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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
31 August 2026
Dunnellon Man Arrested for Threatening Communications to the NAACPRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Jeremiah James Schwier (47, Dunnellon) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with interstate transmission of a threat to injure. If convicted, Schwier faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the complaint, between April and May 2026, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) received approximately 60 telephone calls from phone numbers that were later determined to be associated with Schwier. Those calls were sexual in nature and used inflammatory language. On May 20, 2026, a caller with a similar voice told NAACP staff that he would walk into their office with an “AK 57, or whatever you call those things.” By August 2026, the NAACP received 14 similar calls threatening to kill former President Obama and the NAACP President and Chief Executive Officer. Federal investigators obtained Schwier’s cellphone records and confirmed that Schwier had made the calls to the specific NAACP phone number that had received the threats. The records also confirmed that the timing of numerous calls placed by Schwier were generally consistent with the threats received by the NAACP.
Investigators arrested Schwier on August 26, 2026. He has been detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angela M. Palacios.
Crawfordville Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Anthony Wayne Lanier, 33, of Crawfordville, Florida was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Attempted Transmission of Obscene Material to a Minor. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case demonstrates the kinds of threats our kids face online from predators, like this defendant, who seek to sexually exploit and victimize them. Thankfully, our excellent state and federal law enforcement officers are committed to tracking down those offenders wherever they lurk, and my office is aggressively prosecuting these cases to keep them locked behind bars and away from our kids.”
Court documents reflect that on November 20, 2025, the defendant communicated online with an individual he believed to be a child, but was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. The defendant repeatedly asked the child to send inappropriate photos, asked to commit sexual acts on the child and her friend, and sent a picture of his genitalia. The defendant then drove to an agreed upon location where he believed he would be meeting the child, but he was instead arrested by law enforcement upon arriving. Once he is released from prison, Lanier will be on supervised release for a twenty-year term.
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Convicted Felon in Medford Charged with Possessing Firearms, Silencers, and a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging a Medford, Oregon, man with possessing nine firearms while being a convicted felon, possessing unregistered firearms silencers, and possessing an unregistered destructive device.
Michael Scott Beugli, 32, appeared in court today to be arraigned on a superseding indictment and to seek release. Beugli pleaded not guilty and was detained pending trial.
According to court documents, on February 24, 2026, a witness saw Beugli throwing firearms out of his residence in Medford, Oregon. Beugli is a convicted felon not allowed to possess firearms. Beugli fled the premises, and law enforcement located nine guns and additional homemade silencers at Beugli’s residence.
About a month after this incident, Beugli sent threatening messages to the witness. On March 25, 2026, ATF responded to an explosive device detonating in a car at the witness’s residence. Beugli was located nearby in a home with similar devices and explosive materials. Beugli had not registered any silencers or destructive devices with ATF as required by law.
Beugli made his initial appearance in federal court on August 17, 2026, before a U.S. magistrate judge. He was arraigned on the one count indictment charging felon in possession of a firearm, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on September 28, 2026.
If convicted, Michael Beugli faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is investigating the case in coordination with the Medford Police Department, the Jackson County Sherrif’s Office, the Ashland Police Department, and the Oregon State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara T. Shaw is prosecuting 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.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Felon Fraud Promoter Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme Involving $6.5 Million in Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Shamarri Tache Brooks, a multi-convicted felon and rapper, was sentenced to federal prison for a fraud scheme involving thousands of checks stolen from the mail.
“In addition to personally committing bank fraud, Brooks brazenly marketed and sold fraud tutorials and trafficked thousands of stolen checks worth millions of dollars. Thankfully, Brooks’s ineptitude matched his boldness—his efforts to negotiate the checks failed, sparing his victims from any known loss,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Although Brooks sought to teach his followers how to commit fraud, the real lesson here is that crime does not pay. We will catch you, and you will go to prison—even if your scheme is unsuccessful.”
“This defendant built a criminal enterprise around stealing checks, exploiting bank accounts, and teaching others how to commit fraud. His actions put millions of dollars at risk and victimized individuals and financial institutions across our community,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in a Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentence reflects the serious consequences of turning fraud into a business, and the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who profit from stealing from others.”
“The sentencing in this case brings the defendant to justice for facilitating a scheme that stole thousands of checks worth millions of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Atlanta Region. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold those who commit financial crimes accountable, as we seek to preserve the integrity of the Nation’s financial system and protect depositors.”
“The defendant’s brazen criminal conduct disrupted the lives of countless victims and, by sharing his fraud techniques with others for a fee on social media, he created even more victims,” said Rob Donovan, U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “Brooks’s sentence is the reflection of the severity of his crimes and is the result of the cooperation of our local and federal law enforcement partners. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the dedicated men and women of each of the agencies involved to bring this case to the appropriate end – the defendant in prison.”
“Brooks’s sentencing sends a clear signal to fraudsters that bank fraud and mail theft will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “Our special agents, in collaboration with our federal and local law enforcement partners, are committed to thoroughly investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail and maintain the integrity of these essential services.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: From at least January 2022 through November 2025, Brooks committed bank fraud by negotiating checks stolen from the mail. As part of the scheme, Brooks used social media to recruit individuals with existing bank accounts to use as depository accounts for stolen checks. Brooks altered the stolen checks to list the cooperating accountholders as the intended recipients or payees of the checks. Brooks deposited altered checks at ATMs throughout the Atlanta area, often wearing balaclava-style masks with a logo stating “No Free Sauce.”
Brooks also promoted and sold tutorials for committing various forms of financial fraud, including check fraud. He sold a collection of these tutorials under the name “Sauce Book” or “SB.” Brooks also sold images of stolen checks, referred to as “slips,” as a part of his fraud business.
Although Brooks and his associates stole checks with a combined face value of $6,574,288, law enforcement recovered many of these checks from Brooks’s home, and there is no evidence that Brooks succeeded in negotiating the remainder.
On August 27, 2026, Shamarri Tache Brooks, a/k/a Juney Knotzz, 34, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. On May 7, 2026, Brooks pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. His lengthy criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking, weapon possession, obstruction of law enforcement, and battery.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The Dunwoody Police Department and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
To protect yourself from becoming the victim of mail theft and check fraud, law enforcement recommends the following steps:
- Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Do not leave mail in your mailbox overnight or for long periods of time.
- If you are heading out of town, submit a USPS Hold Mail™ request asking your local Post Office to hold your mail until you return.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery® at USPS.com to receive daily email notifications of incoming mail and packages.
- Contact the sender if you do not receive a check, credit card or other valuable mail you are expecting.
- Consider buying and using security envelopes to conceal the contents of your mail.
- When mailing checks or other important mail use Signature Confirmation™ for the intended recipient.
- Use the letter slots inside your local Post Office to send mail.
- When using checks, educate yourself about the steps you can take to prevent fraudsters from exploiting stolen checks, such as setting up positive pay with your financial institution.
If you think you were targeted by fraudsters, file a report with your bank and request copies of all fraudulent checks. If you believe you are the victim of mail theft-related check fraud, report to your local police, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General at https://hotlineform.uspsoig.gov/en-US/Hotline or the United States Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov/report or (877) 876-2455.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica C. Morris prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Capitol Hill Armed Robber Gets 16.5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dereon Butler, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 16.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to his participation in an armed robbery spree that occurred in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“This defendant was just 17 years old when he and his co-conspirators drove into a Capitol Hill neighborhood and deliberately targeted innocent residents to rob,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “In all, eight people were held at gunpoint and ten were stripped of their valuables. This kind of violent conduct has no place in our community, and today, he is being held fully accountable.”
Butler pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, on June 4, 2026, to three counts of armed robbery. At the time of the offenses, Butler was charged as an adult pursuant to Title 16. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur ordered Butler to serve the prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, early in the morning, on December 2, 2024, Butler and his co-conspirators drove two stolen vehicles, a gray Kia Sorento and a red Lexus sedan, to a Capitol Hill neighborhood with plans to locate and target commuting pedestrians to rob them at gunpoint. In all, ten different unsuspecting pedestrians were approached, throughout numerous locations, and eight had a firearm brandished at them. These victims were robbed of their wallets, purses, cell phones, and other personal belongings. Butler fled the scene before police arrived.
He was arrested on July 22, 2025, and has been in custody since.
Joining in 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. Attorney Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 008425
Burlington, Vermont Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
RUTLAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 27, 2026, Christopher Dezotelle, 43, most recently of Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 72 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. Dezotelle previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine base and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court records, Dezotelle, a life-long Vermonter with an extensive criminal history, conspired to distribute narcotics around Burlington, Vermont, between May 2024 and June 2024. A confidential informant working with law enforcement made recorded controlled purchases from Dezotelle and his coconspirator during law enforcement’s investigation. These sales involved fentanyl and cocaine base. The investigation culminated in a search of Apartment 3 at 95 Grant Street in Burlington. Inside the apartment, law enforcement found approximately 259 grams of fentanyl, 92 grams of powder cocaine, 22 grams of cocaine base, and smaller amounts of other controlled substances, including methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized $4,406 in cash.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Dezotelle was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
Aunt and U.S. Airman Nephew Arrested in Immigration Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An aunt and nephew from Colorado were arrested over the weekend for their involvement in an immigration fraud scheme.
Myra Paule Schulenburg, 46, was charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Her nephew, John Paule Rivera, 30, was charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, making false statements under oath on immigration documents, making false statements to a federal agency, unlawfully procuring citizenship, and misuse of citizenship evidence.
Schulenburg, a Colorado resident, was born a citizen and national of the Philippines and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Rivera entered the United States on a J1 exchange visitor visa in March 2017. A few months later, Schulenburg submitted a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) claiming to be Rivera’s mother so he could become a lawful permanent resident (commonly known as having a “green card”). They attached an altered birth certificate from the Philippines as proof of their relationship. The petition and altered birth certificate were submitted to the USCIS National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit, Mo. to be processed. Schulenburg’s petition was approved and Rivera became a lawful permanent resident.
After becoming a lawful permanent resident, Rivera joined the U.S. Air Force. He would not have been able to join the Air Force if not for his fraudulently obtained lawful permanent resident status. Because he was serving in the Air Force, Rivera was able to apply to become a naturalized U.S. citizen without having to wait the amount of time usually required. Rivera applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen while stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. In his application, Rivera specifically denied ever giving any U.S. Government officials information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading, or lying to them to gain immigration benefits while in the United States. He signed that application for naturalization under penalty of perjury and submitted it to the USCIS National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit to be processed. With that false testimony, Rivera’s application was approved and he became a U.S, citizen upon taking the naturalization oath on Oct. 11, 2022, in Springfield, Mo.
After becoming a U.S. citizen, Rivera submitted a petition with USCIS on behalf of his actual mother so she could become a lawful permanent resident. He attached his authentic birth certificate from the Philippines as proof of their relationship. That petition and birth certificate were submitted to the USCIS National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit to be processed. Rivera’s petition was flagged and resulted in the investigation that led to these arrests.
The charges contained in the indictment are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury who will be responsible for determining whether the defendants are guilty or not.
Under federal statutes, Schulenburg is subject to a sentence of up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. Rivera is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison on some of the immigration charges and faces the possibility of being denaturalized. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Michael J. Nichols. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office – Homeland Security Investigations, the USCIS National Benefits Center, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
Area Political Consultant Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that William F. Dunbar Sr., 42, of Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty this afternoon before United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to two counts of tax evasion, one count of making and subscribing a false tax return, and one count of aiding and assisting the presentation of false tax returns.
Dunbar was charged with those offenses by information, arising from his evading the assessment of taxes and filing of six years of false returns for himself and Person #1.
As detailed in court filings and statements, the defendant, a political consultant, has owned and operated Dunbar Public Affairs & Associates (“DPAA”), a political consulting firm in Philadelphia, from 2022 to the present.
For each of the tax years 2019 through 2024, Dunbar annually prepared and filed federal and state individual income tax returns for himself and Person #1, his spouse, through TurboTax, the online tax preparation service. Each of the tax returns contained a written declaration that it was made under the penalties of perjury. However, each of the tax returns contained material falsehoods.
In particular, Dunbar grossly and falsely inflated the gifts to charity on both his and Person #1’s returns and grossly and falsely inflated the business expenses on his returns. He did so for the purpose of evading the assessment of taxes as the false charitable gifts and business expenses eliminated, or substantially reduced, the tax liability on both his and Person #1’s returns and, in most years, generated tax refunds for them.
The stipulated total tax loss to the United States from the false returns for defendant Dunbar and Person #1 from 2019 through 2024 was between $350,000 and $750,000.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11 and faces a maximum possible term of 16 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. Full restitution also may be ordered.
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.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
Another out-of-state man heads to federal prison after cross-country narcotics dealRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 52-year-old Michigan man has been ordered to federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 14 kilograms of cocaine.
Jose Taurus Burks pleaded guilty March 31, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has ordered Burks to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On May 9, 2023, Walter Lee Houze drove a Volkswagen Tiguan to the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita. Burks was in the passenger seat. Authorities referred the vehicle to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to its rear cargo area.
A search revealed 14.26 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside a black suitcase intermingled with clothing and laundry detergent beads belonging to Houze.
Burks admitted he was going to be paid to travel from Michigan to assist Houze in purchasing and transporting cocaine from Hidalgo County.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Houze, 61, of Chesterfield, Michigan, was sentenced Aug. 12, 2025, to 10 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case.
28 August 2026
Wisconsin Man Charged in Federal Court with Possessing Child Pornography on International Flight to ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Wisconsin man was charged today in federal court with possessing child pornography on a flight from Tanzania to Chicago.
ECA BARUANI, 36, of Green Bay, Wisc., possessed videos of child pornography on his cell phone when he flew from the United Republic of Tanzania to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Thursday, according to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Upon arrival at O’Hare, Baruani was selected for secondary customs inspection by United States Customs and Border Protection, the complaint states. After observing what appeared to be images of child pornography on Baruani’s cell phone, CBP officers handed the phone to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for a manual search, the complaint states. HSI agents searched the phone and discovered multiple videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults, the complaint states. Baruani was taken into custody.
The complaint charges Baruani with one count of possession of child pornography. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Baruani was expected to make an initial appearance on Friday afternoon in federal court in Chicago.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of HSI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Pope.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
baruani_complaint.pdfWest Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Being a Felon with a GunRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Richard Lee Dazo, 40, of West Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to four years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a probation search of Dazo and his motel room. A firearm was in plain view on the bed. Although Dazo claimed it was fake; it was identified as a CO2 -powered pellet gun designed to resemble a 357 magnum revolver and loaded with four 357 rounds of magnum ammunition and two rounds of .38 special ammunition. Nearby was a knife handle with metal knuckles and an automatic-release blade. A purse-style bag in the room contained separate baggies of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. Under the bed, officers found a loaded Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun with a 16-inch barrel, along with additional shotgun shells.
Dazo is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions. This is his third conviction for being a felon with a firearm. Dazo pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Sacramento Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caily Nelson prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney program, a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local District Attorney’s Offices. These attorneys remain employed by the District Attorney’s Offices but work on federal investigations and can prosecute cases in both state and federal court, strengthening efforts to combat transnational organized crime and violent crime in the region. Currently, the District Attorney’s Offices of Fresno, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties are participating. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt De Moura serves as a Deputy District Attorney in Yolo County.
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.
Warden Teacher Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on August 26, 2026, Andrea Lee Campos-Hernandez, age 26, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice also imposed a 10-year term of supervised release to follow the prison term, as well as imposing a $10,000 special assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA), and a $5,000 special assessment pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
According to court documents, Campos-Hernandez pleaded guilty to producing child pornography in connection with her sexual abuse of a 13-year old boy from February 2021 to July 2022. Campos-Hernandez took pictures and recorded video of the two of them engaged in sexual intercourse and sent the minor victim pictures of herself partially nude and in underwear. In an emotional statement to the Court, the mother of the victim told Judge Rice, “One of the most painful memories I carry is hearing my son cry alone in his room in the middle of the night. I did not know what was going through his mind or how deeply he was hurting because he could not bring himself to talk about it.”
“Today I am speaking because you no longer get to control my voice,” the victim said at sentencing to Campos-Hernandez. “You took away parts of my childhood that I will never get back.” The victim’s sister asked the Court for a sentence that “sends a clear message that every child deserves the same protection, compassion, and justice, regardless of the gender of the victim or offender.”
“The sentence imposed in this case sends a clear message to anyone seeking to harm the children of our community,” said Serrano. “As a teacher, every family entrusted their children to Ms. Campos-Hernandez. Her violation of that sacred trust extended by each family and each student places her victimization on another level. Although not seen as often, female sexual offenders exist, and justice demands they be treated the same as their male counterparts.”
"As children return to school, we are especially reminded what a consequential role teachers play in the lives of students,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Andrea Lee Campos-Hernandez violated her responsibility to protect and enrich this young person by taking advantage of both her position of trust and a family friendship to inflict lasting harm on a child. I commend the courage of the victim who stepped forward to tell his story, as well as the investigators and prosecutors who hold child predators like Ms. Campos-Hernandez accountable."
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Warden Police Department. The Grant County Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted Campos-Hernandez on the related state crimes, eventually participating in a global resolution of both the state and federal charges. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.
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Walmart Agrees to Pay $50 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
Note, the press release has been updated to include a quote from DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz.
The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), today announced a $50 million settlement with Walmart Inc. (Walmart) to resolve allegations that Walmart pharmacies illegally filled thousands of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
“Today’s settlement proves this Department is committed to putting Americans’ flourishing first,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Congress enacted laws to promote responsibility and accountability for companies who dispense controlled substances to protect Americans. This Department will never shy away from vigorously enforcing pharmacies’ obligations to comply with those protections, ensuring that potential profits never justify aiding our Nation’s opioid epidemic.”
“This $50 million settlement makes clear that pharmacies have a responsibility to identify and prevent the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz. “Filling illegitimate opioid prescriptions puts patients and communities at risk and undermines the safeguards designed to prevent the diversion and misuse of potentially addictive medications. This settlement addresses past conduct while establishing clear compliance obligations designed to strengthen safeguards and help prevent these failures from happening again.”
The government’s complaint — filed on Dec. 22, 2020, and amended in 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware — alleged that since June 26, 2013, Walmart filled invalid prescriptions through the knowing actions of individuals on its compliance team and the knowing actions of its pharmacists. The United States alleged that members of Walmart’s compliance team knew that certain prescribers were operating as “pill mills” but filled invalid prescriptions written by those prescribers anyway. Members of the compliance team allegedly knew of the prescribers’ egregious conduct because Walmart’s own pharmacists reported the conduct to Walmart’s corporate compliance team, including through thousands of “refusal-to-fill” forms. The compliance team, however, prioritized other goals over CSA compliance. As one director on the compliance team acknowledged in an email, rather than analyzing the refusal-to-fill reports, the compliance team viewed “[d]riving sales and patient awareness,” as “a far better use of our Market Directors and Market manger’s time.”
Walmart pharmacists also allegedly filled prescriptions they knew were invalid. The pharmacists knew these prescriptions were invalid because they were either written by a known “pill mill” prescriber or the prescriptions had obvious red flags such as dangerous combinations of opioids, “cocktails” of opioids and non-opioids, excessively repeated fills of high-dosages of often-abused opioids, or repeated requests for early fills of often-abused controlled substances.
In addition to the monetary payment announced today, Walmart has entered into a memorandum of agreement with DEA to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. This agreement requires Walmart to establish a hotline for both employees and patients to report suspected illegal dispensing of controlled substances, proactively monitor the dispensing patterns of its pharmacies to identify and address potentially illegal dispensing, and establish a process to evaluate prescribers suspected of illegal prescribing.
The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch (Trial Attorneys Katherine Ho, Kathleen Brunson, and Meredith Reiter), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Delaware (Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan Steinberg and Elizabeth Vieya), Eastern District of North Carolina (Andrew Kasper), Middle District of Florida (Carolyn Tapie), Eastern District of New York (Elliot Schachner). Former Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch Investigator Amanda Graf provided support for this matter.
Additional information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Walker County Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A Walker County man has been sentenced for committing child exploitation crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
U.S. District Court Judge Annmarie C. Axon sentenced Larry King, II, 29, of Quinton, Alabama, to 600 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. In March, King pleaded guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.
“Protecting children and aggressively prosecuting those who seek to exploit them is a top priority of my office,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This 50-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and ensures he will spend decades in prison, where he will no longer have the opportunity to prey upon our most vulnerable – our children. I commend our prosecutors, and the agents with HSI and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency for their dedication to investigate and prosecute these horrific crimes and hold the defendants accountable.”
“Crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children are among the most disturbing and damaging offenses HSI investigates,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “This 50-year sentence sends a clear message that those who prey on children, trade in child sexual abuse material, or use online platforms to exploit minors will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice. HSI is proud to stand with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners in the continued fight to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
According to the plea agreement, on March 19, 2024, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Snapchat, a social media provider, reported to NCMEC that King had shared an image of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During the investigation, ALEA learned King was at a residence in Quinton, so on May 9, 2024, ALEA executed a search warrant on that residence. The agents seized King’s cell phone and Xbox gaming system. A forensic examination of King’s cell phone revealed 798 images and 988 videos of CSAM.
Agents also discovered Telegram chats between King and a minor female. In the chats, King attempted to purchase videos of child pornography from the minor and sent $15 to the minor’s CashApp account. King did not receive the requested video although the payment was made. There were other Telegram chats between King and a second individual that related to King’s purchase of Mega links containing suspected CSAM. Additionally, a Snapchat conversation of a sexual nature was located between King and a presumed 16-year-old female.
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.
If you suspect or become aware of the possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
Homeland Security Investigations, Birmingham, investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Leann White and Sara Judah prosecuted the case.
United States Extradites to Chile One of Its Most Wanted Fugitives – An Alleged Tren de Aragua Leader Charged in Chile with Criminal Association, Extortion, and Kidnapping Resulting in HomicideRead the Press Release
Venezuelan national and illegal alien Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas, 40, has been extradited from the United States to Chile, at the request of the Government of Chile, so that he may be prosecuted on seven charges stemming from his alleged role as a leader of “Los Piratas,” the primary Chilean cell of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Chile accuses Gamez Salas, who was surrendered to Chilean authorities on Thursday, of directing multiple extortions and kidnappings on behalf of TdA, one of which resulted in the highly publicized murder of a former Venezuelan military officer. This extradition brings Gamez Salas, who also has criminal convictions in the United States for human smuggling and illegal reentry after deportation, one step closer to facing justice in Chile after illegally attempting to seek refuge in the United States.
“The United States is not a safe haven for dangerous criminal aliens,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas should never have been in our country in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. Gamez Salas’s extradition is evidence of the strong cooperation with our Chilean partners to combat transnational crime, dismantle foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua, and hold members accountable for their heinous criminal acts.”
“At the time of TdA leader Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas’s arrest on the Chilean extradition charges, he was finishing a sentence here for illegal re-entry into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of deporting him to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals, he now will be sent to Chile to face charges there that include murder, kidnapping, and extortion. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs worked extensively with Chilean authorities to extradite this defendant and ensure that another violent, illegal alien who came here unlawfully will be punished for breaking our laws and then go to Chile to face the charges levied there. When governments work cross borders together, all communities benefit and become more safe.”
“Thanks to the previous administration’s open borders, a murderous terrorist was allowed to enter our country,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “I commend our law enforcement partners in the United States and Chile for removing this criminal, who will hopefully never see the outside of a prison again.”
Gamez Salas, also known as “Adrian Rafael Gamez Finol” and “Turko,” is accused of overseeing the criminal activities of Los Piratas in Chile. According to Chilean authorities, he planned and coordinated kidnappings, homicides, extortions and other offenses on behalf of the TdA affiliate, which included instructing subordinates to obtain necessary resources to execute the offenses and ensuring that financial resources generated for Los Piratas were transferred abroad. Chile sought Gamez Salas’s extradition so that he may stand trial for one count of criminal association, two counts of extortion, two counts of unjustified firearm discharge, one count of kidnapping resulting in homicide and one count of kidnapping for extortion, arising from separate crimes against multiple victims.
Chile alleges, among other things, that Gamez Salas, acting under the supervision of senior TdA leadership, directed and planned the February 2024 kidnapping and murder in Santiago, Chile, of a former Lieutenant in the Venezuelan military.
According to Chile, members of Los Piratas arrived at the victim’s apartment building in the middle of the night armed with firearms and in a car equipped with a blue light in an apparent attempt to impersonate officers of the Chilean Investigative Police. After using a battering ram to force entry into the victim’s apartment, the perpetrators handcuffed the victim and forcibly removed him from the building and into a car.
Around one week later, in response to a tip from a witness, authorities discovered the victim’s body by drilling into the concrete floor of a makeshift dwelling in a housing development elsewhere in Santiago, Chile. The victim’s body was found covered in lime, concealed inside a suitcase, buried in concrete more than three feet deep and sealed beneath a concrete slab.
An autopsy determined that the victim’s cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging, and the victim’s body showed signs of suspension by the upper extremities, lesions consistent with torture and partial postmortem dismemberment. Testimony obtained in the Chilean investigation revealed that the victim’s kidnapping and murder was allegedly ordered by leaders of TdA and directed to be paid for from outside of Chile.
Additionally, in an intercepted conversation, Gamez Salas allegedly told other Los Piratas members that he had been assigned “from above” the task of coordinating and executing the crime.
In support of its other charges against Gamez Salas, Chile also alleges that he played a leading role in an April 2024 deadly armed confrontation that killed a Chilean police officer; February and June 2024 kidnappings for extortion; and a March 2024 attempted kidnapping, among other offenses.
In 2023, Gamez Salas was removed from the United States to Venezuela for having entered the United States illegally. He subsequently illegally reentered the United States and was prosecuted for human smuggling by the Val Verde County District Attorney’s Office in Texas. He was convicted in February 2025, after which he was indicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States. He pled guilty to the illegal reentry charge in April 2025 and was serving his prison sentence in the Central District of California when he was arrested on Chile’s provisional arrest request in this matter. Gamez Salas was also subject to an order of removal to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals.
On June 30, following Chile’s submission of a formal extradition request, Gamez Salas consented to extradition, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick for the Central District of California certified his extradition to the Secretary of State. The U.S. Department of State subsequently issued a surrender warrant authorizing Gamez Salas’s extradition. The extradition matter for Gamez Salas was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Lulejian for the Central District of California and Trial Attorneys Reena T. Mittelman and Ruxandra Barbulescu of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this case and ensured a smooth and safe transfer of custody to Chilean authorities so that Gamez Salas could be transported back to Chile to face trial.
Previously, in September 2025, the United States extradited to Chile another alleged TdA member, Edgar Javier Benitez Rubio, who was charged in Chile with multiple offenses arising from this same kidnapping and murder of the former Venezuelan Lieutenant. That extradition matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
U.S. Extradites to Chile Most Wanted Alleged Tren de Aragua Leader Charged with Directing Extortions and Fatal KidnappingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from Venezuela has been extradited at the request of the Government of Chile so that he may be prosecuted on seven charges stemming from his alleged role as a leader of “Los Piratas,” the primary Chilean cell of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas, 40, who was surrendered to Chilean authorities on Tuesday, is accused of directing multiple extortions and kidnappings on behalf of TdA, one of which resulted in the highly publicized murder of a former Venezuelan military officer.
This extradition brings Gámez, who also has criminal convictions in the United States for human smuggling and illegal reentry after deportation, one step closer to facing justice in Chile after illegally attempting to seek refuge in the United States.
“The United States is not a safe haven for dangerous criminal aliens,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas should never have been in our country in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. Gámez Salas’s extradition is evidence of the strong cooperation with our Chilean partners to combat transnational crime, dismantle foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua, and hold members accountable for their heinous criminal acts.”
“At the time of TdA leader Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas’s arrest on the Chilean extradition charges, he was finishing a sentence here for illegal re-entry into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of deporting him to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals, he now will be sent to Chile to face charges there that include murder, kidnapping, and extortion. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs worked extensively with Chilean authorities to extradite this defendant and ensure that another violent, illegal alien who came here unlawfully will be punished for breaking our laws and then go to Chile to face the charges levied there. When governments work cross borders together, all communities benefit and become more safe.”
“Thanks to the previous administration’s open borders, a murderous terrorist was allowed to enter our country,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “I commend our law enforcement partners in the United States and Chile for removing this criminal, who will hopefully never see the outside of a prison again.”
Gámez, also known as “Adrián Rafael Gámez Finol” and “Turko,” is accused of overseeing the criminal activities of Los Piratas in Chile. According to Chilean authorities, he planned and coordinated kidnappings, homicides, extortions and other offenses on behalf of the TdA affiliate, which included instructing subordinates to obtain necessary resources to execute the offenses and ensuring that financial resources generated for Los Piratas were transferred abroad.
Chile sought Gámez’s extradition so that he may stand trial for one count of criminal association, two counts of extortion, two counts of unjustified firearm discharge, one count of kidnapping resulting in homicide and one count of kidnapping for extortion, arising from separate crimes against multiple victims.
Chile alleges, among other things, that Gámez, acting under the supervision of senior TdA leadership, directed and planned the February 2024 kidnapping and murder in Santiago, Chile, of a former Lieutenant in the Venezuelan military.
According to Chile, members of Los Piratas arrived at the victim’s apartment building in the middle of the night armed with firearms and in a car equipped with a blue light in an apparent attempt to impersonate officers of the Chilean Investigative Police. After using a battering ram to force entry into the victim’s apartment, the perpetrators handcuffed the victim and forcibly removed him from the building and into a car.
Around one week later, in response to a tip from a witness, authorities discovered the victim’s body by drilling into the concrete floor of a makeshift dwelling in a housing development elsewhere in Santiago, Chile. The victim’s body was found covered in lime, concealed inside a suitcase, buried in concrete more than three feet deep and sealed beneath a concrete slab.
An autopsy determined that the victim’s cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging, and the victim’s body showed signs of suspension by the upper extremities, lesions consistent with torture and partial postmortem dismemberment. Testimony obtained in the Chilean investigation revealed that the victim’s kidnapping and murder was allegedly ordered by leaders of TdA and directed to be paid for from outside of Chile.
Additionally, in an intercepted conversation, Gámez allegedly told other Los Piratas members that he had been assigned “from above” the task of coordinating and executing the crime.
In support of its other charges against Gámez, Chile also alleges that he played a leading role in an April 2024 deadly armed confrontation that killed a Chilean police officer; February and June 2024 kidnappings for extortion; and a March 2024 attempted kidnapping, among other offenses.
In 2023, Gámez was removed from the United States to Venezuela for having entered the United States illegally. He subsequently illegally reentered the United States and was prosecuted for human smuggling by the Val Verde County District Attorney’s Office in Texas. He was convicted in February 2025, after which he was indicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States.
He pleaded guilty to the illegal reentry charge in April 2025 and was serving his prison sentence in the Central District of California when he was arrested on Chile’s provisional arrest request in this matter. Gámez was also subject to an order of removal to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals.
On June 30, 2026, following Chile’s submission of a formal extradition request, Gámez consented to extradition, and United States Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick for the Central District of California certified his extradition to the Secretary of State. The U.S. Department of State subsequently issued a surrender warrant authorizing Gámez’s extradition.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Lulejian and Trial Attorneys Reena T. Mittelman and Ruxandra Barbulescu of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs handled this extradition matter.
The United States Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this case and ensured a smooth and safe transfer of custody to Chilean authorities so that Gámez could be transported back to Chile to face trial.
Previously, in September 2025, the United States extradited to Chile another alleged TdA member, Edgar Javier Benítez Rubio, who was charged in Chile with multiple offenses arising from this same kidnapping and murder of the former Venezuelan Lieutenant. That extradition matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 71 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 71 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On August 22, Adan Alejandro Cardenas, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 251 pounds of cocaine concealed in the bed of the 2014 GMC Sierra truck he was driving as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On August 24, Christopher Jaymes Boegeman, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Boegeman presented a U.S. passport card belonging to another person on behalf of his passenger as he applied for admission in the vehicle lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The complaint said the passenger was a woman from India who had paid the defendant a smuggling fee.
- On August 26, Nancy Beatriz Ortega Olazagasti, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 153 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a non-factory compartment under the floor of the driver side and passenger side seats of the 2020 Nissan Rogue she was driving as she applied for entry to the U.S. at the Tecate Port of Entry.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office Hosts 33rd Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Glendale, ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine hosted the 33rd Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Glendale, Arizona this week.
The three-day event, held at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Conference Center, brought together over 150 attendees from Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico to train and collaborate on strategies to improve victim services, strengthen relationships between prosecutors, law enforcement, and communities, and discuss issues of concern to the four corners region.
Started in 1992, the Four Corners Indian Country Conference already has a rich history in providing a forum for practitioners to express concerns, discuss solutions, and share resources. This year’s conference featured speakers, cultural presentations, and state-based breakout sessions to facilitate the exchange of ideas.
“For over 30 years, the Four Corners Indian Country Conference has played an important role in building relationships across state lines and tribal borders to better serve victims,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “We are honored to have had the opportunity to continue that tradition by hosting this year’s event in Arizona.”
The District of Arizona handles one of the most robust Indian Country dockets in the country and serves as the exclusive felony prosecutor for nearly all of the 22 federally-recognized tribes whose reservations fall in whole or in part in Arizona.
Next year’s conference will be hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-150_Four Corners
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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.Two Nigerian Nationals Extradited from Nigeria to the United States to Face Sextortion Charges in North Carolina and MississippiRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that two Nigerian men have been extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution in two separate cases for the financially-motivated sextortion of minors that resulted in the death of teenagers in both the Northern District of Mississippi and the Middle District of North Carolina.
“The defendants were arrested in Nigeria as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department of Justice and this Administration have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting America’s children from exploitation and sexual abuse. We have strengthened our international law enforcement partnerships to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind financially-motivated sextortion and identify and prosecute the perpetrators of child sexual exploitation who are directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.”
“Today’s announcement represents two more high-value targets returned to the U.S. by this FBI through Foreign Transfers of Custody,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Two Nigerian subjects arrested in Nigeria in 2023 - Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale – have now been returned to the United States to face justice after allegedly participating in financially-motivated sextortion of minors - one resulting in the death of a child. Adekunle is charged with the sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, the production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort – and Olawale is charged with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, distribution of child pornography, and more. They’ve been overseas for three years, but this FBI and our DOJ partners went and got them. Sextortion is a heinous crime targeting innocent people, often young children - and this FBI will stop at nothing to pursue every single individual who harms vulnerable Americans.”
“Several weeks ago we announced an undercover operation dealing with child exploitation, which resulted in 70 arrests,” said U.S. Attorney Scott Leary for the Northern District of Mississippi. “Unfortunately, here we are again in an unrelated child victimization case. This time a child died. The dedication involved in this case cannot be overstated. This tragedy was immediately investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the Starkville Police Department and the FBI. The evidence led agents to Nigeria. Undeterred, the FBI worked with DOJ’s Office of International Affairs for years, and eventually the defendant was extradited from Nigeria to face justice in the United States. We are thankful for the hard work of Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Working together, state, federal and international agencies brought us here today.”
“Today’s announcement makes clear that we will not rest in our pursuit of justice for victims of sextortion: Three years after the indictment, and almost five years since the conduct occurred, the defendant will finally appear in a U.S. court to face the charges against him,” said U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We are grateful to all the agents, attorneys, and others whose tenacity and steadfast pursuit of justice contributed to the defendant’s extradition.”
“Financially motivated sextortion inflicts lasting harm on victims and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “These schemes often begin with threats and manipulation, but their impact extends far deeper — causing emotional and psychological devastation. The extradition of this suspect proves the FBI’s commitment to pursue those who exploit vulnerable individuals, wherever they may be, and ensures they are held accountable for the profound and lasting damage they cause.”
“Sextortion is a serious crime with devastating consequences. Its impact on victims and their families is profound and long‑lasting,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “The extradition of Adekunle sends a clear and unmistakable message: crossing state lines does not erase criminal charges, and international borders do not shield individuals from accountability.”
Northern District of Mississippi Charges
Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26, of Lagos, Nigeria, has been extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution in an indictment for the financially motivated sextortion of a Mississippi minor, which lead to the victim’s death.
Adekunle is charged with the sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort. He appeared in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi, for an initial appearance today.
Adekunle was arrested in Nigeria on Aug. 14, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States.
Adekunle faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and mandatory minimum prison sentences on at least two charges. The child exploitation resulting in death charge carries a minimum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Jackson Field Office, the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section and International Operations Division, and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King for the Northern District of Mississippi is prosecuting the case.
Middle District of North Carolina Charges
Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, 24, of Nigeria, was extradited from Nigeria to the United States to face charges related to the financially motivated sextortion of one minor, and the financially motivated sextortion and death of another minor victim.
Olawale was charged by indictment in August 2023, with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors resulting in death, enticement of minors, interstate threatening communications, and distribution of child pornography. He appeared in federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina, before U.S. Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld today.
Olawale was arrested in Nigeria on Aug. 9, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States.
Olawale faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and mandatory minimum prison sentences on at least two charges. The child exploitation resulting in death charge carries a minimum penalty of 30 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by FBI Charlotte’s Greensboro Resident Agency and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Nee for the Middle District of North Carolina is prosecuting the case.
DOJ’s Commitment to Detering Financially Motivated Sextortion
Both cases are a result of Operation Artemis, the FBI’s surge against financially motivated sextortion rings operating from Nigeria. In coordination with domestic and international law for enforcement partners, the FBI deployed agents, analysts, and forensic experts to Nigeria to confront perpetrators of these deadly schemes — directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide. This same focused, multi-agency approach now drives a broader national effort to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind sextortion and other predatory schemes. The U.S. Government’s Financially Motivated Sextortion Campaign Team coordinates across agencies, prioritizes victims, and brings every available tool to bear in its fight to bring to justice those who prey on American families.
Adekunle and Olawale were extradited to the United States on Aug. 27, with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and FBI agents from both the Jackson and Greensboro Resident Agencies, who traveled to Nigeria and took them into U.S. custody. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If someone you know is being victimized by sextortion, please report to local law enforcement and to the FBI. Learn more about sextortion and find resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers.
Two Chinese Nationals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Leading Trans-Pacific $16.2 Million Apple Device Return FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two Chinese nationals – one of them an illegal alien – living in the Inland Empire were sentenced to federal prison today for leading a large-scale, trans-Pacific scheme to defraud Apple Inc. through the fraudulent “returns” of thousands of counterfeit iPhones, iPads, and other Apple goods that caused the Cupertino-based technology company at least $16.2 million in losses.
Wenhui Huang, 41, of Chino Hills, the group’s ringleader and an illegal immigrant, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by United States District Judge André Birotte, Jr., who also ordered him to pay $16,239,254 in restitution.
Huang pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
Judge Birotte today also sentenced Yang Song, 39, of Corona, the group’s second-in-command, to 57 months in federal prison, and ordered him to pay $16,997,415 in restitution.
Song pleaded guilty in June 2025 to 21 counts of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, in addition to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for a separate scheme involving the funneling of proceeds of various frauds to overseas.
Huang and Song are the final defendants to be sentenced in this case.
According to court documents, from at least December 2015 to March 2024, Huang, Song, and others coordinated with co-conspirators in China to smuggle counterfeit Apple iPhones, iPads, and other devices to them and other U.S.-based co-conspirators.
The counterfeit Apple devices smuggled to Huang, Song, and others in the U.S. were designed to look like genuine Apple devices and included identification numbers matching the numbers on real Apple products that had been sold in North America, were owned by real people, and were under warranty through Apple’s manufacturer warranty and AppleCare+, Apple’s extended warranty program.
The real identification numbers and serial numbers on the counterfeit devices that defendants returned were designed to essentially impersonate the real Apple devices owned by real people throughout the United States – and therefore deceived Apple into replacing the counterfeit devices with real devices under Apple’s warranty programs.
Once the counterfeit devices were smuggled into the U.S., the defendants fraudulently returned the counterfeit iPhones, iPads, and other devices to Apple as if they were genuine and had been legitimately purchased, were eligible for Apple’s warranty programs, and as if they were the lawful possessor of the Apple devices.
The defendants knowingly and fraudulently represented that the counterfeit Apple devices they returned were genuine but were broken or non-operational and were covered by the company’s warranty programs.
Some of the false reasons given to Apple store employees were because the devices purportedly would not power on, were physically damaged, or had other defects. But the defendants knew that the Apple devices they were returning were counterfeit and fraudulently used the identification numbers and serial numbers of real people’s Apple devices to victimize both Apple and the device owners.
As part of the scheme, the defendants visited multiple Apple stores throughout Southern California, including stores in Beverly Hills, Sherman Oaks, Pasadena, Irvine, Northridge, Manhattan Beach, Brea, Rancho Cucamonga, Cerritos and at shopping malls such as The Grove in Los Angeles, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Fashion Island in Newport Beach, and The Americana at Brand in Glendale. In many cases, they visited as many as 10 different Apple stores where they would allegedly return counterfeit devices.
Once at the Apple stores, Apple employees either replaced or repaired the counterfeit Apple device with a genuine Apple device during the same visit or, on other occasions, took the defendants’ counterfeit devices and shipped them to a repair center.
Apple then shipped to the defendants a genuine replacement Apple device or a repaired device to either an Apple store, where the defendants returned to pick up the new device, or at the dozens of mailboxes at UPS Stores that the defendants rented across Southern California to receive counterfeit devices from China and receive genuine replacement devices from Apple.
After successfully returning the counterfeit Apple devices for genuine ones, the defendants shipped the genuine devices to co-conspirators both in the United States and abroad, primarily in China, where the genuine Apple devices were resold at a substantial profit.
Federal prosecutors secured six convictions in this case, including for Yushan Lin, 32, and Shuyi Xing, 36, both of Corona, whom Judge Birotte on Wednesday sentenced to 18 months of home detention and 38 months in federal prison, respectively, and ordered to pay $16,239,254 and $17,343,549 in restitution, respectively. Lin and Xing fraudulently returned and attempted to return at least 1,584 counterfeit devices to Apple, causing at least $1,116,544 in actual losses to the company in their part of the overall conspiracy.
Two other defendants, Zhengxuan Hu, 28, of Alhambra, an illegal alien, and Junwei Jiang, 39, of East Los Angeles, were previously sentenced to prison terms of 24 months and 36 months, respectively, for their role in the scheme and were ordered to pay $16,239,254 in restitution.
Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew M. Roach of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Tohono O'odham Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Prison for Domestic Violence Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Jarret Haines, 37, of Sells Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Haines previously pleaded guilty to Assault by Strangulation.
On Jan. 24, 2025, Haines, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, assaulted the victim by punching her multiple times in the face and then fastening a large zip tie around her neck until she lost consciousness. Her son called 911 and Tohono O’odham law enforcement promptly intervened.
“On the heels of the annual Four Corners Conference taking place this week in Glendale, Arizona, prosecutions such as this underscore the USAO’s dedication to working with our partners to protect indigenous victims of intimate partner violence within our native communities,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
The Tohono O’odham Police Department conducted the investigation, in conjunction with the FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-01431-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-148_Haines# # #
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.State of Illinois Must Answer United States’ Complaint Seeking to Invalidate Sanctuary State Policies Enacted to Regulate Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – United States Attorney Weinhoeft announced today that the United States’ lawsuit against the State of Illinois, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for the State’s sanctuary policies regulating federal law enforcement officers will continue.
“The Court rightfully denied the Governor’s motion to dismiss our lawsuit,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Illinois continues to advance unconstitutional policies designed to undermine federal law. The state should work with us to target criminals rather than spend tax dollars targeting law enforcement officers.”
In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois filed a complaint in federal court against the State of Illinois to invalidate Illinois Public Act 104-0440 (formerly HB 1312) which enacted the Illinois Bivens Act and Illinois Courts Access, Safety, and Participation Act (“CASPA”). The Illinois Bivens Act purports to subject federal immigration officers to civil liability and punitive damages for discharging their federal duties. CASPA implements a ban on “civil arrest” on Illinois state courthouse grounds and within 1,000 feet of a state courthouse. Together, these policies prevent federal law enforcement officers from carrying out their duties in public spaces and expose federal law enforcement officials to liability and punitive damages for doing their jobs.
The State of Illinois filed a motion to dismiss the federal complaint in February 2026. The Court heard oral arguments on June 23, 2026. On August 19, the Court entered its order denying the State’s motion. The order further directed Defendants to answer the United States’ complaint within 14 days of the order.
The case was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
St. Clair County tax preparer sentenced to 37-month imprisonment and ordered to pay over $700,000 in restitution for filing hundreds of false tax returnsRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A federal district judge sentenced a St. Clair County tax preparer to 37 months’ imprisonment after she admitted to filing false tax returns and falsifying her personal income and clients’ business expenses.
Dormeshia A. Haire, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of false statements on tax return, one count of wire fraud, and three counts of aiding and abetting in submitting false and fraudulent returns. Haire was indicted in April 2024 but continued filing hundreds of false tax returns while on bond. Haire took actions to conceal her conduct by filing tax returns under other individuals’ names. Since 2019, Haire profited more than one million dollars in tax return fees from clients.
“Combating violent crime and stopping fraud against taxpayer funds are the two highest criminal priorities for the Department of Justice,” said United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Dormeshia Haire filed hundreds of false tax returns, kept filing them after she was charged, and hid the scheme under other people’s names. That conduct demands prison time and full restitution for the losses she caused.”
In April 2026, a federal district judge revoked Haire’s bond and ordered Haire detained for bond violations. According to court documents, Haire admitted to filing hundreds of false returns for hundreds of clients. In the tax returns, Haire falsely represented that her clients had businesses they did not own and inflated clients’ business losses. Due to these false records, Haire’s clients received tax refunds to which they were not entitled. Haire’s under reporting of income for her and her clients resulted in an outstanding tax obligation owed to the Internal Revenue Service of more than $600,000 with an additional $48,000 owed to the State of Illinois.
“The sentence reflects the seriousness of this case. Dormeshia Haire profited by filing hundreds of fraudulent tax returns for clients for a fee," said IRS Criminal Investigation Kansas City Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “She is directly responsible for more than $600,000 stolen from the U.S. Treasury through her fraud. Now through the investigative expertise of IRS-CI’s special agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Haire is out of business.”
Following imprisonment, Haire will serve 3 years of supervised release. The judge also ordered Haire to pay $716,406 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and Illinois Department of Revenue. Haire agreed to pay interest on her restitution.
IRS Criminal Investigation led this investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case.
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.
South African national charged with yearslong identity theft and credit card fraud scheme targeting gym patrons across North TexasRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that a South African national with a long history of fraud and identity related offenses was charged in a federal criminal complaint Aug. 25 with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft following an extensive multi agency investigation.
Craig George McLachlan, who has used numerous aliases including “Craig Pritchard,” “Clive Morgan Pritchard,” “Jeffrey Moore,” “Joseph Robert Almond,” “John Paul Loisel,” and “Francis Castanho,” is alleged to have carried out a yearslong scheme involving thefts from gym patrons across Texas.
“McLachlan didn’t just steal wallets, he stalked gyms across North Texas for years, hunting for victims and hijacking their identities with the confidence of someone who thought he could never be caught,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “His long trail of aliases and deceit shows a deliberate attack on hard working Americans just going about their daily lives. These charges make clear that those who treat fraud as a way of life will face swift federal consequences.”
“Identity theft is not a victimless crime. As alleged, this defendant preyed on everyday people across North Texas, stealing from gym patrons and using their identities to fuel a years-long fraud scheme,” said HSI Dallas Deputy Special Agent in Charge Antwoine Jones. “HSI Dallas and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue criminals who exploit stolen identities, drain victims’ accounts, and hide behind aliases to evade accountability.”
According to the complaint, McLachlan entered gyms, stole wallets and credit cards and used those stolen cards to make thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases across the Dallas–Fort Worth region.
Homeland Security Investigations, Southlake Police Department, Coppell Police Department, Plano Police Department, University Park Police Department, Richardson Police Department, Grapevine Police Department, Flower Mound Police Department, Austin Police Department and other agencies traced reports dating back as far as February 2018. Each case involved the same modus operandi: McLachlan allegedly stole credit cards from unlocked gym lockers or unattended bags, then purchased electronics, restaurant meals, groceries and other goods.
Law enforcement connected McLachlan to alleged thefts at gyms including YMCA locations, Texas Family Fitness, Summit Climbing Gym, Lifetime Fitness, Impact Fitness, and Club 4 Fitness, and fraudulent financial transactions at Whole Foods, Best Buy, REI, St. Bernards, Trader Joe’s, Spec’s, Central Market, Home Depot and other retailers.
The complaint also alleges that on Jan. 10, McLachlan used an alias “Jeffrey Tims” to obtain a day pass at Club 4 Fitness in Grapevine. He then stole a victim’s Chase Sapphire and AAdvantage MasterCard credit cards, charging more than $1,500 at stores and restaurants across North Texas. Surveillance images from Central Market and The Home Depot show McLachlan using the victim’s stolen card. Because the victim’s AAdvantage MasterCard transactions were routed through interstate servers in Texas, Georgia, Nebraska, and Arizona, the conduct constitutes wire communications in interstate commerce.
McLachlan was taken into custody on Feb. 5, after Grapevine Police located him driving a black 2020 Ford F 150 in Dallas. He has prior federal convictions for illegal reentry, firearms offenses, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft, and he remains illegally present in the United States with an outstanding deportation order.
Homeland Security Investigations – Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with support from multiple partner law enforcement agencies throughout Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen from the Fort Worth Division is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RUDOLPH GIRDHARI, 36, of Norwalk, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 123 months of imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing child sex abuse material.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2012, Girdhari was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography in the second degree, and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after two years, and 20 years of probation. In 2022 and 2023, an FBI investigation of individuals trading child sex abuse images and videos on Wickr, an encrypted communication service, determined that an email address connected to Girdhari was being used to access two child pornography trading networks on Wickr.
On May 2, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Girdhari’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices including phones, tablets, computers, hard drives, and thumb drives. Analysis of the seized devices revealed more than 2,000 images and videos of child sex abuse.
Girdhari has been detained since May 16, 2024, when he was arrested for violating his state probation. On December 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Office of Adult Probation and the Norwalk Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Russian National Living in Florida Convicted for Scheme to Illegally Export Aircraft Parts from the United States to RussiaRead the Press Release
A Florida resident and Russian national, Alexander Mamonov, 62, was convicted on all charges yesterday following a jury trial related to a scheme to illegally export aircraft parts from the United States to Russia and the state-owned Russian airline, PJSC Aeroflot.
“This guilty verdict – on all counts – shows the United States government’s resolute commitment to upholding our export-control laws and to prosecuting those who violate them,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement partners will continue to safeguard U.S.-controlled items from being exported unlawfully.”
“Mamonov illegally exported nearly one million dollars of aviation parts to Russia by lying to U.S. suppliers about their destination, and this conviction on all counts holds him accountable,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and its partners will continue to prioritize the enforcement of export laws and sanctions to defend the homeland. Let this verdict serve as a warning to anyone considering smuggling U.S. technology to our adversaries.”
“Russia cannot evade American sanctions and export controls by routing its purchases through South Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “You cannot put a fake destination on a shipping label and make American export laws disappear. This defendant conspired to secretly funnel nearly $1 million in American aircraft parts to Russia and Aeroflot, then used false destinations and financial transactions to conceal what he was doing. Yesterday, a federal jury held him accountable on every count. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who use our district, our financial system, or American businesses to undermine U.S. national security.”
Mamonov was convicted in the Southern District of Florida of 12 counts related to that scheme, including conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), illegal export of items subject to ECRA, conspiracy to commit smuggling, smuggling of goods, submitting false or misleading export information, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams scheduled sentencing for Nov. 20.
The defendant was charged by indictment in April 2025, alongside Ignat Vakorin of Russia. Vakorin remains a fugitive in wanted status.
Following Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce increased restrictions on exports to Russia and issued a temporary denial order barring Aeroflot from receiving U.S.-origin goods. According to court documents and testimony, Mamonov is a former Aeroflot employee who relocated from Russia to South Florida. After the U.S. Department of Commerce increased restrictions on Russian exports, Mamonov conspired with Vakorin to acquire and illegally ship over $900,000 in aircraft parts to Russia and to Aeroflot. Mamonov and Vakorin misled U.S. suppliers into believing the parts were being sent to other destinations, such as the United Arab Emirates and China.
This case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office with assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Paul Cronin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Russian National Living in Florida Convicted for Scheme to Illegally Export Aircraft Parts from the US to RussiaRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Florida resident and Russian national, Alexander Mamonov, 62, was convicted on all charges yesterday following a jury trial related to a scheme to illegally export aircraft parts from the U.S. to Russia and the state-owned Russian airline, PJSC Aeroflot.
“This guilty verdict – on all counts – shows the United States government’s resolute commitment to upholding our export-control laws and to prosecuting those who violate them,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement partners will continue to safeguard U.S.-controlled items from being exported unlawfully.”
“Russia cannot evade American sanctions and export controls by routing its purchases through South Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “You cannot put a fake destination on a shipping label and make American export laws disappear. This defendant conspired to secretly funnel nearly $1 million in American aircraft parts to Russia and Aeroflot, then used false destinations and financial transactions to conceal what he was doing. Yesterday, a federal jury held him accountable on every count. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who use our district, our financial system, or American businesses to undermine U.S. national security.”
“Mamonov illegally exported nearly one million dollars of aviation parts to Russia by lying to U.S. suppliers about their destination, and this conviction on all counts holds him accountable,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and its partners will continue to prioritize the enforcement of export laws and sanctions to defend the homeland. Let this verdict serve as a warning to anyone considering smuggling U.S. technology to our adversaries.”
Mamonov was convicted of 12 counts related to that scheme, including conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), illegal export of items subject to ECRA, conspiracy to commit smuggling, smuggling of goods, submitting false or misleading export information, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams for the Southern District of Florida scheduled sentencing for Nov. 20.
The defendant was charged by indictment in April 2025, alongside Ignat Vakorin of Russia. Vakorin remains a fugitive in wanted status.
Following Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce increased restrictions on exports to Russia and issued a temporary denial order barring Aeroflot from receiving U.S.-origin goods. According to court documents and testimony, Mamonov is a former Aeroflot employee who relocated from Russia to South Florida. After the U.S. Department of Commerce increased restrictions on Russian exports, Mamonov conspired with Vakorin to acquire and illegally ship over $900,000 in aircraft parts to Russia and to Aeroflot. Mamonov and Vakorin misled U.S. suppliers into believing the parts were being sent to other destinations, such as the United Arab Emirates and China.
This case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office with assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Cronin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting 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 numbers 25-cr-20174.
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Romanian Illegal Alien Charged with Wire Fraud in Scheme to Defraud WalmartRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An illegal alien from Romania has been charged by a federal grand jury with one count of wire fraud involving a scheme to defraud Walmart of thousands of dollars.
Hozu Rostas, 25, of Romania, was charged in an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. on Aug. 28, 2026. The federal indictment charges Rostas with one count of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, between February 2025 and June 2026, Rostas would carry out a confidence scheme at Walmart stores throughout the United States, including a Walmart in Columbia, Mo. Rostas would use a sleight of hand technique to shortchange Walmart cashiers of money. Specifically, Rostas would select merchandise and then count out the money in separate piles. After the cashier counted the money, Rostas would take it back, quietly remove a portion, and then return the reduced amount without being detected. After the cashier put the money into the teller, Rostas would leave with the merchandise. Rostas would then go to another Walmart store and return the merchandise for the full amount. According to the indictment, Rostas obtained more than $150,000 during this scheme.The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
Rocklin Man Implicated in Plot to Attack White House UFC Event Indicted for Firearms Possession and Destroying Records in a Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher M. Perry, 38, of Rocklin, was indicted Thursday for possessing firearms and destroying records in a federal investigation, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Perry came to the attention of law enforcement because of an investigation into a plot to carry out attacks against federal property and officials, including an attack at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the South Lawn of the White House, which took place on June 14, 2026. Perry participated in a Signal chat group that was devoted to planning the attack. Perry additionally discussed related attacks in California against AI datacenters, satellite communication facilities, and a California-based technology company. Perry also referred to himself as a career criminal and stated that he was armed, even though he is prohibited from possession guns.
On June 12, 2026, law enforcement contacted Perry at his home and asked about his Signal account. After the agents departed, Perry immediately attempted to destroy evidence by taking steps to remove himself from the Signal chat group, delete his Signal account, and remove the Signal application and associated data from his phone.
The FBI subsequently executed several search warrants, and recovered multiple firearms that Perry owned, as well as more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition. On top of one of the ammunition containers was written “WWIII,” which is short for World War III. And on Perry’s phone were several pictures and videos of firearms and of Perry holding firearms.
Perry is a felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Perry’s prior felony convictions include a conviction for attempting to bring drugs into a jail or prison and for possessing or purchasing drugs for sale.
Perry is currently in federal custody and is scheduled to appear for arraignment on Aug. 31, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sean C. Riordan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Perry faces a maximum statutory sentence of 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 20 years in prison for destroying records in a federal investigation. Both charges also carry a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Registered Sex Offender/Parolee Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A registered sex offender has been charged in federal court for child pornography charges committed while he was on state parole for similar crimes.
Michael D. Shimon, 43 of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a criminal complaint on Aug. 28, 2026. Shimon had his initial appearance this afternoon.
The federal complaint charges Shimon with one count each of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, both charged as a prior sex offender.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Dropbox, Inc. submitted a cyber tip report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a video uploaded to the Dropbox application by Shimon’s account. Weeks later, an acquaintance of Shimon reported to authorities that he had observed images of possible child pornography in Shimon’s home on one of Shimon’s electronic devices. Based on this information, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigations served a federal search warrant upon Shimon’s residence on Aug. 27, 2026. During their contact with Shimon at his home, investigators seized multiple electronic devices from his person. An analysis of Shimon’s electronic devices located thousands of images of child pornography.
Shimon was previously convicted in Phelps County, Missouri with one count of promoting child pornography in the first degree and two counts of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced on all three counts to 12 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections in February 2017. Shimon was released from incarceration and placed on parole in 2021 and is currently a registered sex offender in the State of Missouri.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Luna and Mitchell Widener. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to two counts of distributing crack cocaine and fentanyl.
According to court records, Tasheem Carter, 41, sold more than 28 grams of crack cocaine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl to an FBI informant on three occasions in June and July 2025. On July 29, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence and recovered drugs and more than $25,000 in cash.
At the time Carter distributed the crack cocaine and fentanyl, he was on supervised release following a 2016 federal conviction for conspiring to distribute controlled substances. In addition to pleading guilty, he also admitted that his new criminal conduct violated the terms of his supervised release.
Carter faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life imprisonment; up to an $8 million fine; and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Portland Police Department investigated the case.
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Pair Plead Guilty in CARES Act FraudRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of Virginia residents pled guilty recently to filing false claims for pandemic unemployment benefits authorized by the CARES Act. The CARES Act is a federal law, enacted in March of 2020, that was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martha Sue Buffy Davis, 50, of Glade Spring, Va., and Robert Walter Neely, 47, both pled guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States and commit an offense against the United States by filing fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits as authorized by federal law. Both defendants are scheduled for sentencing on December 18, 2026.
According to court documents, from July 2020 through May 2021, Davis, Neely, and others, conspired to file false and fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits. It was part of the conspiracy that Neely provided personal identifying information (PII) to Davis, who filed and recertified the false claims with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC).
To perpetuate the scheme, Davis listed a non-existent business, “Buff-N-Shine Cleaning,” that she invented for the purpose of filing the fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits with the VEC. In addition, Davis obtained PII and assisted other co-conspirators in filing and recertifying fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits. First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Labor, and the Virginia Employment Commission investigated the case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Stone and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Office of the Attorney General Senior Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, are prosecuting the case.
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.
Outlaw hunting guide guilty of illegally baiting pondRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 55-year-old Conroe resident has admitted to operating an illegal waterfowl guiding operation.
Richard Lee Bowers admitted he invited members of the public to duck hunt on his property in Walker County, known as the Pull Two Ranch, where he illegally baited a pond with corn. Bowers had his paying clients hunt over the bait where they harvested various species of ducks.
Ducks are covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and may not be legally hunted with the aid of bait.
On Nov. 18, 2023, authorities conducted surveillance at Pull Two Ranch and observed duck blinds near the pond which had freshly spread corn clearly visible in the water. The next morning, they confronted Bowers and a group who was hunting over the corn. Bowers falsely claimed the corn was for hogs, even though all the corn was underwater.
The investigation revealed several hunters who had paid to hunt at Pull Two Ranch reported that baiting the pond with corn was standard procedure. One had questioned Bowers about the illegal baiting, and Bowers responded with “that’s how we get all the ducks.”
Bowers is a taxidermist by trade with a long history of state fish and game violations.
Judge George C. Hanks Jr. accepted the plea and set sentencing for Nov. 9. At that time, Bowers faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Nigerian National Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with Business Email Compromise ScamRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Nigerian national learned that he is headed to federal prison for eight years, today, after he executed a business email compromise scam to steal millions from two charitable organizations.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang sentenced Olusegun Adejorin, 32, to 96 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information. In August 2024, the FBI extradited Adejorin from Ghana to stand trial for this case. In December 2025, after a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted Adejorin of all charges.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.
According to the evidence presented at trial, between June and August 2020, Adejorin perpetrated a scheme to defraud Victim 1, a charitable organization located in Maryland, that provided investment services to other organizations. Additionally, through the scheme, Adejorin defrauded Victim 2, a charitable organization located in New York, by gaining access to employee email accounts and impersonating employees to induce financial transactions.
Among the acts in furtherance of the fraud scheme, Adejorin registered spoofed domain names, which he used to pose as employees of Victim 2 to request withdrawals of Victim 2’s funds from Victim 1. Adejorin also fraudulently obtained access to email accounts of Victim 1, which he used to send emails falsely confirming the fraudulent requests made in Victim 2’s name. He ultimately caused more than $7.5 million of Victim 2’s funds to be sent, pursuant to the fraudulent withdrawal requests, from Victim 1 to bank accounts that were not Victim 2’s bank accounts.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI Baltimore Field Office for its work in the investigation along with the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana, Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Republic of Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Services – INTERPOL, and National Intelligence Bureau, for their valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the International Cooperation Unit of the Office of the Attorney-General of Ghana to secure Adejorin‘s extradition to the United States. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Darren Gardner, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Nigerian National Sentenced for Laundering $3.1M in Scam ProceedsRead the Press Release
A Nigerian national was sentenced yesterday to 95 months in prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy involving millions of dollars tied to various fraud schemes — including business email compromise, romance, and unemployment insurance fraud scams — perpetrated against U.S. citizens.
According to court documents, Oluwasegun Baiyewu, 40, of Houston, Texas, led a conspiracy that laundered over $3.1 million in proceeds of various fraud schemes by purchasing used cars with illicit proceeds and then shipping those cars to West Africa. Between approximately May 2020 and October 2021, Baiyewu worked with at least six other co-conspirators in the United States and Nigeria. Using encrypted messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, Baiyewu and his co-conspirators coordinated the receipt and use of illicit money to purchase salvaged cars and then ship them to Nigeria.
In one instance, Baiyewu conspired to launder funds obtained from a business email compromise scheme perpetrated against a Puerto Rican renewable energy company, which was tricked into sending approximately $280,000 by wire to bank accounts controlled by fraudsters and money launderers. Baiyewu then worked with his co-conspirators to launder the Puerto Rican company’s money by paying toward the purchase of cars located in the United States that he arranged to export and ship to Nigeria to benefit the co-conspirators. A federal jury convicted Baiyewu in August 2025 of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, through its Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative (CSI), works to disrupt and stop cyber-enabled criminal networks that prey on Americans. CSI brings together expert prosecutors from across the Division to accelerate the prosecution of cyber-enabled financial crimes, including investment and crypto scams, government imposter schemes, romance and inheritance scams, financially motivated sextortion, lottery and sweepstakes scams, and other predatory schemes. With nationwide jurisdiction and global reach, CSI leverages every available tool to dismantle criminal operations, pursue bad actors, recover criminal proceeds, and obtain justice for victims. The Criminal Division partners with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country and is a founding member of the Scam Center Strike Force launched in November 2025 by Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and FBI San Juan Cyber Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force supporting the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force teams.
Trial Attorneys Emily Powers and Richard Greene of the Criminal Division’s White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Olinghouse for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.
Nigerian Man Extradited to U.S. in Connection with the Financially Motivated Sextortion of Two Victims and Death of a North Carolina TeenagerRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC – United States Attorney Dan Bishop and FBI Charlotte SAC Reid Davis announced the extradition of Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, age 24, from Nigeria to the United States to face federal charges related to the financially motivated sextortion of two victims and death of a teenager in the Middle District of North Carolina.
Olawale was charged by indictment in August 2023, with offenses relating to sexual exploitation of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, distribution of child pornography, and interstate threatening communications. He appeared in federal court in Greensboro before U.S. Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld today.
Olawale was arrested in Nigeria on August 9, 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States. He was extradited to the United States on Thursday, August 27, 2026, with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and FBI Charlotte agents from the Greensboro Resident Agency, who traveled to Nigeria and took him into U.S. custody. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“Today’s announcement makes clear that we will not rest in our pursuit of justice for victims of sextortion: Three years after indictment, and almost five years since the offense conduct occurred, the defendant will finally appear in a U.S. court to face the charges against him,” said United States Attorney Bishop. “We are grateful to all the agents, attorneys, and others whose tenacity and steadfast pursuit of justice contributed to the defendant’s extradition.”
“Financially motivated sextortion inflicts lasting harm on victims and their families. These schemes often begin with threats and manipulation, but their impact extends far deeper—causing emotional and psychological devastation. The extradition of this suspect proves the FBI’s commitment to pursue those who exploit vulnerable individuals, wherever they may be, and ensures they are held accountable for the profound and lasting damage they cause,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
This case is being investigated by FBI Charlotte’s Greensboro Resident Agency and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann Nee.
This case is a result of Operation Artemis, the FBI’s surge against financially motivated sextortion rings operating from Nigeria. In coordination with domestic and international law enforcement partners, the FBI deployed agents, analysts, and forensic experts to Nigeria to confront perpetrators of these deadly schemes—which have been directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.
This same focused, multi-agency approach now drives a broader national effort to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind sextortion and other predatory schemes. The US Government’s Financially Motivated Sextortion Campaign Team coordinates across agencies, prioritizes victims, and brings every available tool to bear in its fight to bring to justice those who prey on American families.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Nigerian Extradited to the U.S. after being Indicted for Financially-Motivated Sextortion Scheme that Caused Death of a Mississippi TeenagerRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – Adebola Festus Adekunle, 26 years old, of Lagos, Nigeria, has been extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution in an unsealed indictment for the financially-motivated sextortion of a Mississippi minor, which lead to the victim’s death.
The three-count federal indictment charges Adekunle with the sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, the production of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate threats with intent to extort. He appeared in federal court in Oxford, Mississippi for an initial appearance on August 28, 2026.
Adekunle was arrested in Nigeria in August of 2023, as part of a wider operation with the FBI to apprehend sexual extortionists targeting minors in the United States. He was extradited to the United States on Thursday, August 27, 2026, with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and FBI agents from the Jackson Resident Agency, who traveled to Nigeria and took him into U.S. custody. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Adekunle faces up to life in prison, and mandatory minimum prison sentences on at least two charges. The child exploitation resulting in death count carries a mandatory 30-year prison sentence, if found guilty of that charge.
United States Attorney Scott Leary stated, “Several weeks ago we announced an undercover operation dealing with child exploitation, which resulted in 70 arrests. Unfortunately, here we are again in an unrelated child victimization case. This time a child died. The dedication involved in this case cannot be overstated. This tragedy was immediately investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, the Starkville Police Department and the FBI. The evidence led agents to Nigeria. Undeterred, the FBI worked with DOJ’s Office of International Affairs for years, and eventually the defendant was extradited from Nigeria to face justice in the United States. We are thankful for the hard work of Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Working together, state, federal and international agencies brought us here today.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff stated, “Sextortion is a serious crime with devastating consequences. Its impact on victims and their families is profound and long‑lasting. The extradition of Adekunle sends a clear and unmistakable message: crossing state lines does not erase criminal charges, and international borders do not shield individuals from accountability.”
“Walker Montgomery should be here with us today,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “He should be moving into his dormitory, meeting up with friends, and running to class. That he is not is a tragedy. And it is because of the criminal acts of someone halfway around the world – someone who has been brought back to the United States now to stand trial for his actions. This trial cannot bring back Walker and the Montgomery family will always hurt. But I hope that today they get some closure, and assurances that Walker will get justice.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI Jackson Field Office, the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section and International Operations Division, and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King.
These cases are a result of Operation Artemis, the FBI’s surge against financially motivated sextortion rings operating from Nigeria. In coordination with domestic and international law for enforcement partners, the FBI deployed agents, analysts, and forensic experts to Nigeria to confront perpetrators of these deadly schemes—directly linked to dozens of American teen deaths by suicide.
This same focused, multi-agency approach now drives a broader national effort to dismantle the foreign criminal networks behind sextortion and other predatory schemes. The US Government's Financially Motivated Sextortion Campaign Team coordinates across agencies, prioritizes victims, and brings every available tool to bear in its fight to bring to justice those who prey on American families.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If someone you know is being victimized by sextortion, please report to local law enforcement and to the FBI. Learn more about sextortion and find resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers.
New York Woman Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Luxury Watches Imported from ChinaRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that SI MAN LAM, 43, of Brooklyn, New York, has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging her with offenses related to her trafficking counterfeit luxury and designer brand watches imported from China.
As alleged in court documents, between April 2020 to July 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized approximately 74 parcels addressed to the Waterbury residence of Izedin Kimca, or his aliases, that contained counterfeit luxury watches, including counterfeit Rolex, Audemars, and Panerai watches, having a total estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price of more than $16 million had the watches been authentic. In addition, between February 2021 to April 2022, CBP seized approximately 22 parcels addressed to the Worcester, Massachusetts residence of Denis and Klevis Nako that contained counterfeit luxury watches, including counterfeit Rolex and Cartier watches, having a total estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price of more than $3 million had the watches been authentic. Between February and June 2021, CBP seized seven packages that were addressed to Lam’s New York residences and contained approximately 378 counterfeit Rolex, Cartier, and other luxury watches having a total estimated manufacturers’ suggested retail price of approximately $6.4 million.
It is further alleged that Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako operated various websites, Instagram pages, and Facebook pages through which they advertised and sold counterfeit luxury watches that they had imported from China. During the investigation, law enforcement made multiple undercover transactions in which they purchased counterfeit Rolex watches from several of the Instagram accounts for approximately $200 to $300 per watch. The proceeds of the sales were deposited into bank accounts belonging to or connected to Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako. Between January 2021 and April 2024, more than $800,000 in funds were transferred from these accounts to Lam. Investigators identified Lam as the individual who was responsible for shipping the watches that were purchased over Instagram, including several of the watches purchased during the undercover investigation.
Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako were arrested on April 3, 2024. It is alleged that, on April 5, 2024, law enforcement agents interviewed Lam at JFK Airport after she arrived from a trip to Hong Kong. Lam claimed that she worked as a home health care aid and denied having knowledge of the importation and sale of counterfeit goods. Working with others, Lam continued to sell and ship numerous counterfeit watches until approximately May 2026. Analysis of bank accounts associated with Lam revealed that between December 2020 and October 2025, she made more than $2.7 million in payments to freight forwarding companies.
Lam was arrested on August 26, 2026. On that date, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of her residence and seized approximately $900,000 in cash. She subsequently appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.
The complaint charges Lam with trafficking in and conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods and services, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Kimca, Denis Nako, and Klevis Nako pleaded guilty to related charges. Klevis Nako has been sentenced, and Kimca and Denis Nako await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the New Haven Police Department, the Watertown Police Department, and the New York Police Department have assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Shan Patel.
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 toward 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 Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Engaging in Nationwide “Sextortion” Scheme That Victimized Children as Young as Seven Years OldRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that COLE DIGGS (a/k/a Kevon Godson) (“DIGGS”), age 32, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on August 27, 2026, to 360 months of imprisonment by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe after previously pleading guilty to producing files depicting the sexual exploitation of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2251(a). Judge Ashe also sentenced DIGGS to a 15-year period of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, registration as a sex offender, and the payment of restitution to all of his victims.
According to court documents, on numerous instances between November 2021 and December 2022, DIGGS engaged in a scheme to obtain sexually explicit depictions of at least six minors he met via a multimedia instant messaging application that allowed users to exchange pictures and videos. The identified victims varied between the ages of seven years old and fifteen years old. In each case, DIGGS sought and obtained the sexually explicit depictions of minors by utilizing a “sextortion” scheme. In this scheme, DIGGS claimed to be a minor, sent minor victims sexually explicit depictions of adults, engaged in sexually charged communications, directed the minors on how to pose and perform when taking sexually explicit depictions, and, when the minors expressed reluctance to continue sending sexually explicit depictions, DIGGS extorted the minors to comply with his demands. Additionally, DIGGS offered to purchase, and did in fact purchase, offered to trade, and did in fact trade, sexually explicit depictions of minors, including some of those he received via his extortionate scheme, on multiple occasions.
“Today’s sentence removes a dangerous, anti-social predator from our community,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “DIGGS’ cruelly manipulative crimes against children, as young as seven years old, deserved this significant sentence. The youthful innocence, forever stolen from these children, breaks our hearts and triggers our society’s worst fears. Nevertheless, strengthened by the single-minded commitment of both our office, and FBI - New Orleans, to identify, locate, and bring to justice those who prey on our children, we hope to bring security, peace and closure to these victims and their families.”
“Mr. Digg's disgusting actions impacted families across this country,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.” “The sentence imposed today should serve as a warning for anybody who thinks they are going to coerce and abuse children and get away with it. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office stand ready to find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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.
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Muskego Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 26, 2026, Justin D. Kagerbauer (age 47) of Muskego, Wisconsin, was sentenced to a total of eight years in federal prison.
Kagerbauer pled guilty to two federal felonies: (1) attempted interstate or foreign travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b); and (2) distribution of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
According to court documents, from March 2025 through late November 2025, Kagerbauer communicated with an individual in the United Kingdom (“UK”), expressing an intent to travel to the UK to sexually assault a nine-year-old female child. During his online communications, Kagerbauer also distributed a video depicting CSAM (child sexual abuse material). Unbeknownst to Kagerbauer, the individual with whom he was communicating was actually an undercover law enforcement agent.
Following his term of imprisonment, Kagerbauer will also spend five years on supervised release.
“We are blessed that there are highly skilled and tenacious law enforcement agents and prosecutors who work to catch child sex offenders, sometimes, as in this case, before they get their hands on a child,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel. “We have no higher priority than protecting children, and I’m proud of our law enforcement who work tirelessly to catch and convict these dangerous predators.”
“This case demonstrates exactly why HSI aggressively pursues child predators across international borders and online platforms,” said Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “Kagerbauer believed he was making arrangements to sexually assault a nine-year-old child, but instead he was exposed by skilled law enforcement work and brought to justice. Today’s outcome underscores HSI’s commitment to target predators and protect vulnerable children.”
This case was investigated by law enforcement in the United Kingdom and Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Morris County Man Charged with Unlawfully Possessing and Storing Explosives and Explosive MaterialsRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. – A Morris County man was charged with unlawfully possessing and storing explosives and explosive materials in Morris County, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Joseph Rizos, 37, of Denville, New Jersey is charged by complaint with one count of unlawful receipt of explosive materials; one count of unlawful storage of explosive material; and one count of unlawful possession of plastic explosives without a detection agent. Rizos had an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on August 26, 2026, and was ordered detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between in or around April 2020 through in or around June 2026, Rizos purchased and received various explosive materials and other items, including fuels, fuses, precursor chemicals, and laboratory equipment from various online retailers which he illegally stored at his personal residence located in Denville, New Jersey.
Further, on or about June 24, 2026, law enforcement searched Rizos’s residence and recovered from his bedroom, basement and garage a sophisticated home laboratory and laboratory equipment, numerous detailed receipts to manufacture multiple types of explosives, and a wide variety of suspected industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals that can be utilized to manufacture explosives. Additionally, law enforcement also recovered from Rizos’s bedroom various containers of suspected explosives.
Counts 1 and 3 of the Complaint each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Count 2 of the Complaint carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 1 year, and a maximum fine of $100,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle; the Morris County Sherrif’s Office, under the direction of James M. Gannon; and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Smith and Vincent D. Romano of the Office’s National Security Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Brian J. Neary, Esq.
Monroe Duck Hunter Convicted by Federal Jury of Assaulting Federal Fish and Wildlife AgentsRead the Press Release
MONROE – On August 26, 2026, following a three-day trial before Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty, a federal jury found Carson McKoin, 23, of Monroe, guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal wildlife agents. McKoin faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026.
“Louisiana, long known as ‘Sportsman’s Paradise,’ is blessed with one of the richest outdoor traditions in the country,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “But that tradition only succeeds when hunters exercise due care and responsibility with firearms. Reckless actions put lives at risk and are taken very seriously.”
According to evidence presented at trial, McKoin was hunting with a group of young men on January 19, 2024, when he believed other hunters were encroaching on the duck hole his group claimed. Hearing a boat approaching, McKoin fired a shot toward what he thought were incoming hunters. The individuals approaching were actually federal fish and wildlife agents performing their official duties. When confronted, McKoin admitted firing the shot but claimed it was simply a “signal shot,” a statement at odds with the agents’ belief that he had intentionally fired at them.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Division of Refuge Law Enforcement (USFWS-DRLE), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Vermaelen, William Gaskins, and Robert Moody, with assistance from Legal Assistant Stephanie Stewart.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 25-cr-00025.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs: [email protected]
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
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(337) 262-6704Modesto Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury on Thursday returned an indictment against Luis Antonio Perez Sigala, 29, of Modesto, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in August 2026, Sigala possessed a black Makarov handgun and 10 rounds of .380-caliber ammunition. Sigala is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions.
The Merced County Sheriff’s Office and the Stanislaus County Probation Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Langston is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Sigala faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is also part of the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney program, a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local District Attorney’s Offices. These attorneys remain employed by the District Attorney’s Offices but work on federal investigations and can prosecute cases in both state and federal court, strengthening efforts to combat transnational organized crime and violent crime in the region. Currently, the District Attorney’s Offices of Fresno, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties are participating. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Langston serves as a Deputy District Attorney in Stanislaus County.
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.
Mobile County Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Horatio Tremaine Washington was sentenced on August 18, 2026, by United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer to 60 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl.
Court documents show that on September 9, 2022, Mobile Police Department officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Mobile. The search warrant resulted in the seizure of items to include a large quantity of Marijuana, Fentanyl pills, Oxycodone pills, THC gummies, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, two digital scales, packaging for drugs, $7,493 in US currency, a money counter, three firearms and a pill press. Following his term of incarceration, Washington will be subject to five years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys George F. May and Justin D. Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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 Mobile comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and other federal and local agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Midlands Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Role in a Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. - William Larry Javis, Jr., 46, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Evidence gathered during the investigation showed that, beginning in 2023, members of the organization distributed kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, crack cocaine, and marijuana throughout the Columbia and Lexington County areas. Investigators identified Javis as one of the organization’s leaders. He managed two stash houses, as well as hotel rooms on occasion, to store and distribute narcotics.
The investigation further revealed that Javis, despite being a convicted felon, possessed multiple firearms and facilitated their sale. At sentencing, he was held responsible for distributing more than 19,000 grams of methamphetamine, 8,000 grams of cocaine, 172 grams of marijuana, and 34 grams of fentanyl between September 2023 and January 2025.
Javis has a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base. He also has previous convictions for failure to stop for blue lights, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. At the time of the conspiracy, Javis was on probation for a prior drug conviction.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Javis to 240 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the City of Columbia Police Department, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.###
Members of Great Falls meth trafficking ring sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Four defendants involved in a widespread methamphetamine trafficking operation were sentenced to prison this week, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The four were linked to an organization run out of Great Falls by Dan Wakeford, Melissa Barone, and Mike Wakeford. In 2024, investigators arrested Barone and the Wakefords for trafficking, and seized over 100 pounds of meth and an illegal firearm in an Arizona storage unit.
In 2025, Dan Wakeford and Barone were sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Mike Wakeford was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Sentenced this week after pleading guilty to trafficking charges were:
- Jonathan James Henderson, seven years and 10 months
- Levi Jerome Dabler, three years and eight months
- Patrick James Wright, two years and six months
- Stephanie Lee Hurd, three years and six months
Earlier this year, Travis Edward Dabler was sentenced to four years and 10 months, and Charles Nichols Williams was sentenced to three years and seven months.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
“This announcement underscores the ongoing threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that continue to move significant quantities of illicit drugs into Montana,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge Cesar Avila. “Through coordinated investigations and interagency partnerships, law enforcement has disrupted these networks and seized substantial amounts of methamphetamine intended for distribution in our communities. We remain committed to protecting Montanans by targeting the organizations responsible and reducing the flow of these dangerous drugs into our state.”
The government alleged in court documents that during the Wakeford investigation in 2024, Henderson was identified as an associate of the trafficking organization. Agents used an informant to purchase meth from him and then used a similar setup on Levi Dabler. Agents also sent an informant to buy meth from Hurd. Henderson and Dabler pleaded guilty in March 2026 to meth trafficking charges. Hurd pleaded guilty to a meth distribution charge in February 2026.
Around the same time law enforcement learned that Wright had purchased meth and had connected at least one person with a supplier. He was pulled over in March 2025 and officers found meth and drug paraphernalia in his car. He pleaded guilty in February 2026 to possession with intent to distribute.
“The defendants brought methamphetamine into our tribal communities, putting lives at risk, fueling violence, and causing lasting harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. “The sentencings are about accountability, but our work does not stop here. The FBI will continue working side-by-side with our tribal, federal, state and local partners to disrupt drug trafficking networks and protect the communities we serve.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
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 Montana comprises agents and officers from the DEA, FBI, ATF, HSI, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Great Falls Police Department, and the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
Man Sentenced for Role in Conspiracy with Annandale-Based Doctor to Illegally Distribute Promethazine-CodeineRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An Alabama man, who conspired with Dr. Rotimi Adegoke Illuyomade and others to illegally distribute promethazine-codeine solution, was sentenced today to one year of probation.
Cameron Zackery Brown pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a Schedule V controlled substance, promethazine-codeine solution, also known as “lean” and “purple drank.”
“Doctors who violate their professional duty and betray the public trust to illegally distribute controlled substances will be held accountable in the Western District of Virginia,” First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I with to thank The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration for their assistance on this case.”
According to court documents, between 2023 and 2024, Brown, Dr. Illuyomade, Raymono Russell, Yared Tesfaye, Kenechukwu Okwara, Cameron Lewis, Zion Adeduwon, and others, conspired to acquire and distribute promethazine-codeine solution by fraud.
Specifically, Brown served as a driver for co-conspirators Okwara and Lewis, whom he knew from high school. Brown drove Okwara and Lewis to Dr. Illuyomade’s office, Crossover Medical Center in Annandale, Virginia, and to pharmacies in multiple states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, for the purpose of filling illegal promethazine-codeine solution prescriptions. In exchange for driving, Brown received cash payments and/or CashApp, Apple Pay, or Zelle money transfers.
The investigation began on September 2, 2023, when co-conspirator Raymono Russell attempted to pick up a fraudulent promethazine-codeine solution prescription transmitted by Dr. Illuyomade at a pharmacy in Honaker, Virginia. Russell was arrested and a search of his vehicle revealed multiple controlled substance prescription bottles in various ‘patient’ names, all from Dr. Iluyomade, filled at pharmacies in Roanoke, Radford, Tazewell, and Floyd, Virginia.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge DEA Washington Division, and Darren B. Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement.
Lorain County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse Related Charges, Including Driving Out of State to Sexually Exploit a MinorRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 47-year-old man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of sending, receiving, and possessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), and to coercing a 13-year-old girl to meet him for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Michael Neville, of Elyria, Ohio, pleaded guilty to five counts in a superseding indictment, those being:
- Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
- Possession of Child Pornography
- Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct
- Sexual Exploitation of Children
- Receipt of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
District Judge Charles Esque Fleming accepted Neville’s plea Aug. 26.
According to court documents and evidence presented to the judge, from about Jan. 23, 2024, to Sept. 21, 2025, Neville sent numerous sexually explicit communications to an undercover agent purporting to be the father of a 9-year-old girl, using a social media messaging application. The messages were largely focused on the defendant’s sexual interest in children. Federal agents executed a search warrant and seized Neville’s electronic devices. Forensic analysis of Neville’s devices found that they contained CSAM of pre-pubescent children, and that he sent CSAM material involving the sadistic abuse of an infant to others.
During the investigation, agents also discovered that Neville was communicating with a 13-year-old girl online for about a year. They learned that in August 2021, Neville drove more than 700 miles from Ohio to Massachusetts to meet with the 13-year-old he was messaging online. Once there, he met with the girl and took her to a hotel where he proceeded to coerce her to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Investigators also learned that Neville solicited sexually explicit images from a second minor victim.
Neville is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10, 2026. He faces maximum prison sentences of 20 years for counts 1, 2, and 5, and a maximum of 30 years for counts 3 and 4.
A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Lawrence County meth dealer sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district court judge sentenced a Lawrence County man to a total of 210 months of federal imprisonment for possessing and distributing methamphetamine in Lawrence and Richland Counties and unlawfully possessing several firearms.
David Royse, 47, of Sumner, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Royse’s federal sentence will run concurrent with any term of imprisonment ordered in Royse’s pending state cases in Lawrence County and Richland County. Following imprisonment, he will serve ten years of supervised release.
“Armed drug dealers face a certain future in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “FBI data show 2025 produced the largest year-to-year drop in the violent crime rate since national estimates began in 1936. That is no coincidence. Aggressive enforcement works.”
According to court documents, Royse possessed at least 50 grams of meth in February 2023 and sold meth on three occasions in March, May, and October 2025. During this time, Royse possessed multiple firearms despite having a prior felony conviction for methamphetamine production. Royse consented to the forfeiture of the firearms.
Royse was arrested in November 2025 and will remain in custody. The judge also ordered Royse to pay a $500 fine.
Bridgeport Police Department, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Olney Police Department, Illinois State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sanders prosecuted the case.
Law Enforcement Officers Honored for Investigations Related to Foreign Acts of Violence and Deadly Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – R. Matthew Price, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, recognized the recipients of the 2026 Guardian of Justice Award, which honored several local and federal law enforcement officers for their work on significant investigations within the district.
The award recipients were honored during the 24th Annual Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Training Seminar in Springfield, Mo. The prestigious law enforcement award is presented annually by the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee.
“I commend the agents and law enforcement officers whose dedication and investigative efforts helped bring many dangerous individuals to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Price. “Their work has made our communities safer and serves as an important reminder that collaboration and cooperation are critical to our shared mission of protecting the communities we serve.”
Material Support to Cameroon Separatists CaseSpecial Agent Jake Green with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kansas City Field Office, received this year’s Guardian of Justice Award for his exemplary work in helping the Western District of Missouri obtain its first ever trial conviction for providing material support to commit various acts of violence abroad.
Green’s work resulted in the successful conviction of three men who provided material support to separatists in Cameroon. Francis Chenyi, Sr., 52, of Saint Paul, Minn. and Lah Nestor Langmi, 49, of Buffalo, N.Y., both citizens of Cameroon, were sentenced to 180 months each in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Claude Ngenevu Chi, 43, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to 63 months, followed by three years of supervised release. All three men were involved in a conspiracy to provide material support or resources to kill, kidnap, and maim persons and use weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in a foreign country. The defendants conspired to provide funds and equipment to separatist fighters in Cameroon to allow them to construct and use IEDs against various targets in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
SA Green provided countless hours of diligent, professional, and useful collaboration with the trial team. For example, SA Green worked with the Assistant U.S. Attorneys on the case by traveling out of state to speak with the victims prior to trial about the possibility of testifying. SA Green also worked with the AUSAs for months to identify useful electronic evidence, which was both voluminous and difficult to sift through due to the older document management system in which it was previously uploaded.
Tiger Draggoo Fentanyl Distribution Case
The second Guardian of Justice Award was presented to the law enforcement and legal team responsible for the successful conviction of drug distributor Tiger Draggoo, who was responsible for three fentanyl overdose deaths in the district.
The recipients were:
Detective Jennifer Maynard, Jackson County Drug Task Force/Lee’s Summit Police Department; Detective Mike Murphy, Grandview, Missouri Police Department/formerly Jackson County Drug Task Force; Detective Jeff Richardson, Belton, Missouri Police Department; Corporal Tony Sterner, Cass County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Tim Phipps, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Special Agent Tim Flohrschutz, Federal Bureau of Investigation Kansas City Field Office; and Scott Hamann, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri, Financial Investigator.
Tiger Draggoo, 26, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to 40 years in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The victims were ages 17, 18, and 21. In addition, the Court ordered the forfeiture of $146,066 that was seized at the time of his arrest, imposition of a money judgment in the amount of $611,698, and restitution to the victims’ families in the total amount of $65,937.20. At his guilty plea, Draggoo admitted to distributing or possessing with intent to distribute at least 22,364 fentanyl pills. Law enforcement seized 23 firearms from Draggoo, which included two machineguns and one short-barreled shotgun. In addition to Draggoo, seven other defendants pleaded guilty to this conspiracy.
2026 Enoch B. Morelock Award
Detective Steve Cook of the Independence, Missouri Police Department was the recipient of the 2026 Enoch B. Morelock Award, which celebrates outstanding moral character as well as service to law enforcement and the community.
Detective Cook has been employed with the Independence Missouri Police Department since 1993 and has more than 30 years of criminal investigations experience to include assignments at the Jackson County Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration’s Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Gang Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force. In these capacities, Detective Cook has been a leading force in the prosecution of over 1000 defendants at the state and federal level.
In 1999, Detective Cook’s initiation into federal prosecution requiring jury determination was in the matter of United States v. Mark P. Clayton, a clandestine laboratory methamphetamine manufacturing case which resulted in the defendant receiving a 241-month sentence.
Detective Cook also prepared and presented more than 40 of the approximately 180 cases for federal prosecution involving the illegal use/possession of firearms, the distribution of controlled substances and the victimization of women and children during the Western District of Missouri’s, Operation Red Card, which commenced just before the FIFA World Cup Soccer Games in Kansas City, Mo.
Additionally, Detective Cook is considered a subject matter expert in the area of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG) and provides OMG training to law enforcement around the world.Guardian of Justice Award
The annual Guardian of Justice Award recognizes a state or local officer as well as a federal agent for investigative excellence, selfless collaboration, tireless trial support, commendable diligence and professionalism, and noteworthy assistance to prosecution. The prestigious law enforcement award is presented by the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee each year during the law enforcement training seminar.