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Monday 12 May 2025
Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Immigration Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for multiple individuals on charges of illegal reentry offenses. Additionally, one defendant pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. These are separate cases and are not related.
Oscar Arcos-Carvajal, 40, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Oct. 22, 2009. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Sandusky Bay Station.
Erick Cordova Rodriguez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being June 13, 2018. He was also previously convicted of attempted illegal reentry on June 7, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Antonio G. Nicolas-Pedro, 31, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on three occasions: Jan. 24, 2018, April 3, 2018, and June 7, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE-HSI.
Dino De Laurentis Rivera-Lopez, aka Jorge Palmero Rivera Lopez, 44, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on three occasions with the last being Jan. 20, 2020. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE-HSI and the Campbell Police Department.
Additionally, Veronica Rios-Ruiz, 47, a citizen of Mexico, has been sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in federal court to illegal reentry of a removed alien. According to information presented in court, Rios-Ruiz was previously removed from the United States three times with the most recent being Dec. 15, 2007. She was also previously convicted of identity fraud in 2007. Rios-Ruiz has been in custody since her arrest on Feb. 25, 2025 and will remain detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE-HSI.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Northern District of Georgia Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – In honor of National Police Week, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Sunday, May 11, 2025, through Saturday, May 17, 2025.
“Law enforcement officers faithfully and selflessly help to protect our families, friends, and neighbors while risking their own lives to safeguard the public,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “We owe these men and women our gratitude and support for the dedication and bravery they display each day, often through unpublicized altruistic acts of service to the community.”
In 1962, former U.S. President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. During National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe.
The National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund’s report indicates that 148 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2024 (https://nleomf.org/memorial/facts-figures/roll-call-of-heroes/). Here, in the Northern District of Georgia, we solemnly commemorate the seven officers who tragically died in the line of duty within the past year and solemnly extend our regards to their families, for especially whom the impact of the loss is ongoing:
- Deputy Sheriff Brandon Tyler Cunningham, Paulding County, GA, Sheriff's Office, End of Watch: Saturday, August 17, 2024.
- Investigator Taylor Jaimeson Bristow, Carroll County, GA, Sheriff's Office, End of Watch: Friday, August 23, 2024.
- Deputy Sheriff Eric Anthony Minix, Coweta County, GA, Sheriff's Office, End of Watch: Thursday, January 4, 2024.
- Trooper Jimmy Cenescar. Georgia State Patrol, End of Watch: Sunday, January 28, 2024.
- Police Officer Jeremy R. Labonte, Roswell, GA, Police Department, End of Watch: Friday, February 7, 2025.
- Trooper First Class Chase Winston Redner, Georgia State Patrol, End of Watch: Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
- Captain Helio Armando Garcia, III, South Fulton, GA, Police Department, End of Watch: Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Also each year, the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C. hosts an Annual Candlelight Vigil to memorialize those who sacrificed their lives. The names of hundreds of officers killed in the line of duty are engraved on the walls of the Memorial and their names will be read aloud during this year’s 37th annual vigil scheduled for tomorrow, on Tuesday, May 13, 2024, at 8 PM (https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2025/candlelight-vigil/). The vigil will livestream on YouTube: YouTube.com/NLEOMF and Facebook: Facebook.com/NLEOMF.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
North Carolina Sex Offender Indicted for Attempting to Entice 11-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Geoffrey Lee Dudding (39, Concord, NC) with attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Dudding faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Dudding is a registered child sex offender who was twice previously convicted in North Carolina – once of indecent liberty with a minor (2007) and of solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful sex act (2024).
According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation to identify individuals seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted several short messages in a public chatroom on an online social messaging platform (app). An individual using the name “metalh34d321,” who was subsequently identified as Dudding, contacted the UC by private text message on the app and expressed interest in the UC’s “daughter.” Dudding told the UC, “Let me know if ya ever down to let me do her.” Despite being advised several times that the “child” was 11 years old and lived in Florida, Dudding stated that he wanted to meet the “child” to “[h]ave a good time and sex.” Dudding described sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child” and sent the UC an explicit video of himself to show to the “child.”
Dudding and the UC also communicated by cellphone text messaging. They discussed plans for Dudding to travel to Jacksonville so that he could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Dudding told the UC that he would book a hotel room in Jacksonville.
On May 8, 2025, Dudding was arrested by FBI agents in Concord, North Carolina. He was detained and will be transported by the United States Marshals Service to Jacksonville for prosecution in this case.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
New York Man Sentenced to 41 Months’ Imprisonment for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering in Connection with Embezzling More Than $883,000 in Federal Feeding Program FundsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Darrell Devonish, age 53, of New York City, New York, was sentenced on May 8, 2025, to 41 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for wire fraud and money laundering, arising from Devonish’s diversion of federal funds meant to feed qualifying children and adults to fuel his lavish lifestyle between 2017 and 2019.
According Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between February 2017 and August 2019, Devonish’s non-profit company, Rebuilding Better Communities, sought and received $1,074,328.45 in federal feeding program funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, of which Devonish converted nearly $900,000 for his personal use, including more than $175,000 in jewelry purchases; more than $45,000 in payments toward the purchase and financing of a 2015 Mercedes S550 and 2018 Jeep Wrangler; more than $75,000 in clothing and cosmetics purchases; more than $12,000 in liquor purchases; more than $100,000 in entertainment, travel, and dining purchases, including international travel; and more than $220,000 in cash withdraws from ATMs.
“The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) were created to provide food and nutrition to those who truly need this assistance. Those who are involved in fraud and abuse of USDA feeding programs will be investigated by our office to protect the integrity of these programs,” said USDA Office of Inspector General, Special Agent-in-Charge Charmeka Parker.
Judge Wilson further ordered Devonish to pay restitution in the amount of $883,518.33.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Williams and Samuel S. Dalke.
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New Orleans Woman Guilty of Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
Correction: NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT GUILTY OF CARES ACT FRAUD. JARROW also faces up to ten years in prison for the theft of government funds count.
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRANDON JARROW (“JARROW”) (aka Brandi Jarrow), age 33, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to theft of government funds and to making false statements, related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program.
According to the charging documents, on or about June 20, 2020, JARROW, on behalf of a business, submitted a false application for a EIDL to the SBA. This resulted in a theft of government funds in the amount of $95,000. On or about February 4, 2021, JARROW made false statements to an approved lender for another sham business to obtain a $20,833 PPP loan.
Sentencing will be on August 13, 2025. At sentencing, JARROW faces up to five years in prison for the false statement counts. She also faces up to ten years in prison for the theft of government funds count. All of the counts carry a penalty of up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration - Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Fraudulent Vehicle Purchase SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KENNETH RICHMOND (“RICHMOND”), age 64, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on May 9, 2025, to Counts 1 and 6 of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.
RICHMOND faces up to twenty (20) years in prison and up to three (3) years of supervised release as to Count 1. As to Count 6, he faces a mandatory consecutive prison sentence of two (2) years, followed by a term of supervised release for up to one (1) year. For each count, RICHMOND also faces payment of a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
According to court documents, in 2022, RICHMOND conspired with another person to use fake and stolen personal identifying information to make fraudulent vehicle purchases from a local car dealership. The vehicle purchases were financed through a financial institution, and several of the loans went into default. This fraud caused a loss of approximately $124,031.41 to the dealership. As part of this scheme, RICHMOND knowingly used a real person’s name, date of birth, and Social Security Number, without permission, to purchase a Dodge Challenger in July of 2022.
The Honorable Barry Ashe set RICHMOND’s sentencing for August 14, 2025.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the United States Secret Service, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
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Miami-Dade Transit Supervisor, Wife, and Metrorail Contractor Plead Guilty to BriberyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Miami-Dade Transit Track and Guideway Supervisor Dale Robinson, his wife Marcia Robinson, and Jessie Bledsoe, a contractor doing work for Miami-Dade Transit, pled guilty in related cases to Federal charges. Dale Robinson pled guilty to soliciting a bribe from Bledsoe in connection with the issuance of Metrorail repair and maintenance contracts. Marcia Robinson pled guilty to misprision of a felony for helping her husband cover up the bribery. Jessie Bledsoe pled guilty to paying a bribe to Dale Robinson in connection with his contracts with Miami-Dade Transit. Dale Robinson and Marcia Robinson entered their guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ellen F. D’Angelo and they were accepted by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore, while Bledsoe entered his guilty plea in Miami last week before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearings, Dale Robinson was the acting General Superintendent and lead Rail Structure and Track Supervisor in the Track and Guideway unit of Miami-Dade Transit. His responsibilities included making recommendations about contractors to be chosen to do Metrorail track maintenance and repair work for the transit unit and overseeing the work done by those contractors, including Bledsoe. Bledsoe was the co-owner and operator of JB Railroad Contracting, Inc. (JB Railroad), a North Dakota-based company that did railroad track and rail replacement, repair, and maintenance work throughout the United States, including on the Metrorail system.
In or around January 2021, while JB Railroad was working on a previously obtained contract for the removal and replacement of Metrorail track fasteners and was in the process of seeking an additional contract to do welding work on the Metrorail system for Miami-Dade Transit, Dale Robinson requested a large bribe from Bledsoe. Bledsoe agreed to pay Robinson that bribe, which was intended to influence Robinson’s selection of the contractor for the upcoming welding project. Bledsoe also agreed to concealing the payment by making it to a company specified by Dale Robinson.
After this, in late January 2021, Dale Robinson directed his wife, Marcia Robinson, who lived in Maryland, to create a company named Tailored Railroads & Consulting LLC and to open a company checking account on which she would serve as the sole signatory. Marcia Robinson did this, filing the company paperwork in the State of Maryland. Dale Robinson then provided the information about Tailored Railroads to Bledsoe so that Bledsoe could disguise the payments intended for Dale Robinson’s personal benefit by making them via checks from JB Railroad to Tailored Railroads.
After the bribe had been solicited by Dale Robinson, and after Tailored Railroads was created and the checking account opened by Marcia Robinson, during the period of February 2021 through February 2022, Dale Robinson directed Marcia Robinson to send a total of four invoices from Tailored Railroads to JB Railroad. When Marcia Robinson sent each of these invoices, she knew that Tailored Railroads had not provided goods or services of any type to JB Railroad.
Bledsoe then caused JB Railroad to issue checks to Tailored Railroads to pay these invoices, even though Tailored Railroads provided no goods or services to JB Railroad, because these actually were the payments of the bribe solicited by Dale Robinson. A total of four checks were issued from JB Railroad to Tailored Railroads during the period of February 2021 through March 2022 to pay these four invoices. These four checks totaled approximately $75,956, the amount that Bledsoe ultimately provided to Tailored Railroads for the personal benefit of Dale Robinson in response to Dale Robinson’s bribe solicitation.
While not knowing all the details of her husband’s illegal bribery agreement with Bledsoe, when the four checks were issued to Tailored Railroads, Marcia Robinson knew that the funds were being paid by Bledsoe for Dale Robinson’s personal benefit in connection with Dale Robinson’s recommendation of JB Railroad for work to be performed for Miami-Dade Transit. Despite this, she did not inform authorities of her husband’s crime, and her actions all helped to conceal his criminal activity. In addition, beyond issuing these four invoices and receiving the four payments from JB Railroad, Tailored Railroads engaged in no other activity of any type, and it eventually was administratively dissolved by the State of Maryland.
Dale Robinson and Marcia Robinson are scheduled for sentencing on July 10, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore in Miami. Dale Robinson faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and Marcia Robinson faces a possible maximum sentence of up to three years in prison.
Jessie Bledsoe is scheduled for sentencing on August 1, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami. Bledsoe faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami, and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) announced the guilty pleas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting both cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling the forfeiture matters on both cases.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20168.
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Mexican man arrested for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jose Guadalupe Mauricio-Rivera, 33, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. McCarthy, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 13, 2025, Mauricio-Rivera was identified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) for being present in the United States illegally. Mauricio-Rivera was located outside of a residence in Warsaw, NY. A records check determined that Mauricio-Rivera is a citizen of Mexico illegally residing in the United States. He was taken into custody. Mauricio-Rivera was physically removed from the United States in July 2012 and April 2018.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mauricio-Rivera made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Manhattan Gang Member Sentenced to 25 Years for 2019 Murder of Innocent BystanderRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LUIS FILPO was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for murdering 24-year-old Roberto Vasquez, an innocent bystander who was mistaken for a gang rival. FILPO previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer imposed today’s sentence which was imposed to run consecutively to a state sentence the defendant is serving.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Luis Filpo walked up to a car and opened fire, killing Vasquez and wounding another occupant. What makes this brazen and senseless crime even more tragic is that Filpo wrongly believed Vasquez was a gang rival. Thanks to the hard work of the women and men of the Office and our law enforcement partners, Filpo will be held accountable for his crimes, and gang members are on notice that combatting gang-related crime is a priority of Federal law enforcement.”
As detailed in public filings and public court proceedings:
From at least 2016 through March 2020, FILPO was a member of “the 200s,” a street gang based in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan. In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the 200s engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking and other acts of violence, including murder. Members of the 200s sold narcotics in the gang’s territory and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership.
On January 31, 2019, FILPO saw Vasquez and believed he was a gang rival, even though Vasquez was not. FILPO and other 200s gang members followed a car in which Vasquez was a passenger. When Vasquez’s vehicle parked, FILPO walked up to the car and opened fire, killing Vasquez and wounding another occupant in the car. Vasquez was 24 years old.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Engelmayer remarked that FILPO’s crime was “as serious as it gets,” adding that FILPO made himself “judge, jury, and executioner.”
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In addition to his prison term, FILPO, 25, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew S. Andrews, Frank J. Balsamello, Patrick R. Moroney, and Thomas J. Wright are in charge of the prosecution.
Luzerne County Man Convicted of Being A Felon in Possession of A Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Raymond Alberto, age 36, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was convicted on May 7, 2025, of being a felon in possession of a firearm and being in possession of a stolen firearm following a three-day jury trial before Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on August 12, 2021, Alberto was found asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle stopped at a stop sign, with his foot on the brake, and a line of cars stopped behind him. Law enforcement searched the vehicle, and ultimately discovered a stolen firearm in the glove compartment.
During the trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony of multiple law enforcement witnesses, as well as expert witnesses in the fields of forensic chemistry, serology, DNA science, and criminal drug investigation.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah R. Lloyd and James M. Buchanan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Lowell Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Trafficking More Than 11,000 Meth Pills Disguised as AdderallRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been sentenced for his role in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing deadly narcotics.
Anthony Bryson, 35, was sentenced on May 5, 2025 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In July 2024, Bryson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Bryson was among 27 individuals charged beginning in October 2022 in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. The DTO, led by brothers Christopher Nagle and Lawrence Michael Nagle, distributed significant quantities of counterfeit oxycodone and Adderall pills that contained fentanyl and methamphetamine, respectively, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area.
From approximately January 2022 through the date of his arrest in October 2022, Bryson was involved extensively in the distribution of primarily methamphetamine, but also fentanyl, to both drug redistributors and drug users. Intercepted calls revealed that Bryson was responsible for distributing approximately 11,346 methamphetamine pills, 280 fentanyl pills and 100 oxycodone pills over two 30-day periods. Intercepted calls also revealed that Bryson understood the dangerousness of his conduct – warning one of his co-defendants about the dangers of methamphetamine and advising him to store or sell or sell the counterfeit pills, but not use them.
More than 74,000 counterfeit prescription pills containing deadly narcotics were seized over the course of the investigation.
In August 2024, Christopher Nagle was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty. Lawrence Michael Nagle pleaded guilty in April 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman, Ann Taylor and John O. Wray of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Landover Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Series of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced James Kareen Day, 43, of Landover, Maryland, to 16 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a series of armed and attempted armed robberies of businesses located in Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentences with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Gregory Der, Howard County Police Department (HCPD); Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the guilty plea, between December 2022 and February 2023, Day committed three armed robberies and four attempted armed robberies of several businesses located within Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County, Maryland. Day fled with money and other property of the businesses and victims. During some of the robberies, Day brandished a short-barrel shotgun while demanding cash and valuables.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, HCPD, MCPD, and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawn Williams and Timothy Hagan who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason Douglas MaComber, 52, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2023, MaComber possessed a Remington model 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge shotgun in St. Albans.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. MaComber knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of dangerous drugs/controlled substances on November 20, 2007, possession of a firearm by a felon on June 24, 2014, and illegal firearm transportation on July 1, 2019, all in San Bernardino, California, Superior Court. MaComber’s long criminal history includes a total of 20 convictions.
The shotgun had a modified and shortened barrel. The short-barreled shotgun was not registered to MaComber in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-148.
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Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including 2 in the Southern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
May 12, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
Two individuals were arrested in the Southern District of Georgia. To date, both have been charged federally.
Michael Alexander James, 44, of Waynesboro, GA and Martin Lindner, 52, of Augusta, GA were both charged in newly unsealed federal indictments with one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Possessing child pornography perpetuates the victimization of child sexual abuse survivors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “As exemplified in Operation Restore Justice, we will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to protect our most vulnerable citizens.”
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Johnstown Woman Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 100 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on her convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, crack, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Jessica Wilson, 39, on May 8, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around January 2021 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Wilson conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute quantities of heroin, crack, and methamphetamine. Wilson was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that she distributed to others. During a separately charged offense, from in and around April 2024 to June 2024, Wilson conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute quantities of mixtures containing fentanyl and crack.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted these cases on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Wilson. Additional agencies participating in this investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Indictment Unsealed in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Hundreds of Forged Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal Indictment has been unsealed, charging DERRY LEE DAVIS, 23, ANTAJAUN MONZELLE BROWN, JR., 24, AMAURION RAMONE NORMENT, 21, OLIVERNAESHA OLIEAH WOODS, 21, LORENZO JONES IV, 23, and MATEI LEANN BASS, 22, all of Oklahoma City, DAZJUAN JERAE DEMOND MATTHEWS, 21, of Kansas, and AMARION ADRIONE WHITESIDE, 21, of Texas, for their roles in a conspiracy to steal mail from mail deposit boxes across the Oklahoma City metro area using a stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) arrow key and forge checks found in the stolen mail to obtain cash from financial institutions. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On April 16, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a 19-count Indictment against the defendants, charging them for their roles in the conspiracy. According to the Indictment, beginning in 2022, Davis possessed a stolen USPS arrow key, which he and other conspirators used to access and steal mail from mail deposit boxes across the Oklahoma City area in search of checks. Davis, Brown, and Norment would then alter information on stolen checks, so that they could be deposited into the bank accounts of other conspirators who agreed to participate in the scheme. In order to find people willing to join the scheme, the indictment alleges that Davis, Brown, and others advertised the scheme on social media urging those interested to contact them. The Indictment further alleges that Matthews, Whiteside, Woods, Jones, Bass, and others agreed to join the conspiracy and deposited or allowed forged checks to be deposited into their bank accounts in exchange for a portion of the check proceeds.
The defendants have all been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, for which they face up to 30 years in federal prison if found guilty. In addition to conspiracy to commit bank fraud:
- Davis has been charged with bank fraud, possession of a forged security, possession of a stolen USPS key, and possession of stolen mail. Davis faces up to 30 years in federal prison if found guilty of bank fraud and faces up to 25 years if found guilty of the remaining counts;
- Brown, Jr. has been charged with four counts of bank fraud, possession of a forged security, and possession of stolen mail. Brown faces up to 30 in federal prison if found guilty for each count of bank fraud and faces up to 15 years if found guilty of the remaining counts; and
- Norment has been charged with seven counts of bank fraud and possession of a forged security. Norment faces up to 30 years in federal prison if found guilty for each count of bank fraud and faces up to 10 years if found guilty of the remaining count.
The public is reminded these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson D. Eldridge is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Guatemalan national was sentenced today for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Nicolas Joaquin Celestino-Gonzalez, 34, was arrested by the Saraland Police Department during a traffic stop on March 23, 2025. The U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) was notified of his arrest. USBP determined that Celestino-Gonzalez had previously been removed from the United States in 2018 and 2019.
At sentencing, Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a time-served sentence and a one-year term of supervised release upon Celestino-Gonzalez’s future release. The defendant had been in custody since his arrest on March 23, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Celestino-Gonzalez is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Celestino-Gonzalez was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol and the Saraland Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mexican national was sentenced on May 8, 2025, for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Francisco Torres-Ambrocio, 46, was encountered by agents from the United States Border Patrol during a traffic stop. The agents found that he had been previously removed from the United States twice in 2016. Torres-Ambrocio was convicted of Illegal Entry in 2016 and also has a DUI conviction from 2009.
At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Torres-Ambrocio had been in custody since his arrest on March 4, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Torres-Ambrocio is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Torres-Ambrocio was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
INTERPOL Washington boosts border security capabilities in Malaysia through Project TERMINUSRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last month, INTERPOL Washington delivered equipment to Malaysia through Project TERMINUS, which will significantly enhance the country’s ability to detect and interdict transnational criminals, terrorists, and other threat actors at its borders.
“Malaysia has been a valued Project TERMINUS partner since 2016 and a critical ally in combating terrorism and violent extremism,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Sean Tolbert. “These upgraded systems will empower Malaysian authorities to strengthen border security and protect the region and beyond by identifying and stopping criminals and terrorists before they reach other countries or cross into our country.”
These enhancements, when implemented, will significantly improve traveler screening. By leveraging INTERPOL's extensive resources, this initiative ultimately aids in the identification and prevention of potentially harmful travel to the United States, through a more profound understanding of global travel patterns.
During the visit, the TERMINUS team refreshed previously deployed border security solutions in the country. The team held talks with senior officials from the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Immigration Malaysia, INTERPOL Malaysia, and the Royal Malaysia Police to identify any gaps and vulnerabilities they can address as partners. They discussed significant near-term improvements to strengthen Malaysia’s border security and law enforcement investigative systems, such as enhanced database integration.
Malaysian airports handle nearly 100 million travelers per year, and it sits in a strategically vital chokepoint along the Strait of Malacca. By strengthening Malaysia’s border security infrastructure, Project TERMINUS not only enhances regional stability but also contributes to global security by disrupting the movement of illicit actors. INTERPOL Washington remains committed to deepening its partnership with Malaysia to ensure a safer, more secure Indo-Pacific region, America, and world at large.
Learn more about Project TERMINUS.
Honoring National Police WeekRead the Press Release
HAMMOND— This year, National Police Week is observed Sunday, May 11 through Saturday, May 17, 2025. In honor of National Police Week, the federal employees of the Northern District of Indiana wish to honor and salute the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Every year, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C. to participate in planned events which honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Based on preliminary data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 147 federal, state, county, municipal, military, tribal, and campus officers have died in the line of duty in 2024, representing a 25% increase, compared to the 118 officers who died in the line of duty in 2023. Firearms-related fatalities have claimed the lives of 52 officers in 2024, which represents a 13% increase from the 46 officers killed by gunfire in 2023 and was the leading cause of death.
Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay said, “We should not take for granted the many ways law enforcement protect the citizens of their communities. The reality is that many dangers confront law enforcement officers even when they are performing routine duties. Their bravery is unmatched and their commitment to upholding the law is commendable. The federal employees of the Northern District of Indiana join me in honoring those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives protecting others, as well as recognizing the sacrifices of their families.
The names of the fallen officers have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and will be read on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. There are currently 24,412 names engraved on the Memorial.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Re-Entry of a Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingU.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that EVIN ENRIQUE FUNEZ-CRUZ (“FUNEZ-CRUZ”), age 22, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on May 8, 2025, for re-entry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(1).
According to court documents, FUNEZ-CRUZ, a Honduran national, was apprehended in St. Tammany Parish on or around January 6, 2025. He had been previously deported to Honduras on June 21, 2024.
United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced FUNEZ-CRUZ to time served, after which he will be deported to his home country of Honduras by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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Honduran National Charged with Re-entry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MARLON SANTOS (“SANTOS”), age 36, a native of Honduras, was indicted on May 8, 2025, for re-entry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, SANTOS was found in Orleans Parish on April 21, 2025. He had previously been removed to Honduras on December 21, 2018.
If convicted, SANTOS faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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Hawthorne Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Leading Ring that Committed 12 Armed Robberies of L.A. County BusinessesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay man was sentenced today to 300 months in federal prison for leading a ring that committed 12 armed robberies of Los Angeles County businesses – mostly chain-store pharmacies – during a six-week crime spree in 2023.
Makai Yusef Sanders, 23, a.k.a. “Muk Muk,” of Hawthorne, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $48,490 in restitution.
Sanders, who has been in federal custody since October 2023, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
In August and September of 2023, Sanders “personally victimized countless employees and customers in armed robberies of nine pharmacies and two…restaurants,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum, noting that during one robbery Sanders “[held] a victim by the neck and [dragged] him around the store, while brandishing a handgun in his other hand.”
The targeted businesses included Rite Aid stores in Long Beach, Bellflower, North Hollywood, Whittier, and South Los Angeles, and Walgreens stores in Pasadena, Lakewood, Monterey Park, and Glendale. Sanders and his co-conspirators also targeted Wingstop restaurants in Lynwood and Whittier.
The ring’s co-leader, Kenyatta Kamar Jones, 23, a.k.a. “Yatta,” of Hawthorne, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On April 28, Judge Klausner sentenced Jones to 25 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $48,490 in restitution.
Co-defendants Diavion Deshawna Mouton, 23, of Carson, and Rodney Darrin Maxwell Evans, 23, of South Los Angeles, are scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. In December 2024, Mouton and Evans were each found guilty by a jury of one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Mouton and Evans participated in two armed robberies during the six-week crime spree.
Co-defendant Adrian Timothy Bedran, 24, of Rosemead, pleaded guilty on September 9 to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8. Co-defendant DeAngel Daryl Alvarez, 23, a.k.a. “Macc,” of the Athens area of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on February 24 to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2. Co-defendant Kevin Antwon Gadley, 21, a.k.a. “One Shot,” of San Fernando, was transferred from state to federal custody on April 28, and is currently scheduled to stand trial on June 24, for one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The FBI; the Glendale Police Department; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Inglewood Police Department; the Long Beach Police Department; the Pasadena Police Department; the Monterey Park Police Department; the Whittier Police Department; and the Burbank Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Juan M. Rodriguez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Guatemalan Man Who was Unlawfully Residing in the United States Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Custody of Unaccompanied Alien ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Guatemalan national was charged with allegedly submitting sponsorship applications with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of two unaccompanied alien children (UACs) after they entered the United States, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced today.
The complaint, which was filed today, charges Luciano Tinuar Quino, also known as “Luciano Tinuar Guino,” 57, a citizen and resident of Guatemala, with two counts of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine.
“This prosecution is an example of my office’s dedication to keeping children safe. We will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who take advantage of our country’s Unaccompanied Alien Children program and threaten the safety of our community. There will be zero tolerance for those who prey on the vulnerable.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“The prior administration’s border policies created chaos and allowed bad actors to prey upon the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will always seek strong legal penalties to protect children from those who would do them harm.”
According to the complaint:
Tinuar Quino, who unlawfully entered the United States in 2016 and resided in the Orange, New Jersey area, submitted applications to ORR to sponsor and obtain custody of two male Guatemalan UACs in 2022. Tinuar Quino allegedly used aliases, presenting identity cards of other individuals, and falsely stated he was each UAC’s father in sponsorship application materials submitted to ORR. ORR relied on Tinuar Quino’s alleged false statements when, on or about May 19, 2022, ORR released one of the UACs to Tinuar Quino’s care. ORR did not transfer the other UAC to Tinuar Quino’s care because, in part, Tinuar Quino’s application raised concerns about his identity and relationship with the UAC.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Attorney General Pam Bondi credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, and HSI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to this charge. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Attorney General Pam Bondi also thanked the FBI’s Legat team in Guatemala, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C., and ORR for their valuable assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Sussman of the U.S Attorney’s Office Narcotics/OCDETF Unit, Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Joint Task Force Alpha/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, with assistance from the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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quino.complaint.pdfGuatemalan Man Who Unlawfully Resided in the United States Charged with Fraudulently Sponsoring Unaccompanied Alien ChildrenRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan national was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of New Jersey for allegedly submitting sponsorship applications with false statements to the U.S. government to gain custody of two unaccompanied alien children (UACs) after they entered the United States illegally.
“The prior administration’s border policies created chaos and allowed bad actors to prey upon the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will always seek strong legal penalties to protect children from those who would do them harm.”
“This prosecution is an example of my office’s dedication to keeping children safe,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District New Jersey. “We will continue to bring to justice those who take advantage of our country’s Unaccompanied Alien Children program and threaten the safety of our community. There will be zero tolerance for those who prey on the vulnerable.”
“This was a clear attempt from an individual unlawfully in the United States seeking to undermine our laws and target children, and the FBI will not tolerate it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We remain laser-focused on ensuring people who come into the United States intending to wreak havoc and intentionally violate our rule of law will face serious consequences.”
According to the criminal complaint, Luciano Tinuar Quino, also known as Luciano Tinuar Guino, 57, who unlawfully entered the United States in 2016 and previously resided in the area of Orange, New Jersey, submitted multiple applications to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalties of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of two UACs.
As alleged in the complaint, after a 15-year-old Guatemalan male (UAC-1) illegally entered the United States in April 2022, Tinuar Quino submitted to sponsor this UAC that falsely: (1) claimed to be his father; (2) claimed his own name was “A.S.T.” as listed on a Guatemala national identification card he submitted; and (3) provided his date of birth. To prove his relationship with UAC-1, Tinuar Quino submitted a photoshopped image, which he asserted was a photo of himself with UAC-1’s mother. As a result, the boy was transported from Texas to New Jersey to live with Tinuar Quino.
Tinuar Quino allegedly submitted to ORR to falsely demonstrate his identity as A.S.T. and falsely claim he was UAC-1’s father.(2) Tinuar Quino allegedly submitted to ORR to falsely demonstrate a father-son relationship with UAC-1 and to assert that the clearly photoshopped woman was UAC-1’s mother.Tinuar Quino is also charged with submitting false information in an attempt to obtain custody of another UAC. Specifically, the complaint charges that in June 2022, Tinuar Quino submitted an application to sponsor a 17-year-old Guatemalan male (UAC-2) who had entered the United States illegally. As alleged, Tinuar Quino falsely: (1) claimed to be UAC-2’s father; (2) stated that his name was “J.R.M.” as listed on a Guatemala national identification card he submitted; and (3) provided his date of birth. ORR did not approve this application.
Tinuar Quino allegedly submitted to ORR to falsely demonstrate his identity as J.R.M. and falsely claim he was UAC-2's father (2)“Attempting to exploit the sponsorship system to gain custody of unaccompanied alien children puts those minors at serious risk,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons. “ICE works alongside our law enforcement partners to prevent trafficking and exploitation by individuals falsely claiming to be family. ICE remains firmly committed to detecting deception, upholding the integrity of the immigration process, and, above all, protecting these at-risk children.”
“Protecting children means holding individuals accountable when they use deception to exploit our systems,” said ORR Acting Director Angie M. Salazar. “ORR acted swiftly to identify the fraud and share with our law enforcement counterparts who located the children and ensured justice was served.”
Tinuar Quino is charged with two counts of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
These charges are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The FBI and ICE HSI Newark field offices are jointly investigating with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C., and ORR have provided valuable assistance.
Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of HRSP, JTFA Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Sussman of the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Guatemalan resident pleaded guilty in federal court on May 9, 2025, to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Juan Manuel Secaida, 35.
According to information presented to the Court, Secaida was arrested by the Coraopolis Police Department and charged with harassment, stalking, and criminal trespass, charges which remain pending. Following this encounter, immigration officials determined that Secaida was illegally present in the United States and arrested him on April 1, 2025. Secaida was previously removed from the United States in January 2020 after pleading guilty in Maryland state court to two separate instances of driving under the influence of alcohol, and had not received the required permission to be in the United States. Secaida has been in federal custody since his April arrest on the illegal reentry charge, and will be returned to immigration custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Coraopolis Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Secaida.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Gainesville Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Stephen Christopher Young, 58, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment for receipt/attempted receipt of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Crimes against children are unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven. “Those who seek to view and maintain child pornography facilitate the abuse of children by those who produce and profit from this illegal content. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that we aggressively prosecute these offenders.”
In March 2024, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Young’s residence and discovered Young had been exchanging child pornography with others using various applications intended to avoid detection by using end-to-end encryption.
Young’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $20,500 in restitution. Young will also be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.
“It’s crucial to prioritize the protection of children from sexual abuse,” said Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott.
The case was investigated by Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith Steer and Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.
“This case is another example of the FBI's relentless commitment to protecting children by removing predators from our community,” said Jason Carley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville. “Let this be a lesson to others who prey on vulnerable kids; the FBI and our partners will never stop working to identify, pursue, and hold child predators 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 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, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Francis Creek Man Indicted on Federal Crimes Against MinorsRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 12, 2025, a federal indictment was unsealed alleging that Michael J. Kornely (age: 75) of Francis Creek, Wisconsin, transported two separate minor victims across state lines with the “intent to engage in criminal sexual activity,” in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a), in the years 2005 and 2006.
Kornely is further alleged to have used a computer to attempt to “persuade, induce, and entice” a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b). That crime is alleged to have occurred in March of 2024.
If convicted of any of the three charges alleged in the indictment, Kornely faces a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment and up to a lifetime of incarceration. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Two Rivers Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble and Timothy W. Funnell.
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.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Former VA Houston nurse indicted for falsely claiming she had checked on patient that ultimately diedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 54-year-old Richmond resident and former nurse at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Houston has been arrested for creating false government records, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The now unsealed indictment, returned May 7, alleges Christiana Ogbonnaya was on duty acting in her official capacity as a nurse at the Houston VA Medical Center from July 26-27, 2024. During that time, Ogbonnaya allegedly made false entries in the VA’s Computerized Patient Record System claiming she had observed a male patient on several occasions during her shift. However, the charges allege she did not have any contact with him at those times.
Medical personnel found the patient unresponsive in the early morning hours of July 27 and ultimately pronounced him deceased, according to the charges.
If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
VA-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Zenón-Matos is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former State Employee Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Southfield woman pleaded guilty to stealing over $250,000 as part of an extensive unemployment fraud and identity theft conspiracy while working for the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Joining in the announcement were Joseph Cuffari, Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security—Office of Inspector General; Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Jason Palmer, Director of the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency
Timeka Johnson, 43, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III.
Johnson was an employee for the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA). Her duties included reviewing, processing, and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims.
According to court records, Johnson used her insider access to fraudulently process claims in the names of third parties. As part of the scheme, Johnson personally:
- accessed third-party unemployment insurance assistance claim information without authorization;
- dismissed and improperly closed fraud prevention triggers and information requests relating to third-party unemployment insurance assistance;
- uploaded false and fraudulent documentation to support illegitimate unemployment insurance assistance claims, including false and fraudulent personal identifying information in the names of third parties;
- falsely and fraudulently certified the entitlement of third-party claims as being eligible to receive unemployment insurance assistance funds;
- caused at least one other Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency employee to fraudulently access and alter third-party unemployment insurance assistance claim information for Johnson’s benefit in exchange for financial compensation from Johnson;
- caused unauthorized debit cards to be issued in the names of third-party unemployment insurance assistance claimants;
- caused improper payments to be issued in connection with unemployment insurance assistance claims; and
- conducted unauthorized cash withdrawals of unemployment insurance assistance issued in the name of a third party.
As a result of the conspiracy, over $250,000 in fraudulent unemployment assistance payments were made by the State of Michigan.
Sentencing is set for August 19, 2025 before Judge Murphy. Johnson faces a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment for having engaged in aggravated identity theft. She also faces up to 20 years in prison for having conspired to engage in wire fraud.
“Timeka Johnson abused her position of trust to steal from hard-working American taxpayers. In doing so, she also made it more difficult for legitimate claimants to receive unemployment insurance assistance to which they are entitled. My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting government employees who use their positions to illicitly enrich themselves rather than serve the public,” stated U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Former Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency employee Timeka Johnson engaged in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme by facilitating the approval of UI claims filed in the names of identity theft victims who were not entitled to such benefits. Johnson abused her position by misusing her access to sensitive employment information and state data systems for her own personal financial gain. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who seek to exploit this critical benefit program, particularly when an insider threat is involved,” said Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
"The guilty plea of Timeka Johnson, a former employee of the State of Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency, represents a serious betrayal of public trust," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "By abusing her position, she exploited a critical safety net relied upon by countless residents of Michigan. Let this serve as a warning: those who attempt to defraud public assistance programs will face a determined and coordinated response from law enforcement. I want to thank the FBI Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, our partners at the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. The FBI is committed to protecting public resources and holding accountable those who undermine them."
“It is unacceptable when the person stealing taxpayer money is someone within UIA who is entrusted to faithfully safeguard taxpayer money meant for those who find themselves out of a job,” said Jason Palmer, Director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. “UIA will aggressively pursue every fraudster, including insiders, who saw an opportunity to steal for their own financial gain. We work closely with our legal partners to make sure every fraudster faces the consequences of their shameful schemes.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Homeland Security—Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Returns Superseding Indictment Charging Three Men with Murder of Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – On May 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Louisville returned a superseding indictment charging three men with conspiring to kill, and ultimately murdering, a witness in a federal investigation. Two of the defendants were previously charged with drug trafficking and firearms-related charges.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the superseding indictment, Anyelle Curtley, Sr., 47, of Louisville, Delrico Nelson, 48, of Macomb, Illinois, and Antoyne Penick, 48, of Louisville, are each charged with conspiracy to tamper with a witness or informant by killing and conspiracy to retaliate against a witness or informant by killing. The superseding indictment alleges that between December 28, 2023, and January 31, 2023, Curtley Sr., Nelson, and Penick conspired and agreed to kill Victim 1 with the intent to prevent the testimony of Victim 1 in an official proceeding and to prevent Victim 1 from communicating with a law enforcement officer or judge information relating to the commission of a federal offense. Additionally, the superseding indictment alleges that the three men conspired and agreed to kill Victim 1 in retaliation for providing information to a law enforcement officer relating to the commission of a federal offense.
Also, according to the superseding indictment, Curtley Sr. and Nelson, aided and abetted by each other, killed Victim 1, who was a person assisting a federal investigation, while that assistance was being rendered and because of it. Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that Curtley Sr. and Nelson aided and abetted each other in the murder of Victim 1 through the use of a firearm.
This indictment supersedes an indictment returned March 5, 2024, charging Curtley, Sr. and others with drug trafficking and firearms related charges.
The March 5, 2024, indictment charged Carl Delph, 53, of California, Curtley, Sr., Anyelle Curtley, Jr., 26, Adrian Richie, 35, Joseph Cousins, 39, Alandro O’Neal, 50, Jeroy Boyd, 44, Ameer Ellis, 45, Paul Butler, Jr., 35, and Susan Jenkins, 41, all of Louisville, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as May 9, 2023, and continuing through February 21, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine, over 400 grams of fentanyl, and over 500 grams of cocaine.
Delph and Curtley, Sr. were also charged with a money laundering conspiracy.
Delph was also charged with distributing over 500 grams of cocaine and distributing over 400 grams of fentanyl.
Curtley, Sr. was also charged with distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On December 28, 2023, Curtley, Sr., possessed a Glock, model 27, .40 caliber handgun. Curtley, Sr. was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted the following felony offense.
On May 19, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Curtley, Sr. was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Curtley, Jr. was also charged with distributing fentanyl and cocaine.
Richie and Cousins were also charged with distributing fentanyl.
O’Neal, Ellis, and Jenkins were also charged with distributing methamphetamine.
Boyd was also charged with distributing cocaine.
Butler, Jr. was also charged with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Cousins and O’Neal have pled guilty and are pending sentencing before a United States District Judge.
An additional federal indictment was returned on March 5, 2024, charging Christopher Curtley, 50, and Penick, both of Louisville, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as January 9, 2024, and continuing through February 29, 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin.
Christopher Curtley was also charged with distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Penick was also charged with distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. Penick was also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On January 24, 2024, Penick possessed a Heritage Manufacturing Inc., Model Rough Rider, .22 caliber revolver. Penick was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On September 27, 2017, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Penick was convicted of flagrant non-support.
On October 19, 2015, in Clark Circuit Court, Clark County, Indiana, Penick was convicted of theft.
On November 1, 2010, in Clark Superior Court, Clark County, Indiana, Penick was convicted of theft, robbery (two counts), and dealing in marijuana.
Those charges against Christopher Curtley and Penick remain pending.
Curtley Sr. and Penick previously appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on the underlying drug and firearm charges. Nelson appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for Central District of Illinois on May 8, 2025. Curtley Sr., Nelson, and Penick have been ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of the offenses alleged in the superseding indictment, all three defendants face a potential sentence of death, life, or any term of years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI, ATF, IRS-CI, and the Louisville Metro Police Department, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police and Macomb, Illinois Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the case, with assistance from paralegal Aaron Cooper.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fall River Woman Sentenced for Stealing Nearly $90,000 in Social Security Benefits Intended for Her ChildRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing her child’s Social Security benefits over a period of six years.
Nancy Taylor, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Taylor was also ordered to pay $86,994 in restitution. In February 2025, Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. Taylor was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024.
From May 2016 through May 2022, Taylor embezzled approximately $86,994 in Social Security benefits that were intended for her minor child. In August 2014, when Taylor applied to receive benefits on behalf of her child as a representative payee, the Social Security Administration (SSA) informed her of her obligation to notify SSA if her child left her custody. However, Taylor did not notify SSA when she lost custody of her child in May 2016. Instead, Taylor called SSA in October 2021 to update contact information for the child so that she could continue receiving her child’s benefits. Further, in June 2022, Taylor visited an SSA field office to reactivate her receipt of her child’s benefits and provided two fraudulent forms claiming that her child still lived with her and that she spent all the Social Security benefits she received for her child’s care. In reality, Taylor used the vast majority of the stolen funds to pay her own bills.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on May 6, 2025.
Mason Benoist, age 24, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Benoist was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025.
The conviction stems from Benoist receiving and possessing child pornography using his mobile phone in April 2022. Law enforcement subsequently began investigating Benoist based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In May 2023, law enforcement made contact with Benoist at his residence in Eagle Butte. Benoist admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography, and a search of his electronic devices revealed child pornography. Benoist will forfeit ownership of these electronic devices to the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Benoist was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Earl Cureton Jr., also known as “Black Rob,” 40, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 12, 2024, Cureton sold approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant while on the 2400 block of Collis Avenue in Huntington. Cureton admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand with the confidential informant.
Cureton further admitted to selling approximately 18.6 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $1,300 on November 9, 2023, and approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $380 on December 7, 2023, each time to a confidential informant in the area of the 2400 block of Collis Avenue.
On November 26, 2024, Cureton traveled by Greyhound bus from Michigan to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then by rideshare vehicle from Cincinnati to Huntington. Cureton admitted that he possessed a suitcase while traveling that contained approximately 5.08 kilograms of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the rideshare vehicle in which Cureton was a passenger in the 900 block of 7th Avenue in Huntington, and arrested Cureton on a warrant for the current offense. Officers seized the suitcase containing the methamphetamine and approximately $4,566 on Cureton’s person. Cureton admitted that the cash was proceeds from selling methamphetamine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-117.
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David X. Sullivan Appointed Interim United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
Attorney General Pamela Bondi has signed an order appointing David X. Sullivan, 65, of New Fairfield, as the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Mr. Sullivan was sworn in today by Chief U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford.
“I am deeply honored that President Trump and Attorney General Bondi have placed their trust in me by appointing me to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “It is especially gratifying to return to the U.S. Attorney’s Office where I spent the vast majority of my career practicing law as a public servant. I look forward to working again with the hard-working men and women of the office, and federal, state, and local law enforcement. Through our collaborative efforts, we can accomplish great things and, most importantly, ensure the safety of our citizens.”
Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Sullivan was a partner at the law firm of McCarter and English, LLP, with a practice focusing on complex civil litigation, advising financial institutions on compliance with federal laws and regulations, and representing individuals and businesses in government investigations and regulatory enforcement actions.
From 1989 to 2019, Mr. Sullivan served in the District of Connecticut as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, handling a wide range of civil and criminal matters with a focus on asset forfeiture, money laundering, tax evasion, and narcotics trafficking. Mr. Sullivan also led the District of Connecticut’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, where he oversaw criminal and civil forfeiture matters for the Office.
In 2003 and 2004, Mr. Sullivan served as the Money Laundering/Asset Forfeiture Coordinator for the Department of Justice, acting as the national representative and legal advisor for the 94 United States Attorney’s offices across the country.
Mr. Sullivan graduated from the Catholic University of America in 1982, the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 1988, and the Quinnipiac University School of Law, with an LLM in Taxation, in 1991.
Mr. Sullivan is the 56th U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, an office that was established in 1789.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 54 staff members at offices in Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford.
For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, please visit www.justice.gov/ct.
D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Honors Law Enforcement During National Police Week CeremoniesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. joined leaders from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in commemorating National Police Week by attending events honoring the sacrifice and service of law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C., and across the nation.
“The health and well-being of our law enforcement officers directly impacts the safety of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “Few vocations are as important in our society as policing. All members of our local, state, and federal public safety community deserve our thanks and respect.”
The week honors the law enforcement community with special recognition of those who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. In 1962, Congress created National Police Week and designated May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
On May 13, 2025, U.S. Attorney Martin will attend the Annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall in honor of fallen officers. On May 15, he will attend the annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the U.S. Capitol and later the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
Last week, U.S. Attorney Martin attended a memorial service on May 5, 2025, at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. On May 6, 2025, he attended the annual Blue Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and a service at the U.S. Capitol honoring U.S. Capitol Police officers who died in the line of duty.
This year, National Police Week is observed from Sunday, May 11, to Saturday, May 17, 2025.
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 64 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2024 — a 6.6% increase from 2023.
For comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the newly released 2024 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. To access the FBI's 2024 report, visit www.fbi.gov.
The names of all fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 37th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2025.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Court finds illegal alien guilty of reentering United States for 8th timeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old Mexican national has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane found Enrique Melendez-Saldivar guilty as charged following a one-hour bench trial.
On Dec. 19, 2024, authorities discovered Melendez-Saldivar as he attempted to illegally enter the country near Los Ebanos. At the time, the investigation revealed he was not a citizen of the United States.
Melendez-Saldivar has a prior conviction for illegal reentry and has been removed at least eight times.
Testimony also revealed Melendez-Saldivar tried to resist and evade arrest as authorities struggled to apprehend him in the South Texas brush.
The defense attempted to convince the court Melendez-Saldivar’s rights were violated due to excessive use of force. Judge Crane did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
Sentencing has been set for July 21. At that time, Melendez-Saldivar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Border Patrol and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Coram man pleads guilty to drug chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - A Coram man accused of possessing methamphetamine admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Blaine Justin Olds, 51, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Olds faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for September 18, 2025. Olds was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that beginning in May 2024, Blaine Justin Olds and his co-defendant were coming from their home in Coram, Montana, to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to deliver large amounts of methamphetamine. In October 2024, law enforcement arranged three controlled purchases of large of amounts of methamphetamine from the defendants. During each of these controlled purchases, Olds and his co-defendant traveled from their home in Coram to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and exchanged methamphetamine for money.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The FBI, BIA, DEA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, and Glacier County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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Chinese Company and Three Chinese Nationals Indicted for Unlawfully Importing Pill-Making Equipment Used to Manufacture Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a 21-count indictment against a Chinese company and three Chinese nationals for their alleged role in the illegal importation of pill-making equipment, the Department of Justice announced.
According to an indictment returned April 23 and unsealed today, CapsulCN International Co. Ltd. (CapsulCN) and Xiochuan “Ricky” Pan, 40, Tingyan “Monica” Yang, 37, and Xi “Inna” Chen, 30, all of the People’s Republic of China, were charged with smuggling, Controlled Substances Act, and money laundering offenses in connection with CapsulCN’s unlawful import and distribution of tableting machines (also known as “pill presses”), encapsulating machines, and counterfeit die molds capable of producing millions of potentially lethal fake pills. The indictment also charges Pan, CapsulCN’s principal officer and a shareholder, with leading a continuing criminal enterprise. Additionally, four internet domains used by CapsulCN to market and sell illicit pill-making equipment to U.S. customers were seized today in connection with this investigation.
“This indictment and today’s domain seizures send an unmistakable message to criminals in the People’s Republic of China and across the world — the Department will use every weapon in its arsenal to combat those who facilitate the manufacture and distribution of deadly drugs in the United States,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“This U.S. Attorney’s Office is focused on bringing the full force of justice to anyone who conspires to poison our communities with fentanyl,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Whether through the importation of pill presses and related materials, as alleged in this indictment, or through trafficking precursor chemicals and the drug itself, it is evident that bad actors are determined to harm Americans with fentanyl. Our federal prosecutors, through collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners, are determined to stop them.”
“These indictments against Chinese nationals exemplify Homeland Security Investigations’ unwavering commitment to breaking every link of the global fentanyl supply chain,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of the HSI El Paso Division. “We are committed to continue working hand-in-hand with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to get deadly fentanyl out of our communities and put an end to the chaos and devastation resulting from this epidemic.”
Many of the fake pills containing fentanyl and other controlled substances seized in the United States are manufactured using relatively inexpensive pill-making equipment — such as pill presses, encapsulating machines, and die molds — obtained from Chinese pharmaceutical equipment companies and imported into the United States. These fake pills often mimic the look, feel, and effect of legitimate pharmaceutical drugs and are particularly dangerous and misleading to U.S. consumers, who may falsely believe they are taking legitimate prescription medication that is safer and less addictive than the fentanyl and methamphetamine the pills really contain.
According to court documents, between December 2011 and April 2025, Pan led CapsulCN, which advertised and sold pill-making equipment to U.S. customers on websites, popular e-commerce platforms, and various social media accounts. CapsulCN marketed and catered to customers seeking to make counterfeit pills that mimicked the look and effect of prescription drugs. In 2020, Pan and Yang created a new brand, “PillMolds,” to advertise, sell, and promote counterfeit die molds to the United States. Although the PillMolds brand was part of CapsulCN, thereafter, CapsulCN ceased marketing and selling die molds via its www.capsulcn.com website and instead did so using the website www.pillmold.com. Today, HSI seized both of these websites, along with two others (www.ipharmachine.com and huadapharma.com) that CapsulCN used to facilitate its unlawful sales and imports of pill-making equipment.
The indictment alleges that, between December 2011 and April 2025, CapsulCN imported and distributed pill presses and encapsulating machines to customers in the United States, knowing or having reason to believe that those items would be used to manufacture controlled substances. CapsulCN also distributed counterfeit die molds, which can be used to compress inactive and active ingredients into pills that mimic the shape and imprinted markings of legitimate pharmaceutical drugs such as oxycodone, dextroamphetamine, hydrocodone, amphetamine, and alprazolam. Drug traffickers often replace these active ingredients in the legitimate pharmaceutical drugs with other controlled substances such as fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that CapsulCN concealed the nature and purpose of the pill presses, encapsulating machines, and die molds from U.S. customs officials and law enforcement by using deceptive packaging and false manifests that undervalued and misidentified the contents. Some customers sought to avoid mandatory requirements to report the import and distribution of pill presses and encapsulating machines to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). CapsulCN also allegedly helped conceal the nature of its shipments avoid detection by disassembling the machines and shipping the parts in separate packages, again with false manifests. CapsulCN employees then would direct customers to social media accounts maintained by CapsulCN that contained videos instructing customers on how to reassemble the machines once in the United States.
According to court documents, Yang, Chen, and other CapsulCN sales representatives communicated extensively with potential customers in the United States over company emails and encrypted electronic messaging applications. In these communications with customers, Yang, Chen, and others agreed to smuggle pill-making equipment to U.S. customers and assisted customers in selecting die molds that best replicated identified pharmaceutical drugs. Yang, Chen, and other CapsulCN sales representatives also exchanged electronic messages and emails negotiating payment for CapsulCN products that were smuggled into the United States and imported and distributed for use in manufacturing controlled substances. CapsulCN maintained bank accounts in the People’s Republic of China and accounts with online payment services to facilitate the transfer of funds from the United States to China in furtherance of CapsulCN’s criminal activities.
The HSI El Paso Field Office investigated the case with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, IRS Criminal Investigation’s El Paso Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Trial Attorneys Colin W. Trundle, Cadesby Cooper, Kaitlin Sahni, Edward E. Emokpae, Scott B. Dahlquist, Assistant Director Katharine A. Wagner, Deputy Director of Criminal Litigation A.J. Nardozzi, and Director Amanda Liskamm of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Gregory and Donna Miller and OCDETF Chief Steven Spitzer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas are handling the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Canadian National sentenced in nearly 30-year Social Security benefit fraud schemeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Ellis Kingsep, aka “Ellis King,” 77, a Canadian National lawfully residing in the U.S., was sentenced today to two and a half years in prison and is ordered to pay full restitution for stealing over $420,000 in Social Security benefits over a 30-year period. This sentence highlights the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to prosecuting cases involving fraud, waste and theft of federal government program funds.
According to court documents, from roughly 1995 to 2023, Kingsep devised and executed an elaborate scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA) by causing the agency to send benefits payments intended for Kingsep’s mother to accounts Kingsep controlled. Kingsep’s mother would now be 103 years old and is presumed deceased.
Court documents explain that Kingsep’s scheme included creating an intricate web of mail forwarding requests for his mother’s mail by using private postal mailbox accounts in California, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Alaska to conceal that he was receiving his mother’s mail and sending correspondence in her name.
Court documents detail that in 2013, the SSA received a change of address notice purportedly signed by Kingsep’s mother, stating she was moving to Alaska and requesting her address be changed to one in Fairbanks. The address in Fairbanks was for a mail forwarding service with whom Kingsep had opened an account. Kingsep instructed the mail forwarding service to receive and repackage mail addressed to his mother and ship it to two different private mailbox services located in Vancouver, where Kingsep also had accounts. Under Kingsep’s instructions, those services also repackaged and forwarded the already forwarded mail to private mailbox services in Los Angeles, where Kingsep would regularly collect his mail.
Beginning in 1989, Kingsep’s mother received SSA benefits by direct deposit to a bank account. In November 1996, the SSA directly deposited her benefits payments to a different bank account held in the names of Kingsep and his mother. Bank security video showed Kingsep regularly withdrawing cash from the account in Los Angeles. The SSA stopped paying the mother’s benefits in 2023 after an SSA investigator uncovered Kingsep’s scheme. The investigation determined Kingsep’s mother would be 103 at the time of sentencing, and that there has been no record of her since 1993 and no death certificate has ever been filed for her.
After his arrest in July 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit Kingsep rented in Hollywood and found multiple books focused on being “invisible” and creating fake IDs, as well as copies of valid foreign passports in his name, a folder filled with photocopies of his mother’s signature, and statements and correspondence from foreign banks holding funds and precious metals for him.
On Dec. 10, 2024, Kingsep pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Court documents detail that after he pleaded guilty, Kingsep wrote a letter to a witness in the case, indicating the witness was to blame for his arrest. During sentencing, the Court also ordered Kingsep to serve three years on supervised release and pay a $50,000 criminal fine. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the seriousness of the crime based on the total amount stolen and the defendant’s elaborate scheme to commit the crime and hide it from discovery.
“Mr. Kingsep manipulated a critical assistance program by fraudulently collecting his mother’s social security benefits for nearly three decades and subsequently created an invisible lifestyle to conceal his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “I want to thank the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General for their incredible work on unwinding Mr. Kingsep’s elaborate web of lies and misdirection to uncover the full extent of his conduct. Social Security fraud threatens the foundation of a program that millions of people depend on and will not be tolerated. My office is committed to prosecuting perpetrators such as Mr. Kingsep who steal government program funds.”
“Mr. Kingsep carried out a sophisticated scheme of manipulation for three decades to illegally collect Social Security benefits intended for his mother,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, performing the duties of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “This sentence holds him accountable for deliberately concealing his existence to steal nearly half a million dollars he was not entitled to, diverting it from rightful beneficiaries who rely on these funds.”
The SSA, Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley prosecuted the case.
Other ongoing Social Security fraud cases
In the last six months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged four other cases alleging Social Security fraud, marking the start of the Office’s close partnership with SSA OIG to prosecute the theft of government funds. The cases are as follows:
- Barbara Coleman, 44, of Cheney, Washington, was charged by information in a nearly four-year-long scheme where she fraudulently converted, for personal use, over $28,000 in Title XVI (Disability Insurance) SSA benefits intended for her uncle. After her uncle died in August 2019, and continuing until July 2023, Coleman converted those funds for her personal use by accessing her uncle’s bank account to make purchases and ATM withdrawals with his debit card after his death. Coleman pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money or property the day the charges were filed and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2025.
- Bernadette Kibby, 44, of Sitka, was charged by information in an over three-year-long scheme where she fraudulently converted, for personal use, over $107,000 in Title II (Federal Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) SSA benefits intended for her father. Kibby’s father died in March 2016. In December 2016, and continuing until July 2020, Kibby began accessing her father’s bank accounts to make direct payments and purchases, as well as PayPal withdrawals using her father’s PayPal account after his death. Kibby is currently awaiting the scheduling of her trial.
- Sarah Korn, 40, of Anchorage, was indicted on charges related to a nearly four-year-long scheme where she allegedly stole over $50,000 in SSA Title II benefits from her stepfather. Korn is also charged with a second count of theft of government funds related to her alleged theft of her stepfather’s U.S. Department of Treasury COVID-19 stimulus payment. Korn’s trial is scheduled to begin on June 9, 2025.
- Aleksander Savelieff, 55, of Nikolaevsk, was indicted on charges related to a decade-long scheme where he allegedly fraudulently converted, for personal use, over $44,000 in SSA Title II benefits from his mother. After his mother died in June 2013, and continuing until June 2023, Savelieff converted those funds for his personal use by accessing a joint bank account he held with his mother to make payments, purchases and ATM cash withdrawals. Savelieff is also charged with a second count of theft of government funds related to his alleged theft of another person’s U.S. Department of Treasury COVID-19 stimulus payment. Savelieff’s trial is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8, 2025.
The SSA, OIG is investigating these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting these cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Buffalo man pleads guilty to selling methRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Mario Pittman Jr., 31, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to distribution of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that in March 2024, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Lackawanna Police began investigating Pittman’s drug trafficking activities. The investigation included five controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Pittman. On April 30, 2024, investigators attempted to stop Pittman’s vehicle, but he fled at a high rate of speed through a residential neighborhood. Law enforcement eventually made a forced stop of his vehicle. Pittman fled on foot but was apprehended by law enforcement. Investigators recovered a clear plastic baggy of suspected methamphetamine, which Pittman dropped on the ground as he attempted to flee.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2025, before Judge Arcara.
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Buffalo man pleads guilty to drug related gun chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Donta Williams, 30, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of imprisonment of life, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated on November 13, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at a Comstock Avenue residence, which Williams used for his drug trafficking activities. During the search, they seized $1,030 in cash, a receipt for a Rolex sold to “Donta Williams,” a Glock pistol and ammunition, jewelry, crack cocaine and fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia. Later that day, a second search warrant was executed on a UHAUL unit controlled by Williams. During that search, investigators seized $29,627.00 in cash, and a loaded magazine.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alfonse Wright.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2025, before Judge Arcara.
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Buffalo man going to prison for starting fire on railroad tracks in FarnhamRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael B. Benitez, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of attempt to wreck, derail, set fire to, or disable railroad on-track equipment, was sentenced to serve 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Benitez was also ordered to pay $1,382 in restitution to Norfolk Southern Railway.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that in the early morning hours of June 14, 2023, Benitez placed several tires on the railroad tracks behind his residence at the time on Railroad Avenue in Farnham, poured gasoline on the tires, and started the tires on fire. The tire fire destroyed equipment owned by Norfolk Southern that’s used to identify railroad equipment while enroute. Norfolk Southern was required to hold trains while the tire fire was extinguished, and rail equipment was repaired.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Brandt Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Slawek, and Norfolk Southern Police Department.
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Boston Gang Members Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Firearms; Defrauding Federal Credit Union; Hundred-Thousand-Dollar Check Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mission Hill gang member with multiple prior convictions has pleaded guilty to three separate indictments charging him with a sweeping slate of federal charges – including trafficking firearms, defrauding a credit union of over $130,000 and stealing mail as part of a large-scale “card cracking” scheme that caused up to half a million dollars in losses.
Glenroy Miller, a/k/a “Trinny,” 28, of Boston, pleaded guilty on May 9, 2025 to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun; one count of trafficking in firearms; two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; one count of bank fraud and aiding and abetting; and one count of conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 7, 2025.
In September 2019, Miller was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of possession of a firearm without a permit; carrying a firearm with ammunition; possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number; and resisting arrest. He was subsequently sentenced to three years in prison, followed by two years’ probation. In December 2019, shortly after beginning his state prison sentence, Miller conspired with long-time friend Nadaje Hendrix to defraud a credit union where Hendrix served as a loan officer and assistant branch manager at the time. Specifically, between December 2019 and August 2021, the two defrauded the credit union by obtaining loans in the names of other individuals, including Miller’s fellow inmates, as well as loans under stolen identities. In total, Miller and Hendrix defrauded the credit union of approximately $134,000. The two were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024 in relation to this conduct. In October 2024, Hendrix was sentenced to eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty in July 2024.
In the summer of 2023, upon his release from state prison, and prior to his January 2024 indictment, Miller conspired with other Mission Hill members to engage in a mail theft and “card cracking” scheme while on probation. According to court documents, card cracking involves the theft of checks – usually checks stolen from USPS collection boxes – which are chemically washed to remove the payee information. The checks are then rewritten in the names of others who have typically been recruited into the scheme via social media, deposited into their bank accounts and withdrawn or transferred as soon the funds are made available. According to the signed plea agreement, Miller is responsible for $250,000 - $550,000 in losses or attempted losses via checks that were stolen from the mail, washed and/or deposited into recruited accounts between June 2023 and February 2024. In August 2024, Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury along with eight other Mission Hill gang members and associates for their alleged roles in the card cracking scheme.
Additionally, during the summer of 2023, while on state probation, Miller sold six firearms to a cooperating witness on four separate occasions on Aug. 7, 2023 and Oct. 24, 2023. One of the sales included a firearm with a high-capacity magazine equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Additionally, Miller was aware that the cooperating witness was a convicted felon who was prohibited from purchasing or possessing the firearms.
The charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition each provide for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of trafficking in firearms provides for a sentence up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Wellesley Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kriss Basil, Lucy Sun and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deona’tre Capri Dowell, 31, of Beckley, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Dowell admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 25, 2024, Dowell received an ounce of fentanyl from a co-conspirator at his Beckley residence. Dowell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it earlier that day. Dowell further admitted that he obtained additional quantities of fentanyl during May 2024 from his supplier on consignment, paying the supplier back with the proceeds from distributing it.
On May 30, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dowell’s residence and found approximately 535 grams of methamphetamine, 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, a Romarm Micro Draco 7.62mm firearm, and a Glock model 21 .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Dowell admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances and intending to distribute them.
Dowell is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.
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Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Striking a Sheriff Helicopter with a LaserRead the Press Release
Brett Curtis Hair, 23, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, at approximately 12:17 a.m., Kern County Sheriff's Office helicopter Air 1 was on routine patrol when the cockpit was struck by a bright green laser beam. The Tactical Flight Officer pinpointed the source of the laser emanating from a residence within the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Critical Flight Zone of Bakersfield’s Meadow Field Airport. At least 15 additional laser strikes appeared to be intentional as the light tracked and struck the helicopter. Once Air 1 arrived above the residence, Hair exited the garage and immediately began striking the helicopter's cockpit again with the high-powered laser. During the laser strikes, the pilot and Tactical Flight Officer experienced visual interference as the laser repeatedly struck and illuminated the cockpit, making it difficult to see the aircraft’s instruments.
According to the FAA, aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety risk, because many high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots and interfere with the safe operation of their aircraft. In 2024, pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the FAA.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Hair is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 4, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Saturday 10 May 2025
Self-Described Pastor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor, and Charged with His Wife for Conspiracy to Commit Forced LaborRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man who claimed to be a pastor of a church in Orange, New Jersey was indicted on April 25, 2025, for sex trafficking, forced labor, and, along with his wife, conspiring to commit forced labor, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today.
The indictment, which was unsealed on May 7, 2025, charges Treva Edwards, 60, and Christine Edwards, 63, with conspiracy to commit forced labor. It also charges Treva Edwards with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and forced labor. Both defendants were arrested on May 7, 2025 and made their initial appearances on May 8, 2025 and were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa and were detained.
“These charges are an example of my office’s tireless commitment to combatting human trafficking in our community. If you engage in human trafficking, we will find you, and we will prosecute you. We are committed to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who target the most vulnerable are brought to justice.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals under the guise of faith or community,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division is committed to holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust to manipulate and control others for personal gain. These charges reflect our unwavering focus on protecting victims and prosecuting those who commit forced labor and sex trafficking.”
“Treva and Christine Edwards turned a source of hope into a tool of fear by allegedly exploiting religious faith to manipulate victims and expose them to sexual violence and forced labor conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of HSI Newark Division. “Seeking justice for human trafficking victims in cases like this is of utmost importance to HSI Newark. Anyone who may believe they are a victim of trafficking can be assured our investigations are victim-centered and that we will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for anyone’s freedom that has been held ransom.”
“An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of labor trafficking involving the use of coercion or force,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.”
According to the indictment and statements made in court:
Defendants Treva Edwards and Christine Edwards were the founders and pastors of a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of a multi-unit apartment building in Orange, New Jersey, and where they conspired to coax and coerce vulnerable victims to work with no pay.
Between 2011 and 2020, the defendants identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial struggles, to join the church and live and worship at the church building. Treva Edwards told the victims that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God and that disobeying him would result in spiritual retribution from God, as well as physical, emotional, and financial harm.
The defendants preached to the victims that it was God’s will for them to work, and that members had to perform labor to serve God. The defendants secured labor contracts to provide manual labor in and around Orange, New Jersey, and the defendants dispatched the victims to perform the contracted labor. The defendants did not pay wages to the victims for their work and kept the money earned from their labor.
The defendants convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God if they did not perform labor. Treva Edwards spread fear among the victims through verbal and emotional abuse and threats of reputational harm, homelessness, hunger, spiritual retribution, punishments, and more hard labor to gain their obedience and compel them to perform unpaid labor. The defendants instituted and enforced strict rules about when and whether the victims could eat or sleep, when and for how long they were to pray and work, and whether they could speak to non-members or leave the church building. The defendants isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and by convincing them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil. The defendants deprived the victims of sleep, typically fed them only once a day after they completed their work.
According to the allegations in the indictment, Treva Edwards controlled and subjected one victim to repeated physical and sexual assaults, impregnated her, and instructed her to get an abortion.
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion against Treva Edwards carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The forced labor charge against Treva Edwards carries a maximum sentence of twenty years or life imprisonment if the government proves at trial that the violation included aggravated sexual abuse. The conspiracy to commit forced labor charge against both defendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to this indictment.
This investigation was conducted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Chenoweth and Susan Millenky, and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
HSI is asking anyone with information about the defendants to contact the HSI Human Trafficking Hotline at (866) 347-2423 (option 2), and reference Edwards or Jesus is Lord Church, or to email [email protected]. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Treva Edwards: Michael Thomas, Esq., AFPD
Christine Edwards: F.R. “Chip” Dunne, III, Esq., Hoboken, NJ
edwards.indictment.pdf
Friday 9 May 2025
Windham Man Sentenced for Clean Air Act Conspiracy and Obstructing EPA’s InvestigationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Windham man was sentenced on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to tamper with environmental monitoring devices on diesel vehicles, in violation of the Clean Air Act, and for obstructing the investigation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into those violations.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Isaac Allen, 35, to a three-year term of probation and a $40,000 criminal fine, the maximum amount recommended by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines for Allen’s offense level. As a term of his probation, Allen must ensure that all vehicles he owns directly or through any associated company are in compliance with the Clean Air Act by having all required emissions controls and an on-board diagnostic system (OBD) functioning within its original parameters. Allen pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024.
The purpose of the Clean Air Act, among other things, is “to protect and enhance the quality of the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.” Under the Clean Air Act, diesel trucks are required to have working systems and components that limit harmful emissions of pollutants which may endanger public health. The Clean Air Act also requires that those systems be monitored by an OBD that will detect if an emissions control component is not working or has been removed. It is a felony to tamper with the OBD.
On multiple occasions between January 2017 and September 2020, a co-conspirator, Company A, which disabled emissions controls systems on diesel engine vehicles, referred its customers to Allen to download and install illegal software. The illegal software, known as “tunes,” was designed to prevent the vehicles’ OBDs from recognizing the disabling of the emissions controls. Allen would plug into vehicles’ OBD ports and download illegal software tunes through the internet onto the OBD. In response to a Clean Air Act Request for Information by EPA, Allen submitted a false document that materially underrepresented the number of illegal tunes he had installed.
EPA estimates that the installation of emissions control defeat devices can result in an increase of 10-100 times more air pollution emissions from a single diesel pickup truck. Diesel exhaust contains a mix of acidic and hydrocarbon gases that are harmful to human health. Those emissions cause a variety of adverse health effects, including eye, nose, and throat irritation; inflammation and irritation of the respiratory system; difficulty breathing; reduction in lung function; susceptibility to respiratory infection; and aggravation of asthma.
This case was referred to EPA by the Maine State Police and investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division.
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Western District of Texas Adds 316 Immigration Cases in First Week of MayRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 316 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 2 through May 8.
Among the new cases, Cirilo Delgado-Alderete, Dilan Karim Valenzuela-Baca, and Antelmo Eligio Ramirez-Bernardo were arrested at an alleged stash house in Anthony, New Mexico. According to an affidavit, U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations agents observed three vehicles that had been identified as being used to smuggle illegal aliens to Albuquerque, New Mexico, parked at the residence. When agents questioned Ramirez-Bernardo, a Guatemalan national, they allegedly discovered he possessed a key to the residence on his keychain. Agents then located 25 individuals inside the residence who admitted to being citizens of Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Pakistan without documentation to be in the U.S. Two of the individuals, Delgado-Alderete and Valenzuela-Baca, were identified as alleged stash house caretakes and drivers to harbor and transport the illegal aliens. Delgado-Alderete, Valenzuela-Baca, and Ramirez-Bernardo are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. The drivers allegedly picked up aliens in El Paso before transporting them to New Mexico.
Mexican national Erasmo Soto-Aguilar and Cesar Jared Garcia-Raucho, a U.S. citizen, were charged with statutes related to harboring illegal aliens after agents arrested them outside an alleged stash house in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that Soto-Aguilar had been involved in multiple smuggling schemes in which he coordinated pick-up drivers to meet and exchange illegal aliens. The complaint also alleges that Garcia-Raucho admitted to working as an illegal alien caretaker.
Leonel Sotelo-Santillan, a Mexican national, was arrested after allegedly entering a National Defense Area near El Paso illegally on May 2. Sotelo-Santillan is a convicted felon with two 2015 convictions for domestic abuse battery and theft in Louisiana, as well as a felony conviction in June 2024 for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Dec. 28, 2024.
In San Antonio, Mexican national Joandel De Jesus Tierrablanca-Tellez aka Joandel Tierras Blanca was arrested after law enforcement officers allegedly observed him sell four firearms to a buyer in New Braunfels. Homeland Security Investigations had previously learned the firearms were to be sold and trafficked to Mexico for a predetermined amount of U.S. currency. A search of Tierrablanca-Tellez’s vehicle allegedly revealed his Mexican passport and an additional firearm along with .223 caliber and .308 caliber ammunition. Tierrablanca-Tellez is charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
Alejandro Mata-Zavala, also a Mexican national, was arrested during a traffic stop in Guadalupe County on May 6. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) immigration history inquiry determined Mata-Zavala had been convicted in April 2021 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, and was removed from the U.S. to Mexico on or about June 2, 2022. He’s currently charged with one count of illegal re-entry and faces up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
USBP agents arrested Mexican national Tomas Medina-Martinez near Brackettville on May 1. Medina-Martinez is a two-time convicted felon with three prior removals from the U.S., the most recent being Feb. 12. Mexican national Mauro Morales-Lopez was also arrested by USBP on May 1 near Eagle Pass. Morales-Lopez was deported Nov. 12, 2024 through Atlanta, Georgia following multiple violent misdemeanor convictions for family violence.
On May 5, Mexican national Sergio De La Cruz-Ruiz was arrested near Brackettville for being illegally present in the U.S. His criminal record includes nine deportations and multiple felony convictions. De La Cruz-Ruiz was also convicted in January 2024 for assault on a family member. His latest removal was April 18 through Harlingen.
Jorge Luis Benavides-Alvarado, a Mexican national, was encountered by federal law enforcement at the Williamson County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry. He was convicted for possession of a dangerous drug in Georgetown on May 7. In 2017, Benavides-Alvarado was convicted for aggravated robbery in Dallas. He was removed from the U.S. July 26, 2019. Also encountered at the Williamson County Jail, Mexican national Agustin Ruiz-Vazquez was convicted May 7 for assault causing bodily injury. Federally charged with illegal re-entry, Ruiz-Vazquez was previously removed from the U.S. July 10, 2014, two years after being convicted of injury to a child in Austin.
And in Midland, Salvadoran national Edenilzon Hernandez was encountered at the Ector County Detention Center in Odessa, where he was being held for indecency with child sexual contact. Now facing a federal illegal re-entry charge, Hernandez has three prior removals and a criminal history that includes convictions for burglary of a habitation, assault on a public servant and an additional assault charge.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Vanderwagon Man Pleads Guilty to Assault and Federal Firearms Charges Following Armed ConfrontationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Vanderwagon man pleaded guilty to assault and federal firearms charges after firing shots and threatening a man with a rifle during a confrontation on the Navajo Nation.
According to court records on May 1, 2023, Perris Jeremiah Arthur, 36, initiated a confrontation at John Doe’s residence in Vanderwagon. Arthur then went outside to retrieve a rifle from his ATV, fired two shots into the RV, and later pointed the weapon directly at John Doe, threatening him with the firearm.
At sentencing, Arthur faces a minimum of seven years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Arthur will be subject to up to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.