large-scale narcotics operation,” said St. Paul Police Department Commander of the Non-Fatal Shooting Unit Nikkole Peterson.
“Preventing several hundred pounds of narcotics destined for Minnesota from reaching our communities, along with thousands of dollars in cash and firearms, no doubt saved lives,” said Drew Evans, Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. “This case highlights the important work of BCA agents, our law enforcement partners and what can be accomplished when we work together to investigate cases, seize dangerous drugs and firearms, and hold offenders accountable.”
“Drugs, illegal guns and the lengths some people will go to for dirty money pose a serious threat to our communities. The massive amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine involved in this case, along with illegal firearms, show the danger HSI and our law enforcement partners face every day,” said HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “I am thankful for the hard work of HSI special agents, analysts, prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners to obtain this sentencing and disrupt this drug trafficking operation. HSI will keep working to hold accountable those who bring dangerous drugs and violence into our communities.”
“The FBI brought critical investigative tools and resources to this case, supporting our partners in confronting a sophisticated criminal organization,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “We remain committed to working side‑by‑side with federal, state, and local agencies to hold those who traffic in violence and illegal narcotics accountable and safeguard communities across the Twin Cities.”
“The firearms recovered in this case reinforce what we see all too often: drug traffickers rely on guns to protect their operations and profits,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails, of the St. Paul Field Division. “ATF is committed to disrupting criminal networks that use firearms to protect and expand their narcotics trade. This case demonstrates how strong partnerships among federal, state, and local agencies help safeguard our neighborhoods and hold violent drug traffickers accountable.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and Garrett S. Fields prosecuted the case.
Note: Previous press release on the defendant’s co-defendant jury verdict linked here.
St. Charles County Residents Sentenced to Prison in Forced Labor CaseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three St. Charles County, Missouri residents have been sentenced for their roles in the forced labor of an Indian national.
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Thursday sentenced Venkatesh Sattaru, 38, to 50 months in prison. Judge Ross ordered that sentence to run concurrently with a 5-year sentence for second-degree domestic assault in St. Charles County Circuit Court. Sattaru has also paid a forfeiture money judgment of $74,634 to the Department of Homeland Security, restitution of $83,776 to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and restitution of an agreed upon sum to his victim.
Sattaru pleaded guilty in April to one count of confiscating or concealing immigration paperwork while obtaining the labor or services of a person by means of serious harm or threats of serious harm and one count of theft of government funds. The victim is Sattaru’s cousin, an Indian national who arrived in St. Louis on Dec. 16, 2022. The victim lived in Sattaru’s O’Fallon home and was required to perform household chores, run errands and work in a company owned by Sattaru, the plea agreement says. In February 2023, Sattaru moved the victim into a home that was being renovated for eventual rental on Daniel Drive in O’Fallon. Around September 2023, Sattaru moved the victim into a different home being renovated on Highway D.
When the victim failed to perform his duties, he was punished with the confiscation of his immigration paperwork as well as sleep deprivation, physical abuse and restricted access to the bathroom, bathing and food. Sometimes Sattaru punished the victim himself. At other times, Sravan Penumetcha and Nikhil Penmasta punished the victim, either at Sattaru's request or on their own initiative, Sattaru’s plea agreement says. The physical abuse included the use of dangerous weapons and resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.
During some of this time, Sattaru, a U.S. Army veteran, was also exaggerating his VA disability to increase his compensation under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, also known as the Caregiver Support Program. The PCAFC provides monthly financial compensation to caregivers, who are typically relatives, to care for qualified veterans or service members. Sattaru fraudulently caused his caregiver to receive $83,776 in extra compensation from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Penmatsa, 30, of Defiance, pleaded guilty on April 2 to one count of knowingly confiscating or concealing immigration paperwork. He is Sattaru’s brother-in-law. He was sentenced in August to 37 months in prison, consecutive to the 3-year sentence he received in St. Charles County Circuit Court.
Penumetcha, 26, pleaded guilty on March 13 to the same charge and was sentenced in June to 30 months in prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the St. Charles County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards prosecuted the case.
Springfield Company Agrees to Pay $1.24 Million to Resolve Allegations of PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Prefere Melamines LLC (Prefere), a company headquartered in Springfield, Mass., has agreed to pay $1,247,744 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible.
Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and the Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses through the PPP, which the Small Business Administration administered. The PPP provided for loans in two “draws”—first draw loans became available in March 2020, with a second draw announced in January 2021. To be eligible for a second draw loan, an entity, among other things, had to have fewer than 300 employees, including foreign or domestic affiliates’ employees.
As part of the settlement, Prefere admitted that in 2021, it received a $799,025 second draw PPP loan. In its application for that loan, Prefere certified that it was eligible for the loan under the PPP regulations in effect at the time and represented that it had 36 employees, including affiliates’ employees. Prefere later sought and received full loan forgiveness. When it applied for the loan, Prefere did not qualify because it had more than 300 employees when considering employees of its affiliates. During the relevant period, Prefere was a wholly-owned subsidiary of German company Prime MidCo GmbH (Prime MidCo). When it applied for the second draw loan, Prefere had more than 300 employees when considering Prime MidCo and Prime MidCo’s affiliates.
The settlement credits Prefere for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Benjamin of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
Spring Hill Men Indicted for 2018 Murder in Hernando CountyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Arthur Williams (34), a/k/a “Snow,” a/k/a “Art,” and Timothy Colon (42), both of Spring Hill, with discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, specifically the murder of A.S. Additionally, Williams is charged with making false statements to agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). If convicted, Williams and Colon each could face the death penalty or otherwise will face up to life imprisonment. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment and evidence presented during the detention hearing, on October 16, 2018, at approximately 1:00 a.m., a group of individuals committed an armed robbery at a residence in Spring Hill where 23-year-old A.S., his girlfriend, and their infant child were present. During the robbery, A.S. defended himself and his family. The perpetrators beat and shot A.S., causing his death. An autopsy report found that A.S. had died from blunt force trauma to the head and gunshot wounds to his lower body.
For nearly eight years, the investigation remained open. In 2025, during the successful homicide prosecution of Lenard White and Sheldon Robinson, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and ATF developed additional witnesses and information that had not previously been available to investigators. That breakthrough provided new avenues to pursue in the 2018 murder investigation. Working together, ATF agents and detectives from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office conducted additional interviews, obtained and executed additional search warrants, uncovered new leads, and developed previously undiscovered evidence.
That investigation revealed that Colon had been stalking A.S. and his girlfriend in preparation for the robbery. Colon conducted surveillance of their home, identified the vehicles they drove, and used social media to track their whereabouts. Investigators further determined that, before the robbery, Colon enlisted several individuals—including Arthur Williams—to assist him in carrying out the robbery.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was also provided by the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit (Hernando County). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
IndictmentSouth Carolina Men Admit to Selling Fentanyl, Meth in Ohio ValleyRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA — Two South Carolina men have admitted to trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Ohio County, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced today.
Phillip Johnson, also known as “PNut,” and Mark Chisholm, also known as “Infant Premo,” pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute the illicit drugs in the greater Wheeling area. According to court documents, Johnson and Chisholm worked together to transport and sell nearly half a pound of fentanyl, a half a pound of methamphetamine, and more than two pounds of cocaine across several locations in the Ohio Valley during a two-year period.
Johnson and Chisholm each face up to 20 years for the conspiracy conviction. Johnson also faces five to 40 years for five additional drug charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid is prosecuting the case. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS- United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, SD woman convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026.
Regan Lehr, 29, was sentenced to 20 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.
Lehr was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in August 2025. She pleaded guilty on July 27, 2026.
On February 28, 2025, Sioux Falls Police officers responded to a report of an overdose. They found Creighton Cowles unresponsive in his apartment and attempted live-saving efforts but were ultimately unsuccessful and Cowles died. A coroner later determined Cowles’ cause of death was fentanyl toxicity. Investigators discovered that Regan Lehr had sold Cowles a tenth of gram of powder containing fentanyl shortly before his death. Cowles ingested the fentanyl resulting in his overdose and death.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Lehr was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court has sentenced a Sioux Falls, SD, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026.
Dwight Ree, 33, was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Ree was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 20, 2026.
On March 24, 2025, Ree was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by a Sioux Falls Police Department officer. In the course of the traffic stop, investigators discovered a Glock model 19 pistol under the passenger seat of the vehicle. Ree’s DNA was later identified as being present on the firearm. Ree is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2012 conviction for First Degree Manslaughter in Minnehaha County, SD.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Ree was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, United States District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on October 5, 2026.
Brian Thunder Shield, age 29, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Thunder Shield was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026. He pleaded guilty on August 3, 2026.
The conviction stemmed from Thunder Shield’s failure to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between October 17, 2025, and January 15, 2026. While unregistered, Thunder Shield allegedly committed a new sex offense. Charges related to that alleged conduct were filed by the Lincoln County States Attorney’s Office in March 2026 and remain pending. Thunder Shield had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court which requires him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.
Thunder Shield was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rockford Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the Government of More Than $2 Million in Federal Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford woman has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for operating a scheme to illegally obtain more than $2 million in federally funded unemployment benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
CARISSA JORDAN, 46, admitted in a plea agreement that she used the personal identifying information of various individuals to submit false Pandemic Unemployment Assistance applications. Jordan had obtained the personal identifying information through social media, with and without the individuals’ knowledge and consent. After receiving debit cards containing the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds, Jordan used the money for her own personal benefit.
Jordan pleaded guilty in federal court in Rockford on Wednesday to wire fraud charges. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston set sentencing for March 31, 2027.
The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Raleigh Crack Dealing Gang Banger Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Joseph Tyre Cumberlander, also known as “X Suave”, 31, to 25 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Cumberlander pleaded guilty in federal court on June 23, 2026.
“This criminal made a career as a scourge to Raleigh, peddling poison in the streets with impunity. He refuses to learn his lesson. The jury’s verdict spoke the truth, and the Court’s sentence sent a clear message: the good citizens of Eastern North Carolina will not tolerate this behavior. Go sell drugs somewhere else, stay out of the EDNC,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
On January 12, 2025, Raleigh Police Department officers saw Cumberlander—an identified Bloods gang member and drug dealer—sitting in a caron the 500 block of Bragg Street. As officers approached, he sped off. During the chase, he threw about 35.4 grams of crack cocaine out of the window before officers arrested him. A search of his car turned up $882 in cash and a digital scale used to weigh drugs. Cumberlander was arrested but bonded out shortly thereafter.
On May 22, 2025, as RPD officers monitored a camera near Mangum and Bragg Streets they watched Cumberlander make several hand‑to‑hand drug transactions and hide a small bag under a water bottle. When officers moved in, he dropped 0.83 grams of crack cocaine. Officers recovered another 1.69 grams under the water bottle and found an additional 8.72 grams hidden inside a nearby fence post. Once again, they arrested Cumberlander and seized $678 in cash.
Cumberlander has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for possessing stolen firearms, firing a gun within city limits, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing with intent to sell cocaine and marijuana.
“The Raleigh Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to our exceptional public safety partners whose dedication and teamwork were instrumental throughout this investigation. Together, we worked to identify and remove a violent offender from our community, disrupt criminal activity, and protect the people we serve,” said Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce. “We are especially grateful for our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to holding violent offenders accountable and making our community safer.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The ATF and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25CR00246D-001.
Prolific Nortenogang Member and Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington — First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on September 30, 2026, Hugo Enrique Davadi (a/k/a “Flako”), age 38, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Stanley Bastain to 144 months of incarceration to be followed by 8 years of supervised release stemming from his conviction for Distribution of Fentanyl.
During a long-term investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives into the various criminal enterprises run by La Nuestra Familia, Davadi, a member of the Yakima-based Norteno criminal street gang set La Raza, sold “boats” (i.e. thousands) of fentanyl pills to a confidential informant. Several witnesses identified him as one of the most significant drug traffickers in the Yakima Valley in the 2023-2024 time period, with one witness advising that during the fall of 2023, Davadi provided the witness with an estimated 450,000 fentanyl pills and 3-4 kilograms of fentanyl powder to distribute into the community.
Davadi was in the process of expanding his operational footprint by mailing drugs to Montana; however, became indebted to his source of supply and went into hiding. Davadi was indicted along with multiple other individuals working with La Nuestra Familia. Multiple search warrants were executed in April 2024, and Davadi was located in a local motel in the Yakima area with fentanyl, methamphetamine, suboxone strips, multiple cell phones, U.S. Currency, digital scales, drug use paraphernalia with drug residue, and a loaded firearm.
Davadi was previously convicted in federal court stemming from a 2010 incident where he was attempting to avoid arrest but was ultimately caught with methamphetamine and a loaded firearm (2:11-CR-2041-RMP). He was sentenced to 77 months in custody to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. He violated the terms of his supervised release twice, once for committing a new crime and another time for failing to engage in drug treatment services. Davadi was offered the opportunity to participate in the District’s Sobriety Treatment Education Program (“STEP”) to provide him intense supervision focused on treatment for his reported drug addiction. He was terminated from that program after he was arrested for domestic violence and then for a DUI and continued to use controlled substances.First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano said, “Despite receiving every resource to change his course and address his drug addiction, Davadi chose to re-engage in drug trafficking, and did so at devastating level to the Yakima Valley community. This investigation and efforts by ATF to investigate a violent street gang, including investigating Davadi, a known gang member who was also engaged in armed drug trafficking, highlights the importance of our federal and state partnership. These investigations resulted in significant prosecutions and sentences for repeat offender like Davadi, making the community much safer.”
“Despite being offered every opportunity to change his path, Mr. Davadi has continually chosen a life of crime. By flooding our streets with thousands upon thousands of fentanyl pills, he demonstrated a blatant disregard for human life and became a clear and imminent threat to our community. Mr. Davadi deserves every single day of his 144-month prison sentence,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “With another prolific drug trafficker and dangerous gang member behind bars, ATF will continue dismantling the criminal networks that threaten our communities. This case is closed but our work is not: we are already looking for the next trafficker who falsely believes they can operate with impunity.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Yakima Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Bureau of Prisons. This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.